On-Line Novel: The Immoral

This is an on-line novel about Cassandra and Ron. They've been BFFs since middle school. While they grow into adults, they have struggles from within and question everything God has commanded not to do.

The story begins at their 8th grade confirmation class.

THE IMMORAL

1982

"I want the three of you," the pastor said. "to find a Bible verse that means something to you."

Cassandra half heard him. She was busy studying the dreamy Schmidt boy. She couldn't help herself. He had the biggest doe-looking eyes she'd ever seen on a boy his age before. Daydreams of tangling her fingers in his thick, dark wavy hair imvaded her mind. It fell just past his collar. Next, she saw dreamy Scmidt embrace her and then he planted a big fat one on her lips. Butterflies flitted in the pit of her stomach and she let out an audible sigh.

Her best friend Ronald Fisher elbowed her in her left side. "You're doing it again," he whispered. 

But she barely noticed. Her thoughts drifted to a big taffeta wedding gown, like the one Princess Diana wore when she married Prince Charles. She put it on in her imagination. After, she stepped into a pair glass shoes. Within seconds, she waltzed toward an aisle covered in rose petals. At the end of it, stood dreamy Schmidt dressed in an all-white tuxedo waiting with the pastor at the church altar.

The pastor cleared his throat. "Miss Cassandra Berg." His tone sounded harsh and his black rimmed glasses fell to the edge of his nose.

The thirteen-year-old snapped her head in his direction. "Yessir."

"Did you understand my instructions?" He now glared down his nose at her.

She followed the balls of light bouncing around on his bald head, repeating what she thought she heard. "Pick out a Bible verse that means something to me." 

"Yes. Make sure you memorize it." Slobber gathered at the corners of his thick lips. His mouth reminded her of Charlie the Tuna from the Starkist commercial.

"Yessir."

***

Cassandra plopped on her bed and grabbed the white leather bound Bible from her nightstand. On her fifth birthday, her devout Lutheran grandparents gave it to her. She couldn't figure why anyone would give a child something they were constantly told not to touch. Books were for reading. At least, it got a weekly dusting.

Quietly, she sauntered through the trail of dirty and clean clothes to her bedroom door. She craned her neck around its frame. Good. The sound of running water and dishes clinking, told her that mom was busy in the kitchen. She'd have enough time to thumb through the scriptures and find a meaningful verse. But she wasn't sure about how to do this. It never dawned on her to ask her pastor before she left his class earlier in the day. I'll call Ronny.

She shut the door to her room, spun around, and rushed back toward the bedside table again. There, she plucked the phone receiver from its base and dialed Ronald's number.

It rang twice before he answered. "Hello, the Fisher's residence."

"Hey," Cassandra said. "It's me, Sassie."

"What's up?"

"How am I supposed to find a meaningful Bible verse for confirmation?" If anyone would know he would. He also knew a lot about make-up and fashion. He was so much like a girl sometimes. She could tell him everything.

"Do what they call Scripture Roulette. My mom does it all the time."

"What's that?"

"Just flip it open. And whatever verse you first see, is the verse you're meant to see."
 

***

After, Cassandra hung up the phone, she quickly flipped her Bible open. 

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in The Lord with all thine heart, an lean not unto thine own understanding. It stuck out as if flashing lights blinked around it. Trust God? How? She shrugged and put her mind to memorize it.

Shelly Arkon © 2015

If you enjoyed this, please share. I will post another segment next Thursday.

Hugs and chocolate, all!
Shelly