Posted on by Merrimack Student

A Crush I Didn’t Have and a Boom I Definitely Felt- By Katie Cappello

A harmless prank on the cockiest kid on her sailing team spirals into chaos, comedy, and a boom to the head she definitely didn’t see coming.

Photographs

Four young teens in a basement taking a selfie—three boys and one girl (the girl in front holding the phone), all smiling and crowded together.
Little did we know, these basement selfies were taken before our harmless prank spiraled into total regatta chaos. (Selfie taken by Katie Cappello, July 2018)
Katie being wheeled from the dock in a wheelchair, holding 2 thumps up with bandages around her head, a neck brace, pink sailing gloves, and an orange safety belt, surrounded by paramedics assisting her.
Bandaged, bruised, and confused, but apparently smiling is required for my first ambulance ride. (Photo taken by my teammates mom, July 2018)
A teenage girl (me) holding up a peace sign with a heart monitor on her pointer finger, a neck brace on, and bandgages around her head.
But first… lemme take a selfie ✌️. (Selfie taken by me, July 2018)
Katie lying on a hospital bed with blue sheets in the emergency room, still smiling while getting stitches in her head, with a blood pressure cuff on her arm and a white hospital blanket covering her lower half.
Getting stitches in the hospital but somehow still keeping the smile alive . (Photo taken by my teammates mom, July 2018)

Video

Video taken by my teammates mom, July 2018

Additonal Digital Storytelling Element – My 2018 Summer Playlist

What was I listening to at 15?

Definitely a mix of all genres. Was it a carefully curated playlist? No. Do these songs still make me nostalgic? Yes. Every track pulls me right back to those afternoons sailing with my JBL speaker blasting, wind hitting my face, salt water everywhere, and absolutely no clue what “good taste” in music was supposed to mean. It was just me, the water, and whatever song happened to be queued up; somehow making those moments feel bigger, louder, and completely unforgettable.

Social Media Post

Instagram teaser for my full multimedia story (Photo Credits: Katie Cappello, 2021)