Fitting In (Family 1)restarted idea (Robehouse)

[robehouse]

Cindy finished peeing then wiped. She flushed and dressed.

"Of course. If it wasn't for you and the others I would be eating lunch by myself. I may not always like what you do, but we're still friends." Cindy answered.

Cindy came out and washed her hands then walked with Angela back up the room.

[Ishigreensa]

Angela frowned.

"I do what I do because I learned the hard way, a while ago, if you don't take charge and be the alpha, then the alpha can ruin your life.  I am doing my best not to ruin anyone's life.  But I still have to show I'm in charge or one of the other girls might take over and do something worse."

She sighed.

"I'm sorry this is so hard on you sometimes, but you are on the bottom rung.  I'm sorry."

She turned to her as they entered the room and noticed the changed people.

"Are we in the right place?" she asked.

[robehouse]

"I understand. Hopefully I can work my way up?" Cindy said.

"Yes, we're in the right room. It's time for an all girls class. The boys have their own. We learn how Christian girls are supposed to be. According to the bible. Things have changed since then." Cindy said.

[Ishigreensa]

Angela nodded.

"This is different from the last church I went to about two years ago.  I don't think we had three different meetings then."

She sat quietly while a lady went to the board and wrote some stuff on the board.  it was Scripture, but some of the books were books she had never heard of before.

"Is this a regular Christian church?" Angela wondered.

"Now, girls, before we begin, we should address a concern that has come up from time to time...."

She looked around at the girls.

"Some people think that it is okay to harass others that don't believe in God.  What do you think, ladies?  Should we harass others just because they don't believe?"

The related scriptures were about enduring and tolerating others of differing cultures, starting with Jesus and the Woman at the Well.  They also read about Jesus and the tax collector, and then about others who lived in kingdoms whose law was not based on God being at the center, and eventually, the lesson had hoped to teach the youth that bullying was not the answer.

Then she turned to the girls.

"What are some ways that you've noticed dealing with non-believers were different and had different reactions?" she asked.

[robehouse]

"Yeah, we have a lot of meetings." Cindy agreed.

"Yes, I guess so. It's the only one I know. I've been going here for years." Cindy said.

Cindy thought but didn't know the answer to the teachers question.

[Ishigreensa]

Emily raised her hand.

"I saw some people calling people at school really mean names and hurting their feelings.  I could tell that those people wanted to fight back, and will probably do so when they think it's fair, but there is one sister I've always known to be kind.  One day, Cindy saw someone crying, who... well, who is gay.  But Cindy didn't say anything about that.  She just asked what was wrong.  Next thing you know, that girl came back to class with a smile on her face, and though Cindy isn't known to hang out with her much other than that, I can tell when she looks at Cindy, that she thinks Cindy is her friend."

She looked down.

"I think people preaching at people about sins only makes them mad.  When we show that we are really friends, they don't care if we think something is a sin as long as we don't drone on about it and make them uncomfortable.  What did Jesus say?  Let the one with no sin cast the first stone?"

The teacher nodded.

"That is a very good example."

Angela looked down.  She wasn't sure about all of that, but she knew that a lot of 'Christians' had been on her because she didn't think it bad to be friends with a couple of people in her in group who she knew were sort of, well, not traditional girls, but certainly talked like they could be girls.

[robehouse]

Cindy blushed as the girl talked about her. She didn't think she was a good example of being a Christian. She just did what was right.

Cindy sat Angela looked unhappy. She reached over and gave her a hug and a smile.

[Ishigreensa]

"Am I wrong for being friends with someone I know things they're a girl, but everyone else says they are a boy?" she asked Cindy as Cindy hugged her.  "I mean, these two people are really nice, but a lot of people make fun of them unless they are hanging out with us."

She looked down.

Emily looked over and shook her head no.

"Just because someone is confused about their gender, it doesn't make them bad nor anyone that is friends with them.  If they want to believe they are girls, and if you accept that, then there's no  harm...."

The teacher reached over and took Angela's hands.

"Jesus told us not to judge each other.  You are doing the right thing in including them and being their friend, Angela.  Just don't think too much about it when you talk to them, and ignore it when they talk about gender other than in situations where it is natural to come up."

Angela looked down and nodded, but she really wanted to hear what Cindy said about it.  Little did Cindy know, though Angela called her a baby and treated her like it a lot, Angela actually respected her in some ways, that she would never respect the other girls in her clique.

[robehouse]

Cindy listened to the teacher and to Emily.

"They're right. Our job is to be friends and let them know you accept who they are. It's not our place to judge. That's God's job. Even Jesus was friends to everyone, or tried to be. Some people don't want to be friends." Cindy said.

[Ishigreensa]

The teacher came over to Cindy's side, and she sat down next to her.

"Actually, honey, I know a lot of people act like they don't want friends, but if you watch them a little closer, you will see that those people are just scared of making friends for one reason or another."

She stood up and then wrote down Jesus name on one side and the world on the other side.

"Let's think of some characteristics that Jesus had that showed he loved everyone in the world, and then let's see how the world has tried to show it's love so we can compare the two."

[robehouse]

"Well first of all, he died for us. John 3:16 says for God so loved the world that he gave his only son to die for us. And when he saw people were hungry he fed them." Cindy said.

[Ishigreensa]

"Very good," the teacher praised her.

Eventually, they had a board of stuff to talk about.  The world does have empathy and love for its neighbors here and there, as the teacher showed the class.  But most of the time, the world's love comes with conditions.  Jesus never once said that because you... I love you.  He never said... because you... I hate you. 

That was the end of the teacher's message.

Then she released the class to find their families again.

Angela stuck next to Cindy, now, thinking a lot more of her and being a little bit impressed.  She started to see how Cindy kept being friends with her, and she knew that the Friday before, she had purposefully caused Cindy trouble getting to the bathroom.  Now, she understood.  Cindy wasn't pretending.  She really did love her and really tolerated her because she really thought they were friends.  Cindy didn't seem to care if Angela ever treated her other than a big baby or not.

Angela would have a hard time to explain a sudden change to her group, so she planned on keeping things the same for now, but she felt bad that Cindy was in her situation.

[robehouse]

Cindy watched the rest of the lesson then with Cindy to find her father.

"I'm glad Sarah invited your family today. You're welcome to come back anytime." Cindy told Angela.

[Ishigreensa]

Angela smiled.

"Actually, do you think your dad will let me come next week with you?  I'm kind of interested in learning more about the church you go to."

She really was impressed by everything she had heard and seen this time around, and wanted to know if it was just the novelty of it, or if it really was something that her heart was pulling her towards.

[robehouse]

Cindy smiled and nodded.

"Let's go find him and ask him. I'm sure he'll say yes though." Cindy answered.

She took Angela's hand and went to look for her father 

[Ishigreensa]

Steve was visiting with other people, including Sarah's parents and Angela's parents.

It seemed that Angela's parents were intrigued, but they weren't really sure this church was right for them.

Angela smiled and bent down to pick Sarah up.

"How was your class?" she asked her.

Sarah just smiled up at her friend.

[robehouse]

Cindy came over to her father waiting for him to notice her, not wanting to interrupt his conversation. 

[Ishigreensa]

After a moment or two, Steve reached out and put a hand on Cindy's shoulder.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked her.

He figured if she wasn't talking to the other young girls, then she must be ready to go.  "We don't have any meetings after church today, so we can leave when you are ready, honey."

 

[robehouse]

"Angela wanted to know if she could come with us next week? And yes, ill ready to go home." Cindy said.

[Ishigreensa]

"Sure, honey.  We'll set it up for her to stay the weekend with us since we'll see her family on Friday anyway, that is, if that's alright with them.  Then we'll take her home on Sunday after church."

He put an arm around her and waited for her to say her finale "Good byes" to Angela or her other friends, and then walked her back towards the car.

Soon enough, they were on the road home, when he noticed that the car gas was getting low.

"I need to make a quick stop," he told her.  "Do you want some candy or something while we are there getting gas?"

[robehouse]

"Thank you." Cindy said.

Cindy went over and hugged Angela and Sarah goodbye and came over to her father. She got in the car and buckled up.

"Yes sir. Thank you." Cindy said, agreeing to getting candy.

[Ishigreensa]

Steve smiled and pulled into the gas station to fill the car.

He gave Cindy a twenty and two ones.

"The twenty is for gas.  Tell the attendant inside to put that on pump 3.  The two dollars is for you to get yourself a snack, whatever you want.  I'm a little too lazy right now to make lunch, so consider that while you are deciding what to get to snack on, okay?"

He then waited for the pump to be turned on so he could pump the gas.

[robehouse]

Cindy took the money and smiled at her father. She listened to her father and nodded.

Cindy got out of the car and went to the counter to pay for the gas first, then starting looking for a snack. She remembered her father saying he wasn't fixing lunch so she had to find something to tide her over until dinner.

She decided on a candy bar and some cookies. She paid for them and came back to the car.

[Ishigreensa]

Steve was now filling up the car when she got back, and he nodded at her to get in when she arrived.

When he got in and noticed what she had, he smiled. 

"No sandwich, huh?" he asked her.  "Well, I think we have peanut butter and jelly at home.  Maybe you can make one if you want.  I don't think a candy bar and cookies are good for the only foods you eat for lunch."

He eventually started to drive home.

When they got home, he went to the sofa and laid down to relax.

[robehouse]

Cindy shook her head. She hadn't thought about getting a sandwich. She got in the car and buckled up. 

When they got home Cindy got out of the car and put her snacks in the kitchen then headed to get bedroom.