Chapter 5: Unexpected Encounters
"Who is it?"
Alena's voice trembled as she tightened her grip on the towel around her body.
The bathroom door stood only a few feet away.
She waited.
No answer.
Her heart pounded.
Then the doorknob slowly turned.
Click.
The door creaked open.
Alena instinctively took a step backward.
"What?!"
Her eyes widened.
"You scared me!"
The figure standing in the doorway stared back at her.
Alena blinked.
Once.
Twice.
She rubbed her eyes as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"You?"
The girl raised an eyebrow.
"You?"
They both spoke at the same time.
It was Emma.
Alena let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
"Can this be a dream?" she muttered.
Emma chuckled.
"I was actually wondering the same thing."
She dragged her luggage into the room and looked around.
Then she looked at Alena.
"Well, this is unexpected."
Alena stared at her.
"Wait... you're staying here?"
Emma nodded.
"Apparently."
She dropped one of her bags beside the bed.
"So we're not just friends anymore."
She smiled.
"We're roommates."
Alena's surprise quickly turned into excitement.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Oh my goodness!"
Alena hurried over to help her with the luggage.
"Where have you been all this time? I thought you were already staying somewhere else."
"I was."
Emma began unpacking.
"I was in one of the common rooms while I sorted out some paperwork. Everything took longer than expected."
She shrugged.
"But now I'm finally here."
She looked around the room.
"Looks like we're going to be seeing a lot of each other."
Alena smiled.
"I think I'll like that."
Emma gave her a small smile.
"We'll see."
---
The two girls continued unpacking.
Alena helped Emma arrange some of her belongings when something caught her attention.
A laptop.
Her eyes immediately brightened.
"Wait!"
She pointed toward it.
"We have a laptop?"
Emma glanced at it.
"Yeah."
Alena picked it up carefully.
"That's so cool!"
She smiled.
"Not every university provides laptops for students, you know."
"Mhm."
Emma barely reacted.
Alena looked at her.
"Isn't that exciting?"
Emma shrugged.
"It's... fine, I guess."
Alena's smile slowly faded.
"Oh."
She placed the laptop down.
For a moment, she said nothing.
She must come from a rich family.
Alena glanced at Emma's belongings.
Everything looked new.
Neat.
Expensive.
She looked down at herself.
Her clothes suddenly seemed different.
Older.
Less impressive.
Unlike me.
Her chest tightened.
I have to think about every little thing I spend money on.
She tried to push the thought away.
"Why don't you freshen up first?" she suggested.
Emma nodded.
"Good idea."
She picked up a few things and walked toward the bathroom.
"I'll be back."
The bathroom door closed.
Alena remained standing in the middle of the room.
Her smile disappeared.
---
She slowly sat down on her bed.
Her eyes moved toward her wardrobe.
She opened it.
A few outfits hung inside.
Nothing fancy.
Nothing expensive.
Just the clothes she had.
Alena stared at them.
A painful thought entered her mind.
What if everyone notices?
She swallowed.
What if they realize I don't have much?
Her eyes began to sting.
She quickly closed the wardrobe.
"Why am I thinking like this?"
She sat back down.
But the thoughts wouldn't stop.
Emma had barely reacted to the laptop.
For her, it was nothing.
For Alena, it was something to be grateful for.
Maybe they came from completely different worlds.
Alena lowered her head.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"Am I just hiding behind my faith to cover my shame?"
The words escaped her lips before she could stop them.
She hugged herself.
"I shouldn't be feeling this way."
Another tear rolled down her face.
Then her eyes fell on the Bible lying beside her bed.
She reached for it.
Her fingers brushed across the cover before she opened it.
She began turning through the pages.
And then she stopped.
Matthew 6.
Her eyes settled on the passage.
She began reading quietly.
The words reminded her not to worry about food, drink, or clothing—because life was worth more than those things.
Alena stared at the page.
The words seemed to speak directly to the thoughts that had been troubling her.
She wiped her tears.
"True..."
Her voice trembled.
She continued reading.
Look at the birds of the air...
She paused.
Her eyes filled with tears again.
Her Father took care of them.
So why should she believe He would forget her?
"Aren't I worth more than birds?"
Her voice cracked.
She pressed the Bible against her chest.
"Yes, Father."
A small smile appeared through her tears.
"I'm worth more."
She continued reading.
The more she read, the quieter her mind became.
By the time she reached the words about not worrying about tomorrow, something inside her finally released.
She laughed softly through her tears.
"So I don't have to worry about tomorrow."
She shook her head.
"I've been worrying about things You already told me not to worry about."
A peaceful smile spread across her face.
"Thank You, Lord."
She wiped her cheeks.
"Thank You for reminding me."
For the first time since Emma had arrived, Alena no longer felt embarrassed about what she had.
She might not have everything.
She might not come from the richest family.
But she had a Father who knew exactly what she needed.
And that was enough.
---
Unbeknownst to Alena, the bathroom door had opened several moments earlier.
Emma stood quietly in the doorway.
She had finished her shower.
Her arms were folded as she watched Alena from a distance.
Her eyes moved from Alena's tear-streaked face to the Bible held tightly against her chest.
A faint smile appeared on Emma's lips.
Interesting.
She leaned against the doorframe.
"So..."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"I've got myself a holy roommate."
She watched Alena for another moment.
There was something about the girl's sincerity that Emma found difficult to understand.
She's really serious about this faith thing.
Emma's smile faded slightly.
Then another thought crossed her mind.
Let's see how long it lasts.
She pushed herself away from the doorframe.
But before she could say anything, a sudden knock sounded from the other side of the room.
Knock. Knock.
Both girls froze.
Alena slowly looked up from her Bible.
Emma turned toward the door.
Another knock followed.
Knock. Knock.
Alena's heart began beating faster.
"Who could that be?"
Emma's lips slowly curled into a smile.
She walked toward the door.
"I guess we'll find out."
Her fingers reached for the handle.
She glanced back at Alena.
"Looks like we have another visitor."
Then she turned the handle.
And opened the door.