Avan Jogia was embarrassed to ever be seen with his parents. It wasn't that he didn't love them, of course not. What irked him was that he's a 20-year-old man still living with his parents and went by their rules like a child. Other people his age were out in the world doing their own thing meanwhile he was stuck in a musty old Roman Catholic church where he knew nobody.
It was only the second time since they moved into the small town that that attended mass. He was already done with the church and its congregation. Avan was done with Catholicism and Christianity. He was tired of religion. If it were up to him, he would worship whoever and whatever he wanted without confining himself within the titles of religion.
Just faith, no titles.
That wasn't how it worked though. Avan had too much respect for his parents to ever tell them he no longer wanted to believe in the religion they raised him with. So when his parents woke him up early in the morning on Sundays, he would reluctantly throw on his Sunday's best and fake saintliness.
He shuffles uncomfortably in his seat as he felt so many eyes on him. They've only recently moved into the town so it was normal for people to be curious. Avan just didn't like how they were staring at him like he was some sort of outcast that found his way into the congregation.
The little girl on the bench in front of him was looking completely at him, not even bothering to hide. Her green eyes looked at him and her face was rested in between her hands. She didn't look like she was judging him but the innocence and angelic gleam in her eyes made him very uncomfortable.
Not being able to stand it any longer, Avan stands up subtly and tries to make his way outside.
"Where are you going?" his mother whispers. "Father is doing his homily."
"I need to use the rest room," he lies.
Avan tries to draw as little attention as possible to himself as he sneak out of the gigantic wooden doors of the church. Once outside, he feels a deep sense of relief run through his veins.
He breathes in deeply through the nose before releasing a long exhale through his mouth. Not really knowing what else to do, Avan strolls around the outside of the church. There were bushes and a bell tower, tons of cars in the parking lot, and a tree with a marble bench underneath.
On the bench sat a girl that looked just about his age. She was wearing a white wrap-around dress and had her dark brown locks of hair up in a ponytail. A silver flask was in her slender hands and every now and then, she would lift it to her lips.
Avan recognized her to be the same girl who nearly ran him over the past Sunday.
"I don't think you're supposed to be drinking in church."
She visibly jumps at his voice. Her hand flies up over her chest as she whips her head towards the direction of the masculine voice. The pair of big blue eyes she had sharpened when she caught the sight of him. Her lips pursed as she twisted the cap of the flask back on.
"I don't think you're supposed to walk out in the middle of mass either."
"Quite hypocritical of you, don't you think?" he raises his eyebrows and gestures to the space beside her, silently asking permission to sit.
"You're asking to sit beside me after you called me a hypocrite?" she raises an eyebrow and cocks her head to the side.
Avan didn't know who she was or where in the world she came from but she intimidated him. It wasn't a bad thing. He just felt like this girl could defy his entire existence if she wanted to.
"That's exactly what I'm doing, yeah," he nods.
He surprised himself with how confident he sounded when he said that. His tone was unrecognizable even to his own ears.
"Okay then," she pats the space beside her and scoots a little to make space for him.
Avan sits down silently beside her. His eyes pan down to the flask she was fiddling with in her hands.
"What's in the flask?"
"The blood of Jesus."
"So red wine," he chuckles softly. "I hope it's not blessed. That would be fucking sinful of you."
She looks at him with pursed lips, "Okay. Now, say that again but slower."
Again, Avan chuckles under his breath, "So is it?"
"Is it what?"
"Blessed," he blinks.
"Tell me where I would even get blessed red wine," she blinks back at him.
"I was just trying to make conversation," he shrugged.
"Why?" her nose crinkles.
"Well, there's only you and me out here," he then points towards the church. "People in there aren't going to be out for a while. Priest just started his homily."
Her eyebrows furrow slightly at his choice of words. It wasn't everyday that a Catholic mam would be heard referring to a priest simply as priest and not father.
"Why'd you go out?"
He shrugs his shoulders, "People were staring and I didn't like it. What about you?"
Liz returns the gesture and uncaps the flask to drink from it once more, "I guess I just didn't like the priest."
"I didn't notice you getting out."
"That's my special skill," she winks. "I guess I could be a spy or something."
"So you do that often? Sneak out in the middle of mass, I mean."
She breathes out through her mouth loudly. Her fingers start tapping against her silver flask.
"Not proud of it, but yeah. I do it more often then I'd like."
"Why?"
She gives him a smile that looked too wide to be sincere, "None of your business, brother in Christ."
He cringed at the title. Since he started thinking with a mind of his own, Avan didn't like being called that way neither did he address other people in that manner. It just didn't sit well with him.
"Sorry," he bashfully licks his lower lip. "I didn't mean to pry."
Liz knew the guy didn't know about the happenings in her life since he was a new member of the congregation. She let it pass. She didn't have any plans to let him know anytime soon. This long-haired man was one of the few people in their small town that didn't give her a pitiful look when she passed by. She wanted it to stay that way.
They sit in silence for a little while. The quietness amplifies the volume of the priest's voice from inside the church. Neither of them really enjoyed that at the moment, so Liz decided to speak up.
"I would offer you some of my wine but I'm saliva conscious."
"So you don't kiss your boyfriend then?" he chuckles.
"Stop prying."
"I'm so-"
"And don't apologize," she rolls her eyes before standing up.
As she slowly walked away, Avan felt himself feeling a little sulky. She was fun to talk to and seemed like an interesting character. He didn't even catch her name.
He was about to sulk even more when he realized he was bound to see her again next Sunday. Hopefully, they would attend the same mass again.
__________
I never know how to start a book right.
Also my mom is making me belt out a song in front of my grandma to convince her to fund my vocal lessons. Please halp
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