Riley grabbed her phone. “Mom, please come get me. I hate it here.”
“Oh Riley, you picked a Christian college for a reason.”
Sighing, Riley punched her pillow. “Mom, all anyone talks about is parties.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. Parties are a great way to meet people.”
Swallowing back a scream, Riley closed her eyes. “How can you be so dense? I’m not talking about balloons and cake; I’m talking about kids getting drunk and puking everywhere. I’m talking about stoners pounding on my door and swearing.”
Sniffing, Mom paused. “You don’t need to be nasty, Riley. Don’t let a few rotten apples spoil this experience for you. Plus you’re in a substance-free dorm. Mingle with your suite-mates.”
Riley threw her body against the wall. “You’re not listening. The only reason why most kids are in this dorm is because their mommies filled out their forms. The kids think it’s a joke that their parents don’t know that they get wasted every night.”
“What about church?”
The tears coursed down Riley’s cheeks. “Mom, the church here isn't like ours. The minister screams. Then kids jump up, wave their hands, and pretend to speak in tongues. Please, Mom, come get me.”
Mom softened her tone. “I’ll make you a deal. Try harder to make friends; if you still want to come home, we’ll talk. Just because others are drinking, doesn't mean you have to. Try to meet more people, okay?”
“Do I have a choice?” Riley tossed the phone on her bed and sobbed into her pillow.
Later, her roommate, Jenny, plopped down next to her. “Hey, wanna come to the party with me? Mark from Bio is going.”
Sitting up, a smile spread across Riley’s face. “Hot Mark? Are you sure you don’t mean Creepy Mark?”
Jenny laughed, and pulled Riley to her feet. “Yes, Hot Mark. He even asked if you were coming.”
When they got to the party, Riley’s heart pounded as she choked on the cigarette smoke. Mark met her at the door with a cup. “Here, I know you don’t like to drink, so I brought you some Coke.”
Attempting to lick her lips, Riley’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She guzzled the soda as Mark led her to a couch. Suddenly, the room started spinning; she blinked her eyes.
The pounding headache woke Riley. Her stomach lurched when she noticed her clothes scattered across the floor of a strange room. As she ran back to her dorm, flashes of Mark kissing her made her sick. Trembling, she collapsed in bed. Her eyes drifted to her purity ring. She yanked it off and threw it across the room. Lifting her head she screamed, “God, why didn't you protect me? What kind of a god are you?”
Later, Riley plopped down in front of her computer and noticed a seminar was being held the next day. She clicked on the website CrossExamined. Maybe she would give God one last chance--maybe.
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There are too many stories like Riley’s happening every day across colleges everywhere. See what you can do to help kids remain faithful.
Request a speaker: http://www.crossexamined.org/problem.asp
Parents pass on this info: http://www.god-evidence-truth.com/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/2382930853/permalink/10151515974800854/
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