School's Out For Summer

This time of year is always the best. Even though it's been a while since I've been in school, it still has a great feeling as summer is on the very edge of busting through.

It also reminds me of one of my most embarrassing moments...one of the ones involving underwear, there are three of those, all during Jr. High except for this one.

Maybe this is new for some people to learn, but I was not appealing to members of the opposite gender during my teen years. This photo might explain it:

Alien Girl

She must be a "sweet spirit"

I had to throw this in so not everything in this post makes me look bad, but maybe this does too...in a vain sort of way... at least I'm wearing a different shirt in this one. Oh how I loved that Spanish Fork Soccer T. If I ever used an online dating program, this would have been one of those photos to use in a profile, that looked alright, then if anyone met me in person--TOTAL LETDOWN.

Anyway, my best friend, Mysha had it going on and experienced dating and relationships in high school--basically she was normal. It was the end of our sophomore year and we had a tradition from 7th grade to have a sleepover the night before school got out and we'd wear our pajamas to the last day of school. So 10th grade ended.

A couple weeks prior to the end of 10th grade, a group of guys had started hanging out occasionally with Mysha and I. Among the group were two seniors that were graduating, so two years older, which was really intimidating for me to be around them. Even though I grew up with all these guys in my ward, I don't think we'd ever spoken because I was shy and lame, as stated before. But a couple of the guys were interested in Mysha and it came to surface the "Kelly girl that is mute" was the "cute girl's" friend so they started showing up.

That stage being set, after all the yearbooks were signed and school was officially over for 2001, we all had the great notion to go jump off the dam at the mouth of American Fork Canyon, into the American Fork River. I'd done this tons as a kid and looked forward to it.

Here is the dam with the group on top and my butt facing the camera as I climb on the side. **literary foreshadow** So we got bored with just jumping off, and the group relocated across the river on a make shift platform. There was a huge log chained to the ground, and everyone would climb up on it. Mysha and I think Kyle were out on the log, and it was my turn. The two seniors, Jordan & Spencer were still in the water behind me, and the gentlemen they were, preparing to help hoist me up on the log.

So I grabbed onto the log with my hands, and as normal, began to swim up, kicking as hard as I could until my arms were straight. I must of underestimated the power of my vertical swimming, or overestimated the strength of the elastic in my fleece pajama bottoms, but I swam out of the water and my water-logged pants stayed in the river.

The worst part is, the water was so cold I think my legs were slightly numb because I didn't immediately realize I had no pants on. I remember straightening my arms and looking up at Mysha who was bending down to help me, when her eyes got huge. I realized what was wrong through the combination of her expression and the yelps of Jordan and Spencer who were right behind me, ready to help me. The shock of some random sophomore losing her pants might be enough, but to top it off I had white panties on, so basically mooning these guys right in their faces.

At this point what do you do?

I'll tell you what I did, I just plunged back in the water and pulled my pants back up. As the ice cold water froze my brain, and my options began to narrow, I decided I couldn't hold my breath forever and I would have to come up and face everyone, including the intimidating cooler upper class-men who just saw my butt. I decided I had to surface, but better to laugh then cry.

So when I decided drowning actually was worse than facing the group, I popped up fake laughing as well as I could under the circumstances. I'm sure the guys behind me were less eager to help me get on the log this time though.
I don't remember too much of any detailed conversation, but I think a couple "keep your pants on" jokes worked through whatever we were doing and I survived.
And it could have been worse. At least my granny panties stayed on my bum, providing a thin transparent buffer zone. Oddly enough, that group of guys continued to hang out with us despite myself and some of their friendships ended up being the most important influences in my teen years.

Hopefully everyone there that day has forgotten this experience though, I'm still a little embarrassed. Any if you were there and remember it differently, email me and I'll correct it the best I can, but I think it's pretty accurate.