Miss Wallace walked up and held out a picture of a toddler wearing cowboy boots, a hat, a holster, and a diaper. “Can you guess who this is?”
Fred and Christy looked at the photo and both shook their heads.
“Hal Janssen,” Miss Wallace announced.
“You’re kidding! Has anyone on the football team seen this?” Christy asked.
“No, Hal’s mom brought it in this morning. Won’t it look great next to his Cougar of the Week shot when he scored the most points against Vista High?”
“This is perfect!” Fred held up the picture. All his gloom had evaporated. “Now all we need are pictures of Aaron Johnson and Adrian Medina, and our baby hall of fame will be complete.”
“This was really a good idea, Fred, collecting all these baby pictures of this year’s outstanding students.” Miss Wallace said.
“It wasn’t my idea.” Fred replied quickly. “It was Christy’s. I just agreed with her.”
Miss Wallace smiled at Christy. “You’ve done a terrific job, Christy. I think you’re a natural at this sort of thing.”
Christy could feel a rush of pink to her cheeks. It felt good to know she had finally done something right.
For the next week and a half, Christy kept busy with the yearbook, homework, and her job at the pet store. Over the weekend Todd came up from San Diego, where he was attending college. They went miniature golfing with her eleven-year-old brother and then sat close together on the couch that night, eating popcorn and watching an old black and white movie with Christy’s parents. Everything was great. Wonderful. Everything except that she was still waiting for Katie to contact her.
Christy saw Katie and Michael one time at school. They were holding hands, and everything between them seemed perfect. Why, then, wouldn’t Katie call Christy or come over and tell her all was well? What had gone on between Katie and Michael that had caused the tension in the parking lot?
When Christy walked into the yearbook class on Thursday, Miss Wallace said, “Christy, I’ve arranged for you to take another picture of the volleyball team in about ten minutes. They said some of their team members didn’t make it for the last shot. Fred offered to take it if you didn’t want to, but I thought you would since you’ve been working on this one all along.”
Christy looked over at Fred, who stood a few feet away. He shrugged, “Whatever. I didn’t know if you were okay with Katie yet.”
Christy didn’t know either. What would be best for Katie? Would she smile for the picture if Christy was the one behind the camera? Would it be easier if Fred took it?
“Do you mind, Fred?”
“Not a problem. I’ll take the picture if you’ll pick out Adrian Medina’s baby picture and figure out where to put it.”
“Oh, we got it?”
“His stepmom mailed us three pictures,” Miss Wallace explained. “Wait until you see them! One with spaghetti or something all over his face.”
Fred grabbed his camera and was about to hurry over to the gym. Christy caught him before he went out the door and looked him in the eye. “This is really nice of you, Fred. Thanks.”
“Does this mean you’ll go to the prom with me?”
“Fred!” Christy laughed.
“Never hurts to try.” He gave her one of his toothy grins. “I do want to ask you something when I come back though, okay?”
Christy felt a little nervous that he would put her on the spot for something. “You’d better hurry,” she said. “You wouldn’t want to have to try to assemble that bunch again.”
“Right.” Fred hustled out the door.
Christy went to work on the layout, playing with all the pictures and the copy as if it were a jigsaw puzzle. She didn’t hear anyone come up behind her, but she then became aware that someone was looking over her shoulder. She turned around and saw Katie.
“That’s Adrian?” Katie examined the photo of Adrian as a toddler splashing in a plastic kiddie pool that lay next to the one of him holding up the trophy the water polo team had won this year. “He got his start in water sports early, I see.”
“Cute, isn’t it?” Christy felt natural and at ease with Katie, as if no strain existed between them.
“Are you busy after school?” Katie asked.
“I don’t think so.” Christy knew work needed to be done on the yearbook, but then the yearbook always needed work. She wasn’t about to brush Katie off since she apparently was now ready to talk.
“Can you meet me by my car? We’ll grab a snack. My treat.”
“Oh, well, if you’re paying, then of course,” Christy said with a smile.
Katie seemed to be fine. Maybe they wouldn’t have that much to talk about. A few misunderstandings, some bruised feelings. Maybe they could move on from this point, and Christy would have a chance to really get to know Michael. Maybe she and Katie could renew their friendship and redeem what was left of their senior year.
Christy met Katie at her car right after school. Katie drove out of the parking lot in silence. Then they both began sentences at the same time.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Go ahead,” Christy said.
“No, you go.”
“I was just saying, so where do you want to go?”
“I thought you’d like to see my new hangout.”
“Sure,” Christy said. “And what were you going to say?”
“I was going to say it seems you’re doing a good job on the yearbook and you really enjoy it.”
“I do. I never would have guessed it would be so much fun. You know, I really only signed up because I needed one more class and because I thought if I was on staff I could make sure Fred didn’t put in any of those embarrassing pictures like he did last year.”
“Now you’re the one putting in the embarrassing photos, so that makes it okay.” The criticism in Katie’s voice was evident.
“What do you mean?” Christy knew she sounded defensive.
“Nothing. Forget I said anything. That’s not why I wanted to get together today. You have to do whatever you have to do. I’m not your judge. Too many people judge other people these days. Especially Christians.”
Christy could guess what Katie was hinting at.
Silence ushered them down the main street of Escondido and sat beside them at a red light. When the light turned green, it was as if a signal went off, and both of them began to talk at the same time.
“We seem to be conversationally impaired today.” Katie said, with her light laugh returning. “Here’s the place.”
She pulled into the driveway of a strip mall and parked in front of a small restaurant called The Organic Tomato.
“The Organic Tomato?” Christy asked.
“Don’t worry. They serve a lot more than tomatoes,” Katie said as she led Christy into the tiny café.
Christy struggled to believe that this was Katie, the person who used to identify her four basic food groups as fat, sugar, preservatives, and salt. Michael, who was into vitamins and health food, obviously was a powerful influence on Katie.
The small café was brightly lit. A dozen small, round tables with bright, flowered tablecloths were positioned around the room, making Christy feel as if she had stepped into a kaleidoscope. At any moment the tables might begin to spin, and she would be caught up in the swirl of repositioning colors. No one else was in the restaurant.
“Are you sure they’re open?” Christy whispered.
“Oh, sure. Michael and I come here all the time after school.” Katie walked to the back where a small window opened up to the kitchen.
“Hi, Janice. How’s your day been?”
A slender, blond woman with glowing skin and beautiful blue eyes stepped out, wearing an apron with a big red tomato on the front. “Great, Katie. How are you doing, Michael? Oh, that’s not Michael.”
“This is my friend Christy. Christy, this is Janice.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“And you.”
“So what’s your special for today?”
Katie asked.
“It’s the southwest tofu burger, with blue corn chips and fresh squeezed carrot juice.”
Christy wasn’t sure what all that was, but just hearing the names made her want to gag. How could Katie stand this place?
“Sounds great,” Katie said. “I’ll have that. You want the same, Christy? Remember, it’s my treat.”
“Well, I was wondering if maybe I could see a menu.”
“Sure,” Janice said. “Here you go. There’s a spinach and sprout salad you might like. The eggplant lasagna is also a favorite.”
Christy nodded and accepted the flowery menu. She followed Katie to a table and said, “I had a lot for lunch. I was thinking of maybe just a soda.”
“Soda?” Katie said.
Christy realized then that no one would walk into a place called The Organic Tomato and order a Coke.
“They have some all-natural sparkling beverages,” Katie explained. “But mostly they serve juice. It’s all squeezed fresh, right here.”
“Oh, I’m sure it is,” Christy said cautiously. “Maybe just an orange juice then.”
“I heard!” Janice called from the back. “Carrot juice and OJ coming right up.”
Christy didn’t feel comfortable. It wasn’t just the “organic” atmosphere. It was knowing that everything they said would he heard. Plus, none of the food on the menu even sounded familiar. At least she thought they were foods. Bulgur wheat salad, tofu scramble, lentil soup, bean curd. It looked like a little kid had mixed up all the letters on the menu and put them back in the wrong places.
Janice appeared with the smallest glass of orange juice Christy had seen since she’d ordered a kids breakfast from Denny’s a decade ago. The juice was so full of pulp that she was tempted to use her spoon and eat it like soup. Somehow she thought that might upset Katie, so she took tiny sips and ran her tongue across her front teeth after every swallow, checking for stray pulp pieces.
Katie’s tofu burger looked normal enough. Christy guessed the bun was made from organic, whole-grain something. It was a bit disturbing that the chips were a navy blue. But Christy decided that if she concentrated on Katie’s face instead of her plate, she could pretend they were eating regular hamburgers and French fries at McDonald’s like they used to before Katie met Michael.
“You want a bite?” Katie offered.
“No, thanks. I’m fine.”
Katie took two or three bites and motioned for Christy to try a blue chip. She took a tiny one, and it tasted like a normal corn chip. Janice turned on some airy harp music, and Christy felt a little more at ease.
“God wants me to break up with Michael.” Katie blurted out.
“Where did that come from?” Christy almost felt like laughing at Katie’s abruptness.
“Please don’t make light of this, Christy. I’m serious.” Katie took another bite. Her expression grew sad. “And I’ve been disobeying God.”
A dozen questions ran through Christy’s mind. But she chose to remain silent and let Katie do the talking.
“I’ve known it for a couple of weeks now,” Katie said. “All along I’ve been praying that Michael would surrender to the Lord. I thought that’s why God brought him into my life, for me to show him how to become a Christian. And I’ve tried. Believe me! The six and a half months we’ve been together I’ve talked to him, given him books to read, taken him to Bible studies, introduced him to other Christians. And you know how I gave him that Bible for Christmas?”
Christy nodded. She remembered shopping with Katie and looking at what seemed like every Bible ever made until Katie found one she thought Michael would read.
“He just won’t believe. It’s not that he can’t believe that Christianity is the right way or that he doesn’t believe in God, because he does. It’s that he won’t surrender his life to Christ.”
Christy could see the pain in Katie’s eyes.
“I told God that if He wanted me to break up with Michael, I would. And then God told me to break up with him. Don’t ask me how I know. Michael wanted to know how God talks to me. I can’t explain it. It’s just that deep inside my heart I know what the Holy Spirit is telling me.”
Katie took another bite of her burger and motioned for Christy to have another chip. She obliged.
“So two weeks ago when you saw us in the school parking lot, I had just told Michael. I said we had to break up.”
“Oh, Katie, I didn’t know.”
“That was the thing. See, on the way back to school I prayed for a sign. I know you’re not supposed to mess with God like that, but I was so upset. I said, “God, if I did the right thing by breaking up with Michael, then make me run into Christy on the way home.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No. It was such a God-thing, I couldn’t believe it. When I prayed that, I knew you would either be working at the pet store or on the yearbook. Then there you were, standing by my car! After that I don’t know what happened. Michael said some mean things, and I got really mad at God because He was making me do this.”
Katie waved her hand at Christy’s confused expression. “I know it’s dumb, but it was like God did what I asked by putting you there, and then I got mad. I couldn’t even talk to you.”
“Yes, I noticed,” Christy said softly.
“It was like you were on God’s side, and somehow you were both against me. I don’t know, Christy. I was a mess for a couple of days. Then Michael and I got back together. He’s happy. I’m happy. Everything is normal, except that I know I’m disobeying God. So I’m ignoring Him.” Katie chomped into her burger and ate silently for a moment.
“Why are you talking to me now?” Christy asked. “Does it seem like I’m not on God’s side anymore?”
“No!” Katie said quickly. “You are. That’s why I thought I needed to talk to you face to face. I want you to tell me to break up with Michael.”
“I can’t do that. That’s between you and God and Michael.”
“Thanks a lot.” Katie muttered.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, all along you kept warning me about him not being a Christian, and now that I want you to tell me to break up, you won’t do it.”
“I can’t,” Christy said. Then using Michael’s words, she added, “I haven’t earned the right. I’m not your personal Holy Spirit. You have to listen to what God tells you to do and then choose to obey or disobey.”
“I’m disobeying,” Katie admitted sadly. “It’s a creepy feeling.”
“Then why don’t you break up with him for good this time?”
“There’s only one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m in love with him.”
“You’re in love with him,” Christy repeated. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” Katie said, putting down her burger. “I’m in love with him. Do you know how hard it is to push someone out of your life when you’re in love with him? It’s impossible! Christy, there has never been any other guy in my life. There might never be any others! For six months the center of my universe has been Michael, and it’s been wonderful. Why would I give that up?”
“Because God told you to?” Christy ventured.
“Exactly! But I want a human to tell me so I’ll know it’s the right thing to do. You have to help me out here, Christy.”
Christy remained silent, confused as to what to say. It would be easier if she could have time to think all this through. Would it be okay for her to go ahead and say, “Yes, Katie, God has told me to tell you to break up with Michael”? Or should she stick with her gut feeling that this was a decision Katie had to make, with or without a cheering section?
“You’re not going to help me on this one, are you, Christy?”
“Katie, you already know what I think about all this. I think Michael is a great guy, and he’s been the perfect boyfriend for you. But unless he becomes a Christian, the only areas you have in common are the emotional and physical. T
he spiritual part of you will never connect with him, and that’s the part of you that’s going to last forever.”
“You sound like Todd.”
Christy took that as a compliment.
“So go ahead, Christy, finish your speech. Tell me what to do.”
Christy hesitated. “Katie,” she said firmly, “you have to do what God tells you to.”
“You make me so mad!” Katie spouted, pushing away her plate. “You have no idea how hard this is, Christy.”
“I know.” Christy said softly.
“No, you don’t!” Katie yelled. “You’ve never gone through anything like this. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I love him, yet I’m breaking up with him because God told me to! That’s the only reason. Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds to Michael? All that witnessing. All those books. All those Bible studies. And now I’m telling him that God is so mean that He won’t let us go out anymore!”
Christy didn’t know what to say.
“Come on,” Katie said. “Let’s get out of here.” She left enough money on the table to cover the meal and marched out to the car. Christy hurried after her and jumped in just as Katie backed up sharply and swerved into the flow of traffic. “God is so totally unfair!”
Christy grabbed on to the side of her seat as a car cut in front of them. Katie laid on the horn and yelled. “Why did God bring Michael into my life only to jerk him away? I am so mad right now I could scream!” And Katie promptly screamed.
Christy had always admired Katie’s ability to express her feelings. But she had never seen Katie this upset.
Katie sped into the school parking lot and pulled up next to Christy’s car with a screech.
“Are you okay?” Christy asked before getting out.
“No. of course not. What a stupid question! I’m dying here. Christy. Have a little sympathy, will you?”
“What can I do?” Christy felt flustered.
“Nothing. I asked you for help, and you wouldn’t give it to me. If I’m going to do this, I’m going to have to do it without any human affirmation. So just leave me alone.”
“Do you want to call me later?”