Chapter Text
The summer Naomi Reid fell in love with Riley Whelan, the town began to rot, yet nobody seemed to notice.
The Church ladies kept arranging flowers beneath the altar, the choir still practiced every night until the sunlight faded away, and the preacher still prepared his sermons at the last moment.
But Naomi watched it all creep in slowly. The way the cemetery behind the Church seemed larger than it had last year, or how dead doves occasionally appeared on her front lawn, their small bodies lying perfectly still. Mold grew onto the stained glass mirrors, distorting the images of the Holy Spirit into ones of a darker nature.
Nobody else talked about it, or maybe everyone else learned not to look. Maybe Naomi was the problem.
Riley Whelan also served as a problem. Her impulsive nature got her into more trouble than she needed, and it didn't help that she revolted against authority. She was everything the Church preached against. Yet every Sunday morning she sat three pews behind between her parents, rolling her eyes at the preacher when she thought no one was looking. But Naomi was always looking. Ever since they first locked eyes in class 3 months prior, she had been interested in the reckless girl. When that surface-level interest had turned into a deep-seeded love, however, was much harder to pinpoint. It had happened slowly, like water wearing away at the stones in the river. Every time Riley smiled at her across a room, or accidentally grazed her as they passed, it grew.
More than that, Riley Whelan served as a problem to Naomi Reid, because according to every Church she’d ever attended, girls who took interests in others weren't allowed to exist.
…
They would meet at the cemetery when no one was around. Most avoided it entirely, feeling uncomfortable around the rows of forgotten graves from decades before. Naomi didn't care as long as she could sneak around unnoticed.
She hopped onto the stone wall bordering the cemetery. Riley was late, but it was expected. Truthfully, she envied her lack of concern. Sometimes she thought Riley moved through life like someone who had never been taught fear. It was a ridiculous thought, because of course she was afraid. Everyone in this town was raised to be afraid. Fear was what drove them.
The fear of sin. The fear of judgement. The fear of disappointing your parents. The fear of disappointing God. The fear of wanting things you were never supposed to want. Naomi carried fear with her like a second heartbeat.
A rustling sound came from behind her. Naomi glanced back, and there she was. Riley Whelan, with the sunlight caught on her braided hair, dirt clinging to her boots and jacket like she had rolled through the ground.
“You’re staring again.” Riley smiles at her, walking towards where Naomi was currently waiting.
“I wasn't!” Naomi shifts over, leaving room for Riley to sit next to her. Their shoulders brush as she jumps onto the wall.
“You absolutely were. You get this look.”
“What look?”
“The one where you’re pretending not to stare.” Naomi rolls her eyes. Riley laughed like she’d told a joke, the sound echoing throughout the cemetery. It sounded wrong surrounded by so many lifeless graves, yet it made the place more lively.
They sat together quietly for a while, neither one wanting to disturb the peace. It had been a few days since they were able to meet. Riley had gotten in trouble with her parents once again and was under strict supervision. She was only here now because of bible study, which was due to start soon. Just as Naomi was about to speak, she heard the toll of the bell in the distance. Neither one moved until it rang again a few moments later.
“I think we’re terrible Christians” Riley sighed dramatically. Naomi smirked at her remark, causing the other girl to smile. Riley loved it when she could spark a reaction from her.
“We should probably go inside, you’re already in enough trouble as it is.” Naomi moved to stand up, but Riley stopped her with a hand on her leg. Her smile had faded. The teasing disappeared, something quieter and vulnerable taking its place. Naomi shifted under it, but Riley kept her hand in place.
“Have you ever thought about leaving?” Riley asked, taking a look behind them toward the white steeple of the Church.
“I haven't been here long enough to question it.” Naomi followed her gaze. The Churcg looked beautiful from a distance, as it always did. Seeing it close up was another story. Close up you could see the cracks, the places where the paint peeled away, where something darker waited underneath.
“As soon as I graduate, I’m gone.”
“What if you can’t leave?”
“I can.” Riley turns back to look Naomi in the eye. The confidence in her voice sounds practiced, like she'd repeated the words so much they'd become a prayer. She moved her hand to grasp the other girls. Naomi’s heartbeat stumbled, and the fear within it did as well. For a moment the world narrowed to only them.
Riley swallowed, and for the first time all day she looked uncertain.
“When the pastor talks about people like us,” The words came quietly, almost swallowed by the wind, “do you think he’s right?”
Everything around them seemed to stop. Naomi’s lips parted slightly, surprised by the question. Neither one of them had said it aloud before. Not directly. Naming something made it real, and this reality was dangerous.
Naomi looked at Riley. She looked past her exterior at the fear hidden beneath her confidence. At the hope hidden behind her fear. How long had she been carrying this question around? How long had she believed she was alone in her sin?
As Naomi tried to regain the ability to speak, she quickly shook her head as to not leave Riley’s question hanging in the air.
“No?” Riley questioned. Her face shifted into something softer, like she was relieved.
“No.” Naomi answered definitively.
Riley’s eyes shone, and she smiled brightly. Naomi thought it could have rivaled the sun. She could spend the rest of her life in the dark if only Riley smiled at her like that. She gave her a small smile of her own. Without thinking, she leaned forward and caught Riley's lips with her own in a small, brief kiss. It was gentle. Uncertain.
Riley didn't let it stay gentle for long. Naomi pulled apart only to be dragged back by Riley’s hand on her neck. Riley kissed her like she was starving, like she was a feast after a war. There was no room left for second thoughts. Naomi’s hand moved to cradle her cheek as the world narrowed in again. Even when the final Church bell rang behind them, neither one of them moved away. Only after they couldn't continue without breath did Riley separate. For a moment, neither one of them spoke. They just stared at each other like they were trying to memorize something that wouldn't last.
“You have to leave with me,” Riley whispered. “We can go together.” She reached for her hand once again, wrapping it around Naomi’s.
Naomi didn't answer. The air felt wrong in a way she couldn't name yet. So she nodded, and that seemed to satisfy Riley enough. She relaxed, leaning into Naomi a little more. Both of them felt at peace for the first time since they realized the sin inside of them.
But peace can't last.
Somewhere hidden in between the shadow of the trees and the Church, the Preacher's son stood watching their exchange, rage building inside of him.
He wasn’t supposed to be there. He wasn't supposed to witness their private exchange. But he was. And there would be consequences to pay.