I'm No Fool

Lets just say for the sake of time that growing up - I was a bad girl. I lied to my parents, drank, snuck out of the house whenever I could, listened to dirty rap, and was even known to shop lift a thing or two (but thats a story for another time).

The buzz all week around my high school was about my friends party that was happening that Saturday. Everyone I knew was going to be at this party. It was the classic his parents are out of town lets have a big house party situation. I went home and let my mom know my friend was having a small get together and I was invited.

"Do you have his parents phone number?" She asked.

You see, my mom made it a rule that if I were to ever go over to a friends house with out her there, she had to speak with the parents. This became particularly frustrating as I got older. No 17 year old looked cool when their mom called to talk to their mom as though we were still in fourth grade.

"Um, well I don't really have the number" I replied.

"You mean, you don't want me to talk to them. Wait a minute, this isn't the party I've been hearing from other parents right? Where a bunch of kids are going to a house party to get drunk and play ping pong!"

...did she seriously just say ping pong to me?

"Ummm...." I honestly wasn't sure what to say to that.

"Rachel, there is no way you are going to that party. Kids your age have no business doing things like that, I'm sure his parents would disapprove too if they knew what was going on."

"You don't even know him! These are my friends we are talking about! They all invited me, and I am going. Even if you don't like it!" (See, I told you I was a bad girl)

"I'm going to check your bedroom through out the night, and if you are not there when I go down, I will come and find you."

That was the last we talked about it. The weekend was getting closer, and I frequently tried to come up with a plan to get to that party. I've snuck out of the house before, I'm sure I could do it again. I wasn't going to drink while I was there. And as long as I was only gone for an hour and a half she wouldn't find me. So when 11:30 came around Saturday night, I opened up the family room window, and walked to my friends car that was parked several houses down from mine.

Let me tell you - the party was awesome! When I got there people were dancing all over the house, and greeting me as though we were all best friends. Even my secret crush at the time was there, and talking to me. My crush asked if I wanted to go outside to get some air in the backyard. I brought my best friend and a few others and we all had a good time laughing and exchanging silly stories. My crush even held my hand most of the time, and when he said he had to leave, he gave me a kiss on the cheek. I was seriously on cloud nine. When reality started to sink back in, I went into the kitchen to look at the clock. It was flashing 3:47 am.

Immediately I started to panic. Where in the hell had all the time go? I started to franticly search for my purse in the sea of people, when my friend came frantically running towards me.

"Dude, I think your mom is outside!!"

My heart sunk. She actually came I thought to myself. Sure enough when I turned the corner I saw her in the doorway. Once we locked eye contact, I new the party was over. She didn't say one word to me. Not at the party, on the drive home, or when we got home, which meant I was in for a serious punishment the next day.

And yes, I got punished. However I did survive. I remember thinking she was the worst mom in the entire world for embarrassing me like that. But, when I think about this story now I say to msyelf...

Mama didn't raise no fool!