I think everyone at some point in his or her life wants to be a rebel or date a rebel. I think it is completely natural to want to go against society and parental obedience. We may not realize it at first, but at some point in time, we need to feel that rush. Think about it. It gives a sense of power, a sense of excitement, it gives people something to talk about, and it gives the bad attitude that everyone respects, right? Rebellion, the one thing people are two-sided about. They love to hate it and they can’t live without it.
When I was thirteen years old and in the eighth grade that is exactly what was on my mind all the time. How I could become a rebel with a cause. I was one of those little girls who were spoiled as a child because I was the only child. So when it came to friends I always wanted them, and when it came to what click of friends I didn’t want to see myself with any other click than the one that had the most respect. The West View Rough Riders, the badasses, the thieves, the hoods those were the kids I wanted to hang out with. They were the exact definition of cool. They had their own crew of dedicated followers, they always had something to do, they never had a dull moment, and they had the attention if not respect of just about everyone in the school. I was way too immature to realize that all the talk about them was trash and that all they did was wrong just to get attention. To me, they were who I looked up to. I never was one to say “ Hey I’m gonna be like Mike.” and look up to stars in Hollywood. It was all about the fact that they were the center of all the attention and that was where I wanted to be. I started hanging out with Miss Jewels and Pam. They weren’t the school's head badasses but they were up there in the click and the fact that I was in good with them said something for who I was. They were the girls who got me started, got me in, and got me my very first relationship with a black man, Justin. At that time, that was the ultimate thing to choose to do. Not only was it taboo in society but my parents flipped. They weren’t racist, so they said, but they believed what society believed and that was that interracial couples should not be. What would people think, would they think of my parents as cool and ahead of the times or completely out of their minds for letting me do such a thing? It didn’t stop at that. When I started dating Justin I acquired all his friends and all his traits and his basic way of life. Justin was the ringleader of the pact. He was to the guys what Miss Jewel and Pam were to me. They all looked up to him. He was the one smoking weed, getting straight A’s in school, the one with all the friends, and the one with the ID to get the cigarettes for the rest of us. The sheer fact that he could have anyone was amazing, to spite controversy, and the fact that he picked me over all the other girls was the greatest thing next to the invention of the phone. Our relationship lasted for about 6 months and then he cheated on me and I found out. He thought because I was blond I wouldn’t catch on, I showed him. Regardless of that incident, we remained best friends for years and it turned out to be the best thing, us breaking up. I became the best girlfriend with the girl he cheated on me with and she was probably the biggest influence on my life next to my family. Dana was her name and her status was above that of Miss Jewel and Pam. It was the height of my popularity at school. People asked about me, people wanted to be friends with me, people wanted to be like me. It was everything I was waiting for. I just took it too far.
It was late March and I was starting to spend an obscene amount of time up at Dana’s’. To be honest, everybody was. It was the place to be. Her parents were the coolest and no matter what was going on with us they were always understanding and following with the punches. They were the ideal parents; they cared yet they never showed it in public. Therefore not to embarrass their kids. Anyway, Miss Jewel at the time was dating this guy named Dave. He was tall, skinny, and had the worst family life. Then there was Dana’s long time friend Connie. She was a winner and a half; she came from a coke-addicted household with nothing but the clothes on her back and the voices in her head. Pam was around but not as much as the rest of us were. Justin couldn’t stay away for a day. He always had at least two of his boys with him and not a day went by that he didn’t go to see his woman. Romantic don’t you think? It was March 31st when I accomplished my greatest feet, with the helping hands of Connie and Dave. Out of all my friends I had to be with those two pathetic excuses for human beings. We were supposed to stay at Dana’s that night but unfortunately, some rumbling through their walls was occurring and that wasn’t the day to stay. Connie, Dave, and I all were out of a place to crash so we decided to walk. We walked and we walked and we walked some more. We walked all night, I don’t think I ever exercised so much in my life. We walked to the Denny’s about 5 miles from Dana’s house, we walked to this apartment complex where we got about 2 hours sleep in the basement in the laundry room, and in the morning we walked to my destiny. Mind you at this time Miss Jewel and Dave were having a tiny tiff over this guy he was completely jealous of. Who truthfully didn’t even want anything to do with Miss Jewel except being friends with her. When we got to the destination it was shaped in the form of a beautiful ranch house. It was even more beautiful on the inside with its modern yet antique furniture and fixtures. Just to add a side note we were not allowed in this house. We never asked permission to enter it. Never intended to enter it with innocent intent. We basically broke in and robbed this house. I must say it was one of the lowest points in my life. However like I always wanted it gave me the popularity that I longed for. The price I paid to get it was more than I bargained for. When we got in this house we stole whatever money was lying about and the family credit cards. With them we went shopping.
Breaking and entering, robberies, credit card fraud, receiving stolen merchandise were the charges. The expressions on my parents’ faces were priceless. They were Kodak moment materials all the way. We found me an attorney, went to court, got charged with misdemeanors, and sentenced to 100 hours community service one-year probation, and restitution. The crime happened in less than five hours yet I paid for it till I turned eighteen this past summer. After I was caught I was put on house arrest, that was by far when I learned the most. There was no textbook in the world that would teach me the cruelty of life and the consequences of making the wrong choices. I look back on it now and even though it was only five years ago it still feels like a lifetime ago. I feel like in five years, I did twenty years of growth. After that, I stayed friends with Dana and some of Justin’s’ friends but for the most part, I learned that popularity is just a high school image that fades with the babyface. It was a beneficial arrest in the sense that I got to find out who I really was and what was really important to me. Popularity wasn’t as important as my freedom. I love the thought of a bonified rebel but I think I’ll leave it to the movies and live my life to its fullest potential the legal way. I also learned something even more precious and that’s that my parents could never be Dana’s and I fully appreciate that.
In conclusion, rebellion is something I will love to hate but something I’m glad I choose not to live without.