The Time I (accidentally) Hit My Boyfriend With A Rock

  Recently I was having lunch with a group of girls, fellow students from the Costa Rican Spanish language school I'm studying at, and we started sharing embarrassing stories. Specifically, embarrassing dating stories. Nothing makes you feel better about mistakes and awkward situations like hearing someone else's, right? Here is the one I shared:


  Several years ago, I went on a hike with my boyfriend at the time, A. We had been dating for several months, long-distance, so when we got to see each other we tried to make the most of our time and do different kinds of things. I knew of a trail nearby which wound along a lake, so we went to go check it out.
  It was a pretty day and we were having fun, when I had an idea which would turn out to work better in my mind than in practice. I don't remember what exactly led up to me having this idea: I think there was a noise in the bushes and A. teased me about being scared, or he teased that IF there was a noise I'd be scared and he'd had to protect me. Something to do with teasing, that I'm sure of. In any case, I thought it would be a fun idea to try and prank him by making him think there was an animal rustling around nearby, and ad-lib reactions based on his. As we hiked along, and I serupticiously picked up a rock in my right hand. A. walked on my left, the side with the most foliage. I held on to it for awhile, down by my side, waiting for the right moment. At last I cocked my wrist and tossed the rock as hard as I could in the direction of the thick bushes and trees. Except that instead of hearing the expected rustle, I heard an "Oomph," from A. I had aimed poorly, and the rock which I had thrown with a heavy hand had connected with his leg.
  "I am so sorry!" I said, facing him as he stopped walking, very confused as well as in pain. I was so embarrassed. I tried to explain to him that I hadn't meant to hit him, and why I was throwing a rock behind our backs in the first place. I'm sure I was blushing.
   A. let the incident go with only minimal teasing. He knew that if he brought it up I'd be flustered, which was funny a couple of times. I had mostly forgotten about the incident until the other girls started sharing embarrassing stories. There's nothing like an accidental injury - to someone you like, at that - to be interestingly awkward.

Suffice to say, I haven't tried to pull off any pranks involving rocks since then. I don't know that I've gone hiking as a date either, though I wouldn't avoid that particular activity: I'd just know better than to try something which could result in a rock connecting with the guy's leg. Another life lesson learned the hard, but funny, way.