SAN MARCOS -- It was the end of a surprise vacation for some, a happy reunion with friends for others and business as usual for all at Mission Hills High School on Wednesday after students returned from a mandated campus closure.

"At first I was happy because we didn't have school, but then I was worried if I was infected," 17-year-old junior Will Ray said in reflecting back to last week when he heard his school was closing for two weeks because another student had apparently contracted the swine flu.

Senior John Knox, 17, said he was also nervous when he heard the school was closing because of the H1N1 virus, or swine flu.

"Then I heard it wasn't so bad," said Knox, who also worried about friends who frequently travel to Mexico, where more severe cases of swine flu have been identified.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recommended a two-week closure of any school where a student was diagnosed as carrying the H1N1 virus. Federal health authorities rescinded their recommendation Tuesday, saying the virus has turned out to be milder than initially feared.

One student at Mission Hills last week was identified as carrying the virus, and on Friday afternoon the district ordered the school closed for two weeks. It reopened Wednesday after being closed for just two days.

Knox said he spent his two days off studying for the Advanced Placement college tests students are scheduled to take this week, but had more fun plans in mind for later.

"I had planned to go kayaking and to the beach with my friends today," he said Wednesday. "It was like the school said, 'Two weeks off -- wait -- Psych! Two DAYS off.' "

Sophomore Armando Romero, 16, said he was thrilled when he heard the school was closing for two weeks.

"Oh, dude, I was like, heck yes, two weeks off," he said. But as he thought more about why the school was closed, Romero said he got a little concerned.

"I was kind of scared," he said. "What if I had it?"

Junior Lily Colon, 16, said she was disappointed to return to school because she had her two weeks planned, and junior Bridget Meraz said she was happy to be away from tests for two days.

Not all students made it back for the reopening. Principal Brad Lichtman said between 10 percent and 15 percent of students were absent Wednesday, significantly more than the usual 5 percent.

But Junior Kaleb Katzenmaier, a member of the school's track team, was happy to return.

"I was really disappointed when I found out we couldn't go to school for two weeks, because we'd miss league competition," he said, adding that the team has a meet Thursday.

Junior Harprett Takhar, 17, said he was happy to hear about the school closure, but not for the same reason as many other students. Takhar, the senior class president-elect for next year, said he hoped to use the time off to study for his advance placement tests.

"But instead of two weeks, we got two days, so it kind of threw my brain off a little," he said.

Junior Mark Mitchell, 17, said he jumped from his seat in excitement when he received a text message about the closure, probably annoying the people sitting behind him trying to watch "Wolverine" in the movie theater.

As he later started talking to his friends about the effects of the closure, however, he began to wonder if the time off would mean having to go to school in the summer to make up for the lost days.

"We started thinking, 'Wait a minute,' " he said, recalling how his excitement became anxiety.

Freshman Quinn Ireland, 15, said he was happy to hear about the school closing.

"I thought, 'Oh cool, we're going to get to sleep in and have a nice break,' " he said. When he learned Tuesday that the break was being cut short, Ireland said he was bummed out, but happy that testing would not have to be rescheduled.

Junior Dallas Butler, 17, said he was happy to be back at school and playing Hacky Sack with his friends, although he did like spending time at the beach when he otherwise would have been in class.

"It was like spring break part two," he said.

Junior Carla Bejjani, 17, said she at first was happy about the closure because it would give her more time to study for her Advanced Placement tests. The break also would allow her to celebrate her birthday with a day off.

On Wednesday, however, she spent her birthday at school, which wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"I'm glad to be surrounded by friends," Bejjani said while holding a few bags of presents.

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at (760) 740-5410.