Peer Pressure

“An excellent student you have Mrs.Chancellor, Straight A’s, Not very many students in this homeroom have that.” Said Mr. Barket during Chase’s parent teacher conference. 

“That's very nice to hear.” She looked at Chase and smiled. 

“Hey Chase, how is your football team going?” Asked Mr.Barket. 

“We’re first in the state with a record 9 and 1.” He answered with some pride in his voice since he was the team captain and he had basically carried the team the entire way. 

“Any scholarship offers yet?” Mr. Barket asked. “

A lot, from D1 schools to”. His mom answered. Chase blushed. 

“They aren't that big '' He said. 

“Michigan State is pretty big.” She said.

 “Alright well, I hope you get in”. Mr. Barket said. “See you around”. 

“That was a very good report for someone who spends so much time at his friend’s house playing video games or whatever you teenage boys do.” Mrs Chancellor said. 

“Thanks mom”. But even as Chase said those words he knew he should tell his mom what he was really doing at his friends house. Ever since 10th grade when he had moved to Charlottesville,Virginia, the kids had always pressured him to smoke. In 10th and 11th grade he had said no but finally to celebrate their first win of his 12th grade career he had one cigarette. Because everyone else was doing it, plus what could one cigarette do? Turns out that one smoke had gotten him hooked and there was no going back. All that peer pressure that one night had made it so hard he just couldn’t resist. Since he couldn’t smoke at his own house he would go over to his buddies houses after football practice and he would smoke like one or two a day. His friends smoked like seven or eight.

“Mom there's something I gotta tell you.” 

“What is it honey”? 

“I’ll tell you later.” 

“Oh sweetie you know you can tell me anything, it’s not like you were smoking or anything right”? She said as she laughed. 

“Well about that. He looked at her with a sorrowful expression and she looked back confused. Oh mom I’m so sorry”. 

“Honey no,no,no,no,no. Where have I gone so wrong?” 

“Everybody was doing it. He said, ``I didn't think it could be that bad”. “And did you get addicted”? Mrs. Chancellor asked with her eyes full of tears because she knew the answer. 

So because of one cigarette and his entire school chanting for him to smoke it Chase was ruined forever. People found out and so did all the universities and so he was never even accepted into college scholarship or regular because no one wanted an underage smoker. Chase has lived in Charlottesville ever since and now works at a local drug store where he will spend the rest of life all because of peer pressure.