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  “I’m kidding. But I’m not. Get in.”

  Stepping protectively in front of Julia, Lexi bristled right away at the challenge, tossed her hair and bounded up into the center of the circle. “Just explain the rules, Old Man,” she taunted with a smile, her competitive side coming to the fore. The group of guys laughed appreciatively. Randall and Geoff started talking over each other, explaining elaborate and confusing rules that centered around a deck of cards, and depending on the number and suit, there were different actions that needed to be performed.

  It all seemed really complicated and kind of pointless. But as the guys continued explaining, the rest of the group began picking up energy and it was clear they were getting keyed up to commence playing.

  Lexi listened carefully, nodding along despite the slightly confused expression on her face. Julia felt a bit nervous for her. Elliott, on the other side of her was also listening attentively. No doubt he would be jumping in on this unofficial rite of passage this group had created, especially since Lexi had already gotten herself into it.

  The first round began, and Mudd was chosen to be the one to flip the deck of cards. The group huddled in a large circle around Mudd, all eyes trained on the cards being flipped at lightning speed. No wonder they had asked Mudd to be the human shuffle machine. The first couple of cards, no one moved, then a King of Diamonds was revealed, and suddenly the straining group leapt in unison into a human dog pile in the center of the room. Lexi and Elliott were the last ones to topple on top. From there, the game lasted for the next hour or so.

  Towards the end of the night, Alison had drunk almost a quarter of a gallon worth of milk shots, and was racing to the bathroom for the third time, at the wake of the guys’ uncontrollable laughter. They showed no mercy in taking advantage of the fact that most Asians are lactose-intolerant.

  “I feel so bad for her,” Julia whispered to Natalie.

  Natalie nodded in agreement, but explained, “It’s just the guys’ way to showing camaraderie. If they tease you, it means you’re part of the group.”

  “And if they don’t?”

  Natalie shrugged. “They’re just polite, but keep their distance.”

  Julia silently glanced over to where Lexi and Elliott were sitting with Randall, Geoff and Mudd. Lexi scoffed at Mudd as he tried to intimidate her with threats of eating dog food covered in hot sauce as the next round’s punishment.

  Chapter Four

  “Hey, I’m at the quad. Where are you?” Julia said, scanning the crowded courtyard as she left a message on Lexi’s cell phone. Red umbrellas shaded round tables scattered around the square. The quad, located conveniently in the middle of campus, featured a little food court and bookstore.

  Finding an empty spot by the edge of the fountain, Julia sat down and scanned the courtyard again. She had agreed to meet Lexi and Elliott for lunch after their morning classes. Right now she really needed her friends to help get her mind off the red ink covered paper she had just been handed back. The critique tainted assignment remained buried deep inside her knapsack, where for now she wanted to pretend it didn’t exist. But she knew sooner or later she would have to deal with it. Especially since the revised version was expected back on her professor’s desk in two weeks.

  Contemplating leaving Lexi another message, Julia looked up to see a pair of familiar faces walking towards her.

  “Hey, Julia.”

  “Hi, Dan,” she smiled. “Wynn.”

  Wynn offered his usual curt nod.

  “Waiting for someone?” Dan asked.

  “Lexi and Elliott, they’re coming from the other side of campus, Earth Science class.”

  “Rock-collecting class, nice,” Dan laughed easily. “Wow, I remember those easy-A’s days. I take it your friends aren’t big science fans.”

  “Nope, I think the appeal was when the course description said classes were going to take place partially at the beach.”

  “Let me guess, they’re also enrolled in Gospel Choir.”

  “Tonight’s class, actually,” Julia replied honestly, which made Dan laugh again.

  “Sounds like your freshmen year schedule,” Wynn smirked at Dan.

  “Yeah, I’m having flashbacks already.” Then he held up the grease stained bag smelling of grilled onions and salty meat and said, “Alright, real world calls. I’ll see you guys around.” Dan waved and sauntered off.

  “Where’s he off to?” Julia asked.

  “Work.”

  “Where does he work at?”

  “Some lab off campus.” Wynn appeared to be debating whether to join her or not.

  Julia was deliberating between saying “you don’t have to stay” or “my friends will be here soon” without sounding lame, when he sat down. Without preamble he began wolfing down the Philly cheese steak.

  After half his sandwich had disappeared, Wynn glanced up at her a bit sheepishly. “Want some fries?” he mumbled over the mouthful.

  Julia smiled. “I’m okay.”

  “Are you having lunch with your friends?”

  “Yeah.”

  The early afternoon was steadily heating up, showing no signs of catering to the autumn season. The thin pale pink cardigan she was wearing started to feel too warm.

  “So you have class after this?” Wynn asked, crumpling up the greasy paper bag into a tight ball. He tossed it a couple feet into the nearby trashcan.

  “No, I just finished my two classes for today.”

  Most people despised waking up early, but Julia was a morning person. Elliott had acted like he was going to die when he had seen her schedule this quarter with all her classes ending before lunch, until Julia reminded him it wasn’t her schedule he had copied. Lucky for him most of the ones Lexi chose didn’t start until after lunch.

  “What about you?”

  He glanced at his phone to check the clock. “I have some time to kill until I need to go.”

  “Class?”

  “Internship.”

  “At Brooks Production, right?”

  He nodded.

  It must be cool to actually work at a movie company. Julia wondered what he got to do there. She hesitated, not wanting to pry, but then said, “So what are you currently working on?”

  He perked up at the question, putting her at ease. He was still explaining the project to her when her friends finally showed up.

  “Lia!”

  They looked up to see Lexi waving and breathless. Elliott kept speed to her brisk pace unconcerned, despite his wet hair and damp shorts.

  “What happened?” Julia wondered at his haphazard appearance. “I left you a message.”

  “You did?” Lexi said, checking her phone. “Oops. I forgot to charge the battery again.”

  “Hey, Wynn,” Elliott greeted him, and Wynn nodded back.

  “Why are you wet?”

  “Field trip day,” Elliott answered casually with a grin.

  “And that involved deep sea diving in the ocean?”

  “What can I say, I’m very thorough with my quest for knowledge concerning all things earth,” Elliott quipped.

  A table opened up, and Wynn offered to hold it for them while they went to go buy their lunch. By the time Julia sat down with her food, Lexi was eating and asking Wynn about his youth group.

  “Unfortunately, I haven’t been putting as much time into the planning as I should,” Wynn was saying. “There’s this workbook I found from when I was in high school. It’s a bit outdated, but I remember it being pretty good.”

  “Are the kids enjoying it?”

  Wynn shrugged. “Hard to tell, they’re really quiet during the lessons. It’s weird since they’re normally kind of crazy.”

  “Well, if you’re looking for any volunteers, we’d love to help out!” Lexi offered, causing Julia to choke mid-bite. Obviously Lexi had gotten over Wynn’s rebuke at the bonfire, but to offer their help, especially without getting her friends’ permission first?

  Julia gave her
a mild kick under the table.

  Lexi glanced up at her and quickly added, “I mean we’ll talk about it first. But it sounds like fun!” She swiftly scooted her legs away to the far end of the table.

  Julia looked over, and saw her surprise mirrored in Wynn’s expression. “Thanks,” he said after a moment. “It would be good to have other people helping out.” Then he laughed. “I should warn you though not to have high expectations. The youth group is really small. There’re only five high school students, so if one of them misses a night, there will be a one-to-one ratio of leaders and youth members.”

  Elliott laughed. “I like those odds,” he said in between noisy slurps from his supersized cup of soda.

  Glancing down at his cell phone, Wynn said “I got to run.” He looked at Julia and said, “Will you guys be at the Wednesday night A.A.C.F. meeting?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ok. We can talk then. If you guys are interested, I can tell you more about it. No pressure.” With that he stood up and walked away.

  * * *

  “Race you to the cliffs!” Lexi shouted over the noisy ocean wind, and took off pedaling as fast as her skinny legs allowed. Julia sighed as Elliott laughed at the challenge, and without effort proceeded to swiftly sail past her.

  “Lexi, you challenge him every day, and you’ve still yet to win a race,” Julia called to their retreating figures. She didn't bother trying to catch up with them and continued at her own leisurely pace. Tilting up her face towards the early morning sunlight, she couldn't help but smile.

  Since the bonfire, Elliott had bought both girls their own second-hand bikes. They took pleasure in their newfound freedom and had visited the local farmer’s market, and perused the assortment of shops and boutiques that lined the main street of town. They were now able to frequent their favorite café, simply called Beans, with its array of coffee and teas and sandwiches. It was located right on the boardwalk.

  Today they were going to investigate the historic Staten Lighthouse Park that Julia had seen on their way to Aosta Verde church. By the time she wounded her way up the winding pebbled path to the old lighthouse, Lexi and Elliott were already sprawled out on the grass, out of breath. Their dusty bikes and backpacks were scattered about nearby.

  “So who won?” Julia teased. They both wearily raised their arms to point at themselves. Julia laughed and leaned her green bicycle against the white picket fence that wrapped around the lighthouse. Pulling her spiral-ringed notebook out of her bag, she sat on the steps of the tower and drew in a deep satisfying breath.

  The vast expanse of the ocean stretched out before her for miles, fading into the cobalt blue of the sky. Her thoughts swirled, her hand reaching for her pen and journal, and the words that appeared made her unexpressed feelings real. This was when she felt the most at peace with herself, when she felt the most comfortable and the most at ease in her own skin. As her mind raced and her heart overflowed into words on the paper, her hand flew over the pages attempting to keep pace.

  If it were up to her, Julia would decline from volunteering at Wynn’s church because the thought of having to talk to a bunch of strangers made her feel exhausted and uncomfortable.

  At the same time, she knew people like Grammy Lois and her past youth group leaders had made a positive impact in her life. The time they invested in her showed they cared, and she honestly didn’t think she would’ve understood God’s love for her if she hadn’t witnessed it through them. Wouldn’t it be completely selfish if she didn’t somehow return the favor now?

  Julia wasn't sure how much time had passed, when she finally felt satisfied that she had adequately emptied out all her confusion, thoughts, and struggles on paper. Sensing a break from her previous reverie, Lexi suddenly popped into view.

  “Hey, did you know there are two hundred and seventy-six steps leading up to the top of this lighthouse?” Lexi said, plopping down next to her.

  “You counted?” Julia asked incredulously.

  Lexi smiled and shrugged. “I guesstimated. We counted up to seventy-six and gave up.”

  “Is that what you and Ellie were doing this whole time?”

  “Yup, we called to you from the real top too, but I guess you didn’t hear us. You really disappear inside your head sometimes, you know.”

  Craning her head around, Julia asked, “Where’s Ellie?”

  “Oh, he’s still up at the top of the lighthouse.” Lexi paused for dramatic effect then added, “He’s singing opera at the top of his lungs. I’m surprised you didn’t hear that.”

  Julia laughed, held her breath and listened hard. A few seconds later, Julia managed to pick a thin thread of a low voice straining to wail some sort of melody before the distant ocean waves and howl of the wind tossed the sound away.

  “Huh, I can barely hear him now. But he sounded like a yowling banshee when I was up there with him.”

  “I can believe that.”

  "Are you done journaling?" Lexi asked a bit off-handedly. She tried to appear nonchalant, but Julia knew her well enough that she was creating an opening for her to confide in her.

  "Yes," Julia said. "I guess it boils down to this. I know you and Ellie would volunteer at Wynn’s church youth group in a heartbeat. I'm completely fine with you guys doing this without me. But if we're sticking to our Three Musketeers pact, then I don't want to be the reason you guys don't help out at his church."

  "Really?” Lexi jumped up with a huge grin. "Let's go tell Ellie the good news!"

  Chapter Five

  This is ironic, Julia thought as she sat at the large oval table in her Memoir writing class. Of all the classes she had enrolled in this quarter, she had been most excited about this one. Yet here she was hiding her red ink critiqued covered assignment under her binder, feeling completely out of her league and doubting her writing abilities.

  Professor Palermo was busy scribbling the four elements needed in a strong Memoir piece on the white board. Her long tumble of auburn curls swished with conviction with each stroke of the pen.

  Julia’s breath caught in her throat as her professor stared straight at her. “Lastly, don’t be afraid of critique. It’s meant to make you a stronger writer. There is poor writing, good writing, and then there is even better writing. Always push yourself to write even better, more poignant, more compelling.”

  “Want to exchange papers?”

  Julia startled as she looked up from her reverie at the blonde girl sitting next to her. A glance around the room confirmed that her classmates had paired up and were busy reading one another’s second drafts.

  “Yes, of course,” Julia said, pulling out her paper and handing it to the girl. “Sorry about that.”

  “No problem, I’m Willow Harris, by the way.”

  “Julia Kyoto.”

  Within minutes she was submerged in Willow’s life, the words simply written on the paper weaving a legacy that traveled back several generations.

  * * *

  The sun was starting to set by the time Lexi and Julia arrived at Natalie’s apartment at the edge of campus for Bible study. They climbed up the steps to knock on the front door.

  Natalie greeted them warmly the moment the door swung open. “Hello, we’re just about ready to start eating.”

  Taking off their shoes, they followed her into the dining area. About fifteen girls were standing around kitchen table, which displayed a large bowl of fancy looking pasta, a garden salad, and bruschetta. Natalie’s apartment contrasted Wynn’s house in every way. There were rows of framed photographs of Natalie and her roommates along the wall, and everything was color-coordinated and awash in pastels.

  Standing in line for the food, Julia watched as Lexi began introducing them to different people. The girl standing in front of them wore a black tank top and skinny dark jeans, her long black hair up in a loose twist. Everything about her was casual but polished down to the way she slowly turned around and gave them a brief once-over.

&nb
sp; “Oh hi, I’m Suzy Kim,” she said, barely mustering up a smile.

  “I remember you from the beach bonfire,” Lexi said, scooping up a big heaping pile of pasta on her plate.

  “Right, you’re Elliott’s friend,” Suzy said. “Where is Elliott? Is he going to the A.A.C.F. meeting tonight?”

  “He’s at the freshmen guy’s Bible study dinner.”

  While everyone ate, Natalie quickly ran through a couple of A.A.C.F. announcements and what she hoped the girls would gain from their Bible study group.

  After dinner, Natalie herded all the freshmen girls back towards campus. A.A.C.F.’s Wednesday night meetings were held at The Cove. Music floated out to greet them as they neared the building.

  “Are we late?” Lexi asked, a bit panicked.

  “It sounds like they’re just rehearsing,” Julia reassured her. She followed the rest of the girls into the brightly lit foyer. There were several sets of doors leading to different conference rooms. The moment Natalie pulled open the door, the drums and guitars blared.

  All the tables and chairs were stacked up against the side of the room. At the far end was the worship band with all of their instruments set up. Julia recognized Geoff singing into the microphone on the lead guitar. Mudd was on the bass guitar, a girl she didn’t recognize on the keyboard, and Dan was behind the drums. At the opposite end of the large room was all the sound equipment. Wearing headphones hooked up to the sound system, and staring at his laptop, Wynn sat at the switch board.

  “Let’s go say hi,” Lexi said when she followed Julia’s gaze and spotted Wynn.

  Julia grabbed her arm and shook her head. “No, he looks busy. I don’t want to bother him.”

  Lexi sighed but shrugged. “C’mon, everyone’s sitting down.”

  After the song ended, Geoff made his way over, a huge grin stretched across his face.

  “Hey, girls, what’s up? I see you’re training them well, Natalie, nice and early.”

  “Yeah, maybe next time you can bring them by half an hour earlier and they can help bring in all the instruments and stuff,” Dan joked, rubbing his arms.

  Geoff laughed. “Quit moaning, Dan.” He gave him a punch then grinned at the girls. “What a rookie. Begged all last year to be on the worship band, now this year he makes it on the team, and this is what we have to put up with.”