Military Brats

I can remember being impressed. For the first time in a long time I had my own room.
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Now this might sound funny to you all but sharing with a step-sister then brothers is no where or way for a teen girl to live.
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Any privacy I had in the past was in the restroom, that's it.
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Then though the boys would barge in without knocking if I didn't lock .
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New Hammond Heights was a nice neighborhood, and I was surrounded by kids my age.
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I should have been happy but like most in teens I was scared I wouldn't fit in.
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Then I met Shawna Grigsby.
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She was a skinny mouthy little thing, lots of black eye liner and she adored metal music.
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Oh my Mom had fits when she saw her. But I loved knowing she couldn't control me cause, hey
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she was at work.
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Of course I smoked like a big idiot, as did Shawna and most of the kids I would end up meeting that summer.
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I come from a country background so their taste in music threw me for a loop but hey Metallica grows on you.
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I met the boy I would crush on for a long time at what they call the Teen Center.
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The great thing about that place besides pool tables, and a jukebox was we could listen to Jammers ( Kids who actually had some kinda talent and weren't afraid to show it).
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And the ladies that ran the place turned a blind eye to our smoking, as long as we took it across the street to the field.
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I spent so many hours laying in that field with my friends.
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People like me who hated their lives!  
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Funny waking up looking forward to something was a strange emotion for me, but I lived for Gator coming home from work and telling me hit the road Girly.
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I learned that I can't shoot pool, but I could sing. They liked that and many times would ask me to while we watched the stars.
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My fondest memories in life are of that time period.
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Belonging to someone else not just your family and being important made me whole.
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And then what happens to shatter a young girl?
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She falls in love.
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I saw Joe with this blond blue eyed boy named ironically Trey.
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Total opposites, but best friends, one night out of the blue they appeared at the Center and
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most of the girls ran up to Trey.
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Not me.
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I was looking at the boy with dark hair and brown eyes.
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And what happened? I was invisible least to him.
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Till we started the first day of school and Mandy who was a girl who fooled around with Trey sat down next to Shawna and I at lunch.
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I knew of course what was going to happen, Trey and Joe would eventually end up at our table.
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When they sat down my tongue froze to the roof of my mouth and Shawna was kicking me like mad under it.
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Grinning because for once in my life I couldn't talk. Just stare.
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He spoke to me and I casually said Hi.
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From then on it was I love Joe all over my diary, how silly yet innocent I was.
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89-90 Fort Campbell Ky
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Author notes

Funny how the friends you make in High School are the ones you remember the most..

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Comments

1 - 6 of 6
  • Mark Rickerby
    November 19, 2005
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    Great trip through your adolescent years. You should think about writing a thorough autobiography. You have a knack for capturing memories that involve the reader emotionally. I think young girls could learn a lot from you.


  • October 24, 2005
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    lol yeah you without something to say. he must have been something. I really beleive that you first love or crush is the closet to true love you will ever feel in life. It is the strongest feeling anyone at that age has probably ever felt up to that point. I remember not being able to think, eat, sleep or breathe cause all I could do was think of 'him' I like this story best. its not so sad and it shows the 'sassy' side that I love so much. waiting now for the next....


  • wbiro
    October 24, 2005
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    A fascinating story, sis! I'm sure Joe also remembers those times as the brightest in his life! So the obvious question, what happened to Joe! lol
    your curious big bro!
    Edited on Oct 24, 3:37 p.m. because ''.


  • October 24, 2005
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    Bring on the smiles and sentimentality!

    Hey Cat! I can relate to the remembering the high school friends part.
    But boy did I really freak when I saw the part about her eyeliner and the music and all! Wow, dejavue!
    One of my best friends growing up was so much like this. She was the wild one and I was the "good girl." She did up the mascara bit a lot! She LOVED metal and would listen to Metallica all the time. It would drive me nuts. Wouldn't you know it Cat, but one morning I am all sandy-eyed, and they were half closed, hair in a nest, looking like the dead risen over my coffee....just before work. I sit there barely awake next to my friend. Suddenly, in my own tired-stupor, with the song stuck in my head....start to sing in a low, sort of jokingly making fun-of, throaty voice, "SANITARIUM....LEAVE ME BE!!!" and I slowly shake my head (you know the head banger way!)
    All of a sudden my friend burst out into laughter that nearly shook me out of my chair! Of course realizing then what I was doing, I was in hysterics too!
    From that day on, yes this once dance music queen(or classic rock) grew to love Metallica...and to all who knew me, it was a shocker! So, YES it DOES grow on ya!
    Sharing a room and no privacy, having a brother, I so relate! EEeeesh, I hated that. I remember hanging out with friends and meeting those boys you went crazy for from time to time as I read this. So many memories you brought back. And you did this while putting me there in your own. I could see everything right down to the center and your friend. I felt there with you. You have such a simple, but descriptive way of making someone feel there with you. Always love it!
    I would love to see more chapters about this time in your life...getting me interested now.
    OH...and I remember one particular notebook being "I Love Joey!" (yes coincidentally close again!) from cover to cover. Or having both your names side by side, or the poetry....I can still see the book!
    Eerie huh?
    Thanks for bringing back my own great memories, as well as feeling a part of yours...I liked this a lot!
    Hope things are better for you and you're feeling better.
    Luv Ya, ~Kitty {{{{


  • October 24, 2005
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    Awe the haunting ache for the "simple life". You KNOW I can relate to that. We all can.
    Thanks for sharing.

    Aunt Deena


  • October 24, 2005
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    And sometimes we are truly lucky and blessed to hang on to those friends, Thanks for sharing this moment in time from your life, It brought back a few memories of my own
    hugz and blessings
    Tears

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