"I once had this condition where I couldn't stop sweating from my hands, head, everywhere so I went to the doc and he said it was a faulty gland. I also had cancer, up and down my esophagus so I was constantly sweating, my throat hurt, I couldn't eat, and I was preaching revival. The doc said a quick little surgery was what I needed," a pause, "well the surgeon missed, cutting my aorta. My wife called people from all over to pray, I was pronounced dead six times and yet here I am! My God has been good to me!"— Brother Mor

Esperanza Ciela

In about five minutes we were halfway to the location that William texted and the sleepy little town reminded me of home, of Villa Park. Normally, that'd be a bad thing but I wasn't as much trying to escape California as I was looking for a fresh start. Pretty much everyone has been nice so far, the only big hiccup being that my friend I was going to stay with acted like an idiot and now I'm passing the decommissioned 1950's movie theater in the center of town for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Don't mind William," Mason said suddenly with a smirk, "he's a good kid."

A humored smile grew onto my face. "You saw it to?"

All he did was give me a smirking look with his good eye as he drove. I busted out laughing, if a half blind dude could see the kid's attraction to me then he needs to be a bit less transparent. However, it was kinda cute in a innocent sort of way.

"He's a tad too young. What is he, like sixteen?"

"His little brother is." Mason said, his voice slightly over Siri's directions.

I arched a brow. "How old is he?"

"He's eighteen. They go to an... interesting church. William's brother told me that they're not even supposed to hold hands until eighteen."

I didn't believe him, saying with a smile, "Baloney, no one's a virgin past sixteen nowadays."

Mason just shrugged. "Okay, don't believe me if you want."

"Yeah, whatever Mason."

The little grey Isuzu Rodeo soon became quiet. Only Siri's directions were spoken in the car for a moment as my mind rehearsed the information about William. He was clean shaven, that's probably why I thought he was younger. Then that goofy smile and innocently smitten look. He seemed to talk fine, and he didn't fumble around with his words. Maybe he was eighteen, I'm twenty one but have been partying since I could drive.

Before I could think more, Siri's voice told us that we were at our spot. Mason told me he'd wait in the car as I tentatively stepped towards the door. My breathing hitched, why was I getting nervous? It's just an old spinster, right?

I rung the doorbell and then a voice cried out, "Pizza!"

That didn't sound like an old spinster.

I was further confused when a woman, a little shorter than me, around my age opened the door with a thick Latina accent and greeted, "Heyy-" then she saw the look on my face and sheepishly rolled with it, "how are you doing? Are you lost?"

I tried to puzzle together what William from before told me about KK and this wasn't the woman. This woman was a petite brunette with dark olive skin and a flat chest. However her smile and style of wording seemed chill and laid back. She was friendly enough but this was awkward no matter what.

"I-I was looking for KK's." A confused look came onto her face and I added, "William sent me."

"William?" A chill settled over the name after she said it. Before she could form her thoughts yet another voice, an unseen yet soft spoken black woman spoke across the house asking,

"Hey Dori! Is the pizza here? I'm starving!"

"No Jazz it's not the pizza guy!" Dori in front of me replied.

A pale white face with brown hair draping down to her lower back peeked around a corner behind Dori and asked, "Who is it?"

Dori gave me a look and put on a false smile for the woman behind her. "It's no one Guinevere, where's KK?"

Guinevere knew the uncomfortable look Dori made and bore her eyes into me. Finally an older voice, coming from someone in their forties beckoned, "Tell them to come in Dori!"

"No!" Another woman yelped and I only caught a glimpse as a woman with hair down to her ankles fled into another room.

"Don't mind Kayla," Dori ensured, "she's shy."

This chaos is hella uncomfortable, how many people does this lady have in here!? Despite my anxiety I stepped through the door and tentatively looked both ways. Shoes were by the door, so I assumed it was only proper for me to take my shoes off. Peering around and getting a feel for the atmosphere set up by my possible landlord I saw warm pictures of family everywhere. Frames lined the walls with scriptures and yet more photos. The furniture and wallpapers seemed to be in the ninety's style. Hunter Green was the main color and on my right as I went down the hall was a dining room with a glass top table, wicker chairs, and green puddle curtains. No TV was blaring in the house, the only thing that I heard when I entered the living room was an audiobook starting up about 'The Adventures in Odyssey' before my host told someone to pause it or turn it off.

She and Jazz were fluffy people but Jazz was the more heavy-looking one. KK, Dori and Jazz were in black skirts and when Kayla came back, her hair folded up under a ball cap, her and Guinevere were in... jean skirts? I've never seen those before. However, being the only person in the room with short-shorts, banana straps, or even being the only one in a tee-shirt made me hella anxious. I gripped my dog tags for morale support and said,

"A uh- a person from your church told me that you might be renting?"

Everyone in the room cast discreet glances at one another, speaking with their eyes in ways only close friends do. Dori noticed me holding my dog tags and seemed to recognize them before a mischievous smile hit her face. After a suffocating moment of silence KK finally broke the ice.

"Well, I never really thought about it-"

"You can come to church tonight," Dori interrupted, "a guest preacher who used to be in the Army will be preaching."

I think KK might have shot Dori a look but rolled with it, saying, "Yeah, that would be nice if you came but you got plans don't you? We don't want to intrude."

I almost felt ashamed to admit it but I replied, "Actually, I didn't have any plans after I find a place to rest my head. I'm new in town, from out of state."

"Where are you from?" Guinevere asked, her tone conversational, perhaps curious.

Talking about something I was familiar with helped me with the situation. "I'm from Jefferson. Conservative side of California." I tried to win them over with adding, "The better side."

This earned a light chuckle from KK. "You got that right."

The look Guinevere was giving me earlier disappeared and gave way to a flawless smile. "Is it really that pretty in California?" She asked.

A sad sigh escaped my lips as I admitted, "The panhandlers tend to get in the way sometimes."

"Panhandlers?" Jazz asked.

"Professional beggars," Dori explained, "instead of going to a charity or nonprofit organization for help they sap people's philanthropy for money so they can get booze and stuff. San Juan and The Valley has a few."

"The Valley?" I asked, not entirely familiar with the different areas in Texas.

"Right down by the border girl, I'm a assistant manager of a Cracker Barrel. We serve breakfast and homemade country food."

"Ugh!" Guinevere interjected with a start, "Don't get me started on their biscuits and gravy-!"

KK didn't raise her voice when she stopped the gang of girls sweetly with, "Girls, girls, our guest needs to grab her things. What was your name again?"

I flushed red, I hadn't even told her my name. "My name is Esperanza but everyone calls me Hope."

"Encantada de conocerte, Esperanza." Dori said with a smile, "Nice to meet you, Hope."

Everyone else kinda said hi awkwardly before KK asked, "Was there any more running around that you had to do, Hope?"

"Um, so I can stay?"

"For the night at least."

"Okay, soo do you mind if I borrow your computer."

"She took it to get a web filter on it," Guinevere explained kindly, "if we hurry we can get to the public library before it closes."

"We?" I noted.

"Yeah, I'll take you!" Guinevere exclaimed.

A/N: For the record, I wish I knew Spanish. I think some Tex-Mex chicks are some of the prettiest out there XD The Spanish came from Google.