: Tainted Holiness : [Muke] ON HOLD

[9.]

I watched as my my father lugged the bag I was taking with me. He seemed a little bit too eager to get me out of the house and reformed again.

My mother watched, her usual bright eyes looking dull. In fact she hadn't smiled for the whole of the evening prior when she placing my belongings into the duffle bag.

"Good." My father dusted his hands off, "Luke's things are in the car. I'll just drop you off at the church and you can spend your two weeks getting better."

" 'M not sick." I muttered under my breath, only for my mother to tut at the tone I was using.

I sat in the car beside my father as he driver cheerily to the church, he smile widening as he saw that the bus was already pared outside and waiting.

Others that I didn't know were outside too chattering alongside the bus.

My father smiled pulling into the car park, "Ah, maybe you'll make some good christian friends."

I sighed knowing that most if the kids standing around the bus wouldn't talk to me anyway and were probably going to stay in their little cliques for the whole two weeks that I was forced to be on the trip.

My father made sure that I was signed up and that I was on the attendance register. He then ruffled my hair and gave me the brightest fake smile he could muster for the sake of the people who were looking in our direction.

My father pulled me in for a hug, it was ever emotion that he had shown far was forced.

"Luke make me proud...for once." He spoke through his smile, patting my back before going back to the car.

I wondered if he understood how difficult a task of was to make him proud.

I stood sulking, propping against the side the bus that was away from all the cheery campers. I just wanted to be alone, have sometime to muster up my own thoughts before someone began shoving theirs in my face. That's all my life was actually.

"What brings you out here princess?" I turned my head seeing Michael standing next to me, sporting his same crooked smile.

I sighed, "I'm going camping."

Michael looking at me, amused, "You don't sound excited. I thought you'd enjoy the adventure."

"Two weeks of church camp isn't an adventure." I said in a hushed voice, my eyes not meeting his.

He stood there in silence, fiddling with he bracelets that adorned his wrists. I always questioned them. Most of them were either grey or black, but they still seemed to jump out at you even though they were such dull colours.

I could hear the camp leader saying a prayer before we were supposed to be on the bus.

"I should—"

But he cut me off, putting his arm in front of me causing me to stumble back slightly.

"Come with me, let's do what you wanted to do for your whole life or go with them and enjoy the highlight of your summer because it's never going to be any better than that."

I thought about my options as the counsellor came to the end of her prayer. I looked at the campers boarding the bus then I looked back at to Michael.

He was an adventure in a human, a mystery that I wanted to figure out.

"It's you choice." He added with an arrogant yet reassuring smirk, looking at the bus.

I looked at the bus and I looked at Michael. I went with my gut.

It took him by surprise when I gripped his wrist.

"My dad's going to kill me."