Godless Girl

Chapter 3

Aurora's POV

Dinner consisted of unseasoned chicken, watery peas, and runny mashed potatoes. Hope sat on the bench next to me, but looked uncomfortable. "You don't have to sit with me," I say. "You have friends here." She looked up from her tray and shook her head. "Nonsense. You're my partner and you're going to be sleeping next to me for 2 weeks. So I'm going to get to know you." I suppose she's right, but I can see her friends glancing at her as if with sympathy.

Hope sits quietly and stirs her peas until they become like swamp moss. "So," she takes a breath to gather her thoughts. "Do you want to go back to the tent? I'm not very hungry and this isn't exactly good food." I nod and eagerly throw my food away. I point towards the canteen. "Do you want to stock up on snacks there?" I ask her. Hope nods enthusiastically and we begin picking out assorted chips, granola bars, candy, and a convenient bag of clementines. She reaches into her pocket, but I pass the cashier cash before she can pay. "My treat." I tell her. Slowly her face breaks into a smile and she nods. "That's really kind, thank you."

I'm discomforted by how I'm actually speaking to Hope and how she's smiling at me because I'm in shock. How am I here? Especially with pretty blonde Hope, the priest's favorite worshipper. Pure souled Hope in her Catholic school uniform.

"Aurora? Hey, I said thank you, are you okay?" Hope's voice is suddenly loud and clear and I blink rapidly. "Oh u- oh, sorry. Day dreaming." I shake my head and laugh weakly. She smiles again and begins walking the path back to our tent. I trail behind her and start thinking of her uniform again. It's clear she fits it perfectly, but mine is looser and uncomfortable. I suppose it's because I'm not meant to be in it, I don't fit the standards. The main one being: be a Catholic.

We climb into our tent and drop the snacks onto the mattress. Hope reaches for a bag of chips, but pulls her hand back. "We need to build a fire first," to this I groan and huff. "Come on, you. I'm not picking up sticks alone." I roll my eyes and climb back out of the tent with her. We move into the trees and pick up multiple branches, breaking them into foot long pieces. Hope gathers rocks for the bottom of the small fire pit we've scooped out and I fill it with sticks.

Finally, we pour lighter fluid over it and toss a lit match into it. The flames grow larger until we have to back away from the heat. "Well, that wasn't too hard." I say to Hope. The corner of her mouth turns up and her eyes seem to be ablaze. "We did pretty good, Aurora. Let's eat as a reward."

After we settle into the tent with the door open, we open chips and both sigh in content. "So, Aurora. I need to get to know you and you need to get to know me. I think we should play truth or dare." Hope looks me dead in the eyes and raises her eyebrows. I scoff and tell her, "Truth or dare is a dangerous game, but why not." I only hope I don't manage to offend her again and she doesn't ask me any awkward questions.

"Awesome! Truth or dare?" she claps her hands together. I choose truth because it seems safe. "Do you have a boyfriend?" she asks me. I sit for a moment before bursting into laughter and coughing. "Absolutely not! I haven't had one in years." I explain. She silently mouths "oh" and nods. I ask her truth or dare and she chooses truth. "Why are you being nice to me?" I ask her. Hope's brows furrow for a second before answering, "Because I want to know who you are. I want to know your story." This surprises me. My story? I don't understand what that's supposed to mean, but I don't care to dwell on it.

She says it's my turn and I choose truth again. "Boring, but fine. Is it true that you're a lesbian? I hear that at school sometimes." I narrow my eyes. I fucking hate these gossiping lookalikes. All in their skirts and blouses, clutching bibles and fulfilling the Catholic schoolgirl cliche. "No. Shouldn't believe rumors." I hiss at her.

Hope looks uncomfortable and her cheeks turn pink. Her eyes dart to the ground and she stutters, "O-oh I don't mean to offend you. Sorry, I just wanted to know. Father Gabriel says gays go to hell and I don't know, sometimes..." she clears her throat. "I don't know, I don't understand why some rules Father Gabriel preaches about exist." She looks troubled and I shrug.

"Well I think that's a load of bullshit. Humans have the privilege to love whoever they want to love. Our lives are too short in this universe to be concerned about rules someone made up thousands of years ago." I say quietly. Suddenly she looks up from the ground and begins to smile. "Yeah, that makes more sense. I like the way you think," she coughs and mutters,"even though you don't believe in God. Everything happens for a reason." I shrug because I don't know what else to say to her.

The fire outside has died and I'm confused as to how this girl may be more open minded than I initially believed. Did she, Father Gabriel's favorite little girl, actually seem okay with homosexuality? I am beyond out of my comfort zone. I am in a zone of thin ice. "We should probably sleep now, Aurora. We can learn more about each other later." Hope yawns and stretches so I nod and climb under her rich duvet. "Goodnight, Aurora." she whispers. "Goodnight, Hope." I listen to the chirping of crickets and croaks of frogs. The white noise of tree leaves in the wind slowly blends my thoughts into darkness.

"Hey, Aurora?" I'm snatched from sleep and mumble in response. "I don't really like the dark. I'm afraid of demons lurking." she whispers again. I sigh and roll to face her. "I don't have a light, what do you want me to do?" I groan at her. In a small voice she says, "Oh, sorry, I don't know. Goodnight." I sigh again and bring myself closer to her, placing my palm on her arm. "We'll be safe, trust me. Sweet dreams." I whisper to Hope. She sighs and slides a few inches closer to me. Her eyes flutter shut and soon we are both swallowed by sleep.

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so do you guys like the story so far? thank you again for reading :)