Prime Choice

by Stephanie Perry Moore

  My father could hardly contain his grin as he handed me the phone.

  “Uh, Perry?” Coach Sparks asked.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I tried to call a couple of times but wasn’t able to get through. Our chaplain told us that he saw you; and you came to one of his retreats or something.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “He speaks highly of you. So does everyone else that I talk to. I saw the state championship game film. Sorry about your knee.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Of course I was disappointed for you, but we’ve got some ideas about getting you well, and giving you confidence about that knee. We still want you to come here, Perry. I’m excited to have a chaplain on our campus ’cause a lot of colleges don’t. On game days I wanna make sure that you have a fulfilling view on life, mentally speaking. I can’t promise you how many wins or losses, but I can promise that you will have stepped into a family that will care for you similarly to how your own is carrying for you right now. Don’t wanna put any pressure on you ’cause I know that you still have many opportunities, and I honestly know of other places that wanted to sign you, too. But here, we feel just as good about you today as we did before the injury. Commit here, and you won’t be disappointed about being a Yellow Jacket.”

  “Thanks, Coach.”

  “All right. Hope to hear from you soon.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  After I got off the phone, we all jumped up and down. This had been one of the schools I had been highly considering before the injury, and to be one of the schools that still wanted me solidified my answer. My mom smiled warmly. No matter what happened with football she knew that at that school, I’d be okay.

  “When you gon’ call the man and commit?” my dad asked in a firm tone.

  Giving him his dues, I looked at him and said, “Soon.”

  He said, “Then I support it. It’s absolutely the right decision. Coach Sparks is a good man. You might not get a state championship, but with his direction and your talent, Tech will make a run at another national title.”

  “Well, let’s call him tomorrow,” I said.

  “Sounds good.”

  I could hardly sleep. I decided I needed to pray and thank God for all the crazy things he was doing. Once I did that, I went into restless slumber.

  It was Christmas Eve, and I was in the holiday spirit. This semester had started off so rocky for me, but I began to understand why I was here: to live for God, to win souls for Him and to put Him first. He gave me a complete perspective on how I needed to live my life and where my happiness came from. So with this being the time of year to celebrate Jesus’s birth, I was back to my old joking, positive self.

  With my better attitude, I felt a little stronger. I still couldn’t drive, but it was cool. I was ready to cram. Tad Taylor was my first target. He’d been at my house all day up under my sister.

  So I teased, “All right, now. My sister got you whipped, don’t she?”

  “Perry, hush!” Payton said.

  Tad defended, “It’s cool. Let him tease me all he wants. One day he’ll understand. He just ain’t found the right one yet.”

  Payton leaned over to her boyfriend and gave him a kiss.

  “Eww!” I said. “Next time ask for privacy.”

  Payton saw a little toy on the couch and hurled it at me. “Naw, I’m just kidding. I’m glad my sister has somebody like you in her life.”

  “Look, man. What you got planned tonight?” Tad asked me before I walked out the room.

  “Y’all don’t need to worry about me tonight. I don’t mind hanging out with myself, it’s cool.”

  “Oh, naw. I just wanted to know if you wanted to go to a Christmas concert. My church in Augusta is having this big thing and my cousin Savoy is singing.”

  Now I have to admit at first that I wasn’t planning on going but when he said Savoy was gonna be there, I got interested.

  “How she’s been?” I asked.

  “She’s been good. She asked about you.”

  “Really?” I asked, smiling ear to ear. “I haven’t talked to her since we left the retreat.”

  “You haven’t called her or anything?” My sister put in her two cents. “Dang, boy, I thought I taught you better than that.”

  “Come on, now. Savoy is good people. She still got that boyfriend, right?”

  I was hoping the answer would be no, but Tad wasn’t sure. He just knew that they were having a few problems. The status of their relationship didn’t really matter to me ’cause I knew she was asking ’bout me.

  Tad and Payton were helping my mom finish decorating the house, and I was in my room thinking about Savoy. I was wondering why I hadn’t called her and what would be the harm of saying hello; we were friends. I went over to my nightstand, grabbed my dingy wallet and tore it up looking for her phone numbers. She had written them on hot pink paper. I was full of joy when I saw her name and two numbers.

  I reached her on her cell.

  “Hey, it’s Perry.”

  “Hello. Are you better?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t gotten a call from you checking on me.”

  I don’t know why I said that, ’cause I’d been hoping that she wouldn’t call me.

  “You could’ve called me and told me ’bout it personally.”

  “You right. So, how you been?” I asked, really concerned.

  “I think since we left the conference, I’ve been good. It’s like nothing really matters but God. And any other problems I’ve had, Perry, I’ve just completely cleared away. Saxon and I are going to the same school.”

  “Oh, for real. Where y’all going?”

  “Georgia Tech. Can you believe that? You know we both want to be architects. I could run track and my brother can handle the football. We may try and have our own business together building houses one day.”

  I just started laughing. This was a trip! We’d chosen the same school.

  “Have you decided where you want to go?”

  “That’s why I’m laughing so hard, ’cause I’m going there, too.”

  “You serious?” she asked, almost screaming excitedly.

  “So, how is everything with your boyfriend?” I held my breath.

  “We decided to be friends. I’m thinking about a few other things these days.”

  I did a dance when she said that. White, black, Chinese, Puerto Rican—I didn’t care as long as he was gone. I knew I really liked her.

  “Um, I’m coming to your church tonight to hear you sing.”

  “You are?”

  “Yeah. Tad invited me. I didn’t know you could blow.”

  “I can do a few things.”

  “And after, I might need a ride home.”

  “I could take you home,” she said.

  “Cool,” I said, happy she offered.

  “So it’s a date, Mr. Skky? Does a date sound too formal?”

  “No, a date sounds just fine. See you this evening.”

  Before I could say anything else she hung up. Boy, she had me! There was something mysterious about her.

  Later that evening as I sat beside my sister and heard Savoy sing “Ave Maria” I was in awe. She was really good.

  Saxon came up to me and said, “So I hear you and I are wearing the white and gold?”

  “Yeah, man. Congratulations. I thought you were going to a South Carolina school,” I said.

  “Oh, well. I like Tech’s academic track and Coach Sparks is a good guy. And if my sister can come, too on a full scholarship, it works. Plus, we’ll be there with the best quarterback I know. Shadrach committed, too. What about you? I thought you were going to follow your sister to Georgia?”

  “Too late with my injury, they signed another cat.”

  “Oh, the boy from Florida? Please! He ain’t got the skills you and I have.”

  We slapped hands. I got a chance to really chat with him for a bit. Then he just stared at me.

  He said, “My sis
ter ... need I say more?”

  “I hear you, man. I hear ya,” I said as we walked over to his folks.

  After chatting with his parents for a bit, Savoy came over. Soon she and I headed off. We headed over to Applebee’s.

  “You looked so beautiful,” I said to her as I gazed into her eyes and held her hand.

  “Why, thank you. You’re handsome yourself.”

  We were eating hamburgers and sharing a chocolate milkshake. If Damarius and Cole would’ve seen me, they would’ve called me a punk. But something happened to me. Something I couldn’t explain. I’d waited on God for everything, and He was working it out. My family life, partners, school, and now a girl sweeter than what I could ever imagine. I reached out and touched her face and cupped the softness in my hands.

  “What are you thinking about?” she asked.

  “I’m just thankful right now. Christmas is tomorrow. It’s just like you said over the phone, since that conference, it seems like I’ve had nothing but peace. I’ve been happy.” She took my hand and gripped it tight. “Savoy, I ain’t even gon’ lie to you—things have been crazy. Me and my girl just wanna be friends, too. I did some stuff that was wrong this past semester. God has worked in my life in every situation. He means something to me. Can I be honest?” She nodded. “I wanna be with you. I want you to put your face to mine, and I want to leave this place and ...” She blushed. “But a bigger part of me wants to please God even more than I want that fantasy. I want to make right decisions, you know.”

  She squeezed my hand and we talked about how we felt about our budding feelings for each other and the strong emotions we felt for God. I’d grown a lot and I wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything. In all the mess I had going on this semester, I did something with it. I gave it to God and now I’m loving the outcome.

  A Reading Group Guide

  Perry Skky Jr., Book 1:

  PRIME CHOICE

  Stephanie Perry Moore

  ABOUT THIS GUIDE

  The following questions are intended to

  enhance your group’s reading of

  PERRY SKKY JR.: PRIME CHOICE

  by Stephanie Perry Moore.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Perry Skky Jr. loves God, but also wants to make his relationship with his longtime girlfriend, Tori, physical. Is the spirit or the flesh leading him in the beginning of the book? What do you do when physical attraction heats up in your life?

  2. Perry breaks off their relationship when he doesn’t get what he wants. What do you do when things don’t go your way? When should a relationship end?

  3. At a party, Perry has many girls willing to meet his desires. Do you think he handled the advances correctly? What are ways to fight off temptation?

  4. Perry and his father don’t have the best relationship at the beginning of the book. Do you speak to your parents the way Perry talks to his dad? What does God’s word say about children obeying their parents?

  5. Perry’s friends are sexually active. What are the two main problems Damarius and Cole encounter in this area? What are other consequences to having premarital sex?

  6. Perry is the top football player in his area. Do you think he handles the pressure well? What are things you can do to stay grounded when things are going great in your life?

  7. Tori, Perry’s ex-girlfriend, is so devastated their relationship is over that she wants to end her life. How does Perry help her when he finds out she is severely depressed? What are ways you can help a friend get through their pain?

  8. Perry confronts his dad about his extra marital affair. Do you think he should have stayed out of it? How can you help your parents have the type of relationship God wants for them?

  9. Perry hurts his leg during a big game. Do you think he had the right attitude about his dire situation? Why do you think God allows us to go through disappointments?

  10. Perry gets a new girlfriend, Savoy, and finally realizes that he wants to honor God in his dating relationship. Do you think Perry and Savoy will keep this goal in future books? What are ways to keep the Lord in the middle of your dating relationships?

  Start Your Own Book Club

  Courtesy of the PERRY SKKY JR. series

  ABOUT THIS GUIDE

  The following is intended to help you get

  the Book Club you’ve always wanted

  up and running!

  Enjoy!

  Start Your Own Book Club

  A Book Club is not only a great way to make friends, but it is also a fun and safe environment for you to express your views and opinions on everything from fashion to teen pregnancy. A Teen Book Club can also become a forum or venue to air grievances and plan remedies for problems.

  The People

  To start, all you need is yourself and at least one other person. There’s no criteria for who this person or persons should be other than a desire to read and a commitment to read and discuss during a certain time frame.

  The Rules

  People tend to disagree with each other, cut each other off when speaking, and take criticism personally. So, there should be some ground rules:

  1. Do not attack people for their ideas or opinions.

  2. When you disagree with a book club member on a point, disagree respectfully. This means that you do not denigrate another person for their ideas. There shouldn’t be any name calling or saying, “That’s stupid!” Instead, say, “I can respect your position, however, I feel differently.”

  3. Back up your opinions with concrete evidence, either from the book in question or life in general.

  4. Allow every one a turn to comment.

  5. Do not cut a member off when the person is speaking. Respectfully wait your turn.

  6. Critique only the idea (and do so responsibly; again, simply saying, “That’s stupid!” is not allowed). Do not criticize the person.

  7. Every member must agree to and abide by the ground rules.

  Feel free to add any other ground rules you think might be necessary.

  The Meeting Place

  Once you’ve decided on members, and agreed to the ground rules, you should decide on a place to meet. This could be the local library, the school library, your favorite restaurant, a bookstore, or a member’s home. Remember, though, if you decide to hold your sessions at a member’s home, the location should rotate to another member’s home for the next session. It’s also polite for guests to bring treats when attending a Book Club meeting at a member’s home. If you choose to hold your meetings in a public place, always remember to ask the permission of the librarian or store manager. If you decide to hold your meetings in a local bookstore, ask the manager to post a flyer in the window announcing the Book Club to attract more members if you so desire.

  Timing is Everything

  Teenagers of today are all much busier than teenagers of the past. You’re probably thinking, “Between chorus rehearsals, the Drama Club, and oh yeah, my job, when will I ever have time to read another book that doesn’t feature Romeo and Juliet!” Well, there’s always time, if it’s time well-planned and time planned ahead. You and your Book Club can decide to meet as often or as little as is appropriate for your bustling schedules. Once a month is a favorite option. Sleepover Book Club meetings—if you’re open to excluding one gender—is also a favorite option. And in this day of high-tech, savvy teens, Internet Discussion Groups are also an appealing option. Just choose what’s right for you!

  Well, you’ve got the people, the ground rules, the place, and the time. All you need now is a book!

  The Book

  Choosing a book is the most fun. PRIME CHOICE is of course an excellent choice, and since it’s part of a series, you won’t soon run out of books to read and discuss. Your Book Club can also have comparative discussions as you compare the first book, PRIME CHOICE, to the second, PRESSING HARD, and so on.

  But depending upon your reading appetite, you may want to veer outside of the Perry Skky Jr. series. That’s okay. There are plen
ty of options, many of which you will be able to find under the Dafina Books for Young Readers Program in the coming months.

  But don’t be afraid to mix it up. Nonfiction is just as good as fiction and a fun way to learn about from where we came without just using a history text book. Science fiction and fantasy can be fun, too!

  And always research the author. You might find the author has a website where you can post your Book Club’s questions or comments. You can correspond with Stephanie Perry Moore by visiting her website, www.stephanieperrymoore.com. She can sit in on your meetings, either in person, or on the phone, and this can be a fun way to discuss the book as well!

  The Discussion

  Every good Book Club discussion starts with questions. PRIME CHOICE, as will every book in the Perry Skky Jr. series, comes along with a Reading Group Guide for your convenience, though of course, it’s fine to make up your own. Here are some sample questions to get started:

  1. What’s this book all about anyway?

  2. Who are the characters? Do we like them? Do they remind us of real people?

  3. Was the story interesting? Were real issues of concern to you examined?

  4. Were there details that didn’t quite work for you or ring true?

  5. Did the author create a believable environment—one that you could visualize?

  6. Was the ending satisfying?