Prime Choice by Stephanie Perry Moore Read Free Book Online

you,” she said.
    She was right, too. I was making myself sick over my decision to cut things off with Tori. I only hoped I could figure out what was right to do. Mom’s grub was smellin’ good. I felt my appetite coming back.
    She continued, “I worry about you a lot. You’re about to go out into the real world. I know you’re more than just book-smart. You’re street-smart, too. So, use your common sense, ’cause you ain’t no fool. I never wanted you to get too serious with girls. Thankfully, the one you got has her head on straight. It’s a whole bunch of these fast mamas out here that I certainly don’t want you to get caught all up with. So, if you’re with Tori, at least Mom won’t have to stress, you know? Plus the girl truly cares for you, she’s not around for the sport, not around for the fame. Think about that, Son.”
    She kissed me on my forehead and left me to my thoughts. I kept looking at the phone beside me, picked it up and dialed Tori’s number that was etched in my brain. When I got her answering machine, I left a message telling her how I really felt.
    â€œMy mom told me you called. I don’t know. If an apology is enough for you to forgive me, then I’m sorry I’ve been pushing you away. Even though I’ve physically kept my distance, you haven’t been out of my heart and mind. I want us to get back together. If that’s what you want, then give me a call. I miss you, girl.”
    After I hung up the phone, I picked up the seafood dish in front of me and gobbled it down. My mom was right. I wasn’t crazy. Tori was a great girl and the food was the bomb! All I could do was my part. I didn’t know if she would take me back. I just knew I wanted her to. And now the ball was in her court.
    Until she called me, I had to relax. Lay off it a bit. Though I made some mistakes with her, I had made my bed, and now I had to sleep in it. If she didn’t take me back, I’d find a way to be cool with it. I was tough, but I also knew when to admit when I was wrong. For the first time in a long time I could feel good, knowing that with my girlfriend I was handling my business.

3
    Being in Control
    I became more filled with excitement with each mile I drove to Lucy Laney High School. It was time to get ready for the first day of football camp. This was my senior year. Though I was one of the top recruits in the state going into football season, I was ready to try and be the best player in Georgia. Not because I had something to prove to anyone else, but I wanted to prove to myself that I was great at the game I’d worked so hard on. For so many years, I’d studied the game, watched the film and learned from coaches. Now I was ready to perform.
    I also knew this wasn’t going to be a cakewalk, either. As many fans as I had out there, I had many naysayers who were wanting me to fail, wanting me to give up and not wanting me to live up to my expectations. And all of that just made me strive harder and become more explosive on the field.
    When I pulled up to the parking lot, everybody on my team was pulling up at the same time. Looked like they were as eager as I was. We were ready to win state and take it to the Dome. Show people some things. Show them that this little school from Augusta was a powerhouse. There was one big setback, though. And that was the fact that we had a new head coach. Coach Pugh, our former leader, had come upon a great opportunity. He had wanted to coach on a college level for years. He now was the head coach for Fort Valley State University, a historically black college in Fort Valley, Georgia, about three hours away from us.
    Some young guy named Coach Robinson, who had won a national college championship at Georgia Tech in 1990, was our new coach. He had played a couple of years with some pro team. I didn’t know much about him, but I heard he was a pretty cocky guy. Though I had