# 10

I was thinking about high school this morning and I remembered something kind of funny. Some how I got stuck in this lower level health class that I had to take in order to graduate. It had something to do with complications of transferring from an out-of-state school a year earlier. Any way there I was the only junior in a class of freshman. It was not so bad because I knew most of the people in the class. I did not know where to sit so I used my male instincts which have never failed me and sat down next to a cute little blond about half way to the back of the class. Her name was Katrina Arender. She was quiet, shy, and an easy target. So I teased her for a couple of weeks until one weekend I decided to go visit my grandmothers clan back in El Dorado, MO. I was staying with a cousin of mine and I was talking about school and he brought up the fact that he had some cousins that went to the school I was at. I said “Really who?”. “Do you know the Arenders?” and I just started laughing. So the next Monday I sat next to Katrina which was my usual spot and turned to her to and said “Did you know that Jeff Englund is my cousin?” She looked at me not really knowing what to say. I then continued “That means you and I are kin”. She looked at me kind of with a dazed look on her face. I thought this was very amusing for about 2 minutes. Anyway Miss Colons called the class to order and we did not talk much more that day. But the next day I walked into the same class (first class of the am) being kind of groggy I just sort of sat down if that is what adolescence do. Anyway Katrina turned to me immediately and poked a pencil eraser into the air between us as said “You know last night when I got home I asked my mother about what you said and she told me that her sister married your 3rd cousin so that makes of no blood relation!” So I said with out looking up or probably even thinking “That means our kids wont be freaks then.” I then noticed a hush from her and some slight giggling from around the class room. Miss Colons then sternly said “Rusty!” I looked up wondering how I could possible be in trouble seeing that I had not even been in class for 5 minutes then I noticed Katrina’s eyes as big as silver dollars and her face candy apple red. At first I kind of freaked but then I realized that I just unwittingly entertained myself again.
There just happened to be some guy who was involved with the school paper who thought that this would make an amusing story. So he wrote a story about it and published it the following week. Katrina of course was mortified. I scrap-booked the article. Sometimes I wonder if divine justice will pay me back for all the sins I have committed. I have already paid for a few but definitely not that one and a couple others like that one. I have been popped a couple of times and I am sure that there were several times poor Katrina wanted to pop me but she never did. Actually in between incidences of her mortification we were pretty good friends. I was just never good at resisting temptation when it came knocking.
Sadly I am told that this type of innocence is getting harder to find these days. Even in 14 year old high school freshmen’s like Katrina.
I was just looking at the date at which Ginny and the group get in and I noticed they get in on Nuddy Magazine Day! That presents a quandary. Do I go to the airport to pick up the group or do I go to the post office and pick up my stack? Which will bring me the most happiness? What to do….what to do?
So Ginny how did the camping go? Well I hope. Did you try open fire biscuits?
What did you do over the weekend Lori?
FeO2