Dare to Be Different

by Nicole O'Dell

  The girls chatted their way through lunch with all sorts of small talk. Drew contributed a lot of grunts and groans. Finally she realized what a drag she had been and apologized. “I’m really sorry for being in such a slump. I guess this is harder than I thought it would be.”

  “It’s totally understandable—” Cara started to say but stopped short.

  Samantha approached the table and wanted to talk to Drew. The other girls scooted down a little bit to make room for Sam, but they weren’t about to leave Drew alone with her yet.

  “So, Drew, did you have fun on Friday night? Did you get to go home with Mommy and Daddy and get a special treat for being such a good girl?”

  “What’s your problem, Sam?” Drew straightened her back, not willing to let Sam’s anger get to her. “Didn’t you have a curfew or rules when you were in the ninth grade? Eh, maybe you didn’t. Maybe your parents let you do whatever you wanted. I guess that didn’t pay off too well for you, according to rumors. Looks like I made the right choice. Sure wish you guys could support that.”

  “Support that? You want me to support your abandonment and betrayal of us, your supposed friends?” Sam looked truly shocked at the suggestion, and it just made Drew realize that they weren’t operating with the same moral compass.

  “Yes, I do think you should have supported me—if you were truly my friend, that is. A true friend wouldn’t want to put her friend in a situation that was uncomfortable. A true friend would back up the tough decisions and allow for the differences between us. A false friend only wants what she wants for herself and has no thought for others.”

  “Are you suggesting that I fit your description of a false friend?” Sam was getting angry.

  “Well, Sam, think about it. It’s all I know of you. During our short friendship, everything was great as long as I was going along with what you guys wanted. As soon as I took a stand as an individual person, you took it personally and got angry with me, even to the point of dropping me as your friend. I don’t really want to discuss it any further. I can’t convince you, and I don’t have to. Just think about what I said. I have to get to class.”

  Chapter 13

  LESSONS,

  THE HARD WAY

  As the week went on, Drew learned more details about last Friday night. The gang all showed up at Sam’s house after the game. Her parents were out of town, so the closest thing to an adult was her twenty-two-year-old sister. They started a bonfire in the fire pit, and Sam’s sister went to buy them a bunch of beer. Apparently Trevor even used a fake ID to buy beer, too. Sam, Trevor, and the rest of them stood around the bonfire, drinking beer for hours. Eventually, things got a little crazy. Someone brought out some drugs to pass around, and most of them sampled it. Kids were splashing in the pool and screaming at all hours. Finally, at about one in the morning, one of the neighbors apparently had enough with the noise and constant commotion—maybe they even suspected the kids had drugs—and called the police.

  Three police cars arrived with lights and sirens blaring. They pulled into the driveway sideways to block in all of the cars. They went around to the backyard immediately, called a stop to the party, and herded all of the students onto the back porch. Several were let go when it was determined that they hadn’t been drinking. Most of the others were told to walk in a straight line and touch their fingers to their noses. Some were too drunk to even be tested. All of those who were detained were eventually read their rights and placed in a squad car to be taken to the police station.

  The majority of the teens were charged with the consumption of alcohol as a minor. Drew was told that a charge like that would mean a fine and some community service, most likely. Many of them, including Sam and Trevor, were charged with that plus a charge related to the drug use; and Trevor even got in trouble for buying alcohol with a fake ID. It sounded like Trevor was in a lot of trouble. Kids were even talking about him being sent away somewhere. And a couple of others, including Sam’s sister, were charged as adults with crimes related to supplying alcohol to minors. All of them were taken to the police station, formally charged, fingerprinted, and locked up until their parents could be reached. They each had to call their parents to come and pick them up from the police station—what a tough call that must have been. Sam and her sister actually had to stay in jail overnight until their parents could get back into town to pick them up.

  It was a horrible mess, and it broke Drew’s heart that her friends—real friends or not—had to go through something like that. Even though things turned out badly with Trevor, Drew still cared about him and would never want to see him hurting like this. She couldn’t even imagine how he must have felt there in the police station while waiting for his parents to arrive. And she had no idea what the legal situation would be. She hoped that, no matter what happened, this would be something that the Lord would use to wake him up.

  It was a strange week, because Drew knew they were ignoring her. She supposed that being ignored was better than being ridiculed or called out for her decisions. By Thursday, Drew had basically let go and realized that they weren’t going to come around. So she just stuck with her sister and her real friends and enjoyed her cheerleading squad. She really had no need for those older kids, anyway. She had a lot more in common with the others.

  On Thursday, just as they were finishing up their lunches, Dani said, “Um, Drew … Trevor’s on his way over here. Be strong.”

  Drew panicked for a minute. She wasn’t prepared to talk to him, because she didn’t know what he was going to say to her. She could handle being ignored, but to be confronted by Trevor would be very difficult for her. She said a quick prayer for peace and wisdom and hoped that she’d be strong.

  “Hey, Drew. Mind if I sit down for a minute?” Trevor asked when he got to the table.

  The other girls took the cue and left the table, giving them a moment alone. As she squeezed past her sister, Dani gave Drew’s shoulder a little squeeze for strength.

  “Sure, it’s a free country.” Drew motioned to an empty seat, not quite being rude, but not being too gracious, either.

  Trevor was quiet for a minute. He fidgeted in his seat. “First, I just wanted to apologize for how I acted. I never should have pressured you like I did, and I feel horrible for being such a jerk.”

  “Thank you for saying that. I appreciate it.” Drew wasn’t about to gush or make it easy for him, but she had no reason to make it any more difficult than it already was.

  “You must have really felt bad after the way I treated you.”

  Drew nodded and wiped at a tear that she had tried unsuccessfully to will away.

  “The thing is, I don’t know what came over me. It’s not like me to be so insensitive.”

  “Power.” Drew barely whispered the one word that came to her mind.

  “Did you say ‘power’? What do you mean?”

  “I mean that the power got to you. You were having a pretty exciting few weeks; and the power of getting exactly what you wanted was getting to you, and you demanded your way from everyone, even from me.”

  Trevor thought for a moment. “I guess you ’re right. Anyway, I’m sorry. You did the right thing. … Well … obviously, by the way things turned out, you did the right thing. ”

  “Thank you. I know I did. It was difficult, though.”

  “I’m sure it was. You’re much stronger than I am.” Trevor hung his head, overcome with regret and sadness. “Is there anything I can do to patch things up between us? I’d really like to keep seeing you, Drew.”

  “Trevor, I like you, I really do. But I think I’ve learned that there are big differences between kids our ages, and I’m just not ready to make that leap. I want to enjoy the place I am right now and not rush things. Plus, my personal opinion is that you need some time to focus on what you want for yourself. I don’t want to be a distraction in that process. You have a lot on your plate, a lot that you’re facing. I think you should face first things first—and not worry about a girlfr
iend right now. Trevor, maybe it’s time you stop sleeping in on Sunday mornings and start going to church. That’s where you’ll find the answers you’re looking for.”

  “I’ll think about it. And I understand. I’m not giving up, though. Maybe in a few months, when all of this is behind us, maybe you’ll want to give it another try then.”

  “We never know what the future may hold; but at this point, I have no plans to get involved with someone this year. I’ve learned my lesson.”

  “Well, then, good for you. I hope I’ve learned some lessons, too.”

  “Me, too, Trevor. Me, too.”

  “Can we still be friends?” Trevor asked hopefully.

  “Of course we can be friends. But I’m sticking with my best friends for the most part. I’ll see you around, and we can be nice to each other; but I don’t see us hanging out like we once did. It’s okay, though. It’s part of the process. You see, I made some mistakes in all of this, too. I was a really bad friend and sister during my supposed climb to the top, and I won’t be letting that happen again. I’m sure you can understand.”

  “I’ve learned a lot from you, Drew. I hope you find all of the happiness you deserve.”

  They parted for class. Drew felt strong and incredibly relieved. God answered her prayers and gave her strength she didn’t think she had—and also gave her a way out when there seemed to be no way. As she walked to class, she quietly thanked Him for being with her and giving her the words to say. She also prayed for Trevor and the difficult situation he was in legally. She prayed for mercy for him and that he would learn about life and love through this situation. She then thanked the Lord for guiding her through the tough choices she had faced and asked Him to keep leading her every step of the way. For the first time that week, she felt happy. She walked to class with her head held high and with a smile on her face, confident that God had everything under control.

  The next three chapters tell the story of what happened to Drew when she decided to give in to the pressure by doing what her friends were asking her to do.

  Chapter 11

  PARTY TIME

  “I’m definitely going to go. You’re sure it’s okay to spend the night at Sam’s?”

  “Oh, yeah. She told me it was fine,” Trevor assured Drew.

  “All right, then I’m going to go tell my parents. I’ll be right back.” Drew ran off to find her family waiting patiently by the car.

  “So, what’s your plan, Drew?” Mom asked when Drew ran up. “By the way,” she threw in before Drew could answer about her plans, “you looked fantastic out there again. You do such a great job.” Dad and Dani agreed.

  “Thanks, guys. I’m so glad you came.” Drew was happy to hear their comments but still nervous, because she knew she was about to lie to them. “Well, about tonight, I’d like to go with the squad to eat and then with the other girls over to Sam’s house to spend the night. I have clothes and stuff already in my gym bag from earlier today. And I’ll just have someone drop me off sometime in the morning.” She left out the fact that it wouldn’t be just girls at Sam’s and that Sam’s parents were out of town.

  “That sounds fine. Her parents will be home, right?”

  “Of course, Mom. Do you want the number?”

  “Well, let me have the number in case of an emergency, but I trust you.”

  Drew gave her Sam’s phone number, kissed her parents, said good-bye to Dani, who had been strangely quiet, and ran off to join her friends. When she got to Trevor’s side, she said, “It’s all set. I do need to tell Sam to make sure her sister knows that my mom might call. She probably won’t, but just in case something happens, I want her to be prepared.”

  “I already told her all about that. So it’s all set?” Trevor flashed a huge grin. “Excellent. Let’s go. We have to stop at the store on the way.” He opened the passenger door for her and, like a perfect gentleman, helped her fasten her seat belt.

  “Why don’t you wait here?” Trevor suggested when they arrived at the grocery store.

  “Okay, if you want me to.” Drew found that odd but figured he was just in a big hurry to get to the party.

  Drew sat in the car, looking through Trevor’s CDs for about fifteen minutes. She was just about to get out of the car to go look for him when she saw him pushing a full cart toward the car. He went straight to the trunk and loaded it up, got in the car, and they left for the party. It was about a fifteen-minute drive to Sam’s house, but it flew by, because Trevor held Drew’s hand the whole way there.

  When they arrived at the party, the bonfire was already blazing and people were milling around Samantha’s big backyard. A few people were swimming, even though it was a bit chilly. Drew surveyed the yard and saw at least fifty people there already, but many were clearly not in high school anymore as evidenced by the beer cans they were holding.

  Sam came running up to Trevor and Drew. “Hey, guys. Glad you’re here.” Turning her attention to Trevor, she asked, “Did you get it?”

  He answered, “Yep. It’s in the trunk. I’ll unload it in a few minutes.”

  “Oh, it’s okay. I’ll help you. We can get it now,” Drew offered.

  Laughing, Trevor said, “Okay, you asked for it.” He popped the trunk open with the remote on his key ring, and they walked around to the back.

  Drew gasped when she saw the contents of the trunk. There were two or three bags full of chips and snacks right next to three cases of beer.

  “How did you buy that?” Drew was shocked and afraid when she realized what kind of party this was going to be.

  “It’s called a fake ID, my dear.” Trevor laughed. “Welcome to high school and the party of the year. Grab a bag and let’s go.”

  Drew grabbed the bags of chips; she wasn’t sure that she wanted anything to do with the beer. Walking into the house with the food, Drew was shocked to see kids she knew from school smoking cigarettes and drinking. She had heard about parties like this but had no idea this kind of thing actually went on in her school.

  Trevor immediately popped the top off of a beer and took a big drink, as did Samantha. Drew just stared at them for a second. It surprised her that they could drink the beer so fast; it meant that this probably wasn’t the first time. They offered her a beer and she declined. It was too much for her, but they laughed.

  Samantha said, “If you want to run with the big kids, you need to act like one.” They both continued to laugh but didn’t pressure her anymore.

  Trevor and Drew walked through the party—Drew with her can of soda and Trevor with his beer—stopping to talk to little groups of people. Eventually they all wound up out by the fire. Cans of beer were tossed around, making sure that no one was left empty-handed. Spirits were high; the party was in full swing.

  Drew asked Trevor what time it was and how long he would be able to stay. “I’m just concerned about you driving home after drinking,” she explained.

  “Oh, don’t worry about that, sweet thing.” Trevor grinned and put his arm around her. “I’m not going anywhere tonight. I wouldn’t leave you alone in this strange place. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I did that?”

  Drew was so torn. She was happy to be there. It made her feel so mature and part of the in crowd. But to get there that night, she had told no fewer than three big lies. She had broken some very important rules. She was sleeping over at a house where there were no adults. The sleepover was turning out to be boys and girls, including her boyfriend. She was also being offered alcohol and hanging out with kids who were drinking. Her own boyfriend even used a fake ID to buy beer. Even the fact that he was her “boyfriend” would have upset her parents.

  As she attempted to sort through some of those truths, she started to smell something funny. It was like nothing she had ever smelled before, and she was pretty sure she didn’t want to know what it was. She looked around the circle and saw kids smoking stuff that didn’t look like regular cigarettes. Drugs! Someone had brought drugs to the party.

&nbs
p; Drew stood and contemplated her situation for a few moments. She could go home. But if she called home, she would be in big trouble. Perhaps her best bet was to hope that nothing happened and that she didn’t get caught. Tomorrow, it would all be over and she could go back to normal life, she hoped. But since she was there and had decided not to leave, and since she had decided not to let herself get in this predicament again, she thought it might be a good idea to take her opportunity to try some things that she may not have a chance to do again.

  So in the next hour, she took a few puffs of Trevor’s cigarette; she drank a beer, plus a few sips of a different kind of drink that Trevor had; and, with her judgment even more skewed by the alcohol, she actually allowed herself to be convinced to try the drugs that were being passed around.

  She really didn’t like how she was starting to feel—kind of fuzzy and like she was in slow motion—but after a while she started to get used to it and went for more beer. She really didn’t want to get out of control, but she did want to have fun. So this is what it meant to party? It felt great to Drew … like second nature. She looked at her watch and was shocked to see that it was one in the morning. The time was going so fast, and Drew didn’t want the night to end.

  Trevor came up behind her, put his arms around her, and squeezed. “How’s my girl doing? You having a good time?”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Drew murmured as she settled the back of her head against his broad chest. She liked the way it felt to be held, and for a minute she forgot where she was. He turned her around to face him and leaned in for a kiss. It was a much softer and longer kiss than the one they shared in the bleachers. It felt much more grown-up, and in no way did it make her giggle. Drew hoped that the moment would never stop.

  Trevor pulled away slightly and said, “I like kissing you.”

  “Mmm, I like to be kissed.” She smiled and kissed him again.

  “Here,” Trevor said as the pot came around through the group and back to them. He offered her some. She tried to decline, but Trevor teased her a bit and convinced her to have some more. “You can’t really know how you’ll feel until you try it for real. That one hit you took earlier just isn’t enough to get the full effect.”