Teen dramas on television are popular because everything is high stakes.
Through the lens of an angsty teenager, unrequited love, a cheating boyfriend or girlfriend, academic pressures, and not making an athletic team, are all big problems that make for compelling viewing pleasure.
And through it all, gossip is the accelerant that fuels the drama, regardless of whether or not rumors are true.
Curious to hear about the real-life rumors that ran rampant in school halls, Redditor Le_Bayou_Cochon asked former students:
"What high school conspiracy turned out to be true at your school?"
The following recollections sound as though the scenarios were right out of something from Riverdale.
Mental High
"I attended a newly opened high school that apparently used to be a school for troubled kids. Someone told me there were padded rooms somewhere in the school so I skipped lunch with a friend one day to walk the halls and find them!"
"They did exist, but by next year they were renovated into offices and storage rooms. I thought that was pretty interesting and seriously wondered what went on there before it was turned into a 'normal' high school."
– E-macularius
Ex-Staff Member
"It was rumored a staff member helped a student run away and slept with him. Unfortunately it was true."
"Unfortunately this same staff member after she was fired, had a graduated student at 19 ask to be her roommate. The then ex-staff member agreed and ended up getting into legal trouble."
– clinicskeleton
Something Sinister
"There was a girl freshman year who went missing. She ended up being found dead in the river. There were rumors that she was seen on a bridge with her boyfriend the day she went missing. Nothing was ever found and they assumed it was suicide/ an accident."
"Fast forward 25 years and the boyfriend murdered his best friend of several decades, set a fire to cover it up, and went on the run. Couple days later he killed a woman at a rest stop in the bathroom to steal her car. They reopened the case about the high school girlfriend. That rumor was correct all along. He will be in prison the rest of his life."
– pomegranatepants99
Forbidden romance seemed to be a recurring topic.
Racy Romance
"That one of the cheerleaders was dating one of the teachers (in his 40s). A year after graduation, they got married and had a baby. Still together 11 years later."
– Trailmix99
The Music Teacher
"There were rumors about a music teacher and a student, but they were both pretty dramatic people and did very little to dismiss the talk. So half the school wanted to believe it for the salacious thrill and half just waved it off as attention seeking and sh*t-talking."
"Teacher got canned without explanation. Most of us just figured it was budget-related. A math teacher filled in on his music/theater roles."
"Years later I randomly caught up with the student and she said the rumors were true, she freaked out and tried to end things to shake off the reputation, and eventually the teacher showed up trashed and naked on her family's front lawn, in the rain, yelling out for her."
"Like a really f'ked-up version of John Cusack from Say Anything but with less boombox and more drenched wang."
– Dangercakes13
These Actors Were Perfectly Cast In Their Roles | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Sometimes an actor comes along that is able to reach the audience on a deeper level. The actor that immediately comes to mind is Robin Williams. Although it ...
Worse Than The Presumption
"We had a Student Teacher, so a reasonably attractive guy who was about 22 or 23. The rumor was that he was dating a girl in our class, a senior who was nearly 18. It turned out the rumor was wrong, he was dating her younger sister who was in 8th grade."
– Drulock
These troubled adults were former educators for our future leaders.
The Dealer
"For years before I got to my high school there was a rumor that the Admin Assistant (guy you went to when you got in trouble) was doing drugs, selling drugs, and confiscating from students without turning over to the police. Well about five years or so after I graduated he got busted a couple towns away for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute."
– TheBuschels
Conditional Promises
"There were stories about the music teacher having sex with some of his students, in exchange for solos, better grades, prestige, or jobs after graduation."
"They later turned out to be true. He was found guilty in 2018, and was given a six month prison sentence. He's barred from teaching, and lost his pension. The news his my dad rather hard, since they studied together at college, and were good friends. Dad had no idea."
– TedMeister88
The Trusted Role Model
"A good family friend of ours (knew him for over 10 years), went to tons of BBQ, painted our walls alot, did some housework, had tons of other mutual friends with my Dad and their work friends; ended up getting into drugs or something. He kidnapped a woman and murdered her."
"It was a huge deal in my hometown, and when they said they finally found the guy and the mugshot and name came up, we all were in shock and just couldn't believe it. We trusted him, I shook his hand a few times as a kid too, im sure my parents and everyone else would've trusted him with thier kids or family members or what have you."
"We still have no idea what led him down that path, but the mugshot looked brutal and its like his whole soul was drained from his face, it wasn't the same smiling happy face I remembered."
"Just goes to show how much you really know someone, and how close all humans are from a breakdown, anyone can change, It surprisingly doesn't take much."
– PandaCatGunner
The Inebriate
"That my high school history teacher was putting whiskey in the 2-liter bottle of Pepsi he carried around everyday. He was caught trying to buy liquor for some senior girls and it resulted in a car chase we all watched. The police had to pull out the spike strips to catch him."
– Tylerurby
Speculations and hunches were confirmed, and it didn't involve criminal activity for a change.
A Double Life
"My old math teacher was a WWF wrestler, i recognized him from my childhood days channel surfing and couldn't find anything about him on google, but i was so sure it was him I just asked. I was right lmao."
– TheTastySpoonicorn
Secret Underground
"That there were tunnels under the school that led to a hidden pool."
"Confirmed by my father who was a maintenance man for the school district. The tunnels were just utility tunnels, the pool is below the gym floor and was abandoned due to financial reasons."
– pondcypress
It's a wonder how students are able to focus on their studies when there's a lot of whispering going on about who did or said what.
Gossip and academic conspiracies can be distracting. But don't let those keep you from receiving your diplomas.
Stay focused, kids.
