March 31, 2021, was conference week, and the school was having half days for teachers, parents and students to meet up for grades. I was a very active kid, always outside playing basketball or doing whatever was trending in the trailer park. For the most part I would always be running and jumping and playing. However, I had a really unhealthy diet that didn’t support my lifestyle and I was always dealing with chronic knee pain.

After the school day was over my friends Xavier, Ricardo and I arrived at the trailer park I lived in. I noticed that my two other friends were sitting in the grass, Yuritzy and Delaney. They were both sitting in the grass waiting to go to a softball game. We had all started talking, and my two other friends and I were shooting around at a hoop we had set up. That's mainly where everyone hangs out. There's a large tree for shade, some fluffy grass and a hoop to shoot around, and it was near the center of the trailer park. So, realistically, it was the spot to be.

As the day went on, the group started to get hungry, so we decided to go to a new Mexican restaurant that just opened up. We didn’t have lunch at school that day, and it was reasonable to go out and get some. Near the same time, my mom texted me and told me that she just made some sopes, my favorite meal, but at the time I had a larger desire to hang out with friends, particularly Delaney, who I had some feelings for.

Arriving at the new place, I ordered a torta and got my meal. The group was talking about music and some new albums that came out that year, and I talked to Delaney about how her softball season was going.

The group got back to the trailer park. Ricardo and I started to play a little one-on-one, and the girls sat in the grass talking about Roblox and how it's fun to play with friends. The game was progressing as usual. Then, I jumped up to pin it on the backboard, and when I came back down, I broke my leg. My left leg was broken. There was a bump on my knee and my vision got very bright; then I blacked out. I was still awake and talking, but I don't remember any of it. Everything else I remember was from what I was told. Xavier initially thought that I just fell, and he was about to shoot the ball before he noticed. Ricardo and Delaney both saw it happen and immediately reacted, Yuritzy didn't know what happened and was clueless. The guys went to fetch my mom before calling the ambulance and getting my shoe cut off and being loaded onto the most expensive drive I have ever gone on.

From that point, it took me about 10-15 months of recovery and a bunch of time to think. Within those few months I learned to be patient, disciplined, and value my health. This was also the most solitary and alone I have ever felt, as my mom was really upset that I broke my leg and wouldn’t help me or talk to me. I really started to value all of my friends when they would visit, and, even though I broke my leg in front of Delaney, she wasn’t icked out and decided to give me a chance, and now we’re dating.

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