"Who is there?" Alena's shaken voice echoed in the dimly lit room.
"Who's there?" she repeated, her grip tightening on the towel as she cautiously stepped out of the bathroom.
"What?! You scared me!" she screamed when her eyes landed on the girl from earlier. "Can this be a dream?" she muttered, rubbing her eyes for confirmation.
"You!!" they both exclaimed, but while Alena was startled, the girl remained cool and composed.
"Wow, life is really something else," Alena thought, her mind racing.
"So… you're my roommate, wowww," Emma said awkwardly, lugging her bags inside. Alena quickly moved to help her.
"So where have you been all this time? It seems like you've been around," Alena pointed out.
"Uhm yeah, I was staying in a common room since I had to complete some stuff… so that's it. But interesting, really. We are not only friends now but roommates. I love that," Emma said, swinging her hand playfully.
Alena eagerly helped her arrange her things, feeling a sense of relief and happiness that they were roommates. "A good start," she guessed.
"Ohhh, I'm happy to say you have a…" she blinked her eyes multiple times before spilling the news; "we have a laptop," her tone brimming with excitement.
Emma, however, did not react at all. She didn't find anything exciting about it.
Instead, she wondered where her new friend was raised, as it seemed she hadn't had an easy life. And the surprising part was that it was a mini laptop. What the heck!
Alena's smile gradually faded. She had expected her roommate to be excited and amazed, just like she was on the first day. "It's not every school that gives their students a laptop, right?" she thought.
"Aren't you excited about it?" she asked, concerned.
"I don't see anything to be excited about," Emma responded, seating herself comfortably on her bed with her legs crossed.
Alena didn't know how to act or what to do. It was strange that her new friend was indifferent to something so expensive.
"So why don't you take your bath first to refresh?"
"Uhm, a good idea though… I'm going now," Emma said, undressing and entering the bathroom, leaving Alena to her thoughts.
Alena pondered, Emma must come from a rich home to act like that, unlike her who had to worry about what to eat, what to wear. People would soon notice her limited wardrobe and mock her.
Alena was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize tears were streaming down her cheeks. Deep down, she felt like she was using Christianity to cover her shame.
"Is it true… is it true that I just use the Bible to cover my sorrows? Even if it's true, should I use the devil's materials to cover up my poverty? God forbid!! I prefer to foolishly follow God. It's not like I have something to lose anyways."
Cleaning her tears, Alena lay on her bed, facing the wall. She opened her Bible, flipping through the pages until something caught her attention.
Alena silently sat down and began reading, "Matthew 6:25: 'This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes?'"
"True," she subconsciously said.
"Matthew 6:26: 'Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds?' Yes, Father, I'm worth more than birds," Alena wiped her renewed tears.
"Matthew 6:27: 'Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?' No, Father," every word sank deep into her soul, stirring something she couldn't quite pinpoint, but this feeling now made her confident and assured.
"Matthew 6:28: 'And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes.'"
"Matthew 6:29: 'But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers .'"
As Alena read, tears streamed down her face. With a broken voice, she whispered, "I'm sorry, Dad. I worried too much, doubting you are always here for me and with me." She wiped her nose, feeling a mix of relief and guilt.
She hugged the Bible tightly, drawing strength from its words, before continuing.
"Matthew 6:30: 'It is God who clothes the wild grass—grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have!'"
Alena let out a sorrowful laugh. "What little faith I have," she murmured.
"Matthew 6:31: 'So do not start worrying: 'Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?'" She smiled through her tears. "Okay, I won't worry again, Father. Indeed, you knew what bothered me and fed me with a word for my situation. I'm thankful and happy now."
"Matthew 6:32: '(These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things."
"Matthew 6:33: 'Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things."
"Matthew 6:34: 'So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings."
At the doorway, Emma leaned against the bathroom door, her body relaxed but her eyes sharp.
"I guess I've found myself a churchy roommate. Uhm, it will only take a moment for me to change her and make her feel the real pleasure of life that she will beg for it," Emma thought, a sly smile playing on her lips.
"It just takes a short while to make all these people fall," she mused with a smirk.
As Emma's thoughts lingered on her plans, a sudden knock on the door startled both girls. Alena looked up, her heart racing. Who could it be at this hour?
Emma's smirk widened. "Looks like the fun is about to begin," she whispered to herself, moving towards the door.