Some teenagers, the rambunctious ones, blow smoke and throw back beers to relieve stress.  Me? Yeah, I’ve thought about it.  Not gonna lie.  But honestly, what seventeen year-olds haven’t? I choose the safer route, and do things like yoga to tend to my emotions. 

“Why does this matter?”, you ask? Well, allow me to tell you.

                It was right after the first week of school.  I had just gotten home, and I had calculus homework, like most afternoons.  This day was particularly stressful, though.  My boyfriend hadn’t been able to accompany me at lunch, because he had study hall for his history exam.  Yes, us juniors, and the rest of the high school, really, have exams and tests and quizzes just after the first week.  Sometimes even before then.  But anyhow, I really needed to ask him about a dinner with my family that I’ve been stressing out about.  He’s met my immediate family, but this particular weekend he was supposed to meet my dad’s side of the extended family.  Yikes.  I also had gotten my biology test back from the day prior, and I did great! I only got, like, two wrong.  Problem is, Mr. Cantin assigned us all to do corrections for the problems we had incorrect, and I completely and utterly was clueless as to my errors. 

                So, I figured I would walk to the party store up the street and buy myself an iced tea, because it calms my nerves a bit and, if you buy the right kind, it’s actually pretty good for you.  Health wise, I mean.  Even though it was just the third week of September, it was a surprisingly chilly afternoon.  To school, I wore a lacy tank top with a nice sweater cardigan over it.  Leggings to match, and nice black flats to complete the ensemble I had going on.  On the way home from school, I had taken my cardigan off because the sun was beating down, but right before I left for the party store I returned It to my shoulders.

                When I got there, I immediately went to the shelves with my favorite.  Of course I knew where they were, high school gets pretty stressful, and tea might just save a tear or two.  I grabbed the kind that’s not GREAT for you, but won’t give you a heart attack, either.  It was a stressful day, I could use the sugar at this point.  I brought it to the counter and plopped two dollars down.  The cashier gave me two pennies back, so I dropped them into the little bin next to the cash register that’s supposed to go towards some sort of meaningful charity.

                On my way home, I spotted this girl from school, Angelic-, wait.  I think her name was Ashlie, actually.  All I know is, she sure as heck recognized me.  She shuffled her feet and kept her head down, but walked over towards me.  “You look kinda stressed there, Ty.  Want one?” She grinned.  Most people in my grade knew that I never had touched a cigarette in my life, let alone would ever want one.  I had figured she was half-joking, but I was still shaking! What if she got pissed that I didn’t take the thing?! I’m sure there would be some lovely rumor floating about me after this.  I was going to take it, just to go home and chuck it in the trash, but I had an awful feeling she would make me light up on the spot. 

                “Uh, no thanks, Ash.  Sorry, I have to get home.”  I ran home so fast, she didn’t even have a chance to give me a response.  I felt kinda bad, but on the other hand, I totally didn’t.  And good thing I had done what I did, because my mom was pulling in the driveway from work just as I rounded the corner.  Bottom line, there are so many things that can be done in order to relieve stress, there’s no reason to resort to things like that.  And trust me, I know how hard peer pressure can be, even just a little thing like what I went through.  It still kinda haunts me, just because I hate saying “no” to people! I was always taught to be very polite, but this is definitely an exception.