The days flew by, and before I knew it, Wednesday had arrived. Thankfully, I didn't have much schoolwork to catch up on. After sliding the last book into my bag and heading toward the door, my teacher, Ms. Gallagher, stopped me.

"Ruth? A moment?"

I froze, already bracing myself for bad news, and walked back toward her desk. "Yes, Ms. Gallagher?"

She clasped her hands together, sighed, and glanced down at her grade book before meeting my eyes. "Ruth, we've talked before about your grades in my class. I know calculus hasn't come easy for you, and I've tried to provide extra help. But it's been a couple weeks, and you're still in danger of failing. You know if you don't pass calculus, you won't-"

"-graduate. I know." I cut her off. "I'm trying, I really am. But I need the most help on tests and quizzes, and those are the two things we can't get help on."

She nodded. "I understand. But I can't change the curriculum for one student. I suggest you adjust your study methods or connect with classmates who aren't struggling and learn their strategies. I want to see you succeed. Maybe free up your schedule a bit? You're at church often, and I wonder if that could be getting in the way."

I shook my head quickly. "No! Church doesn't get in the way of school. If anything, it's the other way around. Look, I'll... try harder, I guess. Was that all?"

"Yes," she said softly. "And Ruth? I didn't mean any harm by my comment. I respect your beliefs."

I tightened the straps of my backpack and let out a sharp breath. "See you tomorrow, Ms. Gallagher."

I left without waiting for a reply. I knew she was only trying to help, but it still stung when people implied my faith got in the way. Between school and work, I hardly had time for church at all. If anything, I wished I didn't have to work so much, just so I could focus more on God. Was that too much to want?

Like clockwork, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I had gotten a text from one of my co-workers, Ian.

[12:52pm] Ian: hey ruth!!😁
[12:52pm] Ruth: wassup Ian
[12:54pm] Ian: so i know this is super last min, but is there any way i could pick up ur shift tonight? i know you need the hours but i crashed my car recently and i need to pay for repairs and don't have a lot of money rn. i would ask kylie but she has a kid so i didn't want to bother her
[12:59pm] Ruth: oh my gosh, that's terrible. I'll def be praying for you. and yeah, I'm okay with you picking up my shift for tonight. i would talk with Irene to see if she'd be willing to give you more hours since she's in charge of scheduling
[1:03pm] Ian: ok thanks so much!! ur a lifesaver! enjoy ur day off :)

After texting him back, I realized I was free for the evening. Which meant I could actually go to the young adults event Jonah had mentioned on Sunday. I pulled up his contact and texted.

[1:06pm] Ruth: JONAH!
[1:06pm] Jonah: RUTH! 🙂
[1:07pm] Ruth: you're a dork lol. guess what?? :)))))
[1:07pm] Jonah: Could be anything. Just tell me lol
[1:10pm] Ruth: no fun. anyway, i can go to YA tonight! 😆
[1:10pm] Jonah: I'm lots of fun... you'll see. And really?? They let you have the day off? Praise God!!
[1:14pm] Ruth: one of my coworkers took my shift so i'm FREEEEEE
[1:14pm] Jonah: Best news I've heard all day. I'll pick you up at 5pm.
[1:20pm] Ruth: yes sir 🫡

Even though I needed the hours, having a night off felt like a blessing. Most days I couldn't stand being there anyway. I'd been job-hunting for weeks, but apparently "urgently hiring" never applied to me. Still, the thought of church tonight lifted my spirits. Jonah and I might have been teens, but we both preferred the young adult events.

After class, I headed home and knocked out some homework. I still had my five-page essay due Friday and only two pages done. Funny how I could talk about Jesus all day, yet writing about Him suddenly made me second-guess myself. Maybe it was the thought of pushback from my teacher, or the fact that I couldn't just rely on Scripture alone as a source. Either way, the words didn't flow easily.

A couple hours later, I started getting ready for church. I slipped into a simple outfit and sat in the living room. My dad sat on the couch as he read his Bible, while my mom paused her show and smiled at me. "You look cute. Where are you going?"

I smiled back. "Thanks. And oh, I forgot to mention it. I have the day off so me and Jonah are gonna go to the young adults event at church."

Her smile widened. "You and Jonah, huh?"

"Honey," my dad warned.

"Don't do that," I groaned. "It's not like that."

Before she could make it more awkward, a knock came at the door. I shot up. "Thank God."

I went to open it and Jonah stood there with flowers in his hand. My eyes widened. "Wha...I thought you were going to tell me when you got here so I could just hop in your car."

He handed me the bouquet like it was no big deal. Hesitant, I set them down quickly before my parents noticed. Jonah stepped inside, all charm. "Hello, Pastor Mark and Pastor Melissa!"

My mom hugged him, my dad gave him a firm handshake. "Take care of my daughter tonight. Have fun, but not too much fun."

Jonah beamed. "Yes, sir. I won't let you down."

"Well we're gonna head out now! We don't want to be late... Do we, Jonah?" I said impatiently.

"Right." Jonah turned back to my parents. "Always a pleasure. I'll have her home before it's too late."

Finally, we made it out the door and got to church on time. At the entrance, greeters gave us wristbands and showed us in. We found seats in the middle of the sanctuary. Ten minutes later, the place was packed. The band started, and soon the whole room was alive with praise and worship.

They sang so many of my favorite songs. Being surrounded by other believers, worshipping without shame, filled me with joy. God's presence was thick in the room, and I was grateful for a church that made it so clear who we served.

After worship, Micah, a youth leader who had grown up in our church, took the stage. We cheered as he grabbed the mic.

"Thanks for the warm welcome. I won't keep you long. I know you're hungry and snacks are waiting outside. But I need to share something heavy on my heart."

The room hushed.

"For weeks I've heard God whisper, 'Don't give a foothold to the enemy.' At first, I thought, well, that's obvious. But the enemy is slick. A few weeks ago, I was watching a show. One I knew I shouldn't. I told myself I was strong enough not to be tempted. I always watched at night before falling asleep, and it would keep playing after I drifted off."

He sat on the edge of the stage. "This show was full of mature themes. Because I fed my eyes and mind with filth, I opened doors that should've stayed locked. Those images crept into my dreams... sexual dreams. And in a moment of weakness, I gave in to lust."

The room stayed quiet. It was never easy to hear about sexual sin, but it was necessary. Everyone struggled with something. Repentance was still required. I admired his courage to speak the truth, even when it was hard.

Micah scanned the crowd. "There may be something or someone in your life that you know is wrong for you. That's the foothold you've given the enemy. It might not be lust. Maybe it's a song you sing without thinking, a worldly boy or girl you've been entertaining, or even the friends you keep."

Every example hit me like a weight. Each one applied to me in some way. Conviction was good, but conviction wasn't easy. I glanced at Jonah, trying to read his expression, but couldn't. Sometimes it was hard to picture him struggling. He always seemed so solid in his faith.

Micah closed out, and we were dismissed to the lobby for refreshments. Jonah leaned close. "Nothing looks good, but I'm starving. Wanna go grab a bite somewhere?"

"Yeah, let's go."

We drove to a nearby restaurant and got a booth right away. I scanned the menu carefully. It was my first time there. Jonah reached across and touched my hand. Startled, I pulled back.

He chuckled. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to say I really enjoyed tonight. Seeing you worship was... amazing."

I cleared my throat. "Oh, thanks. Yeah, I had a great time too. Micah's message was really good."

"He did great," Jonah agreed. "But, man... you looked beautiful tonight. I mean, you always do, but your hair especially. Did you do something different?"

I gave him a look but kept my voice even. "My hair? No, I didn't do anything different. What was your favorite part about the message? I liked how he shifted from his own struggle to things we might not even realize we're letting in. So many little habits can be destructive."

Before he could answer, the server came and took our order. When she left, I leaned in. "Well?"

He blinked. "Well what?"

"I asked you a question before she came."

"Oh, uh, yeah. I agree with what you said. So... how's school? Any dances coming up? You know I've got great moves. Did you see me dancing tonight?" He fist-pumped in the air.

I frowned. He kept dodging. "No, I wasn't watching you. I was worshipping. Are you okay? You seem... off. Like something's wrong."

He sighed and lowered his head. "No, you're right. I'm sorry. I just get nervous on dates. I forget how to act."

"Date!?" I blurted.

Our server awkwardly heard me as she set our food down and walked away. Jonah instantly started stuffing his face, probably to avoid acknowledging what he'd just said. As I began eating, the front doors opened and in walked Aiden. My eyes widened as he turned and made eye contact with me, and in an instant, I ducked down.

"Ruth?" Jonah bent down to look at me. "What are you doing? Why are you acting weird?"

He had some nerve asking me that. After a moment, I slowly straightened back up, relieved when I no longer saw Aiden in sight. Jonah's expression was sharp, almost angry.

I questioned him. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" His voice rose. "I turned around and saw that you were hiding from a guy. Who is he?"

"Jonah, that's none of your business."

"None of my business? It is when he's interfering with our date. I don't recognize him, so he doesn't go to our church. Is he from your school? What did Micah just preach about?! We have to hold each other accountable."

I scoffed. "First of all, this isn't a date. Second, don't lecture me about Micah's message when you weren't even listening. All I did was duck down. I got nervous, okay? Instead of interrogating me about some guy you don't know, maybe ask yourself why you even care."

He blew air through his nose, frustrated. "I've lost my appetite."

"So have I," I muttered, crossing my arms.

Jonah waved the server over, asked for the check, and paid. We left in silence. The car ride back to my house was stiff and wordless. As soon as he parked, I climbed out without saying goodbye and headed straight to my room.

Frustration burned inside me. Earlier I thought Jonah had it all together, but now it was clear—he was jealous. Jealous of someone he didn't even know. And instead of admitting it, he took it out on me. I didn't deserve that.

Seeing Aiden again only stirred up memories of our last conversation. It hadn't ended badly, but it hadn't ended well either. When I spotted him tonight, panic set in. What if he thought Jonah and I were together? I had to clear it up.

I pulled out my phone.

[8:46pm] Ruth: btw, the guy you saw me with wasn't like my bf or anything. we weren't on a date either. he's just some guy from my church
[8:52pm] Aiden: that's fine, i didn't think anything of it. you can do whatever you want
[9:00pm] Ruth: no i know, i just didn't want you to get the wrong idea
[9:11pm] Aiden: i get it. like i said, it's fine 👍 talk later

I stared at my screen. What was that? Is he jealous too? Or does he just not care?

Groaning, I flopped face-first onto my bed. Why did I even feel the need to text him? Now he knew I cared what he thought. I felt ridiculous. His dry response made me think he didn't like me anymore at all, and that wasn't fair. I hadn't even done anything.

Before I could spiral further, my phone buzzed again. Hopeful, I grabbed it, only to see it was Kylie. She'd sent a picture of her and her son blowing kisses at the camera with the caption: "Little man really wanted to see you today. He says he loves you!"

The tension in me eased. I smiled, texting back: Tell him I said happy birthday.

I set the phone down, realizing how ridiculous I'd been acting. The only thing that ever truly calmed me came next... I prayed.

"Dear Father, thank You for breathing life into me and loving me even when I fall short. Thank You for never leaving or forsaking me. Please forgive me for anything I've done that doesn't please You. Help me represent You in everything I do. Keep me from being distracted by this world, and fix my focus on You. Shape me into the woman of God You see in me. I trust You to take care of me and everything else. You deserve all of my time and devotion. I will serve You all the days of my life. In Jesus' name, Amen."