But, no first week of school can top my freshman year of high school. Why, you ask? Well, sit back and listen to a story that shaped my entire high school experience. A story that is quite hilarious :)
My brother was a popular one....I mean, everyone liked my brother. Being his kid sister made me known as "Luke's little sister" and while it wasn't a bad thing, I wanted to make a name for myself. Be known for "Erika", not just my brother's sister. :) Well, I became "known" alright!
A high school girl invited everyone to her place for a party. Since I went to a small Christian school, the majority of my high school was there that night. So, what do a whole bunch of Christian school kids do at a party? Well, around 9:00, someone got the brilliant idea to TP someone's yard. Mind you, I was 14 at the time.....I had no idea what TP'ing WAS, but I was always up for pranks, even at an early age.
Grabbing a whole bunch of toilet paper, my friends and I ran to a classmates house.....a classmate that just happened to live 2 blocks from the police station. Our first mistake!
I still remember throwing the toilet paper into the trees, watching it flow in the wind and having the time of my life! After quite some time, we were starting to finish and were looking for our rides to go back to my friend's house. In the distance, I saw car headlights and thought it was my brother. However, when you have 20+ teengaers throwing toilet paper around someone's yard, you are just destined to have someone call the police on you. Suddenly I heard someone say "Run!!"
Running to my brother for safety, I ran right toward the car lights until suddenly a flashlight stopped me in my tracks "Stop! Police!" the policeman said.What!?!?! I felt like a criminal as he made me follow him to his car with the toilet paper still in my hands. I watched as my other more intelligent friends were running to the bushes and down by the river. :)
5 of us got caught and were forced to stand and get a lecture on how tp'ing is wrong and someone could get hurt. My eyes were probably huge at that moment as I was scared stiff. How would I explain THIS one to my parents? My first high school party!! I was always one to follow the rules and not get into trouble but now this!
Pretty soon, the police officer got friendlier and was telling us to not do it again, stay out of trouble, etc. However, he needed to write up a report of the incident. We had to state our names and date of birth. When he got to me, I spouted off my name, and nicely told him my date of birth. He stopped writing and looked up at me. Confused, I wondered what the problem was.
Little did I know that our town had just developed a 10:00 curfew.....for children 15 and under. I was out past curfew! HA! My night was only getting worse!
The officer explained he would need to take me in and have my parents come and get me. Another girl and I were put into the back of the police car, bars and all, and were "transported" to the police station 2 blocks away! On the way, the officer called in and said, "I have two female juveniles coming". They had to get our rooms ready! Ha!
They put us in two different conference rooms (don't worry, we didn't get a cell...THAT would have been crazy!) and we were given our "one phone call" to call our parents and tell them to come get us! I called and asked for my dad who I don't think quite believed me at first (since I was known to try to trick my dad on the phone from time to time! My family loves jokes!) :) but finally he and my mom came and got me. :) We were sent home with a document stating that if I ever got picked up past curfew again I would need to do community service......it was quite the night!
Needless to say, the party was over :) And, since I grew up in a town of 5,000, news spreads quickly. People got quite the laugh out of it since it was SO unlike me and such a crazy situation! I definitely learned my lesson, that's for sure!
On Monday, I mustered up the courage to return to school even though I knew the teasing would begin. I walked in to a sign that said, "Top 10 ways to TP" with Number One being "Don't TP with Erika Albertson" :) I never lived it down my entire high school career.....but at least I made a name for myself :)
Some of my partners in crime :) High school....such fun memories! (I'm the one on the bottom right in case you can't recognize me!)
*Epilogue: I went on to become a DARE role model and laughed heartily with the police officers I worked with about this story! :) Oh, and yes I most definitely TP'ed again...just not until I was 16 :)
