1967 – four years before braces
In the past I accidently sat at the boy’s lunch table and spilt milk on a classmate’s new shoes. Two bad lunchroom episodes weren’t enough. So a third luncheon faux pas paid me a visit.
At our small school seventh through twelfth grade ate together in two shifts, and it was common for several grades to sit together.
Judy set down her tray kitty-corner from Marcia and me. She was three grades behind us.
I noticed two dime-size bruises a half inch apart on Judy’s neck. Her injury was impossible to miss. I waited for one of her friends to comment, yet no one acted concerned. As an older student, I would show an underclassman I cared.
“Judy, what happened to your neck?” I politely asked.
Talking briefly stopped, but Judy didn’t answer. Strangely, her friends did not pursue my question. Hmmm. With the cafeteria clamor it was possible no one understood what I’d asked.
I repeated my question louder. This time Judy answered.
“What the hell does it look like happened?” she unpolitely replied. She rolled her eyes and muttered, “Jeesum.”
Judy turned toward her friends, ending our conversation and displaying a total lack of reverence for her elder.
I knew exactly what it looked like happened. Which might explain why she didn’t wish to discuss her mysterious bruise.
For many weeks I slept with the upper corners of my top sheet tied behind my neck. When a vampire struggled to expose my tender neck I’d wake up, providing time for me to yell for help. I didn’t want the same treatment Judy got.
She did seem a little on the pale side.
Lesson learned: It isn’t easy sleeping with a big knot tied behind your neck. But better safe than sorry.
Related posts: Chapter Ten: Intruder Alert
Now it’s your turn: How did you protect yourself from vampires?
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1950 Memories of Suburban Adventures 
We eat too much garlic in everything over here in Spain. That’s why they visit your “neck” of the woods my friend 😉 ❤
Very funny, Ralph. I’m a firm believer that no dish can ever have too much garlic or too many mushrooms. Maybe there’s some Spanish in me I don’t know about.
Speaking of Spanish, my youngest daughter took a high school course. I looked at the book cover she made and told her she better make a new one. It said Spainish!
Poor girl !! After all that work. I hope that she didn’t write Spinach this time 😉
Now that would be funny!
Oh, that is just too funny.
Thanks, Suz. Actually it’s pretty pathetic.
Pathetic that you honestly believed it was a vampire or pathetic that at her age she had these contusions on her neck? lol
I don’t have to. My blood type is AB-. It gives the vampires the runs.
You’re lucky, Xerxeska. I’m a candy-holic so my blood is extra sweet.
That is really funny, Mary, you were a really sweet (if naive) child!
Thanks, Mimmy. Times were more naïve without explicit TV shows or song lyrics, but I was an ostrich with my head in the sand even then. I have no idea how this happened. I always wanted to know what was going on.
It sounds like she had the illness I cal “lumpuckeroo”. Lol
Levi, I still have no idea how I got left off the ‘need to know’ list.
Too embarrassing perhaps?
Vampires…. 😉 But when did the real nature of the vampires finally reveal itself to you? … Poor you that you got a fright out of it…
Choosing, I was still a bit iffy about vampires, but the nature of Judy’s wounds was revealed by a classmate. It seems Judy was telling people that I didn’t know what a hickey was. Which was true, but embarrassing.