Authors: Stephanie Perry Moore
Prime Choice (22 page)
I couldn't even pray anymore. I looked up at Damarius' light that was circling around and around in his room thinking about all the hopes and dreams I had for myself, I wondered if this was going to be the end. Stupidity might have done me in. Maybe Tori was right about me thinking I was cool. I had not only hurt her feelings, but also I'd probably made a complete idiot out of myself. All of a sudden, I heard the door open. I didn't know who it was, but I certainly didn't want them to see me unable to keep my composure. But there was nothing I could do about that. Everything in me was hurting.
“Perry man, what's up? What's up?” Cole yelled out as he rushed to my side.
“I don't feel good, man.” I was so happy to see him.
“See. I told Damarius you didn't need all that beer.”
“Man, what am I suppose to do? My chest is burning for real.”
“You gotta take deep breaths.”
“You ever felt like this?”
“I gotta get you some water.”
“Water? That's gonna help?”
“I'll be right back. Just hold on.”
My boy left and it seemed like it was taking him forever to come back. Every way that I moved was wrong because it didn't offer any relief.
Why did teenagers drink?
I started asking myself. At first I could feel it. It was some pleasure in it. It made me feel good, confident, and larger than life. Now here I was, helpless. When I heard the door open again, I yelled, “Call the ambulance.”
Why did teenagers drink?
I started asking myself. At first I could feel it. It was some pleasure in it. It made me feel good, confident, and larger than life. Now here I was, helpless. When I heard the door open again, I yelled, “Call the ambulance.”
“See, I told you he was hurting.” Cole said to Damarius.
“He'll be all right. Just give him the daggone water. Boy, you can't hold nothing.”
I drank the water and took deep breaths as they helped me onto Damarius' bed.
“You just need to rest and relax.”
“I still don't feel good y'all for real.”
“Dag! I gotta bring the party in here. Nobody gonna believe this. He can't hold his own.”
I didn't even care at that moment. But I heard Cole taking up for me.
I laid in that bed for the next five minutes vowing to the Lord that I would never ever go over the top with alcohol again if he let me come out alive from this situation. I thought about my parents, and how this would let them down. They had raised me better than that, even though I had been pushed by my peers to do stuff all my life. I'd always been the leader applying positive peer pressure. But here I was caught up in the wrong mess. I was trying to keep Damarius from smoking his brains away, and he turns around and pushes me to put something I don't need into my body. I now knew none of this was worth it. Trying to impress people. Trying to be in the in-crowd. All that stuff was silly. I had to stay in my lane and run my race. I couldn't let nobody ever pressure me again. As I took a deep breath and watched my chest rise higher and higher, I hated that I was grooving too much.
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Copyright © 2007 by Stephanie Perry Moore
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ISBN: 978-0-7582-8178-4
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