on, I know your folks want to say something to you. Let’s shower and then go enjoy the night. We don’t have to fly back until tomorrow.”
“I know you didn’t just say enjoy the night.”
“Perry, what you gon’ do, wallow in it, man? Learning some lessons? No mistake about it, we got to the big dance because we were good. We’re just freshmen and nobody going to think we can get back here next year. But we can, if we take tonight, shake it off, and get ready for this time next year.”
“Alright man, I hear you,” I agreed, so he would leave me the heck alone. When I went out into our crowd, my parents had a look of pity in their eyes. It took my mom all she had inside of her to say something positive, which wasn’t her style because she used to shoot straight at me.
She said to me, “Son, you did so good.”
“Yeah, son, you really did,” my dad agreed. Man, both of them were crazy. How could I have done such a great job if I was out of the game because of foolishness? I just wasn’t trying to be around them or anybody else. People were saying stuff to me, asking me for my autograph as I meandered my way through the crowd, not stopping until Savoy stepped in front of me. The way we left things a week ago, I didn’t know where we stood. With everything going on, she actually hadn’t been on my mind.
I appreciated it when she said, “I know you got to be hurting, I’m sorry it went down like that. Let’s just go out tonight, take your mind off of some of it.” She kissed me on the cheek, nibbled on my ear a bit, and I sort of pushed her away.
“Naw, I’m just going to go back to the hotel.” I knew she and her parents had come all this way to support the team, but I just couldn’t handle any company right now.
“Me and some of the other track girls are going out. I thought you would have missed me this week, but you’re still going and putting everything in your life first. Cool, fine. Go back to the hotel and relax then.”
I did not feel like putting up with her crap. I had just lost a National Championship game. How dare she try to brush it under the rug. Did she think that her little peck was going to make me forget what had just slipped away?
“Hey, I didn’t think we were together no way, from what you said last week,” I retorted in anger.
“Oh, dumb me. You’re right!” She turned around, flung her hair in my face and walked away. I tried to grab her but more fans stepped between us. I towered over most of them and could see that as she walked away she wasn’t even looking back. I’m done with it; maybe she was right. Maybe it shouldn’t have been all about me. But if Deuce couldn’t understand it, my parents couldn’t understand it, and Savoy couldn’t understand it—then maybe God would just let me wallow.
On the bus to the hotel I sat in my seat and prayed, Lord, this is a lot to deal with. Help me to not get into a funk, although I am already in one. Help me to not stay that way! I don’t know what I’m saying, Lord, I’m just a frustrated man and really upset. I’m upset at me. The more and more I try to do the right thing, the more negative comes my way. I know You’re up there—could you light up my path a little bit? I’m a football player playing in the dark—give me some lights, Lord. Shine some, Lord, dang.
It was such an emotional, draining day I couldn’t wait for my head to hit the pillow and crash. The National Championship game had slipped through my fingers and I wanted that day to be over. However, I heard a bunch of noise at the door when Deuce came in with Saxon and a few other players. I was frustrated that I had not locked the door when they burst in.
“Get up, get up, get up!” Saxon said, messing with my legs.
“Ouch, boy, I’m sore,” I told him.
“Aw Perry, come on, man, we’re just trying to have a little fun. Get up out the bed, it’s not even eleven-thirty. You crashing early like you some little momma’s boy or something.”
“Sax, you know me well enough to know that little snide comments like that do not bother me. I’m tired, man,” I said, putting the pillow over my head. That was stupid because the next thing I knew Deuce and Saxon were pushing me and hitting me and shoving me.
“Alright, alright,” I said as I sat up. “What do y’all want?”
Deuce said, “Come on, we are going to hang out for a little bit. We’re going to this little club that the track girls are going to.”
“Forget them, I hear some of the local girls are fine too—I hear the place is jumping. Let’s go,” Saxon said.
“Y’all go mess with the honeys,” I told them.
“Well, you know my sister is going to be mad that you’re not there,” Saxon said as he gave me some evil eye, like I wasn’t taking care of my business.
“I don’t think me and Savoy are going to work out,” I said, regretting that I gave her brother more information than he needed.
“Boy, I can tell in your face that you want my sister. And no matter how much I try and fight it—your little having-no-sex behind is the perfect one I want for her. What y’all done had, one time in two years?” I gritted my teeth at his insinuation that I was less of a guy or something because I wasn’t trying to screw her brains out. I had integrity and character and I respected her. And more than that, I wanted to respect the word of the Lord, who said that satisfying my flesh had given me too many issues. The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt Savoy’s feelings. Maybe I would surprise her and go to the little club, get our groove on and let her take my mind off the game.
So when I got out of the bed Saxon said, “Now, that’s what I’m talking about, boy. Yeah, let’s go.”
Half an hour later we pulled into a club called Heat. None of us were over twenty-one, but flashing our Georgia Tech badges we were able to get in. I checked out my environment—folks were in groups laughing and enjoying each other. There wasn’t too much alcohol out, just a few cans and some cigarettes, and people on the dance floor were getting their groove on.
I did not see Savoy, but Deuce said to me, “Oh, there are our girls.”
I looked in the direction he was pointing and then our jaws dropped when we saw the Tech girls hanging out with some older local guys.
“I don’t understand what’s up with this, Kendall knew I was coming. That dude needs to take his hands off her butt. You coming?”
“Naw, man, Savoy looks like she having a good time. She don’t need me. I’ma chill over here.”
Deuce walked a couple of steps farther and waved his hand at Kendall. She looked up and saw him and met him halfway. I watched as his tongue slid down her throat. I don’t know if he was trying to prove a point to the guys that she had just walked away from, that she was his, or if he really was excited about seeing her. Either way, they were cool and went off into a corner somewhere. Savoy, though, tried to play me. She saw me and I smiled. She didn’t smile back, just turned around and started rubbing on some guy’s chest. It had to be to make me angry, because he wasn’t hot. The guy looked like a thug, with one gold tooth in his mouth and a bandana around his head. Yet when I saw him pull out a roll and hand it to his boy for drinks, I realized that he was probably the leader of the crew that she was with. Did she even know what she was doing? It could be dangerous for her to act like she wanted to be with this guy. Accepting a drink from him could get her into even
