Friendly nightmare interrupts sleepover

I'm sure everyone can relate to this with me on some level. We've all spent the night at our friends' houses at some point. I did it quite often as a young, vibrant child. It starts off with you and your friend spending the day together and having fun with all your shenanigans and tomfoolery.

That's when one of you has the brilliant idea of staying the night at the other's house. Sounds fun at the time, right? Staying up all night watching cartoons, playing cards, talking about the pretty little girls in class, daring each other to say a cuss word. (Come on, I was 8, all right?) After a mutual parents' consent, you meaninglessly pack up an extra set of clothes and a toothbrush even though you know you won't change or use any hygiene products whatsoever, because you will be too busy spelling profanities with a calculator and laughing at it. (That's still fun occasionally.) You and your friend have fun making up all these fun things to do all night.

All night?

It suddenly hits you after about an hour of being at the other's house that if you look at your friend any more you're going to hit them as hard as you can. What's this crap that his parents served? Your mom does such a better job than "these people." What's that strange odor in the house? Well, what do you know? It's the cat that sheds the longest hair in the world and urinates on the floor you'll be sleeping on. This may not affect some people, but as for me my lungs and throat like to close in on me when I detect a cat in the area.

After 30 minutes of what you thought would turn into an endless night of fun, you become extremely bored and decide to take a shower while your so-called "friend" continues to play video games in his natural habitat while you still suffer trying to adapt. After cleaning yourself with soap that seems unnatural against your body, you look down and notice a hair that has been there the whole time. You panic. Who's hair is this?! What part of their body was it from?! All these things rush into your mind and in disgust you shut off the water and step out of the shower. Great. You forgot to get a towel and the linen closet is in the hall. You casually dry yourself off with the hand towel and get dressed.

As you try to stay awake, your friend notices the fun is beginning to wear on you.

"Man, what a loser! You're already tired?" he asks in a way that makes me sound like an idiot for being tired at 1 in the morning at the age of 8.

"Yeah, I'm going to bed." I say. As I try to sleep, the TV and my friend's annoying laughter get louder and I soon realize that his intention is to keep me awake.

After forcing myself into an uncomfortable sleep on the urine-soaked carpet, I wake up to see my friend passed out at the TV, video game controller still in hand, and making a sound with his nose that is not humanly possible. I just keep cool and tell myself it will all be over soon.

In the morning, I awake to the itching of flea bites. The mom asks if I want some breakfast, but I refuse, knowing that if I did accept her offer, that would detain my presence from MY house for at least another 10 minutes.

Just remember, everyone: Your friend's house may seem just like your house, but once you're inside for the night, beware.

Oh, and bring an inhaler just in case they do have a pet.

Sam DeReign is a student at Oran High School.