Rachel
Long story of how I met and became friends with Rachel:
Rachel is my bestest friend in the whole entire world, and
I love her very dearly. We met in the summer of 2003 on a
choir tour when my current best friend forgot to mention
that she had already promised to sit with someone else on
the bus. So I went to the far back corner of the bus where
I could sit in a dark corner and keep to myself.
Unfortunately, at some point during the long bus ride a
girl named Crishell asked if the seat next to me was taken
and I had to admit that it wasn't. She was loud, laughed a
lot, and was too large for me to fit next to her
comfortably. Nothing against her resounding voice, merry
spirit, or portly girth-- I was just in a sorry mood.
Eventually I was relived to hear she was switching seat
with someone else, and that someone was Rachel. Though
after about five minutes of Rachel I almost wished Crishell
back, at least she didn't talk to me. Rachel kept asking
all these questions! How old are you? Where do you go to
school? What grade are you in? Cotton or wool socks? What's
your blood type? You get the point. I knew she was just
trying to be friendly, but I was (and still am) a highly
unsociable person and wasn't enjoying the conversation at
all.
I can't remember how long we'd been sitting there before
the joint interest of Sailor Moon came up, but when it did,
we really hit it off. After a couple of days, Sailor Moon
had done me its first and only favor: it made me a new
friend.
While on the tour, it came time to perform at Knox Berry
Farms. While there, I temporarily switched groups with
another girl, which would later prove to be God's hand. My
normal group stayed at Knox Berry Farm all day, while me
new group instead went back to the hotel to go swimming. It
turned out that several of the groups were doing the same,
and Rachel ended up there as well.
During the swimming activities, we learned that Crishell
was unable to swim. Rachel and a couple others then decided
to help teach her. At one point in the lesson, Crishell
found herself in waters that were too deep for her liking
and went into a panic. The girls were trying to tow her
back to where she could touch bottom; but somewhere during
the frenzied mayhem, Rachel had either gotten kicked,
elbowed, or stepped on-- maybe all of the above-- but in
any case, she went down.
After Crishell was safe, I was the only one who noticed
that Rachel was gone. I surveyed my current position, no
Rachel. I got out of the pool to check the hot tub, no
Rachel. I even checked inside the hotel lobby, but still no
Rachel. Concluding that she must still be in the pool, I
went back and scanned the waters depths looking for any
sign of her swimming under the water. In the deep end,
lying at the bottom right in the middle was Rachel's bright
blue swimsuit. I assumed, of course, that Rachel was still
in it. (She is dreadfully pale and blended in perfectly
with the bottom of the pool, so it really was difficult to
say.)
Quite sure now that Rachel must indeed still be inside her
suit after finding her hair, I rushed to tell one of the
chaperones that,
"RACHEL'SATTHEBOTTOMOFTHEPOOLANDSHE'SNOTMOVING!" It took
several labored tries before she understood what I was
saying, and then she told me to go tell Mr. Rogers. After
he finally understood my message he studied her from all
angles of the pool for FOREVER until he finally jumped in
and brought her up.
I'll never forgot what Rachel looked like coming up out of
the water... I know it's hard to imagine Rachel any paler
than she is, but when she came up out of the water she was
white as a ghost and limp as a rag doll. Although the thing
I remember most, and the image I'll never forget, is her
clutching her glasses in her left hand as her arms flailed
limply as Mr. Rogers swam for the edge of the pool.
Remembering it still gives me chills...
Mr. Rogers gave her CPR (her second "kiss") then an
ambulance came and took her away.
Obviously she lived and was fine; otherwise she couldn't be
my best friend now. She spent the rest of the tour in the
hospital, and I think even some time after that. After she
finally got home she called me to let me know she was all
right. Since then, she called fairly often; and we were
even assigned seats next to each other after choir started
back up. Soon she was spending the night and we were going
to the mall and sharing our inter-most feelings. Before the
year was out, we were the best of friends.
Concluding statements:
Our choir years are over now, and we only see each other on
Sundays at church ever since Rachel and her family started
to come. Even though we only see one another weekly, we
still keep good contact pretty much daily on the phone or
over email. But through these past few years of trials, I
couldn't have asked for a better friend to get me through
it all.
What Rachel wants you to know about herself before I enact
my revenge:
"Hey! What’s up? Well anyways, mi nombre es Raquel.
If you cannot tell I am currently taking Spanish at my
school (which btw unlike Ursula and Katie I go to a public
school). I hope one day to be bilingual. I actually took a
trip to Puerto Rico with my school to earn college credit
this summer and to practice my Spanish skills. Thanks to
the week-long My Spanish improved tremendously. This year I
am going to be a junior. Class of 08!!
Anyways, I have done a little bit of everything in my years
of existence. From when I was 5-10 I was actually a
competitive ice skater. I made it to Freestyle 3 before I
quit; it just got way too expensive and my heart just was
not in it. I was apart of a professional children’s
chorus for 4 years before I got too old (which was where I
met Ursula and Katie btw). The year I graduated we went to
EUROPE which was the most amazing experience of my life
(besides getting saved that is). I was also really
into sports for a while such as softball, soccer,
gymnastics, dance, and horseback riding. I also took acting
lessons for a while. Yeah, I’ve done a lot of stuff
and soon I will add one more thing to the list-swing
dancing! YAY!!!
School wise I actually have not been that much involved
aside from being on the school paper for a year. I was a
staff writer and the paper’s movie critic. I am very
thankful that I did do that; it helped my writing skills
immensely. However, this year I want to be more involved
such as joining NHS. I am an Eagle kid which means that I
am apart of the GT program.
Speaking of schoolage since I am going to be a junior I am
looking at colleges! Oh boy. I am currently looking at
A&M, Baylor and TCU (though it is pretty much set in
stone that I am going to A&M).
I am an animal lover. My home includes many animals
including 4 cats, a bird, a dog, many fish, and a lizard.
In the past we have had up to 8 bunnies, many gerbils,
hamsters, and a turtle that we just gave away. Right now I
am the proud mama of my Elsa Kitty ^^. She’s
adorable!
Like Adrianne, Katie, and Ursula I too am a Christian and
am apart of the Young Adults (what we call youth group). I
love my Lord Jesus immensely. I only hope that I will
fulfill my duty at my school before I graduate.
That’s all for now byes!
Sincerely, Rachel
P.S. Wow. Now that I am reading this over it really sounds
like a dating profile. Btw I like long walks on the beach
and candlelit dinners lol j/k."
Strange and embarrassing things about Rachel that you
should all know about:
1. When eating finer foods such as chicken strips or french
fries, Rachel will not eat the parts her fingers touched.
2. Rachel has an arachnophobia.
3. Body builders give Rachel the heebie-geebies.
4. Rachel is ticklish no matter where you're tickling her,
even her nose.
5. When tickling Rachel, you don't even have to touch her
to get the desired reactions.
6. Rachel's cell phone is at the bottom of the Caribbean
Sea.
7. Rachel goes to the doctor almost weekly.
8. Rachel cried during the first pokemon movie... more than
once...
9. Rachel honestly believed Mohammed was a book in the
Bible...
10. Rachel is the Allstate guys biggest fan.
11. Rachel's feet are sized 8 on the left foot and 7 on her
right foot. In fact, she really isn't symmetrical at all.
12. My brother would rather swing dance with a monkey than
with Rachel.
13. Rachel doesn't want children.
14. Though Rachel doesn't believe in ghosts, she's still
scared of them.
15. Rachel calls her cat "shmoopsy."
16. Rachel got a 16 on a test once.