TRAUMARAMA

TRAUMARAMA
Holiday humiliations
SEVENTEEN MAGAZINE
Snowbunny 101
It was Christmas and my parents surprised me with a holiday ski trip to Reno, Nev. I was a first-time snowboarder, so riding the ski lift with a board was completely new to me. I got on, but on the way up, I began to wonder how to get off. The skier next to me gave me some pointers for my dismount. Only problem was, they were completely wrong! Just as I was about to get off, I turned my board horizontally; when the board hit the snow, I completely face-planted. I wound up breaking my collarbone! The ski patrol had to come rescue me.
Tree toppler
Last winter break, after the holidays were over, I got really bored. I kept wishing for something exciting to happen. Then I got a call from a friend inviting me to her post-Christmas party. At last! Something fun to do! So I went to the party, but that was boring too. When I came home, I sat on the sofa, turned on the TV and started writing a letter to my grandma. All of a sudden I felt a tickle on my shoulder. Without looking, I casually brushed it aside. Next thing I knew, our Christmas tree was on top of me, and the ornaments were scattered all over floor! I must have somehow knocked the tree loose when I sat down. But I got my wish -- something exciting finally happened to me.
Locker shocker
It was the last day before Christmas break, and everybody at school was in a mad rush trying to hand out presents, cookies and whatever else. I couldn't find my best friend's present, so I was tearing through my disaster of a locker trying to locate it. My friend was watching me when she saw a little bag and thought it was her gift. "Nikki, look, I found it," she said, pulling it loose from my locker pileup. The contents of the locker and of the bag, which was full of tampons, spewed everywhere. We tried to pick them up, but we were laughing so hard it took us five minutes. It seemed like the entire school passed by during this ordeal. But at least we didn't have to go back to school for two weeks.