Something as small as a sewing needle can save a person from utter humiliation. For Jupiter Gergics, it made the difference between a normal school day and a disastrous wardrobe malfunction.

In Gergics’ second week of junior year, they decided to wear pants they tailored themself. Their sewing machine needed oiling, so Gergics chose to hand-sew the seams of the pants.

As Gergics got on the city bus that morning, something felt off. They looked down to find the crotch of their pants was gone. In its place, a gaping hole. Fortunately for Gergics, they picked a seat in the back of the bus, so no one noticed them. Panic set in, and when all hope seemed lost, they had a revelation. A small sewing kit was lying somewhere in their backpack.

The sewing kit, only a few inches in size, was an impulsive buy at Target.

“I didn’t want to walk out without buying anything,” Gergics said. “I always feel like someone’s gonna think I’m stealing.”

It was by pure luck that the kit was in Gergics’ bag that day. The only reason it remained in their backpack was because they never got around to taking it out. If the sewing kit was not with Gergics on that bus, who knows how bad things could have been?

Gergics began to frantically sew up the hole. They pulled the needle through the fabric over and over again, hoping it could do something to fix their pants. The sewing job looked horrible, but they were at least covered up.

When they got to class, Gergics rushed over to their teacher Becky Brent, looking for a way out of the whole situation.

“I’m like: ‘Becky, I tore a hole in the crotch of my pants’,” Gergics said. “‘And I’m 90% sure that I sewed it to my underwear.’”

To Gergics’ delight, Brent excused them from class. They hurried down to the nurse and took off their disfigured attire. From there, they were able to fix the hole to the best of their ability.

Gergics went the rest of the day without any more problems. Though the struggle was over, they never forgot the huge impact of their tiny purchase.

The sewing kit remains by Gergics’ side to this day. No matter rain or shine, you can always find it tucked away in a pocket or stashed in a bag.

“You usually don’t need it,” Gergics said. “But when you need it, you need it.”

Who knew that such a small, silly item could rescue someone from absolute mortification.