Teenage Rachael

In the interest of writing YA, I think that it is important to remember what it was like to be a teenager. What did you like? What did you do? What did you LOVE? And, what drove you nuts? So, here is a list about teenage Rachael.

1. Throughout high school, I lost about 60 lbs, taking me from "Fat Sweaty Betty" to "Freak B*tch" or just "Betty." I am serious. My guy friends called me these names.

2. I drove an '89 Firebird, sky blue and rust. I loved that car. LOVED it. I called her Venus and she was a tank. But, oddly enough, she would stall everytime I was at a certain corner. Never failed.

3. One of my favorite things to do was pick up my best friend, Missy, and our boyfriends, get in said Venus, and drive. We would go to the state game area or stop at the store and buy a Stewart's Cream Soda.

4. Another one of my favorite things to do was to go to teen night at the bowling alley. Only people 18 and under were allowed in. There was a DJ and for one price you could bowl all night. It originally went to 1 am but they eventually changed it to 12 because there were so many problems. IT was basically an excuse to act stupid, eat nachoes, hit on guys, and watch everyone smoke illegally. Good times.

5. I belonged to a group of friends that called themselves The Rejects. There was me, your friendly neighborhood goth, Janae, the jock, Sara, the shy but preppy girl, and Missy, the outsider. Missy was my best friend through most of high school and is now. I used to practically live at her house. We would go for five mile walks then eat frozen pizza and nachoes. Yum.

6. I dated about seven guys in high school. Most of them were disgusting and I will never forgive myself.

7. It used to drive me nuts, but my mom wouldn't allow me to spend hours on the phone long distance with my boyfriend. And she would pick up occasinally to make sure I was behaving.

8. I always behaved... on the phone. ;)

9. My favorite highschool bands? Hole, Garbage, Marilyn Manson, KoRn, Limp Bizkit, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Oleander, Weezer, and Blink 182. I am not proud but sometimes I really do miss Fred Durst. And Manson was the hottest in the boob suit.

10. I am not kidding when I say that I spent a bulk of my first two years of high school wearing men's Kikwear jeans with 54" to 69" wide legs and super tight shirts. I was proud of my ever-improving body. When I was 16 I started wearing super tight jeans then I switched to all kinds of pants. Blue and black striped or plaid. I dyed my hair black and, for a little while, had purple or red or blue or green or pink bangs. I used to draw on my face with eye-liner. I would still do all of this if I could.