One Drink Too Many

[bluidkiti]

One Drink Too Many
It Did Happen to Me
by: Amanda S.

About two years ago, I was in a very difficult situation. Of course, I chose the wrong route with some "friends". I never thought it would turn out the way it did. But, I guess I definitely thought wrong. Here is what happened:

I was a sophomore in high school, an average "school girl" so to speak. Some people had referred to me as a "goody-goody". I had met some new friends that year and started hanging out with one of the most popular girls in the school. I would've died to be just like her, everyone would've. She had blonde hair, bright blue eyes, tall and very thin.

Well, one night, she asked me to go to a party with her and some friends. I accepted the offer without even thinking first, Oh well, I thought, what could possibly go wrong. We made plans for her to pick me up around 8:00pm. That night I went home and okayed it with my parents. Naturally they said, "yes", because they trusted me. They had also told me no drugs or alcohol, like usual.

When we arrived at the prty, there were a bunch of people there already, even college students. I had never been to a party like this before. There was one thing my friend Karen had failed to inform me about, everyone there was drinking some type of alcohol, and smoking the "herb" as they had called it. It didn't really bother me, just as long as I didn't do any of it.

I got away with just drinking pop for about an hour or so, but then a bunch of hot college guys approached me. "So where is your beer Amanda?" One of them had asked me. When I told them I wasn't going to drink anything they handed me a mixed drink. Now I was hooked on drinking. Now it is Saturday and I have to go home. The guy that I woke up with asked me if I was doing anything tonight, I answered that I had to be home by midnight. He then invited me to a party for one of his friends. I said yes not thinking about what happened that past night.

I went to the party with Mike, it was just like the party the night before, the "herb" was there and the alcohol was there too. This time I started with just a beer and then I hit the herb a few too many times. I then realized what time it was and I only had three hours left. I went and found Mike and told him. He got me a few more mixed drinks. I then went back to my friends that I met when I first got there. We drank until about 11:30. Because I only lived about 30some miles south of where I was.

We left the party; We were about 15 minutes into our drive home and he passed out at the wheel of his 1998 Honda Civic GT. When I woke up all I saw were bright lights on the ceiling and tons of people in blue were all around me, and I looked at one of them and said, "Who are you and where am I?" The lady answered, "I am your mother and you are in the ER in Canton". I then asked what happened. She answered Mike wrecked his car, and he is now perished from this earth. We still don't know what caused the wreck. But we do know that you will not be able to walk again.

Later that month I got out of the hospital. I am still not fully recovered and now I am a senior in high school. As of right now I have to be in a wheel chair for the rest of my life. I get made fun of all the time and it is not easy trying to get a date.

My message to every person who reads this story is " do what is right and always think before you do something dumb."

In loving memory of Mike David Hamilton. (1/1/1998)