Christian Fiction Friday: March 20th–Excerpt from Claudia

After eating her dinner, Stella pushed her plate away and looked up at Claudia.  “What’s going on with you?  You seem a little distant today and you are barely eating.”

“It’s Sameer.”
“Yeah?  How is he?”
“Oh, he’s just fine.  A little too fine.”
“Spill it.”
“I went by his apartment the other night and let myself in.  I thought he was serious about me when he gave me the key six months ago.  I found out how wrong I was.”
“Why, what happened?”
“Judy was there.”
“Oh, I’m sure it was nothing.  Don’t let her bother you, she probably just forced her way in there by asking him to help her study or something.”
“They weren’t studying Stella.  It looked like studying was the farthest thing from their minds.”
“Oh.  I’m sorry Claudia.  That just makes me ill.  Why would he do that?”
“That’s just it.”  Claudia ran her hands through her hair and picked at her perfectly manicured nails.  “I think that when I made the decision not to have sex again until I was married, it might have cost me my relationship with Sameer.  How can I expect him to understand that I was willing to have sex with previous boyfriends, but not with him?  It’s only natural that if I won’t do it, he’ll find someone who will.”
“No, that is not ‘only natural’.  You know that what you’re doing is right.  You’re following your conscience and your Bible.  You can’t let Sameer’s weakness change your conviction.  You’re too smart to believe what you just said.”
“I don’t know what I believe.  I’m frustrated.  I thought he loved me, but if he loved me he wouldn’t have jumped into bed, well couch, more precisely, with Judy.  Couldn’t he have at least picked someone else?  Did it really have to be her?”
“I’m sorry Claud.  I don’t understand why he would do something like that, but I know you deserve to have a man who will treat you like a princess.  I like Sameer, I really do, but I hope you aren’t going to keep dating him after this.”
“I don’t think I can.  I agreed to lunch at the cafeteria tomorrow to talk, but I can’t see myself continuing a relationship with a guy who would fool around on me, especially with Judy.”
“I wonder what Steven would do.  I hope for Sameer’s sake he doesn’t find out about this.”
“I almost hope he does, but I won’t be the one to tell him.”
“Well, I think it’s an ice cream night, don’t you?  Forbidden chocolate or Heavenly hash?”
“Don’t you have any strawberry?”
“No, but I have strawberry syrup and vanilla ice cream.”
“Sold.”

Christian Fiction Friday is a weekly blog hop where authors post short (400-word or less) snippets from their current works in progress. It is hosted by Alana Terry and Hallee Bridgeman.

Christian Fiction Friday–Excerpt from Claudia

Claudia hurried across  campus.  Two blue birds fluttered past her, a sure sign that spring was almost here, but she barely registered their presence.  The expansive lawns of the campus were still covered with snow.  She pulled the collar on her coat up and walked with her head down to block the wind.
As she approached her car, she saw Sameer.  He had parked next to her and was leaning against his car smoking and talking on his cell phone.  She gave a little wave with a glove clad hand and attempted to walk around his car, but he grabbed her by the arm and spun her back to face him.
“Jesse, I’ll have to get back to you.  Okay?  Something’s come up.” Sameer clicked off his phone and slid it into his back pocket.
Claudia pulled away from him and stepped out of his reach.  “What do you mean something’s come up?  Nothings come up.  I’m leaving.”
“I thought you Christians were forgiving.  Why are you being such a shrew?”  He stepped toward her.
Claudia sighed and glanced at her watch.  “A shrew?  Seriously? Look, I’m leaving. You’re forgiven.  Is that all you want?”
“No.  I want you to really forgive me.  Let me take you out tonight?” He raised his eyebrows.
“Not a chance.  I’m not looking for a repeat performance.”
“Aw, come on, it’s not like that.  It was a one time thing.  A mistake.  I was drunk.”
“You think getting drunk is an acceptable excuse?  Look, I don’t have time for this right now..  I’ve got somewhere to be.  Maybe we can talk about this later.”
“Tomorrow?  Lunch?”  He flashed that crooked little smile she was crazy about.
“Sure.  I have break at 1:20 p.m., meet me in the cafeteria.”
“Can’t we go off campus?”
“No Sameer.  We can’t.  I don’t want to be alone with you right now.”
“I think you’re overreacting, but okay.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”  He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

Christian Fiction Friday is a weekly blog hop where authors post snippets from their current Works in Progress. It is hosted by Alana Terry and Hallee Bridgeman. – See more at: http://www.bridgemanfamily.com/hallee/christian-fiction-friday-march-6th/#sthash.vZ2wjVIX.dpuf

CHRISTIAN fiction Friday–excerpt FROM Stella

Megan sat behind Crystal and Stacy in Sunday school. She wasn’t trying to hear them, but Crystal’s idea of a whisper was anything but quiet. Crystal said “Did you hear that Jason is taking Stella out?”

“I did” Stacy said.

“I can’t imagine why that sexy specimen would waste himself on a tramp.”

“He won’t date her more than a time or two, when he finds out she doesn’t put out, he’ll dump her.” Stacy said.

“If only that were true, unfortunately, she does put out. A fact made clear by her current circumstances.”

“I guess you’re right. I’m thinking of how she was in high school.”

“She was probably a trollop then too, she just hid it better.”

“Jason’s probably toying with her anyway. There is no way that a worldly man like him would take a girl like her seriously. Did you see the outfit she was wearing today?”

Megan sat behind the pair balling her fists as she thought about how she could get even with the two for being so nasty. She remembered Stella’s quietly spoken words about how she didn’t want to engage gossip and she didn’t even want to hear about what people said behind her back. Megan wished she could have that same attitude. She didn’t want to care about the nasty things people said, but the hypocrisy bothered her. How could someone claim to follow Christ, and at the same time be so wretched to others?

As she considered the issue, she was silently reminded of her own sinful nature and how much she needed God’s grace. Her sin may not be as blatantly obvious, but it was still there. She needed to show grace to Stacy and Crystal even though they were not showing grace to Stella. Sometimes it seemed a lot to ask to be forgiving and to love the unlovable. She knew they weren’t truly unlovable, the Lord had found something worth saving in her, how could she not see the good in others? Yet, no matter how deep she dug, she couldn’t seem to reach deep enough to find a wellspring of love for those two. The only way she was going to find it was to continue to pray until God provided her the needed grace. She shifted in the metal folding chair trying to get comfortable and refocused her attention on the preacher who was beginning to pray.

Christian Fiction Friday is a weekly blog hop where authors post short (400-word or less) snippets from their current works in progress. It is hosted by Alana Terry and Hallee Bridgeman. – See more at: http://www.bridgemanfamily.com/hallee/christian-fiction-friday-march-6th/#sthash.HdkQefO4.dpuf.