I would like to personally thank my little sister, Kristen Suzanne Scutch, for getting me sick.  There is no better gift than a persistent cough, a fever, never ending chills, a low, squeaky voice, the urge to vomit, and no appetite to eat anything for over 24 hours. Truly, I am blessed.

Last week, Kristen had the same virus I currently have.  For the past few days, I have been listening to her taunt me about how she cannot wait for me to have her “disease.”

Along with the symptoms of a terrible, disgusting cold, it has truly been an honor to be ill during the worst time of the school year.  Thank you, Kristen, for the gift of passing on a virus to me during college applications, let alone the week of my retaking the SAT.

This time of year may potentially be one of the most important in my academic career.  I must keep all grades high for seventh semester, write a large amount of impressive college application essays, and still manage to earn a high score on the SAT in the midst of it all.  If I want to be viewed as a competitive applicant for college admissions, I must take as many AP and advanced classes during the course of my senior year so it does not look like I am slacking or “getting by.”

How am I possibly supposed to stay on top of things when I can barely get myself out of my bed?  By the time I return to school, I will have to make up at least four assessments.  Again, this is all thanks to Kristen.

I think I have tried nearly every over-the-counter medication in the past 36 hours to alleviate my cold misery.  All  has only afforded temporary relief.  Nothing is gone for good.

I do not believe I have ever been more derailed than I have been this week.  I hate being behind in school and not being a part of class discussion.  I hate having a pile of assignments growing because I cannot do any of it.  I hate not being able to complete my college application essays.  I hate seeing blank grades on PowerSchool.

The phrase “suck it up” will come to a literal meaning at one point or another.  There will come a time in the next 24 hours where I will have to drag myself across the school’s halls in order to prevent myself from sliding deeper down the slope.

On Saturday, you can find me taking the SAT an hour away from home because I signed up last minute.  With my snotty nose and sinus pressure, I will need to be in the the chair promptly at 7:45 a.m., which means I will need to leave my house at about 6 a.m.

Although it’s my own fault that I signed up for the SAT at the eleventh hour and there were no more seats open in town, it it is not my fault this situation will be more excruciating than necessary.  Thank you, Kristen.

So as I lie in my bed and complain about how terrible life will be when I actually decide to step outdoors, I have come to the conclusion that this is all bad timing.  As I do my best to recover and not spew snot on everything in my house, please Kristen, keep your germy little self away from me and my stuff. Thank you.