Chapter 7: Fire and Faith
Monday morning hit Crestwood High with a storm Anna could feel even before she stepped inside. The hallways were unusually quiet, the kind of silence that made every whisper louder than normal. Eyes followed her as she walked past, some curious, some mocking, and others filled with barely concealed judgment.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to find the latest post circulating in the school chat. A picture of her sitting beside Jordan over the weekend had gone viral. The caption read: "Preacher girl saves bad boy from eternal damnation 💋☕."
Comments scrolled faster than she could read. Some were cruel, some mocking, some simply shocked. One comment, though, cut differently:
"Guess her 'faith' only works when the guy's hot."
Her chest tightened. She had faced whispers, jokes, and ridicule before, but this felt different. It wasn't just her faith anymore — it was her integrity, her choices, being twisted into a joke.
Then she saw him — Jordan Blake — standing at his locker. He had clearly seen the post. His jaw was tight, and his eyes were sharp, but when they met hers, there was a silent message: I've got you.
"Ignore them," he said softly, as if reading her thoughts.
"I wish it were that easy," she muttered, brushing past him.
"Anna, wait—"
But she didn't stop. She walked to her classroom, holding her head high, even though her stomach churned with anger and embarrassment. Jordan's presence lingered in her mind, though. She couldn't deny that he had, in some way, made the day more bearable.
By the afternoon, the rain had started, misting the courtyard in a silvery haze. Anna stayed behind after school in the library, hoping to disappear among the stacks of books. She didn't notice Jordan entering until he leaned against a nearby shelf.
"You really don't know how to stay out of trouble, do you?" he asked, a teasing edge in his voice.
Anna gave a half-smile. "I try. But trouble seems to follow me."
He shrugged. "It has a way of finding you."
She sighed, her hands clutching her notebook. "I don't understand why people care so much about me sitting next to you. Why does it matter?"
Jordan stepped closer, his amber eyes meeting hers. "Because people want to control everything they don't understand. You're... different. You don't bend, you don't fake it. And that scares them."
Anna swallowed, feeling a flicker of something warm in her chest. No one had ever described her like that before.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. A quick glance confirmed it — the post had gone viral. "They've made a story out of this," he muttered. "And it's not the truth."
She gave a shaky laugh. "Truth doesn't seem to matter here."
"No," he said softly. "But what matters is how we handle it. You don't have to fight alone."
Anna's eyes widened. For the first time all day, she felt a small, fierce relief. Even with the whispers and stares, she wasn't completely alone.
The rain began to fall harder, drumming on the windows and filling the courtyard outside. Jordan held out his jacket. "Here. Don't get soaked. Come on, I'll walk you home."
Her heart thumped. The gesture was simple, but it said more than words could: protection, care, an unexpected connection in a world that felt determined to isolate her.
She nodded and stepped under his arm. "Thanks," she whispered.
"Don't mention it," he said, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "Just... don't let them change you. Not for me. Not for anyone."
As they walked through the rain-soaked streets, Anna realized something profound. Faith wasn't just about believing when life was easy or when everyone approved. Faith — and courage — were about standing tall even when the world tried to push you down, about trusting in the light even when surrounded by shadows.
And maybe, just maybe, Jordan Blake was starting to understand that topic.