Risky Business (16 page)

Lingering outside the store, Molly wasn’t sure she should go in. Donna said never to shop there again. But Molly had a different reason for being there. She needed to try to make things right with Donna. Taking a deep breath, Molly shouldered her bag of schoolbooks and walked up to the counter where Donna was doing paperwork.

“Donna?” Molly shifted from one foot to the other.

Donna spun around to see who had approached. She had an inviting smile on her face—she probably assumed it would be a customer—until she saw Molly. Her smile disappeared. “You’re not supposed to be here. You’re going to have to leave.”

“I’m not here to shop. I just wanted to speak with you.” Molly’s nerve crumbled.

“You don’t have anything to say that I want to hear, Molly.” Donna looked up at the ceiling as she took a deep breath. She looked Molly right in the eye. “Please leave.”

“Okay, I understand.” Molly’s lip quivered, and her eyes welled up with tears. “I just wanted you to know how sorry I am.” She left the store in a hurry and climbed into the car where her mom waited to drive her home. As soon as the door shut, the tears came like a flood.

“She wouldn’t listen … to … me … Mom.” Molly gulped for air between her sobs.

“Not everyone has a forgiving nature, honey—and most people have limits. I guess Donna reached hers. You’re not responsible for whether or not someone grants you forgiveness. Your only job is to seek it. You did the right thing. Now you can let it go and move on.”

Molly nodded, but it wasn’t enough. “It’s hard to let go. I feel like I have so much more to say to Donna. I think I might write her a letter.

She can read it someday when she’s ready to hear me out.”

“I think that’s a fantastic idea. In the meantime, be praying for her,” Molly’s mom suggested.

They turned the corner onto their street and saw two people trudging through the snow from their front porch.
Jess and Sara
. Judging by the footprints, they had come from Jess’s house. Molly took a raggedy breath.
Please give me the words, God
.

Once the car stopped in the driveway, Molly hopped out and took a step toward the girls. Her mom went discreetly into the house through the garage.

“Hey.” Molly looked away as the snow clung to her eyelashes. “I’m glad you guys are here. Want to come in?”

Sara spoke first. “Is it okay?”

“Does your mom hate us?” Jess asked.

“No, of course not. It’s been a little rough around here. But we’ve worked through everything. I really want to talk to you guys.” Molly impulsively reached out and tugged at their puffy coat sleeves. “Will you please come in?”

“Sure. I’m up for it.”

“Me, too.” Jess smiled.

They stripped off their snowy coats and gloves in the foyer. Molly said, “You go on up to my room. I’ll be right there with some hot cocoa.” She could already smell it coming from the kitchen.
Boy, Mom works fast
.

“Thanks, Mom.” She took the tray of mugs and cookies. “Please pray for me—for us.”

“You’d better believe I will, sweetheart.”

Lord, please give me the right words. Help me make a difference
.

“You know what?” Molly started right in as soon as she set the tray on the floor of her bedroom in front of Jess and Sara.

They looked at her with huge, imploring eyes and took a sip of their cocoa.

“I really, really don’t want to talk about the details of what happened. There’s no purpose in it. I want to put it behind us. But I do want to tell you that I’m so sorry.”

Jess opened her mouth and raised her eyebrows in shock. “You want to say you’re sorry to us? Why?”

“Because I let you guys down. I told you I was a Christian, but I didn’t live it. That’s not going to happen anymore.”

“Well, we’re both sorry for pulling you down. It was all just so wrong.” Sara shook her headand shuddered at the memory. “I mean, I didn’t like how it turned out … but I agree—I don’t want to talk about that either.”

“I really don’t either.” Jess shook her head.

“It was wrong. Now let’s put it behind us. Okay?” Molly waited for an answer.

“Okay. On one condition.” Jess’s eyes sparkled.

“What?” Molly laughed—Jess was back to her old self, the schemer.

“I want us all to start going to church together—that youth service sounds cool.”

“Deal!” Sara looked excited.

“Now that’s the best idea you’ve ever had, Jess. It’s a deal.”

I,
(include your name here)
, have read the story of Molly Jacobs and have learned from the choices that she made and the consequences that she faced. I promise to think before I act and, in all things, to choose God’s will over mine. I promise, before God, to try my hardest to not let the desire for material things, the desire to please my friends, or the desire to be popular lead me to sin.

Please pray the following prayer:

Father God, I know that I don’t know everything, and I can’t possibly have everything under control. Please help me remember the lessons I’ve learned as I’ve read this book. Help me to honor my parents and serve You by making right choices and avoiding questionable situations. Please remind me of my desire to please You rather than everyone else. And if I find myself in a tight spot, please help me find a
way
out and give me the strength to take it. I know that You have everything under control, so I submit to Your will. Amen
.

Congratulations on your decision!
Please sign this contract signifying your commitment. Have someone you trust, like a parent or a pastor, witness your choice.

Signed____________________________________________

Witnessed by________________________________________

The picture had been shot only six weeks before; but the edges were already tattered, and fingerprints smudged the image. Kate peeled it from the scrapbook page for what seemed like the hundredth time. She leaned back to lie on the floor and raised the picture above her head in one fluid motion—the rotating ceiling fan made the picture wiggle.

Three generations of Walker women stared back at her from the photo. Her silver-haired grandma sat elegantly, unsmiling, in a high-backed brocade chair, and her mom stood just behind, grinning. Kate’s sister, Julia, looked regal with her ivory-lace wedding dress fanned out around the group like a moat around a castle. She wore her brown, velvety hair swept up in an elegant clip, revealing her long, graceful neck. Kate sat at her mom’s feet just outside the moat, her legs twisted to the side as she tried to remain graceful, careful not to touch the ethereal hem of her sister’s garment.

Julia. She drove Kate crazy most of the time, but Kate didn’t know how much she counted on her big sis until Julia had moved out. She didn’t live too far away—about fifteen minutes by car—but far enough so they usually only saw each other on weekends when Julia had free time, which, for a young newlywed, was pretty rare.

Kate heaved herself up with a sigh and returned to her scrapbook. She flipped one page back to what she had been working on the day before. Her gaze locked on an image of herself with her best friend, Olivia. Pacific Ocean waves lapped the beach behind where they stood together, laughing at a private joke forever frozen in the photo.

Kate smiled because the picture showed just how little they had in common. Kate stood tall and slender, her shape almost boyish. She easily leaned her arm down across Olivia’s much-lower shoulders. Olivia’s bright blue eyes contrasted Kate’s sea green. Olivia had a deep tan, but an equal coating of sunscreen and freckles covered

Kate from head to toe.

Kate wiped the tear from her cheek. Missing Julia hurt, but missing Olivia was a different story entirely. Forced to leave Oregon, where she’d lived all her life, Olivia had to move all the way to Chicago to chase her dad’s promotion. It seemed so sophisticated—and so very, very far away.

Of course, they had promised to stay best friends forever. But Kate wasn’t that naive. Only a sophomore, Olivia would meet other people, develop other interests, and move on with her life. Kate would just be stuck in Bethany, Oregon, with the same people she’d gone to school with since kindergarten. Everything stayed the same for Kate, except now she had to do it all alone.

Enough!
Kate slammed the scrapbook closed. She really needed to stop the moping and do something with herself. Her mom wouldn’t be home from her job for a few hours, so Kate decided to go for a swim. There wouldn’t be many more opportunities as the summer drew to a close. The past few nights, Kate noticed that the night air held a hint of the approaching fall, which meant cooler water, too.

It’s now or never
. She pulled on her swimsuit,

grabbed a towel, and headed off on the half-mile walk to the nearby lakefront beach. A nice long swim would do her good.
Oops
. She ran back into her bedroom to grab a sweatshirt for the walk home.

The lifeguards waved to Kate. She nodded a greeting as she tied back her unruly hair then waded out into Lake Blue. She hesitated as the waves came in above knee level. She shivered at the first touch of the water on her thighs, already colder than a week ago. With resolve, she gave herself a silent
one, two, three, GO
and took the plunge.

Pulling through the small waves refreshed her. Each time she turned her head to the side to breathe, she felt cleansed. With her head underwater, she didn’t notice that she had no one to talk to or that no one wanted to talk to her. It no longer seemed odd to be alone. She felt normal. Just God and her—everything was best that way. So she stayed underwater for as long as she could. She swam. And prayed. And swam.
Ahh, freedom
. The cares of life a distant memory, buried at the bottom of the sea.

She went out about a mile along the shore and then another mile back, and stood to wade into the beach. As her head popped above thewater and the fresh air hit her face, the world once again seemed as huge as the mountains in the distance, but she felt stronger. Nothing had really changed about her circumstances, but swimming always had that strengthening effect on her. Kate just wished she could swim all the time.

Wait a second. Why couldn’t she swim all year round? She could join the swim team. She had probably logged around two hundred and fifty hours in the water this summer alone. It would sure be different swimming for a reason other than pure pleasure. But maybe if she felt like it had a purpose, Kate could love it as much as the lake.

There was only one way to find out.

Kate toweled herself dry and slipped on her flip-flops then trudged through the sand toward the road. She hurried toward home, hoping she’d have time to make a quick dinner to share with Mom when she got home from work. She kicked at the pebbles on the road and thought of her mom. Four years ago, she had taken a job after Kate’s dad passed away. They needed the money. She didn’t like being gone so much, and Kate knew she struggled with loneliness, too. She could hear Mom crying in her bed some nights. But now, it was time—they both desperately needed a change.

“Mom, I think I want to join the swim team at school. What do you think?”

“Really?” Mom dipped the corner of her grilled cheese sandwich into her tomato soup and took a bite, leaning over her plate so she wouldn’t drip on her business suit. She looked out over their backyard, seemingly lost in thought.

Blinking rapidly as though to reset her thoughts, she blotted her lips with her napkin and said, “Well, I think a sport is a great thing; and you’re a fantastic swimmer. I just don’t want it to affect your grades or keep you from participating in other important things like the church musical—you do that every year.” She got stern. “You promised me when you took a year off from choir that you’d still participate in the musical. When does swimming start?”

Tryouts are in two weeks. Practices would start the second week of September. And, Mom, you don’t have to worry. I’ll stay on top of everything.” Kate tried to look convincing.

“Well, what kind of schedule are we talking about exactly?” Mom narrowed her eyes, the skepticism evident.

“Practice would be every day after school until five thirty. There’s a sports bus I can catch, which would have me home around six fifteen. On Saturdays, there’s either a meet or a practice. If, by some miracle, I make the varsity team, I’d also have a ninety-minute, before-school practice.”

“Wow, Kate. That’s quite a commitment. Are you sure this is something you want to do? After your swim schedule, church activities, and homework, you won’t have time for anything else.”