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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Truth or Dare (08/28/08)
Truth or Dare – it’s a stupid game and why I had agreed to play it is beyond me. I could blame it on peer pressure, but that’s a crock. I’d never cared what others thought.

I’m not even sure how I wound up at a slumber party with the Spartan Seven, a chic clique of nauseating high-school fashionistas.

I’d never been part of that crowd…or any crowd, for that matter, but there I was, surrounded by cutesy girls in cutesy pajamas about to play the dumbest game ever invented.

Maybe it was the prospect of embarrassing the crud out of Jamie Lynn Walters or putting a few S.S. brats in their place that pulled me from the corner where I was sulking to the circle in the center of the floor. I don’t know, but it was about to get ugly.

Things started out pretty silly.

Did you ever…?
Would you ever…?
Have you ever…?

Blah, blah, blah.

A few answers, several dares and way too many giggles later, it was my turn. I looked directly at Jamie. I didn’t like her, never had. She was too perfect. Gorgeous hair, killer body, genius smarts and a great personality - yech.

Everyone liked Jamie Lynn. Everyone, including Jake, my next-door neighbor and best friend. Hanging out with Jake was the only decent part of my rotten life. At least it was until he fell head over heels for Jamie.

I’d heard the recent rumors. I knew they were lies, but I couldn’t resist.

“Jamie, truth or dare?” I asked.

Jamie Lynn giggled, “Truth, I guess.”

“Is it true that you had an abortion last year?” I challenged.

As soon as the words left my mouth I regretted them. Probably because I knew that Jamie Lynn would tell the truth. Any other person would lie through their teeth, but not Jamie.

While every girl in the room glared and wished me dead, Jamie lowered her head. Tears filled her eyes and dropped on her pretty pink pajamas.

Softly she said, “Yes, it’s true. I was raped while walking home from cheerleading practice. When I found out I was pregnant, my parents gave me no choice. They were afraid of what people would say and afraid of how it would mess up my life.”

“It was awful,” she continued, “and I can’t get it out of my mind. I killed a baby and I don’t know if God can ever forgive me.” Jamie sobbed.

The Spartan Seven closed ranks, surrounding Jamie in a soggy group hug that totally shut me out.

I said the only thing I could say – the one thing I swore that I would never say.

“Jamie, I’m sorry. I had an abortion, too and I know exactly how you feel.”

A collective gasp went up from the huddle. All eyes turned toward me and I wanted to throw up.

“Six months ago…only I wasn’t raped. I was just stupid and I thought it was the easy way out.”

Silence.

I continued, “It wasn’t easy, though. I thought I could just go on like it never happened, but I couldn’t. I was so ashamed, I quit going to church. I couldn’t sit there, knowing that God probably hated me for what I’d done.”

Jamie broke free from her cocoon, put her arms around me and for the first time in six months, I cried. We all cried and when our tears were spent, Sarah Matthews spoke up.

“The truth is that we’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all done things we’re ashamed of. We can’t change that, but isn’t that exactly why God sent Jesus? Isn’t that why Jesus died, to forgive sin?”

She paused. “So here’s the next dare, I dare us all to get real with each other and then get real with God.”

What followed was unbelievable. One by one, those girls I thought were so perfect began to share things that proved they were just like me. Young, confused and scared most of the time.

We talked, we cried, we hugged, and then we did something I had never done before with a group of girls. We knelt in a circle, held hands and asked God to forgive us.

The Spartan Seven no longer exists. It died the night we played Truth or Dare and in its place is a group of girls who will be friends for life…and I am a part of it all.

How amazing!
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This article has been read 1763 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Helen Murray
09/05/08
Oh what a wonderful story for youth club venues. I'd like to see it dramatised for that purpose. Very well presented, surprising at every turn and a wonderful climax.
Robyn Burke
09/06/08
Very good. Truth or dare can be a scary game but you showed how it was used for good and glorified God. I would leave off the last line about being amazing. the previous line is a great close already.
Pat Guy
09/07/08
Ab-so-lute-ly very good job! You carried me all the way till the end. Good writing here.
Patricia Turner 
09/07/08
I closed my eyes and prayed too for these real girls who have taken this step and found out it wasn't the easy way out at all.

This was a gripping story and an outstanding way to fit this topic.

I agree it should be dramatized and shared in any other ways to young girls. Thanks!
Patty Wysong
09/08/08
I loved the voice you used. It added depth and authenticity and kept me reading. Great job on something girls need to hear!
Danae Cowart
09/09/08
You did a great job of presenting a character and her environment in very few words. I also really liked the narrative voice. One improvement you could make would be to make the second half of the story sound a little less like everyone knows exactly what to say--the first part sounded very authentic to me, but then when they started talking about their abortion experiences, it started to sound rehearsed to me. This story could probably do better with a longer word limit.
Leah Nichols 
09/09/08
Very interesting! Well done - great take on the topic. I agree that you could definitely expand the story - it's rushed, likely due to the word limit. Great job, though, especially for your first challenge!
Joy Faire Stewart
09/09/08
Excellent story with an amazing message that should be shared. Great job writing on the topic.
Sheri Gordon
09/11/08
Congratulations on your EC. This is really good--you nailed the voices and attitudes of teenage girls. Very good writing, and great job with the topic.
Jason Swiney
09/15/08
Very well done - I like the voice of the MC during the early descriptions. The action does seem to get rushed during the dialogue, but the message still shines through very effectively. Congratulations on a well deserved EC!