There are now only 15 minutes until the game starts, and now there are around 20 people here. Jim gathers us all in one room and speaks, “Before the game starts I would like to give a short message. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God, but it says in Ephesians 2:8 ‘For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.’ It also says in Titus 2:11 ‘For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.’ God is giving you an opportunity to follow his ways and he does not want you to die eternally. This also gives you no excuse to say that you did not get the chance to experience his grace. John 3:16 says ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.’ Everyone is given a choice to follow God or not, if you do not you will burn in hell, if you do you will live forever in heaven with the Almighty God.”
Yeah, yeah, who cares about that stuff, I mean these people must be crazy to believe in something that they don’t even know is real. Jim finishes by asking: “Jack, can you end in prayer for us?” Jack responds without hesitation, “Sure. Heavenly Father I thank you for bringing us all here, there are many new people which is always nice. I pray that you work through all of our hearts and use it for your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.” Finally they are done and we can now focus on the game. There are only two other Patriots fans here today, at least I have a few people on my side. Jack, Hannah and Riley are the only true supporters of the Redskins, but other people want the Redskins to win.
Sadly the game ends in favor of the Redskins, they win 35-28. It is time to go and it was not very churchy like I thought it would be. Other than the message at the beginning it was really cool and fun. As I say goodbye to Jim he says: “Thanks for coming Connor. You are always welcome here and to our church.” Ugh, another person inviting me to church. Well if they keep on asking me maybe if I go they will shut up. With a half forced smile I reply: “Thanks, maybe I’ll come next week.”
Chapter 4: Riley
I have the best job in the world. Every Saturday I babysit the cutest boy. I babysit the pastor’s 20 month old baby. He is the most adorable thing ever. I don’t get a lot of money, but it is a bit of money, which I can use for whatever I want. The pastor and his wife have some of their many life groups on Saturdays so I help out by watching Ben, their baby. I mostly just give Ben his food, watch TV or do work when he sleeps, and play puzzle games with him.
The pastor and his wife return and now it is time for me to leave and go back to the college. It is already past dinner time but I am not hungry, the pastor’s wife Lisa offered me a snack dinner thing when I was there. I walk over to Jack’s room to see if he has come back from dinner. Jack, Connor, and Hannah are in the room. Jack is studying some music sheets. Jack is really good at singing and playing guitar. I guess that is why he has such a big guitar case to protect it.
“Hey guys, what’s up?” I ask. “Oh hey Riley. How was babysitting?” Hannah asks. “It went really well and, I got a few extra dollars as well,” I say and wave the money under Jack’s nose. No one knows what Jack does for work, I think that he just gets his money from his parents and he doesn’t really work. Unless he thinks that posting songs on YouTube is work. “Why did you do that?” Connor asks. “Well, Jack says that he works, but I don’t really think he does,” I answer. Jack is quick to say, “I do work, I just can’t tell you what my job is.” I point my hand at him with my palm up and shake my head.
“So what is this ‘top secret’ job of yours Jack?” I ask him in a sassy voice. “I already told you, I cannot tell you,” Jack answers still studying his music sheets. I creep up slowly behind him, I then jab my index and middle fingers from each hand into each side of him and say, “Come on tell us!” He immediately jumps up and slaps my hands away. Then he shouts, “I have already told you I cannot speak about it! You always ask, don’t you know when enough is enough?! I am sick and tired of your ‘Jack doesn’t really work, he just gets his money from his parents’.”
I am shocked, scared, and just about everything else. He has never burst out like this at anyone before, and definitely not at me. But he is not done, “I work hard and earn my money. Even if I could talk about my work I would not want to talk about it. If just you would stop nagging me and listen to me for once!” By now I am crying, I don’t really know, maybe because he has never lashed out at anyone like this, and I am feeling the full brunt of his rage and anger. Just as I think he is done he shouts some final words: “Yeah that is right, go cry, go sit and cry about it, at least you will be out of my face!” I run out the door and head for my room. I guess he suddenly feels guilty about it because as I am about to go out of range I hear him say: “Wait Riley, I didn’t really mean that.”
I hit the bed and dive under my covers. I hear someone walk in, Hannah I assume. It is and she sits on the side of my bed. “Go away or leave me alone,” I say. But she just stays there and comforts me.
After breakfast on Monday morning I have one free hour before any of my classes start. I hear a knock on my door. “Who is it?” I ask. “It is Jack; I really need to say something to you.” “Fine, come in.” He has his iPhone and his dock with him, which is strange, what is he doing with those, and doesn’t he have class now? “Hi, well I have something to sing as well. It is Start Somewhere by tobyMac.” The last part of the song goes something like this:
If I need you and you need me
How can you turn your back and just leave me?
When I'm right here and you're right there
And God knows we've got to start somewhere
I said some things that I regret
And if I could, I'd take 'em back
If I could turn my words around
You wouldn't hear a sound
But here I am and there you are
The space between us is not so far
I'm reaching out my hand in love before the fading sun
Forgive me for what I've done
He sang that song so beautifully it almost made me cry. “So basically what I am trying to say is I regret what I said before and you and I are both here close to each other. I have asked God to help me control my temper and forgive me for wronging you. Now I will ask you, will you forgive me for what I said before? I will try my utmost to never speak to you or anyone like that again,” Jack says. “Yes, I forgive you. Now get back to class you late kid, but first I want a hug.” He hugs me and then runs out to try and get to his class in time. I can’t imagine what his excuse will be.
The four of us, Jack, Hannah, Connor, and I are all out walking in the park. “So how do you guys feel after one year of college? Can you do three more?” I ask everyone. “I’m up for three more years. And I’m also starving, anyone want Panda Express? I can pay if everyone is broke,” Jack offers. Everyone agrees and we all go into the restaurant. I get my favorites, Kung Pao chicken and orange chicken. It isn’t the authentic stuff but it is still good. At the end of the meal we all open our fortune cookies; I think they are stupid and fake. This is the first time that everyone at my table gets the same note inside, “You shall live long and prosperous.”
As we walk back to the school to get the rest of our stuff to go back to our real homes or wherever Jack says, “Since you guys used up most of my cash on lunch I need to go to the ATM over there and get some, do you mind waiting right here?” “Yeah sure,” we all respond.
Out of nowhere a woman yells in horror, “GUN!” I hear really loud pop like noises and before I know it Connor yells, “Girls get down!” I feel a hard knock and bang on to the cool, hard concrete.
Chapter 5: Connor
I feel two really sharp pains in my back and hear a kind of tearing sound as bullets rip through my back and lodge deep inside of me. "AARRHHHHGG!" I scream in pain. I feel really wet and mucky and I want to get up but I cannot. I hear someone run over to me and apply some cloth to my back, "You are going to be OK Connor, just breathe in
and out. Do you feel pain anywhere? Someone Call 911!" The voice is Jacks. "Well there is a hell of a lot of pain in my back. Nowhere else," I respond. I feel someone wiggle under me. "Don't move Riley. Can you feel anything wet on you?" Jack asks her. "No I don't feel anything," she responds. "OK. Hold his head in place Hannah." Jack asks her. "Hey look, there is the ambulance, that is fast," Hannah notes.
A paramedic slides next to Jack and says, "I'll take over." Jack quickly explains my situation and the paramedic puts some neck brace thing on me. The paramedics put me on a stretcher and lift me into the ambulance. Jack quickly asks the man where they are taking me, he says to the UCLA Medical Center. The ambulance ride is extremely annoying that man keeps asking me "Are you awake? Keep breathing," and "Stay with me." All of this time he keeps looking at me and applying these weird things on me. We finally get to the medical center and doctors and nurses are shouting out to each other and giving orders. I hear one of the doctors say, "This is really bad, and he can be paralyzed and can have a bunch of other sicknesses." I then pray to myself: God please help me, I know I haven't been very good, but if you get me out of this with little side effects I will go to church every day, Amen. They take a quick x-ray of me, then one of them says, "This will put you to sleep during the operation."
I wake up in a stall with the curtains drawn. I am still lying on my stomach and my back hurts a lot. It is really painful, like someone has stabbed you with knives and they are left in there. A nurse walks in to check on me. "Hi," I croak out. It is a surprise that I can barely talk. "Hi, you have some visitors, shall I send them in?" the woman asks. "Yes," wow, talking really takes my breath away.
"Hi Connor, how do you feel?" Riley asks. "I feel annoyed because I cannot see anyone when I'm lying on my stomach and I am in a lot of pain. I also may not be able to walk or use my arms. Maybe I can't use any of them. I overheard the doctors saying this before I went to sleep. Can you guys pray with me?" All of them are quiet so I assume that they were not expecting me to say that. "Yes, gladly," Jack says. After the prayer Hannah says: "Here we got this for you, we kind of forgot that you would be lying on your back, but maybe one of the nurses or your parents can read it to you." It is a bible "How do you know that my parents are Christians?" I ask. "Well we did not until we spoke to them. They are outside in the lobby waiting to see you, and we saw them praying so we asked and they said that they are," Hannah replies. "Thanks for waiting here guys; can you send my parents in, I want to speak with them privately," I request. "Sure, see ya Connor," Jack says.
"Oh Connor, are you OK?" my mom asks me as concerned as any mom would be in this situation. "Yes I am fine but just don't rub my back will you? Can you read that Bible that the others gave me please?" I ask. "Sure honey. There is a note in here, would you like me to read it?" she asks. "Yes please," I respond. She continues, "Hi Connor, we just want to thank you so much for knocking us down and taking the bullets instead of us. We cannot thank you enough, if there is anything you need just ask. We hope that this Bible makes a difference in your life and that you will read it through and through. This is your personal Bible and it has your name written on it. If it is OK with you and your parents; we would like to cover your medical bill, it is the least we can do for someone who has saved our lives. With love and prayers, Hannah and Riley."
Chapter 6: Jack
I walk the girls through the parking lot of the school and stop at my car. "Hannah is it OK if Riley and I go and take a drive by ourselves? I need to talk and show her something privately, if you don't mind?" I ask. "Sure, I have a bit to pack anyway," Hannah says and resumes walking. I open the door of the passenger seat and wait for Riley to get in. We drive in silence to the police station and walk into Michael Williams' office. "So," I begin, "Riley meet Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams this is Riley my girlfriend."
Michael begins, "Welcome Riley. What we are about to tell you must be kept to yourself and you may not share this information with anyone else, not even your parents. What is said in this room stays in this room. Jack and I believe that it is time to tell you about Jack's job. Jack is an undercover police, SWAT, and special force officer, part of our team of young men secretly protecting our country and the people in it. The reason why we are telling you this is because we believe that you were the target in the shooting that happened hours earlier. So if you will follow me I have something to give and teach you." We both get up and follow Mr. Williams out to his police car.
We arrive at a shooting range and we all get out. I know most of the people here because I come here to do some practice on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Riley asks, "How do you know all of these people?" "I see them every Saturday and Wednesday for practice. Remember this is my job," I remind her. "Here Riley, if you will take this gun. It is a Glock26. Jack is the one who insists that you carry this in your purse. You will have one magazine in your weapon at all times and you will have one extra magazine in your purse. Each magazine houses ten 9mm bullets aka rounds," Mr. Williams begins his tutorial. He finishes and Riley tries firing it. Right in the center, I think that Riley will be good at this. I just hope she doesn't actually have to shoot it at someone.
We walk back to Mr. Williams' car and drive back to the police station. He then hands me Riley's gun, permit, and magazines. Before we walk back to my car Riley asks, "Mr. Williams, I babysit on Saturdays and I don't think that the pastor will want me alone with his child with a gun. May I tell him so that he can make a decision on whether to fire me or not?" He ponders it for a bit then asks, "Who is your pastor?" "Pastor David Green," Riley responds. "You guys go to that church? How funny, I go there too. Yes you can tell him. See you on Sunday," Mr. Williams says with a smile.
We walk back to my car and sit in it. "Here is your gun and your magazines. You remember how to load it right?" I ask. "Yes, how can I forget? Why are you doing this Jack, why do you choose this job out of all the jobs in this world?" she asks. "Well," I begin. "A few years ago in Maryland one of my friends recommended me to an officer. The officer spoke with me and I signed up for it. After today I did not want you walking around defenseless. If anyone threatens you for your money or anyone else with a weapon you can take it out and shoot them, if they have a gun try to do it discreetly, I don't want you getting shot. If you cannot get it out without them noticing leave it in and give them the money. Also if you ever get stopped by the police and they ask if you have a weapon say yes and tell them where it is, don't reach for it to hand it to them. Wait for them to tell you what to do." "Yep I got it Jack, thanks for thinking about my safety. Now can we forget everything that happened today?" she asks. "Yes let us do that. Let us enjoy our last few days here of our freshman year," I tell her.
Chapter 7: Hannah
"Let's go Bruins!" I shout from my spot in the stands at a Bruins football game. The defense is out and there is one minute left in the game. We are leading by two points and if the other team can get into field goal range within the next two plays we are toast. They hike the ball and the quarterback drops back into the pocket. I see a receiver wide open and Connor is racing behind him trying to catch up. Connor has made a very speedy recovery since he was shot earlier this summer. He also has given his life to Christ during a summer camp that we invited him to. He has had no problems with his back either and can play football.
The receiver on the other team catches the ball and has a quick ten yards to the end zone. Dang! Now we may not be able to win this game. What a horrible birthday present for Jack, his team losing on his birthday. The refs start to group up and talk about something. I see a yellow flag next to the Bruins' 40 yard line. Then the head ref says: "Pass Interference on the offence number 81, 15 yard penalty repeat second down." The whole stadium is in an uproar, some in protest others in delight. So the other team walks back their 15 yards to try again.
They hike the ball; the quarterback waits for two seconds, then fires the ball and the receiver catches it for a ten yard gain. 30 seconds left in the game and only one time out. They thr
ow the ball but the receiver is not able to get out-of-bounds. They only need 15 more yards until they are in field goal range. The quarterback fires the ball and Connor leaps in the air. Interception, the crowd goes wild! Connor starts running but his team-mates force him down.
Riley and I meet Jack and Connor right before they get on the bus back to the school. "Great game you guys played, I'm so proud of you," Riley says and hugs Jack. "After we get back do you guys want to go out to dinner for two celebrations?" Jack asks. We all agree to meet in the parking lot in 45 minutes.
"Hannah and Riley, I'd like you to meet Patrick and Megan. Patrick is our quarterback which you all know and his girlfriend Megan," Jack says when all of us are in the parking lot. I thought that it would just be the four of us but I guess Connor and Jack spoke about it on the bus. I don't mind them coming along, it isn’t my decision and the more the merrier.
We get our own booth in the restaurant. The girls sit on one side and the boys on the other. We all get potato skins for the starter. All the boys get ribs for their main course; meat, the staple food of men. I order a chicken Caesar salad, my favorite salad. "So Megan, what are you interested in?" I ask her. She puts down her fork on her bruschetta chicken and says: "Photography, English, and creative writing. I have written two novellas already and I am going for a novel." "What is the difference?" Riley asks. "A novella is from like 17,500 words to like 35,000 words and a novel is between 35,000 and 80,000 words," Megan responds. "Wow that is a lot of words, how long does it take you to write one?" I ask. "It depends, if I have many ideas then it will take 1-3 months, if I don't or if I have a lot of other work it could take 3-5 months. For a novel I don't know how long that will take," replies Megan. "Can we read them?" Riley asks. "Sure, I'll send it to you guys when I get back. It is on my laptop," Megan replies.