Janegirl Camp
Chapter 2
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

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Eric Dunning was only twelve and in the last six months had watched his mother Erica waste away with cancer, eight years after the death of his father Jack in the early months of fighting in Afghanistan. Torn away from everything he has ever known, a happy southern California life with his mother and his best friend April, he is sent to the complete opposite side of the country to live with an aunt and cousin he has never met. Enduring one trauma after another, circumstances alter the way he sees life, God, and himself in ways he could never have imagined.

Set against the backdrop of rural northern New Hampshire in the 2010s, Lost Faith combines elements of coming-of-age, transformation, self-discovery, and romance, interwoven with a potential answer to the question, "Why does a loving God allow good people to suffer?" It is written as a companion story to the novel, Every Day is Your Last.

Shade looks at Hatter as they drove towards Washington D.C. He could tell she wasn’t happy about leaving Bree behind or leaving her.

“Are we doing the right thing about adopting Bree?” Aylin looks at Mark as he sat behind the steering wheel.

“Yes, and you knew from the beginning that there will be times we will have to leave her. Look at Dakota and Terry. They sometimes have to leave the twins when Anika has a mission for them.”

“Say cheese!” The photographer says as the nine of us all pull wide, happy grins- and no one's grin is wider or happier than the bride's. I smile as the tall, handsome groom approaches... and kisses the woman stood six feet to my left.

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Ross Herweg was standing by the classroom door in his trademark pink and black. The senior who was waiting on a friend, Jordan Kerr, had always worn those two colors when he could. If those colors were good enough for the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be in wrestling then they had to be good enough for him. Those colors were great on him because they brought out his confidence. He was assured of himself since kindergarten to wear his favorite wrestler's colors that fact made his stardust shine from him.

At first I thought he was another handsome customer. You know the kind - a cocktail of rugged and kempt in skinny jeans and a loose knit sweater. His eyes twinkled, and he smiled a shy smile. A girl could fall hard if she wasn’t careful.

“Emily, right?”

Realisation landed with a proverbial slap. I knew him. More than that, he was a remnant of a life gone by. Different names, different faces, among other things.

“Drew?”

Of all the coffee shops, on all the west coast, he stepped into mine.

"We are not bound by the Earth. We are all radiant beings made of stardust. Once you know this truth you will be forced to reach for your true potential."
Some drunk fool at a bar.

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Chapter 6

The drive home ended up being rather awkward for both Ash and his mother. Ash was still coming down from the high of having an absolutely amazing time at the shoot. Yet now in the car with his mother all doubts and nerves were hitting him full force again. Jessy’s pep talk had given him a boost, but it wasn’t helping much in this very moment. Did his mother suspect he liked it? What must she be thinking of him if she did? Her only son a sissy? Ash was no sissy, but in the moment those derogatory terms Keira had used instantly jumped to mind.

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A BACK ROOM AT THE EMPEROR CASINO. DEBBIE IS IN LINE WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER WAITRESSES, ALL SIMILARLY DRESSED. AN OLDER WOMAN IS ADDRESSING THEM.

WOMAN – So we’re short a hostess for tomorrow night. Would any of you girls like to step in?

DEBBIE (WHISPERING TO THE GIRL ALONGSIDE SIDE HER) – What’s a hostess do?

Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

As usual, I’m thanking Malady and KymmieLorain for their invaluable help in the writing of this story.

Chapter 22

Saturday, October 2^nd, 2021

It had been a rough week. The kids in the high school didn't know how to react to the death of two fellow students. Vic hadn't been a great friend to anyone, but Michelle had been liked. She hung with the same crowd Vic did, but people respected her ability in music.

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