Chapter 1: A Bad Beginning

Year Seven Zedekiah: September-Academic Year Hei

While Elohim used the doctors to cure Dalila from her first heart attack, Tifara and her friends constantly visited her in the hospital. They later found out that she had complications in her heart that led the doctors to give her an open heart surgery. They hoped she'll be healed from it through their daily prayers.

They were full of joy when Elohim led the doctors to manage to cure her heart attack. They praised Him for what He had done for her. Although they couldn't wait for her to be discharged from the hospital, the doctors stated she'll remain in the hospital more than two weeks due to her heart's complications.

So they kept praying to Elohim to have her be healed enough to be discharged from the hospital, continuing to their visit there. However as time went on and school ended, they questioned Elohim why she remained in the hospital, particularly Sam. Though they remained patient and persisted on their activities until Dalila's parents presented them the good news: Dalila will return home and start school in the fall.

They rejoiced in and praised Elohim for this, as they prepared for their new school year and their return of their normal lives with Dalila. Once Dalila began her recovery and restart her normal life though, she somewhat changed a bit.

"So…Dalila…" Tifara said as she and her friends video chatted with one another online in their night clothes. "How are ya feelin'?"

"I'm fine…" Dalila responded, turning her sad eyes to the left. "I guess…"

Tifara raised her eyebrow at Dalila. "You don't sound like you're fine."

Dalila returned her attention to her friends with her worried face. "I jus' hope that I don't get another heart attack, like I did six months ago. There's no tellin' when I'll have it again at anytime."

"Dalila..." Sam reassured his girlfriend. "You're gonna be fine. Jus' obey the doctors' instructions and have faith in Elohim. He'll help you through this, and we're gonna do this with Him. Never allow your anxieties to take over your heart."

"B-B-But…" Dalila said.

"Don't worry about it, Dalila!" Tifara frowned at Dalila.

"Yeah," May agreed. "We'll help you through it one way or another through perseverance no matter what."

"Mhn," Tifara shook her head up and down with her eyes closed and a grin.

Dalila smiled at her friends. "Yeah…you guys are right. I'm sorry. Thanks for the encouragement as always."

"No, problem and we forgive ya," Tifara stated.

"So…" Sam said. "Are y'all ready for your first day of school tomorrow?"

"Mmm-hmm," Dalila exclaimed with her eyes closed. "I can't wait to go back to school tomorrow. I miss goin' there, y'know."

Sam smiled. "Well, that's good to hear, Dalila."

"Uh…" May and Tifara responded, sadly looking at Sam as Tifara tightly held onto her necklace.

"What? Y'all are anxoius too?" Sam asked.

"Yes…" May and Tifara answered, putting their heads down.

"I'm afraid I'll fail school this year; or worse I'll probably fail the School Exit Exam on my Junior year, and I'll probably even fail it again on my Senior year," May continued. "I'll never be able to get my Secondary School Diploma, then go on to junior college, and then maybe not even go to a good university after that! My future would be so dim..."

"Ugh…I'm not in a mood to go back to school tomorrow," Tifara answered. "I hate gettin' up early in the morning and get bullied and harassed there. I wish my parents have the opportunity to homeschool me instead…"

"Tifara, May, y'all gotta snap out of it. You're allowing your anxieties to take control over your hearts," Sam reassured, "You gotta fight back against them and not worry about them. Y'all be jus' fine, if you take Yeshua's advice of placin' your trust in Elohim and His righteousness, as well as you keep on seeking His kingdom, you'll be able to overcome your fears."

"Yeah, Sam's right," Dalila agreed, "Elohim will continuously help you guys out on whatever difficulties you face; besides...our new Secondary School President Saul's gonna be there tomorrow as well..."

"Dalila!" Sam frowned at his girlfriend.

"What? I gotta do something to get them fight against their anxieties anyhow," Dalila said, raising her eyebrow at Sam.

"You know I don't want these two be fightin' over Saul," Sam roared.

Tifara and May's cheeks turned scarlet whenever Saul was mention. They placed their hands onto their cheeks and looked up at the ceiling, imagining themselves winning over their competitors including each other to become Saul's girlfriend and wife.

"Yeah…I mean, who couldn't forget about Saul…" May said. "I jus' can't wait to see what my Saul looks like and be with him tomorrow…"

"Ah! Did you jus' say 'my Saul?!'" Tifara glared at May as her shadows covered her forehead and eyes. Now, I'm gonna make this dickhead pay one way or another! She'll see what I'm made of! I jus' can't allow May to become Saul's girlfriend and future wife. EVER! Tifara thought.

"Alright, alright. That's enough, you two," Sam said to Tifara and May with his serious look on his face while Dalila chuckled, covering her mouth, closing her eyes. Sam immediately turned his serious attention to his girlfriend. "Ahem!"

Dalila opened her eyes, uncovered her mouth and stopped laughing. "Right, sorry 'bout that."

"Yes, you heard that right, Tifara," May responded. "He's gonna be my Saul and my Saul only. And that's how it's gonna be, girlfriend."

"Eh?!" Tifara glared at May even more. "We'll jus' see about that, wouldn't we?!"

"I said, 'That's enough, you two!' Damn!" Sam said with his serious face.

Tifara and May turned their guilty faces to Sam. "Sorry…" they said.

"It's alright. Now, where was I?" Sam forgave them, looking up at the ceiling, placing his finger onto his chin. "Oh, yea. And never give up on overcoming your anxieties, okay?" Sam said to Tifara, May and Dalila.

"Okay, I won't," Tifara said.

"Me neither," May agreed.

"Me three," Dalila agreed also.

"Good," Sam said. "So, what did you guys do today? Did you guys do anything different? And did you have a good last day of summer vacation? Because I certainly have."

"Oh, really?" May asked, "What did you do today?"

"I went to the beach with my family today. It was so much fun," Sam answered while Tifara put her head down.

"Well, that was great, Sam!" Dalila exclaimed, "I had a good, fun day today too. I had a barbecue with my entire family."

"That's pretty cool, Dalila!" May cried. "My family and I went to the park, took family pictures there, and walked around the lake."

"Aaaw, no fair! You guys are so lucky!" Tifara cried, frowning at her friends. "My family and I jus' sat back at home and did nothing for the whole damn day!"

"Oh...Tifara...I'm so sorry to hear that..." May said, feeling bad for Tifara.

"Yea, me too," Dalila said, giving Tifara her sad face.

"Yea, man…" Sam said, also giving Tifara his sad face.

"Oh, it's okay, guys," Tifara grinned.

Then Sam yawned and displayed his sleepy eyes. "Alright now. Time to get ready for school and go to bed. But before we do that, let's provide our nightly prayers to Elohim, shall we?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. Why not?" Dalila asked.

"Yeah, let's do this thing!" May exclaimed.

"Mhn," Tifara said, shaking her head with her eyes closed.

Tifara and her friends turned their eyes towards the ceiling and raised their hands up in the air.

"Dear Elohim," Sam stated, "Please give Tifara, May and Dalila strength to overcome their anxieties, as they can't fight against them alone. They need You now more than ever. Please give all of us a good night's sleep, protect us throughout the night, and wake us up into a beautiful morning, which is our very first day back in school. And we thank You for giving us a good day, for we love and appreciate what You've done for us. In Yeshua's name, amen."

"Amen," Tifara, May and Dalila responded.

"I'm logging out now. Have a good night. I'll see y'all tomorrow morning," Sam said as he began to log out.

"Me too! It's getting late anyways! Have a good night's sleep, you guys! I'll see you tomorrow!" Dalila said.

"Me three! Good night, y'all. See ya tomorrow!" May said.

"Mmm-hmm!" Tifara said, shaking her head, closing her eyes, smiling. "Have a good night and see you at school tomorrow!"

After Tifara and her friends waved each other good-byes and logged out of the video chatting room, they all went straight to bed in preparation for the first day of school.

****

Year Seven Zedekiah: September-Academic Year Waw

As soon as the morning bell rang, some students stood outside, and others walked inside the school and headed for the cafeteria for breakfast. They chatted with each other-both inside and outside the school. The administrators stood there and watched the students to provide the school order.

Tifara and her friends walked throughout the halls. While Sam and Dalila talked with one another and held onto each other's hands, May walked by Tifara's side, looking around the hallway, placing her hand unto Tifara's shoulder. Tifara looked down below her and tightly held onto her necklace when a certain number of girls gossiped about her and some boys stared at Tifara's curvy body, whistling at her. Tifara and May walked behind Sam and Dalila.

Oh, great! Tifara thought as her heart beated a bit harder, her eyes widened and sweat came down from her forehead a little. Today's my first day of school, and I'm already re-experiencing harassment like last year! Just great…

Then she looked up at the ceiling with her sad face. Elohim, she thought, Why aren't You allowin' me to be homeschooled instead?

As May saw Tifara put her head down, she leaned on Tifara and whispered, "It's alright, Tifara. Me, Sam and Dalila are with you. Jus' make sure you persevere and ignore those who mistreat you. Elohim will provide you justice against them. Place your trust in Him and keep moving."

Tifara looked up at May and grinned. "Thanks, May," she whispered.

"No problem," May whispered with a smile and a wink.

Tifara turned her head up and looked forward, still holding onto her necklace.

Once Tifara and her friends made it to the cafeteria, they looked around to see some students walking around the cafeteria to find their seats at each brown, long table, carrying their blue trays that contained their breakfast. Others stood in line to get their food. The students' chatter echoed all over the cafeteria. A couple administrators stood still and watched over the students, while a couple janitors placed the food in the large, black trash cans and put the trays onto the tray holders, once certain students left their spots and refused to clean up after themselves.

"Alright, let's go eat!" Dalila exclaimed, turning to Sam with a smile.

"Mhn," Sam agreed, shaking his head, then turning to Tifara and May. "Let's go, you guys!"

"Right," Tifara agreed while May ignored Sam.

May gasped, widening her eyes, opening her mouth. "Look who's talkin' to President Saul?"

Seeing May pointed her finger out forward while Dalila turned to her, Tifara turned to May's direction and quietly gasped with her eyes widened and mouth opened. There she saw a girl with two pink, shiny bows on her head and her two female friends talking to President Saul and his two friends from last year while she ate breakfast with him at the table. The boys amazingly looked at and idolized Saul and the girls gazed at Saul with their reddened cheeks, while they either ate their breakfast near Saul or walked past him.

No freakin' way! Tifara thought, Calpurnia's with Saul!