Story: My Last Roller Skating Party

In an effort to relive the good old days of youth, my friend Tim decided to throw himself a 1980s-themed party at a roller skating rink. All my college friends were going, and we decided to dress for the theme, complete with headbands, leg warmers, blue eyeshadow, and teased hair. The night of the party, everyone looked great and we all had a good time.

Then I decided to show off. About ten minutes before the party ended, I started trying moves I learned long ago when I dreamed of being an Olympic figure skater. I actually had never been good enough on the ice to get anywhere near the Olympics, but I loved skating and was pretty decent at one point. There I was at the party, spinning, twirling, and skating backward. Then I decided to bring my friend Heidi in on the fun, so I grabbed her hands and pulled her along with me as I skated backward. I was smart enough to be looking behind me to make sure I wouldn’t bump into anyone, but I was not smart enough to pay attention to my balance, which I lost.

I fell down onto the newly buffed rink floor. Before I knew what was happening, Heidi tripped and fell on top of me, and I heard a crack. I remember feeling the wind get knocked out of me, and then a rush of faces looking down asking if I was okay. My friend Kathleen, who was studying to be a nurse, asked questions to make sure I wasn’t seriously injured, and another friend called an ambulance. Since I was not yet feeling any pain, the sheer embarrassment of the moment was my main focus.

In the hospital I learned that I had broken a rib and fractured my collarbone. Kathleen had come with and assured me that I was lucky: it could have been much worse. Looking back, I have to laugh at the reaction we got from the hospital staff. Every time a new doctor or nurse walked into my room, we felt the need to explain our getups. The explanation was generally met with blank stares from people who had much more pressing concerns than what the girl in Room 3 was wearing.

I went home with strict instructions to move as little as possible for the next few weeks. Lucky for me, I was on summer break so I didn’t have to worry about school. I’d been planning to stay in my off-campus apartment and work that summer. Instead, I took a leave of absence from my job, formed a stack of books I’d been meaning to read for ages, and settled in for what would surely be some of the most boring weeks of my life. The next day, Heidi called and apologized profusely for falling on me. I thanked her but pointed out that it had been my fault that I ended up getting hurt.

“Even so, we all feel terrible that you ended up in the hospital at the end of a great party,” Heidi said. “Listen, I called a bunch of people who were there and asked if they wanted to volunteer for a meal drop-off schedule. I have your breakfast, lunch, and dinner covered for the next three weeks.” I needed a moment to process what Heidi was telling me. Next to my stack of books was a stack of menus from which I’d planned to order all of my food for the next few weeks. The thought of an all-fast food diet had made me a little nauseous, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to cook. Now my friends were coming to my rescue.

Starting the next morning, in addition to bringing amazing home-cooked meals, as well as some great take-out, my friends took turns visiting me so I didn’t get lonely. Those weeks ended up flying by. Before I knew it I was up and about again.

Eventually, my friends let me in on what a good laugh they had the night of the party – once they knew I was going to be all right, of course. As soon as my rib and collarbone healed I had a pretty good laugh about it, too. I didn’t mind that they had laughed. I decided that any group of friends willing to cook for me during summer break was allowed to laugh at me.
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The complicating incident of the story is when Heidi falls on the narrator.

What is the impact of the complicating incident?

A. The narrator is instructed to move as little as possible in order to recover.

B. The narrator’s friends decide to dress up in 1980s getups for the party.

C. The narrator is so embarrassed that she stays in her apartment for weeks.

D. The narrator’s friends begin laughing at her behind her back.