Faith

Surprise

SURPRISE!
Here is a little sneak-peek at the next book in this series, which, by the way, I had planned shortly after I started "Faith". I have always had a plan to have "Faith", "Hope", and then one more... which you will have to wait to find out!
So now, I present to you...

"Hope"

(Which, by the way, has been published here on Wattpad!)

"Congratulations, class of 20-" The principal's speech was muffled by the cheers of me and my fellow graduates.  I yanked my graduation cap off of my head and flung it up into the air. I tried to follow it through the air but it got mixed up with other hats.

I tried to push my way through the crowd of hugging faces, people I still don't know and a few people I have gotten to know very well. I found a hat laying on the ground, upside down, and I saw something scribbled on the rim. I squatted down, picked it up to check, but it wasn't my hat; the name read "Alex Taylor" in boyish handwriting.

"I think this hat is yours," a low masculine voice offered. I look up into dark blue eyes that remind me of the ocean depths. These eyes were resting on a strong, yet childish face, with a nose that is slightly crooked. This face belonged to no other than Alex Taylor, school quarterback and basketball captain with a habit of breaking his nose in various basketball games.

I took my hat from Alex's hands and nodded, too awestruck to thank him. I did hold out Alex's graduation cap to him, then stood up and smoothed my skirt out. Alex gave me his famous charming smile and said, "Thank you."

Then he walked away without another word. I sighed. I used to be so composed around guys, but after he broke my heart terribly, I've never been the same.

But when I looked down at my graduation cap, I noticed a small, torn notebook paper tucked into the rim. I saw seven numbers scribbled down underneath a name: Alex.

****

"I'm so sorry I couldn't make it to your graduation! I tried so hard, but my dad couldn't find his keys and we would have been late without the key incident. I really wish I could have made it!" I laughed at my best friend's desperation while I switched my cell phone to my right ear.

"It's okay. I honestly didn't expect you to make it."

She whined, "But if we can't graduate together, I at least wanted to see it!"

"You had Sam's graduation party this morning, and my graduation was during such an unrealistic time. It was around lunch time, for God's sake!"

"But Ryan," Kaitlyn continued to whine.

With a shake of my head, knowing she can't see it, I just laughed. "It's just graduation. No big deal."

I couldn't almost hear Kaitlyn pouting on the other end. "Whatever. Can I come over tomorrow, later in the afternoon? I'll leave quickly after church and be there before supper time!"

I bit my lip. "I would love you to come over."

"I'm sensing a but."

"But I have something going on..." I trailed off, feeling guilty.

"What's more important than seeing your best friend?" Kaitlyn teased.

I chewed more on my lip. "Church." The other end was quiet. "I'm sorry Kaitlyn for not telling you that I still went but it was never a good time and our activities never interfered, and I felt bad when you went through your faith crisis. I still don't go every Sunday, but I've been trying to go a lot more. I'm sorry I never actually told you."

I chewed nervously on my bottom lip until Kaitlyn spoke. "Don't be sorry, Ryan. I always figured you went because I know your parents wouldn't let you completely give it up. I never brought it up because I wanted you to be brave enough to tell me."

"I still feel like a bad friend," I muttered.

"Don't!" Kaitlyn scolded. "Besides, why should I get mad when I didn't even go for selfish reasons?"

I laughed. "Sure, selfish reasons. Is that what you call them now?"

Kaitlyn giggled. "Sam won't let me call them 'stupid' so I had to pick a new word."

"How are you two? Still creating plans for after high school together?"

"No details, missy. I want to hear about your love life." Kaitlyn demanded.

I groaned. "We have been over this. My love life sucks, boys hate me, and my relationships haven't lasted more than a two weeks because they either love someone else or the relationship was a bet, or they cheated on me. I have bad boy luck."

Kaitlyn sighed. "Ryan, doll, you need to start picking guys who will actually respect you. Charming boys only start off that way. Take Jake, for example."

After Kaitlyn said his name, I bristled up. That no good, girl beating, b-

"Why are you talking about Jake?" I heard on Kaitlyn's end. 

Kaitlyn, not talking to me, said, "I'm just on the phone with Ryan and I told her not to pick guys like Jake." After some muffled giggles and words, Sam's voice came through the speaker.

"Sorry, Ryan, Kaitlyn has to go. She suddenly is going to be attacked by the tickle monster." I started to laugh when I heard Kaitlyn's protests. "She should know by now that I hate when she talks about Jake."

Before Sam hung up, I shouted at him, "Aim for the bottom of the feet. She will most likely pee her pants." Sam laughed, Kaitlyn shouted my name, and I hung up. Those two have the cutest, healthiest relationship; I can't even be jealous because they are so right for each other.

Sitting down on my bed, I took the notebook paper out of my back pocket. I contemplated over whether to actually dial Alex's number. "I just can't, though," I thought with a sigh. "Someone like him deserves someone who is beautiful and perfect. I'm just someone with no hope or chance of getting a good person like him."

Yes. "Hope" will be about Kaitlyn's best friend, Ryan. She has quite an adventure planned out for her summer after graduation, and it might possibly include the charming Alex Taylor ;) But don't worry, Kaitlyn and Sam will make some appearances because I love to write about those two.

Thank you all for being so supportive, and I really hope you will enjoy "Hope"

Carrington†