Skippin Skool....

I was wandering through one of my favorite blogs, Candid Carrie, and she was writing a segment about the guilt from skipping school. Well, that made me think of a doosey of a day back when I was in high school....

Let me start with this... I am a good person who has made questionable choices throughout my life. When I was a freshman, I fell in with (as my parents called it) 'the bad crowd'. I called these people my friends and still consider them to be friends to this day. Anyway, Spring was coming and the midwest weather was improving. I was itching to be outside soaking up the sun. It started out simple enough, I had to go to North Campus after 3rd period to take Science (my school was big enough to have 2 campuses). I'll just miss the bus, head downtown and stop at Hungry Hobo for lunch with some friends. And I did just that. One period, one 45 minute period of freedom in the middle of the day and I was hooked. I wanted out. And that is exactly what I did. I got out as often as possible. I learned to lie in the face of the adminstrators. "No, I was in 4th period. I came in late, the teacher must have missed me." And someone always backed up my story until......

I was at the Hungry Hobo for lunch and the Dean of Students, a close personal friend of my parents, stopped in for lunch. Long story short, he took me back to school, called my parents and I spent the next week in the solitary confinement of the dreaded In School Suspension room. After that little stint in the hole, I was scared straight, I never did it again..... Until Senior Skip Day...

The Monday after Prom was our Senior Skip day. I told my parents, "Don't worry about me, I am going to go to school. Plus I have a BioTech test I have to take." I didn't lie. I went to first period (one of three who showed up by the way, which inspired my walk out after class). Took my test, smoozed with the teacher (The man who actually inspired me to become a teacher, Thank you Stiney!) and snuck down the choir hallway after class. Those of us choir/drama nerds new that there was a stage door leading out that was never monitored, so off I went on a new adventure. What could go wrong this time?

I met my then boyfriend, my best friend Becca and some other kids, I don't remember who.... (come on, its been 15 years!) We hung out, listened to music, chatted, and did what normal 17 year olds do on a day of freedom. After lunch we decided to get a killer Volleyball game going on. I am a descent volleyball player, but nothing spectacular.  I must also tell you, I am short. 5'2 is pushing it. My boyfriend and his friends averaged 6'4ish. The height difference was quite noticed when: In the heat of the game my boyfriend at the time went up to spike the ball. So naturally, I have to try to block that spike and keep our team in the lead.  Who cares about relationship loyalty.  This is a game and I wand to WIN!  

He goes to spike.

I jump up on my short little legs to stop the ball.

I am still in mid-jump, when he starts falling back to the ground with his knee still up.

I am still jumping, my finger tips touch the ball..... I am going to block his shot and never let him live it down.....

Then it happens.

Sharp shooting pain sears down my leg radiating from the spot his knee has hit my thigh.  I a word OOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have never felt pain like this in my life.  I immediately fall to the ground clutching my leg in pain.  (even writing about it now sends phantom pain!)  My friends rush to my aid.  I don't think I was able to even make a sound I was hurt so bad.  I couldn't put weight on my leg at all, I had to be carried pretty much for the rest of the afternoon.  

Great, now what.  I can't tell my parents it happened at school, the school has to call.  And I literally can't put any pressure on my leg.  I had someone drive me home, called my dad at work (man was he pissed!), and told him I think I need to go to the hospital.  I started off my conversation with, "You know how I told you I was going to go to school today......" then relay the whole situation to him.  He didn't believe me at first, but came home anyway and took me to the nearby emergency room.  

I had x-rays, a painful exam, was put through tests to see the range of motion I was able to go through.  What I found out was I had a severe hematoma throughout my ENTIRE thigh muscle.  I was put on some mind altering pain medicine, muscle relaxers, and was forced to use crutches until I was able to walk without shooting pain.  That weekend, I even took my ACT exam on the pain killers/muscle relaxer cocktail.  I scored a whopping 17, which I consider a pretty good score given the fact that the bubbles on the sheet kept moving on me!

The boyfriend at the time felt guilty, but not guilty enough in my mind and our relationship ended a couple months later.... Just in time to meet my charming, witty husband.