“Thank you so much for coming.” Angela turned in the passenger seat to smile at the driver. “I really appreciate it.”
Senior Counselor Robertson briefly let his warm brown eyes rest on her face before returning his focus back to driving. “Any time.”
As he drove her back home, Angela was surprised that he was not asking her more about what happened at the State Cheerleading Competition. She had told him the basics over the phone, and he accepted her story without questioning it or prying for more details.
Even though he did not ask, Angela felt that she should say, “I had made a big mistake when I joined the cheerleading team, but I’m glad that I was able to leave.”
“It’s never too late to change,” the counselor said. “What you just did today proves that you have a lot of strength, which you can now use for a greater purpose.”
Angela nodded. “You’re very understanding.”
“You are not the first person to make a mistake. The important thing is that you admit it, regret it, and do your best to never make that same mistake again.”
The car stopped in front of her house.
Angela grabbed her things and got out. “Is it okay if I join you and Andrew for Mass tomorrow morning?”
“Yes, of course.”
After saying goodbye, Angela headed inside the house and found Andrew in the kitchen.
“Hello,” he said with a hint of concern. “You are sure back early. How did it go? Did your squad win?”
“Honestly...” Angela shifted her weight from side to side uncomfortably. “I have no idea.”
When he raised an eyebrow, she added, “I quit the team before our performance. Your counselor came and drove me home.”
“Seriously? What made you—“
“Let’s just say that I was inspired to change.” Despite Andrew’s attempts at getting her to explain herself, Angela kept quiet.
The rest of the day they relaxed and played some board games together, occasionally talking about random things, but not about cheerleading or Angela’s decision.
The next morning they went to Mass with Counselor Robertson, and afterwards Angela went to confession. All evening long, she was more content with life and much happier too.
As Monday morning came, Angela and Andrew sat together on the bus a row in front of Melissa. Angela had briefly turned around to see how she was doing, now that she was back in school.
“I’m much better now,” Melissa said. “So, I heard about what happened at State. You really just quit the team like that?”
“I’m not sure about what people are saying,” Angela began, “but, yes, I decided that cheerleading was no longer right for me.”
Melissa hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Do you think the squad would have won if you and I would have performed?”
So they didn’t win, Angela thought.
“Maybe,” Angela replied, “but it wasn’t meant to be. God has a plan for us, but it’s not cheerleading.”
“I suppose so.”
In Angela’s first class, she saw Jessica at the back of the room, but she knew there was nothing more to be said. As the day went by, Angela thought about her life, especially about what she could do differently.
Days later, shortly after school had ended and most students were leaving the building, Angela met up with Melissa and they went to a classroom on the fourth floor. They were lucky to find seats since most were already occupied, including the one in the far back where Counselor Robertson had been.
As Andrew walked into the room he saw all the students and his mouth dropped open. Nearly every desk was taken and over a dozen and a half of his peers were waiting for the meeting to begin.
“Hello,” Andrew said in astonishment. “Welcome to the Purity Club.”
He paused, but when no one got up and left, he knew he was in the right room.
Angela watched as her brother introduced himself to the newcomers, then he asked, “Would anyone like to give their testimony today?”
When someone raised their hand near the side of the room, Andrew recognized the girl immediately. “Um, okay, please, come on up.”
Moments later as the girl stood at the podium, she said, “Hello, I’m Angela Jensen, and this is my testimony.”
She glanced at her brother, who seemed rather shocked and curious as to what she was going to say. “My love for dancing led me to cheerleading. I was hesitant at first, but was convinced by some of my teammates that joining the squad was just innocent fun. As I learned the truth, I had trouble walking away. At the same time, I had a boyfriend, which I regret to say was also a mistake I wish never happened. As I grew closer to him, I was losing my innocence a little at a time. First we held hands, then he kissed my cheek every chance he got. At the prom, he danced closer to my body than I knew was right. I felt uncomfortable, and later that night, he tried to take advantage of me.”
Andrew crinkled his brows, but he remained silent. She had never fully mentioned what Carson had done to her that night, but she had decided that in her testimony, she would not keep it a secret.
“My first kiss on the lips was against my will,” Angela stated. “I was saving that kiss for my wedding day, but I lost it to someone I never should have even dated. I felt alone, but I was not. God was there through it all, calling out to me. At the State Cheerleading Competition this past weekend, God showed me something that brought me back to reality. I saw a recording of the first purity club meeting my brother gave. I had been so wrapped up in my own selfishness and drama that I didn’t even know he had created the club. Through seeing that video, God gave me the courage to finally stand up for what was right, to step away from the bad influences in my life and to become a better person. If some of you feel lost, just know that God is also with you, always. Thank you.”
After she finished, the room filled with clapping, and Angela smiled. Andrew felt tears form in his eyes. His heart was bursting with love and joy for his sister. Andrew took the podium once more and offered for others to give their testimonies as well. Several students stepped up and spoke about their own struggles, including Melissa who talked about how peer pressure and wanting to fit in led her to drink and nearly caused her to lose her life to alcohol poisoning.
The students seemed very open at the meeting, and as the testimonies concluded, Andrew had felt deeply moved. “Thank you for your testimonies. When we admit that we have done wrong, we can then take the steps to not only do what is right, but also guard ourselves from making those mistakes again. What is one way we can avoid temptations and become stronger?”
“Have an accountability partner,” one student said.
“That’s a great suggestion,” Andrew said sincerely. “We can pair off or have small groups within the club to further discuss our struggles and then we can support each other by holding one another accountable and encourage each other to do what is right. For instance, if we are struggling with listening to offensive music and we also curse, then our accountability partner or small group can ask us if we avoided those things or if we stumbled again. What I have learned is that consuming harmful things is like playing with fire, and eventually we get burned. But, if we strive for purity in what we watch, listen to, how we interact with one another and think about each other, we will become the best versions of ourselves. The men and women God is calling us to be. We can be each other’s accountability partners, for we are accountable to God, and as His children, we can assist each other and become stronger together.”
Andrew then let everyone break off into pairs of two or sets of three to form the accountability partners within the Purity Club. Each of the students greeted each other and talked amongst themselves about what they had or were still struggling with. Then they spoke about ways to change.
When the meeting came to a close, Andrew was very satisfied with all the progress everyone made and how things had gone. He had given some finals thoughts about valuing purity and
helping each other change, then everyone started to leave. Several students said goodnight to him, and many even thanked him for creating the Purity Club.
Angela said goodbye to Melissa and then joined her brother at the front of the classroom. “That was amazing,” Angela said as she hugged her brother. “Very well done.”
“You sounded very mature in your insights too,” Counselor Robertson said as he stood beside them.
“Thank you! A lot of what I said I got off of you.” Andrew beamed at his counselor. “But, I have been reading the Bible and many inspirational spiritual books too.”
“It really shows.” Robertson grinned. “Would you like a ride home with us Angela?”
“Yes, please.” she replied, “thank you.”
As they left the school and drove home, they brainstormed ideas for the next Purity Club meeting. When they entered Bottom Grove and started down their street, Andrew noticed two police cars with flashing lights directly in front of their house.
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