Since you asked, I remember the first time like it was yesterday.
During a particularly warm spring in grade 6 or something? I went with a friend to get bottles of RC Cola at lunch time. We laid on the side of a grassy hill looking at the clouds and discussing what we saw in them.
When I said, "OK, we'd better start heading back now or we'll be late" the kid I was with didn't budge. He was a bit of a problem case but he lived in my neighbourhood and I'd known him for a few years. He said, "Let's just not go back"
I was astonished, and started asking questions like you did "Can we do that"?, "What if we get caught"?, "Won't we get in trouble"? etc. He told me he did it all the time and the teachers never called his home. They'd ask the next day and he would make up a lie about not feeling well or something like that.
I envisioned Truant Officers patrolling the streets like I saw in those old "Our Gang" episodes...that kid was right. No one noticed, no one cared, no one ever said a thing.
I think that was when I started to realize that I could make up my own rules.
Chris
