The World vs. Us: A Love Story (In Progress)
written by ☆kiola-the-iola☆
Kenosha "Kensie" Black has a normal teenage life. She goes to school, goes to youth group, and deals with her rollercoaster emotions like a pro. It's pretty easy, being Kenosha Black. Her life isn't confusing. Until it is. Until she realizes she has feelings for a boy in her youth group named Jeff Halladay. Who's two years younger than her. All of a sudden, she is on a stormy sea that she doesn't know how to navigate. Even if he likes her back, how is she supposed to tell her friends that she likes him? And what will they think?
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
5
Reads
715
Chapter One
Chapter 1
I walked into the youth group building, pulling my hair up into a high ponytail. Looking over at Johnny, one of our leaders, I asked,
"What are we doing tonight?"
"It's game night time, Kenosha!" I whooped and spun around as my fellow youth group students started to arrive. Darek high-fived me as I passed. When Nat, Jayne, and Hana walked in, I rushed over and we started talking about boys.
"So who's your crush?" Nat asked. I felt my cheeks heat up as I said,
"I don't have one, to tell you the truth."
"New school, eh?" Jayne said with a laugh. I punched her shoulder playfully.
"You should know I'm picky." They looped their arms through mine. At that moment, R.J. (another leader) walked up to us with a smile.
"So y'all, should we play an outside game in the forty degree weather, or should we play Grog?"
Grog: the game where you have four 'grogs', who are it, who run around freezing townspeople as the townspeople try to find the pieces of a flashlight as they can kill the grogs. Oh, and the lights are all off, and there's a time limit. The grogs almost always win, but it's a lot of fun.
"Grog," Hana said.
"Definitely," we all chorused. It was kind of a given; Grog was our youth group's signature game.
"Grog it is," R.J. smiled. As other kids walked in, we spread the news. A game night was just what everybody wanted.
We all walked over to the main building, flipping lights off as we went. We all met in the kitchen, where Johnny explained rules to newcomers and R.J. hid the flashlight. Finally, it was time to pick the grogs. Almost everyone's hand went up, but I was in luck.
"Chase, Lizzy, Jeff, and… Kenosha! You are the grogs," Johnny said. A sigh of disappointment went out from everyone else as the four of us ran out into the darkened church, high-fiving as we made our plan (which consisted of not letting them get the flashlight so we could survive.) We split up and fanned out across the church as we heard the other students start to come up the stairs. I stationed myself in the nursery hallway, lying in wait for unsuspecting villagers.
We got rowdier as we played, running around freezing people and trying to catch our breath. Several times, Jeff and I ganged up to catch kids, clapping hands with each success.
Finally, with five minutes left, we heard the triumphant shout- they had assembled the flashlight. I quickly looked around for a spot to hide. A hand gripped my arm and pulled me into the mother's nursing room.
"In here, they're coming!" Jeff whispered, his warm breath in my ear. I crouched down behind the couch with him, awkwardly pressed against him as I tried to stay hidden.
"Are you sure this is the best place?" I asked.
"People never come in here," he reassured me. At that moment, we heard people pass by. We shut up, hearing every beat of our pounding hearts as loud as thunder. We could see the flashlight beam bouncing off the hallway's walls. They eventually passed, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"That was close," Jeff said with an easy laugh. I rolled my eyes. Jeff was two years younger than me, but nobody could best his confidence.
"Grogs win!" we distantly heard R.J. shout. Jeff crept to the door and cracked it open.
"All clear," he whispered.
"The game's over, silly," I said, walking out behind him. He turned back with a reproving finger wag,
"Now, Kenosha, you can never be too careful." I laughed and walked over to join my friends. He split off to join his. Just a little moment in a room trying to stay quiet. It shouldn't have meant anything. But in the end, it did.
"What are we doing tonight?"
"It's game night time, Kenosha!" I whooped and spun around as my fellow youth group students started to arrive. Darek high-fived me as I passed. When Nat, Jayne, and Hana walked in, I rushed over and we started talking about boys.
"So who's your crush?" Nat asked. I felt my cheeks heat up as I said,
"I don't have one, to tell you the truth."
"New school, eh?" Jayne said with a laugh. I punched her shoulder playfully.
"You should know I'm picky." They looped their arms through mine. At that moment, R.J. (another leader) walked up to us with a smile.
"So y'all, should we play an outside game in the forty degree weather, or should we play Grog?"
Grog: the game where you have four 'grogs', who are it, who run around freezing townspeople as the townspeople try to find the pieces of a flashlight as they can kill the grogs. Oh, and the lights are all off, and there's a time limit. The grogs almost always win, but it's a lot of fun.
"Grog," Hana said.
"Definitely," we all chorused. It was kind of a given; Grog was our youth group's signature game.
"Grog it is," R.J. smiled. As other kids walked in, we spread the news. A game night was just what everybody wanted.
We all walked over to the main building, flipping lights off as we went. We all met in the kitchen, where Johnny explained rules to newcomers and R.J. hid the flashlight. Finally, it was time to pick the grogs. Almost everyone's hand went up, but I was in luck.
"Chase, Lizzy, Jeff, and… Kenosha! You are the grogs," Johnny said. A sigh of disappointment went out from everyone else as the four of us ran out into the darkened church, high-fiving as we made our plan (which consisted of not letting them get the flashlight so we could survive.) We split up and fanned out across the church as we heard the other students start to come up the stairs. I stationed myself in the nursery hallway, lying in wait for unsuspecting villagers.
We got rowdier as we played, running around freezing people and trying to catch our breath. Several times, Jeff and I ganged up to catch kids, clapping hands with each success.
Finally, with five minutes left, we heard the triumphant shout- they had assembled the flashlight. I quickly looked around for a spot to hide. A hand gripped my arm and pulled me into the mother's nursing room.
"In here, they're coming!" Jeff whispered, his warm breath in my ear. I crouched down behind the couch with him, awkwardly pressed against him as I tried to stay hidden.
"Are you sure this is the best place?" I asked.
"People never come in here," he reassured me. At that moment, we heard people pass by. We shut up, hearing every beat of our pounding hearts as loud as thunder. We could see the flashlight beam bouncing off the hallway's walls. They eventually passed, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"That was close," Jeff said with an easy laugh. I rolled my eyes. Jeff was two years younger than me, but nobody could best his confidence.
"Grogs win!" we distantly heard R.J. shout. Jeff crept to the door and cracked it open.
"All clear," he whispered.
"The game's over, silly," I said, walking out behind him. He turned back with a reproving finger wag,
"Now, Kenosha, you can never be too careful." I laughed and walked over to join my friends. He split off to join his. Just a little moment in a room trying to stay quiet. It shouldn't have meant anything. But in the end, it did.
