Hearts, Scars & Horseshoes

Chapter 39 - Toby

I was playing Halo, Eddy curled up behind me acting as my pillow as I sat on the floor with him when my phone went off beside me. I glanced down to see who it was and if they were worth abandoning my awesome kill streak for. I dropped my controller at the sight of Faith's name flashing across my screen. I felt Elijah's heart start to beat a little harder as panic started flooding my body. It knew it was her.

"Hello?" I said into the phone, trying my best to sound casual.

"Hi, Toby. It's...it's Faith."

I smiled at the sound of her voice, an image of her face coming into my thoughts.

"Hey." I said, sitting up. "What's up?"

"Um well." She sounded nervous. "Okay so I'm just going to apologize first, it's going to sound crazy and I don't know but well I was wondering if you would like to go to church with me on Sunday?"

She rattled the question off so fast I had to take a second to process her words. Church. The only thing I knew about church was the stuff from TV. I'd never been. We weren't holiday warriors, I'd never been with my grandparents or cousins or friends. I wasn't really sure what to expect, would I have to meet her parents? Elijah's heart increased its rhythm at the thought of them. Would they be able to tell? Would they know who I was? Would they care? I swallowed hard, thinking maybe I should just decline but I'd been trying to come up with an excuse to see Faith again. And here was my excuse.

"Sure."

"Really?"

I laughed, she sounded shocked.

"Yeah, really. I'd like that." I shrugged my shoulders even though she couldn't see.

"Okay, cool, um so church is at 9. Do you need the address?" She asked.

"I can google it." Even if she hadn't told me before I knew where she went. It was on her Facebook. "So 9 in the morning on Sunday?"

It was looking like Sunday's were no longer sleep in days. I had already missed out last Sunday because of work. The thought had me tired already.

"Yup, 9 in the morning on Sunday."

"Perfect, I guess I'll see you then." I fiddled with the edge of the rug I was sitting on. I didn't really want to hang up the phone but I had nothing interesting to say to keep her there.

"I guess you will."

I smiled, her momentary flirting making my blood pump a little harder.

"Is it uh, like something I need to wear a suit for?"

She laughed at me and I smiled, slightly embarrassed. "No, but wear something nice."

What the hell did that mean?

"So are jeans fine?"

"Just wear something nice." She said again.

That didn't help at all.

"Alright, so wear something nice, Sunday at 9." I repeated for the sole reason to hear her voice again.

"Correct."

"See you Sunday." I knew I was being ridiculous but I liked hearing her smile through the phone.

"See you Sunday."

"Bye Faith."

Elijah's heart was running a marathon. Maybe it didn't approve of our beginning stages of flirting or the fact that I admitted to liking her yesterday. I chose to ignore it.

"Goodbye Tobias."

I liked hearing her say my name. She made it sound better than it was. The line went dead, my home screen lighting up beside my face. She apparently didn't linger on the phone waiting for the other to hang up first.

I turned to Eddy, scratching him behind the ear. He cocked his head to the side but otherwise didn't move.  My first church experience. I blew out a breath, I had to figure out what to wear. I didn't want to look like an idiot.

"I'll be back." I told Eddy.

He didn't seem to mind that I was abandoning our cuddle session to go stare at my closet clueless. I walked into my room, my closet doors stuck open because I was too lazy to clean my room. Wasn't this what girls were supposed to do? Stress about their outfit. What was I doing?

"Stella!" I yelled from my spot in the middle of my room. "Stella!"

"What!?" She yelled back from somewhere in the house.

"Come here!"

I heard her groan, probably louder than she really needed to. She appeared in my doorway a moment later, her hands on her hips, an annoyed expression on her face.

"What is so important? I was the in the middle of stretching, now I'm lopsided and it feels funny." She whined.

"I need help." I said.

"Clearly, what's new?"

I shot her a look. "No really. What do you wear to church?"

"Church?" She raised her eyebrows at me. "Like actual church?"

"Yeah like actual church." I rolled my eyes.

"Are you feeling okay?" She stepped into my room, placing her hand on my forehead. I swatted it away, glaring at her.

"I'm being serious. I don't know what I'm supposed to wear."

"Sorry, I'm having trouble getting past the fact that you're going to church. Is someone blackmailing you?" She asked. "If you're in trouble say pineapple."

"Stella!" I groaned.

"Fine, fine." She held her hands up in surrender. "Let me look."

I gestured toward my messy closet, Stella eyeing me suspiciously. I knew she was going to ask me. I was waiting for it.

"Where are those khaki jeans you have?" She asked, pulling down a denim button up shirt. "Your rooms disgusting by the way."

I located the jeans, they were the only ones folded in my drawer because I never wore them. I ignored Stella's comment.

"Wear this shirt, those jeans, and the Doc Martins mom bought you that I've literally never seen you wear."

"I can't just wear my vans?" I asked.

Stella rolled her eyes. "Listen Toby, we don't even need to discuss that this is all about Faith." Well there it was. She was bringing it up without actually bringing it up. "If you're going to church with her I'm going to bet you're meeting her parents. You should at least make a good first impression because well after you open your mouth you're a lost cause."

I gave her the finger as she threw her head back in laughter at her own jab.

"You're so cruel." I told her.

"My job as your perfect older sister is to keep you on your toes and humble. Now do as your told." She patted my shoulder, heading for the door before she stopped in the doorway. "Oh and I'm gonna want to know all about church."

I shook my head, not bothering to turn around. I stared at the jeans and shirt Stella had picked out, feeling slightly better about the whole thing. Stella was a lot of things but I was pretty confident that she wouldn't send me to church looking like a tool. At least I hoped. Now I just had to make it the handful of days till Sunday without freaking out. Easy right?

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I am on a roll! I've got the next handful of chapters laid out so all I have to do is write them plus I got 3.5 chapters written on a new story! I have no idea where the motivation and inspiration is coming from but cross your fingers it stays. -DBR