Chapter 16: A Step Forward

Jason sat across from Noah at lunch, tapping his fingers against the table. For once, he wasn't making sarcastic comments or dodging the topic. Instead, he pulled out his phone, opened a Bible app, and exhaled. "Alright. Where do I even start?"

Noah blinked in surprise. "Wait, you actually want to read?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "Don't make a big deal out of it. I just figured… if I'm going to keep arguing with you, I might as well know what I'm arguing against."

Noah chuckled. "Fair enough. Let's start with something simple—maybe the Book of John? It talks a lot about who Jesus is."

Jason nodded. "Alright, John it is."

They started reading together, going through the first chapter. Jason read aloud, occasionally stopping to ask questions.

"So, when it says, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God'… What does that even mean?"

Noah thought for a moment. "It means Jesus has always existed. He wasn't just a good teacher or some random prophet—He's God in human form."

Jason frowned. "That's a big claim."

"Yeah," Noah admitted. "But if it's true, it changes everything."

They kept going, Jason pausing now and then to question or comment. But for the first time, he wasn't just dismissing what he read. He was really thinking about it.

When the bell rang, Jason sighed and closed the app. "Alright, I still don't know if I believe all this, but… I want to know more."

Noah grinned. "That's a step forward."

Jason smirked. "Don't get all excited yet. I'm just investigating."

"That's all I'd ask," Noah said.

As they grabbed their bags and headed to class, Noah couldn't help but feel hopeful. Maybe Jason didn't believe yet—but at least, he was willing to take a step forward.