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When the warning went off I was in the middle of taking my chapter 4 French test. We were taken into the hall and sat down just like normal. We talked, we goofed around, passed notes, read, colored, etc. We called our parents to come get us and take us home. We sat in the hall for 2 hours before the tornado hit. My thoughts were to shove my stuff in my bag so there wouldn't be any extra stuff to be thrown around. Then the glass started to break and I just waited to see the glass in the door in front of me to break. I remember thinking to move out of the way of the door. The lights went out and the glass broke, I cuddled against Michelle Wilson, on my right, and Katie Shrunk cuddled against me on my left, we were all afraid. Next thing I know I felt the wall behind me move. I remember feeling stuck and thinking "pull your shirt down so there isn't any open skin." I had to move my head out so I pulled my hair free no matter how much it hurt. Then I was slouched over with things behind my back. I looked around and told myself to stay calm and not scream.....I did scream...I needed help and they were moving the desks and cinderblock onto me...I screamed for help and the students and teachers that could pulled the desks off of me. I thought I could stand up but Katie was over my legs and the wall was on her. Michelle, I couldn't tell if she was alive. Another girl was stuck, Taylor. I held her fingers to keep her with us. Coach Harrison stayed with me and help me stay calm...the firefighters asked if I knew the girls next to me and what their names were, I told them their names and tried to stay calm, I watched as the helpers removed our T.A., Brittney, out of the rubble. Before the tornado hit I couldn't see her because of the line of students, afterwards I could because there wasn't kids between us. I started praying a lot, over and over again. I can't remember a time that I had prayed out loud and for so long in front of anyone other then my family and members of the church. They lifted the wall and bent the lockers so they could pull Katie out and help me out, I was walked away from everything and passed Mrs. Thomason and asked for her to come with me out of the school. After getting out of the school I was passed to one of the guys that had run over to help...he walked with me down to the church, I asked if anyone had a cell phone I could use to call my mom. After we had found each other we headed home to wait.

At the time I still hadn't known what had happened to Michelle, and I'd been told that Katie was dead, I didn't know who else in my French class was ok or not, it wasn't till late Friday night that I found out.

I want to say thank you to all that helped me stay calm, that helped me get free, helped me out of the school, and helped my find my mother. Thank you to Katie for being there with me and thank you to Michelle for being there as well. And most of all thank you to the Lord for being with us and for watching over us that we might be ok and continue on with our lives.

I am sorry for those that have lost their loved ones. I know that they are in a better place and that someday you will see them again.

I knew 4 out of the 8. All three of the girls I had French with, the oldest was our other T.A., Jamie. Katie and Michelle were next to me. Even though I was just starting to get to know all of them I will miss them and they will always be with me in my thoughts. I will always remember the day the tornado hit our school and took my friends from me.

All that has happened has strengthened my testimony in so many ways. I no longer take advantage of the things I used to and I'm no longer as shy as I once was. I show how I feel toward those I care about and I try even harder to be the type of person the Lord wants my to be. I have been blessed with my life and I want to show to the Lord that I deserve what he has given me.