By Aarna Dharia and Sidra Lafta
Ocotillo City Reporters
It seemed as though no one in all of Ocotillo City would shower. At all.
Everyone wanted to shower at the same time, after the muggy rain, but unfortunately, the four showers would NOT suffice. As we all filed into the small city hall, one topic was hot in our minds: HOT WATER. We all shared looks of skepticism and a desire to shower. Quickly, a heated debate occurred – voices raising at each other, the tight bond we had earlier was quickly loosening at the scene.
Aarna Dharia abruptly stood up, halting the – frankly, unproductive – debate. She decided to group the girls into 2 factions, morning showers and evening showers. The valiant Yoltizin Peralta Luna courageously volunteered for the 5 A.M. shower. She shouted,“I’ll take the 5 A.M. slot!”
We released a collective sigh of relief that none of us high-maintenance teenage girls would be waking up that early for a shower. The girls followed in Peralta Luna’s stead; her roommate,Aryanna Romero, took up the torch and opted for an early shower in another stall.
As the evening slots quickly filled, we realized we had an overflow. One soul was needed to sacrifice their precious beauty sleep for the sake of the greater cleanliness of Ocotillo.
Unexpectedly, Emma Iverson stood up and said, “I guess I can take the morning.” Applause roared through the city hall.
Emma Iverson: the hero of the night.
When asking the citizens of Ocotillo about their recollection of the night, we started with Shandei Helms.
Interviewer:“So what were thee motions like in the room?”
Helms took a sigh. “It’s an environment I’ll never forget…”
She continued, “Moments like those, they really make you question friendships, and your trust.”
Our next interview was with roommates Gabriella Nilson and Hannah Mueller.
Interviewer: “What was your biggest fear in that room?”
Nilson and Mueller shared a hesitant look, they were the fastest roommates to bond. Nilson spoke up, “I was scared it might damage our friendship, to be honest.” Mueller took a shaky breath, “I just didn’t wanna lose… my roommate, ya know?”
So, despite the high tensions and debate, the citizens of Ocotillo came to a resolution through communication, compromise, and the power of friendship. This experience taught us that debates over showers can be heated, but our community bond was too strong to drown.