Between Sundays by Rhiannah at Inkitt

The Things We’re Taught

Author's note: I'd like to say English isn't my first language and is something I am still learning! I am sorry for any grammatical mistakes, and want to get better so feel free to point them out <3

I also apologize in advance if this story offends anyone in any way, especially with the homophobia or if i disrespect any beliefs. Correct me if I have any research mistakes etc, thank you and i hope you enjoy this story :)

Sin teaches us discipline and tests our true potential. It's meant to teach us lessons that guide us toward the path intended for us. That's what my father always told me.

"If you ever love a boy, God will reject you. Those homosexuals are disgusting. You hear me, Ely?"

My father's ragged voice still echoed in my head.

I was only nine. I knew nothing about what he was talking about. But disobedience came with consequences, and the Bible always preached the importance of honoring your parents. So who was I to question the people I'd been raised to obey?

That was more than seven years ago, yet the lesson still applies today. At least, that's what I'd been taught. Being homosexual was still considered repugnant, even if a hundred years passed.

Even now, those words followed me everywhere. They lingered in the back of my mind during prayer, on ordinary school days, and at Mass. I never questioned them.

I never had a reason to.

By the time I reached school, I'd already recited my morning prayer. I prayed that I'd never become homosexual and that God would continue guiding me down the right path.

"Ely! Yoo, you're gonna be late if you stay stuck at that locker another minute," Sam called, slamming his own locker shut.

Sam always had something to say, and I'd learned it was best not to entertain him.

We'd been friends since we were old enough to attend Bible study. One day, he'd lost his Bible, so I gave him my spare. My parents thought it was the sweetest thing and invited his family over for dinner.

Ever since then, he'd stuck by my side.

His thick, tousled black hair hung over his eyes, a cheeky grin tugging at his lips. I wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug look off his face.

I rolled my eyes, shut my locker, and tucked my books under my arm.

Another God-awful day with these assholes.

I couldn't wait for summer break. Three months without endless lectures. No more Sam—unless I was at church. And no more disgusting school lunches.

From across the hallway, I spotted Faith making her way toward me.

She went to the same church as I did and was in a few of my classes. She'd become part of my daily routine. If I wasn't with Sam, I was probably with her.

We first met back in eighth grade when she was the class representative. She was surveying everyone, and somehow ours turned into a conversation that lasted nearly an hour after school.

Ever since then, she'd become the third member of mine and Sam's little trio.

And by little trio, I really meant whatever trouble Sam managed to drag us into.

She stood before me, yet from the moment she arrived, her eyes never once met mine. A rosy blush crept across the tips of her ears.

Faith was blushing.

"Ely..."

Her voice trailed off.

I didn't think I'd ever seen her nervous—let alone blushing around me.

For what felt like an eternity, I simply stared. Then I turned to face her with a small smile, raising an eyebrow.

"Hm?"

"I... uh... I really like you, Ely." She fidgeted with her fingers, her words barely louder than a whisper. Maybe it was just the echoing hallway, but I could hardly hear her. "I was wondering if you'd want to go out with me?!"

The last sentence came out much louder than she intended, drawing thirty pairs of eyes toward us.

If I was being honest, Faith was cute. She stood about four inches shorter than me, with auburn curls that framed her face perfectly. I'd liked her since ninth grade, but Sam had convinced me she'd never see me that way.

Which reminded me—I had won the bet he'd made.

A smirk tugged at my lips as I leaned against the locker.

"As in... a date?"

She finally looked up and met my gaze, giving a timid nod.

"Now I feel embarrassed. Shouldn't I be the one courting you?" I let out a sheepish laugh as I rested my hands gently on her shoulders.

My father had always said that when I found the right girl, I was to court her until we were old enough to marry. She would build the home. I would provide for it. That's how God intended it.

She laughed softly and leaned a little closer.

"So that's a yes?"

"Definitely."

A loud buzz echoed through the halls, signaling the start of the first period.

"I heard Ely and Faith are going out."

He laughed. "Wait, you're serious? Damn, I've been wanting to ask her out."

"You didn't really think she'd go out with you, John, did you? I mean, Ely's perfect for her. Besides, he's a devoted Catholic. You could learn a thing or two from him."

Another voice joined in as the classroom grew louder with gossip.

"That's enough. Quiet down."

The teacher raised her voice, slamming her hands against her desk. She walked to the front of the classroom with a forced smile.

"What does the Lord say about gossip?"

"Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion worthless. James 1:26." The class recited back in perfect harmony.

Gossip. That's all my classmates ever seemed good for. They could recite Scripture flawlessly, yet rarely lived by it. I shouldn't judge them, but it still bothered me.

I wrapped my fingers around the rosary necklace resting against my chest. I shouldn't be entertaining such unkind thoughts. I'm a sinner too.

Forgive me, Lord, for these thoughts and for my sins.

As I finished my silent prayer, I looked up to find a small ball of paper resting on my desk. I glanced around the classroom until I spotted Faith smiling at me from across the room.

I carefully unfolded the note.

After this, wanna go to the new café with me?

- Faith ♡

A smile spread across my face. Beneath her message, I wrote:

I'd love to.

- Ely ♡

I folded the note back up and discreetly rolled it beneath her desk.

We both stifled a giggle, and for the first time, I felt my heart flutter.

I'd never really had a girlfriend—or even someone to court. I'd been far too focused on badminton, Bible study, and the student council.

But this... this was something I truly wanted to get right.

I wanted to be the best boyfriend I could be for such a wonderful young woman.

If my father were here, I know he'd pull me into a hug, pat me on the back, and say, "That's my boy."

Then he'd kneel before Mother's rose-tinted urn and speak to her through prayer. He'd tell her how their son was a miracle from God—a precious gift who had carried him through the grief of losing her.

It's been several years since she passed away, yet he has waited patiently ever since. Patiently for the day he'd be reunited with her in heaven.

My father's entire life revolves around his faith.

It truly does.

I looked up to my father. After all, he had been the only person I could rely on growing up. I believed everything he did was to guide me down the right path.

Time passed more quickly than I realized, and soon the familiar screech of the bell echoed through the classroom, bringing every conversation to an abrupt end.

The moment it rang, Faith grabbed my arm as though she'd been counting down the seconds. I followed after her—or rather, I let myself be pulled along. It was either walk beside her or be dragged through the school.

For someone her size, she was surprisingly strong. Then again, she wasn't all that much shorter than me.

Her long skirt swayed gently with each step, while the afternoon sunlight caught her reddish-brown hair, making it glow like polished copper. A rosary necklace rested against her collarbone, accompanied by a pair of white crystallized crucifix earrings.

It seemed that no matter where I went, there was always a gentle reminder that the Lord was everywhere.

We stopped beneath a large wooden sign that read Krystal's Café.

The rich aroma of butter, cinnamon, and freshly baked pastries enveloped us. It smelled heavenly.

How had I never noticed this café before?

I smiled and opened the door for Faith. "After you, m'lady," I said with a coy smile.

She chuckled; her eyes appear smaller when she smiles. The same hazel eyes that were so captivating, full of life and expressive.

"Are you gonna just keep holding the door, or are you gonna come in?" She stated after poking her head back out.

"Haha, right, sorry, sorry," I mumbled, following in after her.

We took a seat beside the window; a beige curtain complemented the clear glass panels.

Every pastry looked better than the last. My mouth was practically watering.

"The food isn't going anywhere, Ely. No need to slobber all over the place." She spoke up as she handed me a handkerchief.

I'm really starting to believe she's courting me instead of the other way around.

"To think this is the same girl who was all flustered asking me out," I said with a smile and crossed my arms on the table.

Faith laughed, a melody I was beginning to enjoy. "Come on, we all get a little nervous asking someone out." She nudged my shoulder gently.

My smile widened.

"Of course. After all, nobody can predict what the other person might say."

"Exactly!"

The conversation flowed effortlessly, and the shy demeanor she'd worn earlier slowly melted away. In its place was the Faith I knew best—playful, expressive, and endlessly talkative. She could probably talk my ears off if I let her.

If I ever made a list of my ten happiest memories, this first date would undoubtedly be near the top.

Her eyes sparkled as she talked about her art. She'd mentioned it to me a few times before, but this was the first time she'd truly opened up about it. She spoke with a passion that was impossible to ignore. Art wasn't her only love, either. She lit up just as much when she talked about archery, dancing, and crocheting.

"Okay, don't judge me," she said, "but I literally practiced asking you out in the mirror."

I chuckled. "How many times?"

She hesitated, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Thirty-two."

"You're kidding."

She looked away.

"...Forty-six."

"Oh my goodness."

The words barely left my mouth before I burst into laughter, tears beginning to blur my vision.

"It's really not that funny, Ely." She gave my shin a gentle kick beneath the table.

"You're right. You're right," I managed to say, but another fit of laughter escaped me anyway.

She sighed dramatically, stuffing her face with a croissant.

"Are you going to keep laughing for the next hour, or are you actually going to talk to me?"

I stared at the pastry in her hands.

Was that even a croissant? It was bigger than her head. Honestly, it might've been bigger than mine.

"I don't really have much to talk about," I admitted, scratching the back of my head. "Most of my time goes into Bible study and student council meetings."

I paused.

"Oh, and my father recently bought an eight-ball table, so I've been playing pool every now and then."

Her eyes brightened.

"Really?"

I nodded.

"Really."

She reached over and brushed a stray lock of hair from my forehead, a smile playing across her lips.

"Are you any good at it?"

"Unfortunately, no. The game still confuses me, and I somehow manage to sprain my wrist almost every time I play," I admitted, absentmindedly rubbing my palms together.

This time, she burst into laughter. She grabbed my shoulders as if I'd just told the funniest joke in the world.

My heart pounded against my chest.

I rolled my eyes with a smile and took a sip of my coffee.

"Ely," she murmured.

I looked up. The playful expression on her face had vanished, replaced by something more thoughtful.

"What do you think about sin?"

"Huh?" I blinked. "Oh... sin."

I thought for a moment before answering.

"I don't like sin—or sinning. It makes me feel... dirty. Sometimes I wish sin didn't exist. Then maybe we could all live better lives without it."

Faith poured a little more creamer into her coffee and stirred it slowly.

"If sin didn't exist," she said quietly, "neither would we."

"Yeah..." I looked down at my cup. "It's just... I think God gets disappointed whenever people mess up."

She tilted her head.

"Does He? My grandma always says God expects us to mess up. Otherwise, why would He keep forgiving us?"

I stared into my coffee.

I'd never thought about it that way.

By the time we left the café, the sun hung low on the horizon. We walked side by side in comfortable silence. The warm spring breeze brushed against my skin while birds sang overhead, and squirrels darted up the trunks of nearby trees.

This was the part of the story where I was supposed to ask her on a second date.

Or maybe the part where her father spotted us, chased me away, and warned me to stay away from his daughter.

Or perhaps we'd lean in for a dramatic first kiss, only for her parents to swing the front door open at the worst possible moment.

Then again, maybe that only happened in teenage drama films.

Faith gently slipped her hand into mine, her fingers intertwining with my own. Her hand fit perfectly in mine, and her thumb slowly traced circles across my palm.

I couldn't stop smiling.

She came to a stop and turned to face me.

"You know... everyone says you're perfect."

I gave her an awkward smile.

"I'm not."

"I know."

She smiled back.

"I don't think I'd like you nearly as much if you were," she finished.

Her fingers slowly slipped from mine as she made her way up to the porch.

I stood there, speechless.

She turned back one last time, her smile growing a little wider before disappearing inside her house.

I remained where I was for another moment before finally turning toward home.