Chapter Four: The Boy and a new friend.

It had been several days since Ariel confession to Keith and she felt tired. She didn't feel as joyous as she use to when arriving to church. She tried her best to put on a happy smile, but when she did, it always turns out to be so fake, and Ariel absolutely hated fake smiles. Still, she had a part to do, and she couldn't let her private life interfere with her roles in church, or at least, that's how Ariel viewed it.

"Good morning, Sista Annamay, Sister Pearla, Brother Ray jones with that good oleeee' white tux you have on!" Ariel saw her preacher greet the three members of church as they entered the building with remarkable smiles on their faces. Brother Ray laughs at his comment and leans in to give the preacher a one armed hug.

"That's a hug? That's all I get Brother Ray Jones? I know your grandma taught you better than that! You not supposed to hug a brother like this-" The preacher mimicked Brother ray jones hugs he gave him as the church gives a half-hearted laugh, "You suppose to hug them like this!" He grabs brother ray and pulls him into a full blown hug, brother ray responds back with a smile, while patting his preacher lightly on the back. When they pulled back, brother ray gave him a gesture with his lop sided white trimmed hat and sat down in his usual seating.

Ariel eyes narrows around the room, waiting for the crowd to disperse into the church, it was taking longer than she thought.

"Hey Ariel."

Ariel turns her head to see the girl who had given her part to her as the lead singer greeting her with a warm smile.

"Orozora! Hey, how are you doing!" Ariel said slightly startled that she was standing there. She didn't even hear the girl walk up to her, probably because of how noisy the church is inside.

As if reading Ariel thoughts, Orozora asks. "Hey it's kind of loud in hear, wanna go outside and talk?" Ariel looks around, searching for her mother, and when she caught site of her conversing with a fellow church member, she shrugs, and turned to walk out the door.

"Sure." Ariel finally says, walking out the door without a care in the world. She felt the need to get away from all of the mingling inside, she had a lot to think and rethink about.

"So, how old are you?" Orozora wonders, Ariel raises an eyebrow, but she answers. "I'm sixteen, why?"

Ariel and Orozora walks a little further away from the church but not too far away where they couldn't hear the chatter inside the church.

"Why? Because I just want to know, silly! How about we become the best of friends!" Orozora suggested as she throws her hands in the air out of sheer excitement. Ariel smiles and with a nod of her head, she says. "Okay we shall see."

"We shall see?" Orozora made a face as they made their way back to the church." Are you saying you don't want to be my friend?"

"No!" Ariel shouted, dismissing Oroza worry." I just.." Ariel drifted off the end, her school life fresh in her mind." Never mind." Ariel sighs in dismay.

"What? What is it?" Her friend asks curiosity laced in her voice. Orozora didn't want to pressure the girl into saying anything she didn't want to, but if it was her concern then she had all the right to address it.

"It has nothing to do with you, Orozora, really." Ariel said. The girl named Orozora laces her fingers behind her back and gave her new best friend the best smile she could muster." As longs as it doesn't have anything to do with me than I don't have anything to say to you, but if it's something or someone who or is bugging you than come to me with your problem. We can't be best of friends if we can't solve each other's problems, now could we?"

Ariel peers over her shoulder at her new best friend.

"I guess not." Ariel replies while stepping up the church stairs leading to the church door. She steps inside and was bombarded with greetings from everyone. It had always been like this. Ariel had to admit that she likes the attention she always gets when she coming to church compared to the attention she gets in school, she's practically a saint to these people. Ariel let a small smile slip, a real smile. She was starting to feel a little bit better, even though a little to her was actually a lot.

She glances over to her preacher and smiles at him. "Hello. How are you?" The preachers looks her way and with a slightly throw off look; he brings her into his arms, giving her a large hug as he had given everyone else in the church.

When the preacher ended the hug, he shook her shoulder twice to get her to pay close attention, his face twisted in a large grin. "I am doing just fine, Miss Iris. Have you studied the music a little more? I know practice was a little tough for you."

Ariel nods her head. "I studied well and I even made up my own song." Ariel responds. The preacher looks to be calculating something but she didn't know what exactly.

"That's nice." The preacher commented." Maybe you could sing it for us today? It would be an honor to hear a voice such as lovely as yours. God has given you such great talent; don't let it go to waste." And with that he patted her on the back and left Ariel with her thoughts.

Why did he look at me like that..like he was testing me? For what though..?

Ariel took her place beside her mother. Her eyes shifts around the church and landed on her new best friend. Ariel didn't know what to think about her request in becoming her new best friend. I mean, it was crazy. She had only met, well Ariel had seen her in church for the longest, just haven't interacted with her until now, that is. She just thought it was sudden and suspicious of her of to all of a sudden take an interest in her after all of the days pass by. Why now, why did she choose now to talk to her.

Is it because I'm the lead singer now?

"Ain't God good." The preacher said.

"Yes!" Echoes the crowd of worshippers.

"Aint God nice!" The preacher exclaims.

Someone shot up out their seat and pump fist the air. "VERY!" The voice shouted in righteousness.

"And the Lordddd has not stopped there!" The people were already getting railed up at the preachers preaching. He barely said a word and everyone already started waving their hands in the air, as if they were reaching out for God.

"He has kindness, gratefulness, forgiveness, caring, sharing, and love in his heart, ah!" The people in the crowds begins to get teary eyed at how loving their Lord is. "And no, no, no, there aint no devil in his heart, because the devil is a lie!"

There were mummers and shouts of. "Yeah." And "Ain't that right!"

"That's allll the devil is!" He stretched the word 'all' to explain the depth and seriousness of the devils lies.

"The beast is a man against Christ but the devil is man against Christ who mouth is full of lies! He has the most filth mouth and he tries to temp us! The biggest lie Satan has even pulled was fooling the world into believing that he does not exist!"

There were choirs of 'Amen' around the church. This went on for about a least a few hours until the choir had to sing a few songs. Ariel nervously steps up to the mic, Orozoka notices Ariels worry, so being the great friend she is, she patted Ariel on the back and told her. "Don't worry. You have this in the bag, Miss thang." Orozora teased her as she laughs at Ariel flushed face.

Okay Ariel, you can do this. Just remember your lyrics and you'll do fine.

The instrumental beat went in and out of Ariel ears as she breathes out or tries to breathe out all of her anxieties. She closes her eyes for a moment and than opens her eyes as her lips slips out the most beautiful tone to anyone and everyone's ears in the church who was listening on. (Song: Lean on my by Kirk Franklin

Solo(Ariel): There's a man..

Standing on the corner..he has no home.

He has no food and his blue skies are gone.

Can you hear him crying out?

The crowd looked on in awe, her beauty was merely astounding, the grace of her hand swaying beside her made her look like an angel in their eyes, and that voice is a gift from God himself.

And there's a girl

Searching for a father and a friend

Praying that the storm someday will end.

But instead of walking away

Open up your heart and say

Some church members stood up from their seats while swaying their hands in the air, singing along with the choir.

Choir: I am here

You don't have to worry

I can see...

{Ariel} I can see your tears

[Choir]

...your tears

I'll be there in a hurry when you call

[Ariel] Yes I will

[Choir] Friends are there to catch you when you fall

[Ariel] Here's my shoulder

[Choir] Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me

'Ariel kept singing until it was nearing the end of the church. This was the end of the day for the church and Ariel had been saving the best for last. She smiled brightly at the talkative crowd. The last song she had sung had gotten them all giddied up, hopefully this song calms them down, and so her feeling would come through in this song. (Pray for forgiveness By Alicia Keys. Play the song while reading the lyrics!)

Beautiful garden where have you gone

Ariel sung, closing her eyes as the music fills her heart and mind with unwanted thoughts, unwanted memories. She thought about how he life took a mean turn just recently.

My self-delusions are leaving me in the storm

She thought of Keith when she sung this. Images of her and Keith holding hands drifts in her mind only for the image to be shattered in pieces of a broken mirror.

Taking for granted all the goodness that I've found

Somewhere I lost all, the control came crashing down

Ariel thought of all of the tears she spilled from her early childhood up until now into her school year. She thought of what would come of it.

And I pray for forgiveness, look for the answers

Cuz it's hard for me to pretend

God invaded her thoughts, she had always been close to him, but her faith in not him but herself was demising everyday while she kept silent concerning her personal problems and feelings.

Look to my mother, call to the captain

Can't you see this state that I'm in

And no one would know this, nobody noticed

Cuz it's me where it begins

Ariel felt like tearing up but she held it all in and with watery eyes she kept singing with the voice that could literally stop anyone in their tracks. She couldn't stop herself from thinking about all of her friends and Mother and brothers who never took notice of her pain. Sure there were times when they would address her on the matter but they never really spoken to her about it. Ariel only blamed herself, she should have said something. She should have never been a coward.

Beautiful morning please don't wake me from my sleep

Cuz I need some comfort to regain my sanity

And I don't wanna feel this crazy, I don't wanna feel discarded

Shattered into million pieces

Ariel was afraid, in this process of healing she might just lose herself, from all the hurt she has experienced in the past. She would sometimes get bad thoughts in her head about hurting the people that hurt her, but she had always convinced herself that she pitied them, that she was not even angry at them. Ariel couldn't say that her words were true. The more she sung, the more her heart was hurting.

And I pray for forgiveness, look for the answers

Cuz it's hard for me to pretend

Look to my mother, call to the captain

Can't you see this state that I'm in

And no one would know this, nobody noticed

That it's me where it begins

And I pray for forgiveness within

I swear that every day I feel like my mind is haunting me

I think of every little stupid mistake that has been made

This time I don't have the strength to gather myself

And I'm falling to pieces

Ariel didn't want to be the victim. She didn't feel the need to place herself in that position, the position that so many who would try to put her down, wanted her to be in. She didn't want them to break her, and yet they did. So how was she supposed to pick up the fallen pieces all by herself? Was there someone to save her from her cruel faith or will she forever be the cowered she is, and hide under the imaginary blankets that wore her father.

And I pray for forgiveness, look for the answers

Cuz it's hard for me to pretend

Look to my mother, call to the captain

Can't you see this state that I'm in

I pray for forgiveness, looking for justice

Searching for answers, call to my mother

Pray for forgiveness, breaking the silence

And nobody knows this, nobody noticed

The song started to slow as Ariel voice was just as low as a tiny whisper but audible enough for the entire church to hear.

That it's me where it begins..

She opens her eyes to see the church members clapping, getting up from their seat, some were smiling up at her, judging by everyone's expression they were blown away by her performance. Ariel smiles at all of them until her eyes caught sight of something or rather someone she wasn't expecting to see.

Ariel eyes widen as she gazes into his grey/chestnut eyes. She instantly recognized him as the boy who was on the church grounds and the boy who was in her dreams. The image of a red aura flowing through her mind brought her into a three second shock, it didn't last too long, as her friend Orozora gives her one bone crushing hug.

Ariel gasp, taking by serious at the sudden recognition, she hugs her back and with a smile, her friends says. "You were amazing Ariel! The song sounded sad but you did great! Can you tell me whose it by?" Orozoza asked eager to hear who the artist was.

"I wrote the song, actually." Orozora gasp at Ariel answer. Ariel wasn't paying too much attention; she was too busy trying to find the boy in her dreams. "You wrote that, why didn't you tell me you were a song writer Ariel!"

"Look Orozora, I have to go now, okay?" Ariel said before running off to find a certain boy leaving a left behind Orozora confused.

Ariel pushes through the crowd, she could see the fleeing boy, so she started shoving the people a little bit more. She quickly apologized to them and ran out the door only to run into..her mother.

"Ariel, where are you going?" Her mother asked with a stern look of disapproval.

"Out." Ariel said simply.

"Where? Its pitch black out there! You have school in the morning!" Something in Ariel brain ticked at her mother words. And just like that, her principals words came back to her in a nick of a light.

I'm going to be in so much trouble if I don't come to school on time.

Ariel sighs as she shrugs her shoulders and gives up. Maybe she'll see him another time?

"Let's go Ariel. We have to both get some sleep for tomorrow. We have a big day ahead of us!" Her mother smiles before taking her hand, practically dragging her out the church.

People who saw, looked on and waved at the leaving couple, throwing in acknowledgment of Ariel singing as her and her mother hops in the car and drove off.

Ariel peers out the window and with a sadden sigh she sings the last lyric of her song. "That its me..where it begins."

The boy lets out a small smile, his hands in his pockets, he whispers out his thoughts to the ground." That girl….from my dream…has such a beautiful voice, I sometimes wonder, does she feel the same way as I do?"

And END. So the boys character has not YET emerged but that because I'm taking the story at a slow pacing. I do not want to rush anything! I promise you guys they would meet. I just had to cop block for a long time. Hehehe. Anyways, do you guys like the chapter or nah? Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of these song so please don't sue me! This is one of the reasons why i don't like putting the whole song lyrics in my chapters.