Youth Fiction – Tara’s World – Episode 1

Tara’s World is a youth fiction series about how she navigates everyday life issues while doing her best to uphold her Christian values. “He Sings” is the first episode of this youth fiction series and introduces us to Tara. We learn a bit about her personality and her likes.

 

Explore the world of Youth Fiction in the story of Tara in this exciting new series! 

 

He Sings – Episode 1

Tara glanced up from the book she had been reading and her eyes lit up! He was here! G-man was around! She was so excited, the book fell out of her hand. “Compose yourself, silly” she silently berated herself. When she bent down to pick up the book, her long braids which she let hang loose poured all over her face. She bumped her head on the man sitting beside her. She mumbled an apology to him and picked up her book. Then flipped the braids so they rested on her back, how one crush could bring out the clumsiest in her, she would never understand.

 

Tara had been sitting in church for about thirty minutes waiting for the mid-week service to begin and she had kept herself busy with a Francine Rivers novel while she waited. She was not wearing any makeup except for some light powder and lip gloss.

 

Now, she looked around her, and the stadium-shaped auditorium was filling up fast. She decided to go freshen up in the washroom before the service began so she could calm herself. Nothing like seeing G-man to get her overexcited. A quick glance at the clock above the pulpit told her it was another 15 minutes before the service would begin. She could make it to the washroom and back if she was fast. The object of her excitement momentarily forgotten, she navigated the row of seats to the door closest to her.

 

Who needs friends

Tara had barely made it out of the hall when she heard a familiar voice call her name…. “oh no, here we go” she muttered and rolled her eyes as she turned around to face the guy who had called her.

 

It was Jason, again she said in her head as he smiled and walked over “How’re you doing” he asked.

“Trying to avoid you” she answered with a small frown.

“Hey, that’s not fair,” he said “I can’t help the fact that I am happy to see you”

Tara almost smiled as she remembered her excitement at seeing ‘G-man’. That was what she called him in her head and her fantasies. G-man…. And then she caught herself, she had to make it to the washroom and back so she could watch G-man lead the praise session from her vantage sitting position right in front of the pulpit.

“Excuse me, but I need to rush to the washroom and get back before the service starts” she began to walk past Jason.

“I’ll walk you down,” he said and he started to follow her

“Don’t be weird” she said and gave him a pointed look

“Ok fine,” he said and backed down, “but I’ll walk you home after the service” he called after her as she rushed out of site.

 

Jason was a bother she told herself, why wouldn’t he just leave her alone? He had been asking her out for almost a year and she was tired of seeing his face. He was the exact opposite of her dream guy. His lanky frame and regular-looking face would not stand out in any crowd. And to top it up, he had zits on his face! He looked every bit the awkward teenager he was, but she had to admit he had a way with words.

 

He was well-spoken and always had good stories to tell. Actually, she enjoyed talking with him but never mind that. He usually dressed in shirts and pants like he was going for a job interview. She wondered if his parents made him dress that way. Plus, she had heard from the grapevine that the only reason he was in Church all the time was because his father was a deacon. He was rumored to be an “accomplished ladies’ man” and news of his conquests spread far and wide. She did not even want to think about what type of ‘conquests’ he was reputed for.

 

Secret Crush

Tara had sometimes wondered what type of girl would allow herself to be ‘conquered’ by him, someone in desperate need of a man surely, but in truth, she didn’t really care. Her heart was already captured and ‘conquered’ by G-man. It felt weird so she never talked about it with anyone, but she had a secret crush on the worship leader in church.

 

What was not to love, he had a good voice, he was a passionate singer, not drop-dead gorgeous or anything like that, he had a small goatie which looked odd on his round face and his dark afro hair was cut short and neat, but never mind the lack of dreamy physical looks. She was attracted to everything else about him, his persona, and deep sultry voice and he was awesome to watch as he danced and led the church in praise to God. Of course, she was praising God as well, I mean who wouldn’t praise Him for such a fine combination of presence and charisma?

 

She had no intention of ever speaking with him of course, because he was at least ten years older than her fourteen years, but she could very well enjoy looking at him before, during, and after the service…. especially when he was singing!

 

Tara could never bring herself to tell anyone about her secret crush, they would think she was demented, so she kept it to herself and just picked out a vantage sitting spot every time she was in church.

 

Obviously, she was not the only one who had been doing some shadowing, because how else would Jason have noticed her? She didn’t really have any friends in church and never really spoke with anyone when she came, but he had noticed her all the same. He had approached her, introduced himself, and took it upon himself to walk with her the fifteen minutes to her house from Church every Wednesday. He could not do so on Sundays, because they both usually had to be with their families. They were allowed to attend the mid-week service by themselves however.

 

The encounter

Tara was just making it back to her seat from the washroom. She was not looking at where she was going and she bumped into someone and made them drop what they had been carrying. She was really having a clumsy day and she blamed her bad luck on seeing Jason. Mumbling an apology, she and the other person bent down to pick up the items that were dropped. They included a bible, notepad, and a few other things, and when she lifted up her head, she found herself staring into G-man’s eyes.

 

“I’m sorry, I was in a rush” he was saying as her mouth hung open and she would have dropped all the items she just gathered again if he did not receive them from her hand at that moment. “Thanks a lot,” he said with a grateful smile and rushed off. She was finally able to find words and she whispered “you are welcome” to his receding back. A dazed look and a silly smile on her face. She was still transfixed on the spot but was soon jarred back to reality by Jason’s laugh. It grated on her nerves and she turned on him with all the venom of being discovered in a moment she would have preferred to keep private.

 

“Why do you keep showing up everywhere I turn,”

“Is that the real reason you are upset?” he asked with a chuckle “That was fascinating to watch, you know you would do well in the drama department” he said laughing again.

Too embarrassed and irritated to speak Tara turned around and headed back to her seat in the church.

Of all the scenarios she had fantasized about how she would meet G-man, this did not quite fit into any of them and the fact that her reaction was witnessed by the one person on earth she wished wouldn’t, was just hard luck.

 

Reflection

Well, there was only one thing to do. ‘Get over it’. She would get over the mortification she felt from her secret crush being discovered. The fact that it was discovered by none other than Jason was hard, but she would get over that too. The realization that her crush did not know she existed and probably regarded her as a kid was really tough, but she could get over that as well. But the crush itself was the one thing she would need God’s help to get over.

It was deep and ingrained and she had fantasized about it for so long. But it didn’t really make sense that all she did throughout the service was stare at someone. How we sat, stood, danced, picked up his bible, and praised God…. She really needed a distraction from him. So, she decided to take one baby step at a time to get over G-man. She was no longer going to sit in her usual position with him in her line of sight. And she would just have to concentrate on the songs of praise to God whenever G-man led the praise session in church.

 

“You’ve got this,” she told herself as she described her encounter in her diary later that night, and most importantly, she knew God had her back! She smiled at the thought and closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

 

The story of Tara is a Youth Fiction series and the episodes give us an insight into her experiences as she tries to live a godly life as a young person.