Byerly 1

Ashley Byerly

Professor Debra Jizi

UWRT 1103-012

18 February 2018

Ninth grade is a tough time for us all. The transition into high school, dealing with

harder classes and a different schedule compared to anything one has done before. This includes

times of rebellion. In the spring semester of my freshman year, I decided to rebel against my

mom. She and I had previously talked about how she does not want me walking home because

of the distance and other reasons that I discarded at the time. Being a young teenager who

thought she was invincible, I decided to go against her will and walk with a friend to the nearby

park. Instead of asking for permission, I chose to do something any other teenager would do: lie.

The walk to the park consisted of phone calls to my mom while covering the microphone

any time a car drove by. At the time, I thought I was clever. In order to fool my mom, I chose to

say that my bus was running late due to a fight between two students. At first, she believed me.

It seemed like a valid reason for me not being home at the same time as usual. Once I reached

the park, sweaty and feeling rather guilty and nervous, I decided I better head home quickly since

it was quite a ways away. I began the trek home, feeling the increasing pain in my shins from

the speed walking with a heavy bookbag on my back. As I was passing by the bank, I saw my

mom’s contact pop up on my phone. She was calling me again.

I stopped in my tracks, terrified of what she could be calling about that time. She had

definitely found out by then. I could feel my palms getting sweaty with nerves as the realization

hit that I had been caught. As my predictions proved true, I admitted defeat. There was lots of
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yelling and I could tell my mom was extremely angry this time. After telling me to wait at the

bank for her to pick me up, I felt the anxiety creep further up and become more of a burden on

my body. I was exhausted from the walk and the heat; the fear was only making it worse. As

soon as I saw my mom pull up, the guilt inside really made itself apparent as the tears began to

fall. The yelling continued as we rode home, me silently trying not to break down in the

passenger seat.

As if the car ride wasn’t bad enough, once we got home, more arguing ensued. Things

were said and threats were made. The one comment by her that stuck out to me was, “You can

just do whatever you want!” I decided to take her literally which lead to the storming out of the

house, tossing my socks on the ground in the process. The wetness from yesterday’s rain coated

the bottoms of my feet, but I paid no mind to it all. The trails were my destination in mind. I

figured I could clear my mind there and just get away from the hostile environment I had created

for myself in the house.

After venturing to the back area of the trails, I decided to take a detour. I wanted to hide.

I wanted to get away. I didn’t have a car or license, so it seemed as if jumping over the creek

and hiding in the woods was my best bet. I could feel the thorns enter my feet multiple times as I

rushed over vines and sticks, not paying attention, only focusing on getting away. 30 minutes

passed, and I heard my dad come home. There was lots of yelling coming from the back yard. I

could only hear the angry pleas for me to return to the house. Instead of giving into said pleas,

rebellion took over once again. I made a beeline for the side of the house where I couldn’t be

seen and stayed there for another half hour. The yells continued, as well as the growth of my

guilt. Everything started piling up in my mind, causing a knot to form in my throat and tension

in my chest.
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The pile of emotions won over my rebellion for the first time that day, which led to me

emerging from my hiding place behind the water heater. I’ll never forget the look on my

parents’ faces. The disappointment, anger, sadness, and the one that stood out the most: relief.

Even though I had come back to them, I was definitely not free of trouble’s grasp.
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Peer Feedback - UWRT 1103- Jizi-Spring 2018

Date: February 18, 2018

Reader’s Name: Dallas Eason

Writer’s Name: Ashley Byerly

Three Step Response

1. Velcro Words/Phrases
 This includes times of rebellion
 Thought she was invincible
 I thought I was clever
 Silently trying not to break down
 Wetness
 Pleas
 Tension in my chest
 Trouble’s grasp

2. Feelings
 Engaged
 Nervous
 Uncomfortable
 Anxious
 Tense
 Worked Up

3. Questions
 What happened next?
 What happened to the friend who you walked to the park with?
 What were the consequences of your actions?

Criterion-Based Response

Highlight examples of each of the four elements of the personal essay using the following colors:

Personal presence of the author

An engagement between self and the world

The Author’s Exploration and Self-Discovery

The Need to Both Show and Tell

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