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 girlfriend 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.