Broken by Navaura Campbell (reader novel .TXT) 📕

“Yes. I’m a horrible speller.”

“How would you know about my writing skills?” He inquired.

She smiled, “Because I pay attention in class Mr. Daydreamer.”Timothy found himself blushing. Maybe he did daydream a little too much. However, if only she knew what about. “I pay attention Tamarah, I just am not sure it’s a good idea to allow you to do the research on this project.”

Tamarah’s brows furrowed. “Why not?” She inquired. Timothy’s shoulders shrugged, “I don’t know if you’ve ever done research before and whether or not you will be able to find the information we need.”

Tamarah crossed her arms over each other. “And why not Timothy Rawsin?” Her tone was crisped.

“This is a junior senior level course and you’re a fresh-” Timothy started. Tamarah interrupted him,”I’m perfectly capable of doing this assignment. How do you think I got in here? I’m not a dummy.” Tamarah stated, swiftly becoming angered. Timothy sighed, his gaze going to hers. “I didn’t say you were but I do want to know if you are able to do this assignment the right way.”

Tamarah grabbed her bag and pulled the straps over her shoulders. “I can do this Timothy Rawsin, it’s not rocket science.”

“Well, we can get together tomorrow and decide what movie we want to view.”

Tamarah’s mouth formed a smile. “That’s fine Timothy Rawsin. Let’s do that.”

“Will you stop calling me by first and last name. Timothy is just fine.”

Tamarah stepped closer to him, her feet nearly touching his, “I like Timothy Rawsin.”Timothy stared her in the eyes and swallowed nervously. His heart did flip flops as the smile she wore got bigger. He exhaled, turned and walked out of the door.

Chapter Four:

“We’re having a revival this weekend at church, if any of you are interested, you’re welcome to come.” A young girl of about fourteen years old stated. She pulled a flyer from out of her hand and slid it onto the table amidst a group of girls who were laughing about something. She went from that table to the next, a group of cheerleaders, and took a flyer out and slid it onto the table. One of the girls picked it up and started reading it out loud. “Weekend Revival, at House of God, on Sunday March 13 2018 special guest Pastor Michael Renald from Burbanks California House of God Pentecostal Assembly.”

“Sounds like fun.” Another cheerleader stated, her tone overly perky. Surprisingly, other heads began to nod. “Yeah, Kalen, can I have one?” Beverly Andrews stated, flipping her dark blonde hair over her shoulders. “Yeah, me too.” A football player stated.

After handing them their fliers Clarissa Max, a tall athletic African American girl cleared her throat uncomfortably. She was the most athletic girl on the team, nimble from plenty of years of gymnastics, palates, and dancing. Although Kalen knew it wasn’t necessary to give her one, she felt an urge in her spirit to do so. Kalen whispered,”Why? She knows the gospel.” As she hesitated, a voice spoke into her mind, “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Immediately overcome with sorrow, she handed Clarissa a flyer. Clarissa took the flyer and glanced down to look at it. As she did, she was momentarily distracted as papers crumpled and she heard it as they flew out at the young girl in front of her. Immediately she tucked her flier underneath her trapper keeper and howled along side the other students as they laughed at Kalen, who just stiffened her shoulders and hardened her eyes. “Don’t no body want to go to church with you you freak!” This came from a football player, Davion Matheson.

“Yeah, what you want us to come out looking like you? No style what so ever?”

“Take them clothes back to the good will.” Another voice stated, this was from Beverly Andrews.

“Blessed are you when they persecute you for my name sake.” A voice whispered in her mind, giving her comfort. Kalen found herself smiling at this.

“Get out of here!” A voice stated. She glanced over at Davion Matthews and saw a hard look in his eyes. She glanced at him, her eyes soft and kind, “Jesus loves you too, Davion Mathews.”

Davion felt a small warmth begin in his heart, but he pushed it down, pulling at the other emotion that was also there. “Why don’t you just go somewhere else! We don’t like you!” His tone came out harsh.

Kalen cleared her throat and said in a sweet tone, her eyes running over all at that table. “It’s sad that the things you guys hold so dear to your heart means absolutely nothing, when compared to the glory of Christ.”

Davion, who felt irritated by her, stood up and with all the anger he had in him, stated, “I don’t need to hear this bull crap, I’m out of here.” He stood up and took his plate, not knowing where he was going, but thankful that she wouldn’t be there.

“Me too, I don’t want to hear this speech. It’s like the same recycled garbage over and over.” Beverley agreed as she stood and took her leave as well, following Davion. Slowly but surely, the entire table stood up getting ready to leave. The last one to leave was Clarissa, whom Kalen looked in the eye. As she did, Clarissa cleared her throat, “I really would hate to be you.” Kalen was astounded that her voice did not sound mean or even vindictive as usual, but it held some sort of sympathy for her. Kalen smiled, “I’m not worried. Christ says the world hated him. Why would it treat me any different? I have a peace in him and that’s all that matters.” She stated. As she said this, Clarissa wrinkled her brow, pausing next to the table as she got ready to take her leave. “But everyone hates you, Kalen. It’s so bad that no one likes you. Your brother they barely tolerate.”

“That may be so.” Kalen stated, “But, my brother and I have something that you guys can’t even begin to comprehend...” She stated.

Clarissa put her hand on her waist. “I don’t need you to tell me about Jesus. My family goes to the same church you go to.”

“And yet you remain in sin, Clarissa. Trying to find your way to the top.”Clarissa laughed, “Sweetheart, I don’t need to find my way to the top. I am at the top.”

“The top of what?” Kalen inquired.

“The Captain of the cheerleading squad. I’m on the debate team, and darling I’ve lead our school to many state champion chips when it comes to the drill squad.”

“Yeah, I suppose, but what about the fact that you only have one life, one soul? The fact that once you die, you can’t go and undue that Clarissa?”

Clarissa shrugged, “If I only have one life, I may as well make the most of it Kalen, and serving God isn’t going to be beneficial to me. I don’t want to be treated like you. I don’t want to dress like you either. Have you taken a look in the mirror lately?”

Kalen sighed and shook her head, “God doesn’t look at the out side appearance Clarissa. He looks at the heart and based on that alone, who do you think would win, me or you?”

Clarissa pushed her straight hair over her shoulders. “This is why I left the church. Why I stopped going, you all think the same way. You all think you are holier than thou when it clearly says in the bible that none of us is righteous, we are all sinners.” She blurted out, immediately filled with anger, her tone defensive.

Kalen sighed, “That’s true, atleast we “all” have the decency to admit that we have sinned and that we need Jesus, Clarissa. Nobody thinks they are better than you, but we happen to love the Lord and because we love him, we do what he asks us to do.”

“Oh you mean openly walking around like the pharisees, letting people know that you are saved and condemning other people to hell because they don’t believe like you do?”

Kalen felt the frustration begin to build up in her. “What would you have me to do Clarissa? Let people think that what they are doing what is right when you know, just as much as I know that there is an after life and we will all be judged according to our acts on earth. You, me, and everyone on this planet will. So excuse me if I feel like that matters more than boys, clothes, the mall and all those other frivolous activities you guys partake in on a daily basis.”

Clarissa folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t believe what you believe. I don’t believe I’m going to hell.”

“If not then why are you folding your arms and puffing out your chest?” Kalen inquired.

Clarissa felt something in her heart explode. Glancing over at Kalen with anger in her eyes, she seethed. “I wish you would leave this school. Better yet this town, because honestly, I hate you. I wish you and your family would have stayed away. We really don’t need you here. You are like a parasite that infects everything it touches.”

Kalen felt something so powerful well up in her that she just wanted to reach out and slap her and she opened her mouth to condemn Clarissa, when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and a sharp tone rose to her defense, scolding Clarissa as he spoke, “The stone the builders rejected, which means you Clarissa, has become the cornerstone. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken, however, unfortunately for you who know the truth and don’t accept it, that stone is going to crush you.” Immediately Clarissa’s eyes went up to Kalen’s older brother and felt a trembling begin in her body. “Timothy Rawsin.” She hissed. Timothy’s eyes got hard, prepared for battle. “Have a nice lunch, Clarissa.” As Timothy turned his sister away from her, Clarissa was filled with so much indignation that she whispered, “I wish I could kill them. I wish that I could just wipe them off the face of the earth.” Even as she spoke this, tears pooled in the corners of her eyelids. She hated that they acted like Jesus was their everything. She hated that they acted like they were too good to be with the other kids. She hated that they acted like the only one that ever mattered was Jesus. Inhaling sharply, Clarissa admitted for the first time in her spirit that she hated Timothy and that she hated Kalen. They were too good. Too nice. Nobody should be like them. She didn’t know it just yet, but that hatred would open the first door of many.

~ ~

“That girl makes me so angry.” Kalen whispered, finally allowing her tears to flow down her eyes as she and Timothy walked off campus after School. “I know. It’s hard to believe that you and her were once friends.”

“Yeah before I decided to get serious about God. As I got serious, she drifted away more and more. Look at her. She’s a junior just like you and look at how she dress, how she act, how she is...”

“Don’t judge her Kalen. You may not approve of her, but that doesn’t make you any better.”

“I’m not saying I’m better, I’m just saying that everybody at that damn school act like they better than we are, that they are cooler because the girls wear mini skirts and heels and talk about boys and clothes and all that stupid stuff. It makes me sick that they can sit here and call us Jesus freaks, tell us they hate us and tell us that we are nothing because we believe in Jesus and obey the bible. I mean, Timothy, they even make fun of our clothes.”

Timothy smiled, “Honestly sweetheart, they make fun of your clothes not mine. I wear jeans and t-shirts at times.”

Kalen