Cautionary Tale

“You told me this was just going to be a small gathering,” Sophia said, shocked.

“It is,” replied Carlos, winking at her. He hurried straight for the beer cooler near the living room where some 50 or so of his friends were lounging, empty bottles littering the floor near their feet. Confused, Sophia followed him and settled on the armrest closest to him.

Sophia was a sophomore in high school. Her boyfriend Carlos was a senior and the star quarterback of the varsity football team. Even though they had been dating for a month, she had never seen this vulgar, detestable side of him that the alcohol brought out.

“Why’s your girl so tense, Carlos?” said Jake, one of Carlos’s football buddies. “You didn’t bring your mom to the party, did you?”

The other guys snickered, staring at Carlos and Sophia. Carlos seemed to notice Sophia for the first time.

“We’ll be right back,” he said, before dragging her to the kitchen.

“What do you think you’re doing?” demanded Carlos furiously. “You’re embarrassing me in front of all of my friends.”

“I’m just not comfortable, Carlos,” said Sophia in a tiny voice. “You know I don’t drink.”

“Well, you better start,” he told her, sloppily thrusting a red plastic cup of beer into her hands.

Sophia peered into the cup at the dark amber liquid and took a quick sniff. It smelled horrible, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust as she set it down on the kitchen counter. Carlos grabbed her wrist and gripped it tightly until her fingers turned white.

“I told you to drink it,” said Carlos in a dangerously low voice, his face livid with anger.

“No,” said Sophia firmly, snatching her arm free. She spun around without looking at him and walked straight out the door. That was the last time Sophia ever let herself be caught in a situation like that, and she vowed to never drink alcohol or let anyone into her life who didn’t respect her decisions to abstain from liquor and drugs.

Is this a true story? Somewhere in the U.S., this scene is played out on a nightly basis, but sometimes without the positive outcome. Many young people give in to the temptation to drink or do drugs, and they’re doing so at earlier ages.

According to studies by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics, the average age at which girls begin drinking alcohol is 13. It’s the drug most often used by 12- to 17-year-olds, with more than 4 million adolescents drinking alcohol in any month.

In a recent survey, 25 percent of 8th graders, 40 percent of 10th graders and 53 percent of 12th graders reported drinking alcohol during the prior month, according to The Learning Channel website.

Teens need to develop the self-esteem and courage to step away from the crowd, defy peer pressure, and make smart choices, like Sophia in this story. It isn’t easy, but in the long run, it will pay off.

By High School Student– Zareen Khayrattee

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