Mar 18, 2010

The High School Years

So, MOH and I became best friends sophomore year of high school, thanks to a certain chemistry teacher named Doc Kendall.  Thanks to the wonders of tenure, Doc Kendall was completely senile (she called me the wrong name all year, even though I would not respond), yet was attempting to teach us chemistry.  Somehow, I figured out stuff on my own, but the rest of my friends did not have the spare time nor desire to teach themselves high school chemistry.  Dear readers, do not judge me on what I am about to reveal.  Please keep in mind we were fifteen and our teacher did not teach.

So an elaborate system of alternating rows, and a chain of sign language answers was set up.  I would turn to MOH and sign a, b, c, d, or e for the first answer, she in turn would sign to Jules, who passed it along to BK, and so on.  I know this is cheating and wrong.  Please don't e-mail me- it was 13 years ago and I no longer care.  Here's the kicker- we had the same grades on practically every test.  They would switch to the wrong answers occasionally to avoid detection.  My friends all received a "B"  in Doc Kendall's class.  Me?  Who provided the knowledge to pass the tests?  I got a "C".  I do not get C's, so I had to take my complaint (and spreadsheet of grades- I was secretly that student), to the principal.  Major drama at the time, but you better believe I got my "B+".    Friendship cemented.

Our primary activities included driving around, skipping school, going to the lake, talking to boys, trying to score beer, going to Sonic, finding the best parties, and strangely enough, dancing in parking lots.  MOH, what else did we do in high school?

This is the quarry where we used to go cliff jumping.  The MOH birthday tribute was going to be a surprise, until I realized I probably should ask her permission before putting up pictures of her at 16 in her undies.  Hee.
This is spring junior year in my Jetta, which MOH's little sister later bought from me and renamed Jetta Jamison.  Which is awesome.  Looks like we're at Sonic.  Cherry Limeade (sometimes to be mixed with whatever we could scrounge- never while driving, Mama!).  What I would give to find some of those mix tapes from back in the day.  MOH had a Integra that she ragged to pieces- after one instance of driving through a field in her 2-door Acura (!), we had to duct tape the bottom of the car to the rest of it.  By senior year she hated the car so much, that MOH would leave her keys in the ignition or on the hood wherever we were so it would get stolen.   No one wanted it apparently.

This is MOH, me, AMR, someone's date, Tins, Ella, Ames, and AK senior year prom.
There was a huge after prom party at my parents house that night- about 50 of us spent the night.  It was awesome (well, back then- now in the age of My Super Sweet Sixteen probably not so cool).  Also, please notice the lack of sluttiness in our prom dresses.  While shopping for my latest cotillion dress I was in shock over the mass amount of cutouts, slits, and general lack of fabric in the prom dresses offered.  Seriously?

So a brief snapshot of 13-10 years ago.  I can't believe it's been that long- I feel like I was just in high school.  It probably doesn't help that I see most of my best friends from high school at least once a week.  That's a little freakish.

7 comments:

  1. This cracks me up... and brings back SO many memories! My friend KK and I used to split up vocab words (why we had vocab quizzes like 4th graders in Sophmore Pre-AP English is beyond me) each week and then SWITCH QUIZZES - I'd do half, she'd do her half... then we'd switch and repeat!

    Annnd my MOH also drove an Integra - I believe we called it Alegra the Integra. My car was "The Beast" - a 1983 Volvo... my parents used to joke "We bought you a new car the year you were born!" Har har.

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  2. So cute! I had a nearly identical story as yours, but in Honors English. Not very honorable that we cheated, but our teacher was an alcoholic (and, we later learned, a pedophile) so I didn't feel so bad cheating in that class. I had to get my grade changed too!

    And I completely agree with the trashy prom dresses. I blush when I see what these girls wear!

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  3. I love this so much! But you did forget to mention how we had huge collections of hemp necklaces that would stink so bad....and how we dressed in clothes that were entirely too big, full of holes (the more the better) and came from thrift stores. Hilarious how much things have changed.

    Oh and Samma set up a fake gamail account for me so I could finally comment!!

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  4. Dear S&S - I found you through the link at Blue Eyed Bride. I've had so much fun visiting East TN today by way of your words and pictures because it is back where I come from, too! Dolly, Waylon, Pat Conroy, and 'shine...Bless your heart, I think you're my Blog Little Sister!

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  5. I knew that rock quarry the moment I saw it. I bruised my tailbone there during one very clumsy jump junior year of college!

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  6. Ah, fellow teenagers of the 90's, we know your chokers well.

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  7. Look how far you've come! For some reason another post that no longer exists of you and your MOH appeared in my reader. Anyway, the dress from labor day you were wearing, who made it? I want it desperately! You two look adorable!

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