Decision made, she went to tell Trevor. She found him talking to one of his teammates. They were slapping each other on the back and celebrating a fantastic game. Drew cleared her throat to get their attention.
Trevor turned to see her and said, “Hey, there’s my girl.” He walked over to her and gave her a little squeeze and a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Great game, Trevor. You did an awesome job out there.”
Trevor beamed with the praise. “You about ready to go? We need to stop and pick up a few things on the way to the party,” Trevor said, assuming that she was going.
“Um … I need to talk to you about that. I’m not going to be able to go,” Drew hesitantly said, biting her lip. “I just can’t do it—too many lies and the risk of too much trouble. It’s just too much.”
Trevor didn’t look happy. At first he looked disappointed, but that look quickly turned to anger. “Do you have any idea what you’re saying? You’re telling me that after a game like this, you’re going to leave me dateless and alone at the party of the year? I need you there. You’re my girl. You’re supposed to be there with me, by my side.”
“I can’t help it, Trevor. I want to go—really, I do. But I don’t want to lie to my parents. And if I were to get caught, we’d never see each other again anyway.”
Trevor groaned. “This is what I get for dating a freshman.”
“You know, you could be a little more supportive. I’m just trying to do the right thing,” Drew tried to explain.
“No Drew, it’s you who could be more supportive.” Trevor shook his head in disgust. “So is your mind made up? Is that it? You’re not going to go no matter what I say?”
“I’m not going to go.” Drew hung her head as she said the words, knowing that she was likely sealing the deal on the end of their relationship.
“Then I guess you’d better go find your family. It’s past your bedtime, and I have to go,” Trevor answered sarcastically.
How dare he? Drew took a deep breath to quell the sob that rose in her throat. She was devastated by his reaction but also miffed that he cared so little about her that he would be angry at her for trying to do the right thing. “Thanks for the support and understanding, Trevor. You’ve made this all about you, which tells me that you don’t really care about me anyway. You only care about how I make you look. I guess I made the right decision. Have fun.” With that, she turned and walked away with her head down, hoping he wouldn’t see the tears forming in her eyes.
She noticed her parents standing by the car, waiting like they had after the previous game. Trying to compose herself before she got to the car, she stopped and turned to say something to someone passing by. As she did so, she wiped at her eyes and tried to find her smile again. When she turned to face her parents, she looked almost normal. She knew that they could probably see right through her attempts at normalcy but hoped they wouldn’t ask about it.
“I changed my mind. I’m going to go with you guys. Is that ice cream offer still good?”
“Of course, dear. It’ll be fun. Let’s go,” Dad said with a big grin.
Mrs. Daniels looked hard at Drew, but said nothing.
The girls piled into the backseat, and Dad backed the car out of the parking space. Drew felt Dani staring at her, trying to figure out what was going on. She refused to look her in the eye, because Dani would immediately be able to see through her shaky expression of happiness and see that there was sorrow beneath it—and it would probably make Drew cry for real.
As they pulled away from the school, Drew looked out the window and saw Trevor and a bunch of his teammates and some cheerleaders at the end of the parking lot horsing around. It looked like they were getting ready to pack up some cars and head out. They were laughing and having a great time. Trevor sure didn’t look sad at all.
Then she saw the unthinkable. Trevor put his arm across the shoulders of one of the varsity cheerleaders. Drew couldn’t see who it was exactly, because she was looking at the girl’s back, and, in her cheerleading uniform, she looked just like every other cheerleader from the back. Trevor gave her a quick squeeze and started jogging back over to the sports office, presumably to get his things. He sure looked happy, like he didn’t have a care in the world. No one would have ever guessed that he was a guy who had supposedly been crushed by a girlfriend he had proclaimed to like so very much that same evening. She felt sorry for the unsuspecting cheerleader who was just happy to have his attention—like Drew had been.
Drew realized that the car was too quiet, and if she didn’t do something, they were going to start questioning her. She was in no mood or state of mind to answer questions about the evening. “So, where are we going? We haven’t been out for ice cream in forever.” She tried to sound energetic and positive.
“I was just wondering about that,” Dad said. “Should we go somewhere that we can get a burger before we have ice cream? I think everyone is hungry.”
“Sounds good to me,” Dani spoke up from the backseat.
“Me, too.” Drew tried to sound enthusiastic.
After the Danielses were seated and the waitress took their order for burgers, fries, and chocolate milkshakes all around, Mom looked at Drew and asked, “Okay, what gives? Something happened tonight. You look so sad and disappointed.” She waited for Drew to protest that everything was fine, but instead, she could see that Drew was really considering her words carefully.
Finally, Drew couldn’t hold back any longer. She let the tears flow and spilled her emotions and the entire story onto the table. She told her family every detail, even the part about sneaking a ride home with Trevor and the kiss in the bleachers. She spared no detail. Not only was she tired of living what she felt was a lie and being so distant from her family, but she also didn’t think it really mattered if she got grounded or into some kind of trouble, because she really had nowhere to go now anyway. Plus, it was time for her to get back to being the person she really was deep down.
Finishing the story by recounting the vision of Trevor with his arm around another girl on the way out of the parking lot that night, Drew dried her eyes with resolve not to cry over him anymore. He didn’t care about her needs and wants and was willing to pressure her to do things that made her very uncomfortable. Drew knew that she was better off without him, but dreams die hard, and her mom knew that.
Just as Drew was finishing her story, the waitress brought the food. Drew dived into her burger with a vengeance, feeding her body and nursing her broken heart. Everyone at the table took a few moments to begin to eat and also to let Drew’s words sink in.
Dani remained quiet, afraid to break the moment and wanting Drew to continue to come to her new realizations. She was so very happy that Drew had made the right decision, and it really sounded like she had grown through the experience. She hoped that her parents wouldn’t be too hard on her.
“Drew … there are a lot of things I’d like to say. Are you ready for me to respond, or do you need more time?” Mom asked.
“Go ahead, Mom. But I pretty much already know what you’re going to say.”
“Oh? Try me. What am I about to say?”
“You’re going to tell me how mad you are at me about the after-game thing last week. You’re going to tell me that I’m way too young to have a boyfriend, and that I proved it by not telling you all about it. You’re going to tell me that I shouldn’t have kissed him. I’m going to be punished for sneaking around and for doing things that I knew you wouldn’t approve of like the makeup and the clothes. Basically, you’re going to tell me how disappointed you are in me. Right?”
“Well, sweetie, I’m speaking for myself, and your dad may feel much differently, but that is about the exact opposite of what I want to say to you.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I have never, ever been more proud of you, Drew. You faced some very grown-up things in a few short weeks. And you were tempted by the glitter and sparkle of adult life and you made some decisions
that I wouldn’t have approved of, that’s for sure. But Drew, look at the result. You have surprised me by the fact that when push came to shove, you gave up all of the things that you wanted so badly and chose what was right. You lost a lot tonight, by your own choice. But by doing that, you gained even more.”
“I think that your mom is trying to say that you’ve grown through this,” Dad explained. “And you’ve shown us clearly what type of young lady you really are. We really like what we see.”
Drew was in tears again—this time, tears of relief. She was so blown away by her parents’ reaction that she didn’t know what to say. She thought of Pastor Michaels’s words. “Remember last week when Pastor Michaels talked about how when we impose our own will over God’s plan, that it’s like saying, ‘I’ve got everything under control’? And that is a pride issue … you know … to think that we know more than God.” At her parents’ nod, she continued. “Well, I said those words several times this week: ‘I’ve got it all under control.’ Turns out, I didn’t. Pastor Michaels was right. And you guys, my parents, kind of act as a stand-in for God. So, your rules—or what you want for me and from me—are just an extension of God’s will. Right?”
Flabbergasted, Mom said, “You’re very right.”
“Well, I guess what I want is to live for God and walk according to His will. That means I don’t have everything under control … you guys do. I’m not saying I’ll be perfect, but I guess I just want something different—I want to do it right. Does that make sense?”
“Perfect sense.”
“For the record,” Dani jumped in, “I totally agree with you, Drew. And I’m so glad to hear you saying this. I was really getting worried about you. I guess I should have known that, as smart as you are, you’d come around.”
“Thanks, sis. Can you ever forgive me for the way I’ve treated you this past month?”
“Of course I can. I love you … it’s forgiven. Now, let’s just move on. I’d like us to commit to supporting each other in doing the right thing from now on. I feel like I should have tried a lot harder to keep you on the straight and narrow. I guess I was too hurt and bitter. I’m sorry for that.”
“Dani, you have nothing to be sorry for. You’re the best sister a girl could ever hope for. And I love you, too.”
“Drew, one thing you may not have thought of yet,” Mom hesitated, “and we can talk more about this throughout the weekend, but it’s going to be tough to go back to school on Monday. We need to have a plan for you and also to surround you in prayer that you’ll be able to stand your ground no matter what.”
“Great point, Mom. Monday seems so far away right now, though. This is what I care most about.” She spread her hands to gesture to her family at the table. She was home.
Chapter 12
REAL FRIENDS
After staying in and laying low on Sunday, except for attending church, Drew felt mentally and emotionally prepared for school. Dani was so good to encourage her and promise support. Really, though, Drew had done nothing wrong, and people broke up all the time. She hoped her new friends wouldn’t abandon her, too. She was realistic enough to know that Trevor was their golden boy, so it would be up to him and what he said about her that would determine how everyone else responded to her. Her best bet, she knew, was to look confident and happy when she went to school. Hanging her head and hiding from the group would only fuel the impression of her immaturity.
She rose early and carefully dressed for school. Wanting to look great, but not like she was trying too hard, Drew selected her favorite pair of jeans and one of the new tops that she bought for herself. It was important to keep being herself. She did promise her mom that she wouldn’t sneak makeup anymore, though. As part of that deal, her parents had agreed to a few new things that she was allowed to wear. She could now wear light lipstick or colored lip gloss, soft blush on her cheeks, and mascara to lengthen her eyelashes. Still forbidden were any colors of eye shadow, eyeliner, or lip liner. So Drew carefully applied her makeup within the new guidelines. One last look in the mirror reflected success. She really had to admit that the look was much softer and prettier than the garish effect of lots of makeup. Her mom had been right about that one.
Threading her favorite belt through the frayed loops on her jeans and securing the buckle as she went downstairs to the kitchen, Drew realized that her stomach was too upset to eat. Her mom must have known that she’d feel that way, because all that she handed to Drew when she arrived in the kitchen was a piece of buttered toast. Drew, gratefully took the plate and sat down to eat.
The time passed quickly, and there were no more reasons to stall. Drew and Dani got ready to catch the bus. Taking a shuddering deep breath, Drew grabbed her things and prepared to leave the house.
With her hand on the door, Mom asked if she could pray for her.
“Of course, Mom. Thanks.” “Father, please be with Drew today. Give her peace and wisdom as she faces this difficult situation. Let her find favor with the students whom You have selected to be her friends, and let her peacefully accept that some will not turn out to be true friends. Help her be strong and stand for You. Keep both of my girls safe at school today and make them strong and powerful examples of You and Your love. Amen.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Drew hugged her mom and started to leave. “I love you both.”
“We love you, too, Mom,” Drew and Dani answered simultaneously.
Arriving at school, Drew took a deep breath as the bus squealed to a stop. Dani reached over and took her sister’s hand. “It’s going to be okay. The first hour is the hardest. After that, it just gets easier. I promise.”
“You’re the best, Dani. I am so glad you’re my sister and my best friend.” She took another deep breath, fluffed her hair, squared her shoulders, and went down the steps of the bus. “Here we go.”
The girls walked into the school with their heads held high. They talked and laughed and acted as though they didn’t have a care in the world. They made it all the way to their lockers without bumping into anyone upsetting to Drew. Students still gave her the usual comments about her clothes and the halls were peppered with the usual shouts of “Hi, Drew” all along the way. She hadn’t lost her status yet. But Drew wondered if that was just because news hadn’t traveled that fast.
“You’re here? I can’t believe you’re okay.” Cara, their longtime friend, came running up to the girls.
“Yeah, I guess you heard, huh? Well, there was no way that my mom was going to let me skip school just because I was sad about breaking up with Trevor.”
“Breaking up with Trevor? That’s not what I’m talking about at all. Didn’t you hear what happened?” Cara was breathless with excitement.
“I guess I haven’t heard. What happened?” Drew asked Cara just to be polite but wasn’t really interested in anyone else’s gossip; she had enough of her own to deal with.
“Well …” Cara excitedly started her story. “I guess there was a big party at Samantha’s house after the game. Anyway, there was drinking, some drugs, and loud music. Neighbors called the cops, and a bunch of kids got arrested for the alcohol, drugs, and for disturbing the peace. Sam’s older sister also got in trouble for providing alcohol to minors. I guess some of the guys from school even had fake IDs. It’s a big mess.”
“Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it. I was supposed to be at that party. I chose not to go because I didn’t want to lie to my parents, and that’s why Trevor dumped me.”
“What a jerk! Well, he got what was coming to him.”
“No, I don’t wish that kind of trouble on anyone. I feel really bad that they all went through that this weekend. I had no idea. Here I was all wrapped up in my own little drama, which was nothing in comparison. I wonder if they’ll be at school.”
“I saw Sam already but not Trevor, and I don’t know who else got into trouble. I’m sure we’ll find out more as the day goes on. But I’m really sorry, Drew. I’m sure you must have been really hurt.”
“Yeah, it’s been a tough weekend. But Dani and I have had a chance to spend a lot of time together, and I’ve missed that. So something good came of it all.”
“Hang in there today, Drew. Your real friends will show what they’re made of. The rest don’t really matter anyway.” Cara and Dani shared a first-period class, so they left together after making sure that Drew would be okay.
Drew finished putting her books in her locker and then turned to go to class. As she turned, she bumped into Samantha. Sam’s eyes looked haunted and scared. Drew immediately realized that the weekend had taken a big toll on her. Sam looked at Drew in disgust and walked the other way. Drew gave herself a pep talk. Sam’s reaction really had nothing to do with her. She was just taking out her own fears on whoever was near.
It meant nothing, and Drew decided not to let it bother her. One down, one more to go. Trevor was the only other one she was nervous about seeing. The rest would work itself out.
Morning classes passed by too quickly, and it was time for the dreaded lunch hour. Part of her felt that it would be best to go to Trevor’s table and just sit down to have lunch there. She hadn’t actually been uninvited. But she didn’t want to suffer the humiliation of being publicly shunned. Or, on the off chance that he was happy to see her, Drew didn’t want to send the message that his treatment of her was okay. So her plan was to sit with Dani, Cara, and their other friends at lunch. Drew even brought her lunch to school that day so that she wouldn’t have to walk past Trevor and his friends to get a hot lunch.
Sliding into a seat at the end of the table, Drew kept her back to Trevor’s table. She realized that she hadn’t seen him all day, though. Suddenly she wondered if he were even at school that day. Ah, there he was. Across the lunchroom, she saw his broad shoulders towering above the other students. Sadly, she slumped into her seat and made sure not to look back. She needed a few moments to regain her resolve.
Dare to Be Different Page 18