The Preacher's Daughter

My week is fairly boring and I try to stay out of everyone’s way at school, first Cameron who I never want to see again let alone have to speak to. Its pretty easy as I'm sure with Lex’s threats he is trying to avoid me as much as I am trying to avoid him.


Then there is Lex who I'm trying just as hard to avoid simply because he did something nice for me doesn’t change who he is or what he is capable of. He is still trouble with a capital ‘T’. The problem is he is in a few of my classes and I seem to keep accidentally making eye contact with him in the halls. 
I had to serve him and his friends again at the diner on Wednesday and he simply kept his head down and repeated his order.



By Sunday I'm a little tired of avoiding people and I feel way too conscious of everyone and everything around me and its is starting to bother me so I simply throw myself into Sunday procession. Getting up nice and early with my dad and helping him with the mass, I decide to tag along with my parents afterwards and make small talk to everyone in our town it feels like I have been standing out in the sun for hours but I know this is good for me every now and then and my farther really appreciates it.

A little later I head down to the lake to meet Ally and Jasmine and a few other from our school who are trying to stay cool in the summer heat. Instead of joining them in the lake I lay out on the shore and watch them from my shady spot under the massive trees. No one pressures me into going in the water they all understand that I would much rather just enjoy my time on the shore.

I have a quick dinner with my family before heading back to the church to set up for the youth group lighting my candles and setting out some chairs and snacks that i’ve bought with me tonight.
I take note that I am going to have to buy some new candles soon as these ones are dying out. And just before everyone starts to arrive I decide I really can’t be bothered with Youth Group today and I'm going to go for a walk into town to try and clear my head.



For some reason I still can’t get Lex out of my head, first finding him in the church and then him almost beating Cameron to death literally while trying to protect me and then the way he looked at me when I came out his bathroom in his clothes that night, almost as though he was a little disgusted by me.

Checking the time I realise i’ve been walking for about a half hour and by the time I get back to the church Youth Group should be finished and everyone should have left for me to lock up.

And as if I haven’t been thinking about him enough who do I find sitting in the front row head bowed between his legs looking like he is struggling with the weight of the word on his shoulders but Alexander James.

I let him sit in peace and walk around blowing out all the candles before I go to approach him, sitting next to him.

“Finding you here twice in three weeks.” I mutter “that’s gotta be some record, why are you here Lex?” I question

He doesn’t reply instead he tilts his head up pulling a packet of smokes out of his pocket and lighting on the the middle of a church.

“You can’t light that in here.” I yell at him and he just bows a cord of smoke out in my face. “I'm serious Alexander, put it out.” I yell I'm trying to be firm but I worry I sound like a little girl.

“How do you have such strong belief in all this?” he asks instead

“I just do I know that God is listening and that if we follow in the morals that he installs in us that he will look after us.” I try to answer but I don’t know if I’m coming across correctly.

“So is that it? Because I'm a shit fucking excuse of a human being I am being punished.”

“Lex,” I mumble both in warning and in remorse for him “I don’t think it works that way.” I try

But that’s it he doesn’t want to hear what I have to say he starts to storm out of the church and this time I'm not satisfied with leaving it like that.
So I race after him calling his name and quickly lock the door before following him to his car.

“What is going on Lex, maybe my dad can help, maybe.”

“Can your dad work miracles?” He yells back at me getting into his car and stupidly I follow him, getting in the passengers seat.

“Get out.” His voice is flat, void of all emotion. Maybe I'm being a little immature but I stay put not saying a word hoping that he will crack and tell me what is going on. But he doesn’t and instead starts the car and takes off at a ridiculous speed out of the church car park.