"Goodness gracious, Lord have mercy," Browne said of that day, smiling at the memory. "I couldn't go to none of my classes that day."
Instead, a teacher and a school police officer had to escort her to the second-floor computer lab, where she stayed all day, excused from class.
The next day, the classmates started asking for autographs and wanted to snap pictures with the teen, a young girl who has been teased in the past, family members said.
"It was just crazy, everybody was yelling my name," she said, during an exclusive interview at her home with her parents, Diane Browne, 43, and Reggie Reed, 46.
The fuss over Temptresse began after her five-minutes-and-27-seconds of national fame hit the air and the Internet. Her persistence and tears combined with a heartfelt reaction from "Idol" judges made Temptresse's story memorable.
Bloggers were touched and so were "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," which have a contract with Temptresse and her family.
The shows plan to profile the family on their respective shows tonight, beginning with "ET" at 7 p.m. and "The Insider" at 7:30 p.m., both on CBS 3.
The family hopes producers can help them lift themselves from their difficult situation: both Reggie and Diane are unemployed.
"Well, right now, we are talking about things, we're negotiating things," said Diane Browne, who weighs 626 pounds and is confined to a wheelchair. "We haven't put anything in stone."
Producers hope that their story will inspire others, and move the family toward positive changes in their lives.
"At the end of the day, really, you look at these people . . . and you say: 'You know what? Is there something we can do that can help them step forward?' " said Kevin Frazier, "ET" weekend anchor/correspondent, who was present during the interview.
His "Insider" colleague, correspondent Thomas Roberts, believes Temptresse is a winner.
