08/18:

12:49 a.m. I stealthily crept down the stairs and out the kitchen window of my 1989 home. The window screen was removed with the utmost care and softly placed amongst the fresh dew on the ground. With my family sleeping upstairs, silence was crucial. Any sudden noises would disturb their sleep and foil my vision of a night for the books (looking back on it, I sometimes wish this adventure hadn’t gone in the books it ended up in). Anyways, this situation had to be handled with grace. I hardly heard the vehicle enter the driveway, lights darkened, music off. I tiptoed from the backyard into the car and then Maddy and I were off.

12:54 a.m. The sleeping streets of Libertyville were disrupted by the deafening music of the black Mazda 5. Cage the Elephant sang throughout the vacant Taco Bell parking lot as we sipped down Baja Blasts. Our tired bodies were quickly awoken by the adrenaline that comes with defying parents and sneaking out. We were determined to make the last night of our summer before junior year unforgettable.

1:26 a.m. Maddy and I found friends who had our same idea; great minds think alike, am I right? With a fire blazing, the thirteen of us huddled around each other in Quentin’s backyard using blankets for warmth on the brisk summer night of August 18th. His family was sleeping inside, so we had to be careful not to wake them. Five lucky boys were feeling drowsy and made the decision to head off to bed and to relieve their somnolent bodies. The remaining eight of us were eager for adventure.

3:10 a.m. “Shotgun!” I exclaimed as we raced toward the car. All eight of us piled into the Mazda 5: four in the middle row, two in the trunk. Maddy’s young age of 16 legally permitted one other person in the car besides herself, but not one of us was concerned about the law. Our very last night of summer had so much potential and we refused to let it go to waste. With a dying iPhone in one hand and an empty Baja Blast in the other, we ventured out to satisfy our grumbling stomachs. We took a drive to the neighborhood Don’s and were served $0.99 vanilla ice cream cones. We struggled to think of something fun to do next. I debated going back through the kitchen window and snuggling up in my warm bed. No one would even have to know that I left the house! But the night was still young and I was not satisfied with our adventure. Everyone knew that it wasn’t quite over yet. Our brainstorming led us to one common idea: Lake Forest Beach. Chance the Rapper and G-Eazy got us hyped for the sunrise over Lake Michigan. We would have to wait for a few hours but what else was there to do? We could easily kill a few hours at the beach and still be home before our families wake up.

3:29 a.m. The Mazda 5 pulled into the vacant beach parking lot. There hadn’t been any cars spotted during the drive there. During our walk down the sandy stairs, I could hear the lake’s swaying water in distance. I quickly reflected on my extended monday night and how exhilarating it had been. Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted. A car pulled into the parking lot, right next to the Mazda 5. Naturally, we all sat amongst the bushes, waiting for the vehicle to leave. After a few minutes we realized; this was no ordinary citizen. This was a Lake Forest Police Officer.

3:38 am. Shhh. Don’t make any noises. Stay calm. Don’t move. The eerie silence of the night was unsettling. I could hear footsteps in the distance. I sat, wishing, hoping, praying that they would get back into the cruiser and drive off. Suddenly, beams of light began scanning the area, disturbing the serenity of the sleeping forest. There was nothing we could do besides wait. As expected, a single light shone onto Quentin’s red Cardinals hat. We slowly emerged from the protection of the forest. My mind flooded with the endless consequences that would accompany my immature decision driven by a desire for rebellion and excitement. A sickening feeling crept into my stomach when I thought about my parents. I could already feel their disappointed eyes looking down on me for not only publicly defying them, but getting the shaft for it.

3:52 a.m. To our surprise, the officers were sympathetic and took the situation on with a lighthearted approach. Their humor calmed my racing mind as they sympathizes with us; turns out cops have done stupid things too. I looked around at my friends. The guilty look on my face turned to a soft smile as I realized my own stupidity. What sounded like a good idea took a turn for the worst-- really fast. I knew that I would soon regret this decision when I realized the time, money, and effort that would have to be sacrificed. Despite the tense situation, I couldn’t help being overcome with a slight sense of accomplishment. Although our night was cut short, we managed to have a great time while it lasted. We looked around at each other, exchanging smiles and slight laughs. It had truly become unforgettable. A night for the books-- including public records and school essays.