Gina and Mike (23 page)

Maggie was more of a follower than a leader. She was content to stand in the stage wings and let others bask in the spotlight. I used to get so mad at her for letting others take credit for her ideas. I told her it was like working your ass off to lose 20 pounds and then continuing to wear huge shirts – no one will notice the results of all your hard work. She always said that it didn’t matter. That she knew and that was good enough.

Today, Maggie is definitely not in anyone’s shadows. Although every chance she gets, she steps aside and lets those who work for her bathe in the glory. After finishing college, she started working in the textile industry and climbed to the top, eventually becoming general manager and vice president of Dye Works Inc. She chairs the board of directors of the local hospital and Mom has sent me newspaper clippings over the years about her receiving awards for her charitable work.

Knowing Maggie, I’m sure she is embarrassed by the accolades.  

Ellen (Yearbook post)

Gina,

To a great friend. You’re always there to help and listen to me whenever I'm down. You've brought me back to earth many times, and I'm very grateful for that. So if there is ever a time when you need help, don’t forget that I'm here. Next year you’ll be going off to college. Our gang will be spread apart. I hope we keep in touch by writing to each other and visiting.

I’m looking forward to spending a weekend at college with you. There are so many things that we all have to experience yet. I hope that you and Mike will keep that great relationship you two have. I think you have finally found a love that is good and true and I can see what he does for you.

Never forget all of the fun times that we shared these past four years. I hope there are many more to come. Good luck with everything you do and keep in touch over the summer. I’ll see you at the prom,

Love, El

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Ellen was right about one thing, after high school we all went in different directions. We kept in touch the first year, but then we started to drift apart.

The things that bound us together in high school no longer existed. We didn’t cheer together. We weren’t class officers. We weren’t in the senior class play or planning social events for the student body. We were no longer the big fishes in a little pond but little fishes in very big ponds – and the ponds were worlds apart.

I had thought our friendship meant more, and I’m mad that I didn’t do more to keep it intact. Guess you always think there’s time to catch up and make things right, and then time runs out.

After high school, Ellen went to culinary school. I wonder if she’s cooking at some Five-star restaurant like she dreamed she would.

Becky (Yearbook post)

Gina,

Well, I believe you know what I have to say. I have so much to tell you but I’m not a very good writer. But I’ll try my best. Sorry for being such a bitch this year but I had problems. Thank you for standing by me and for understanding. I sure do hope that you get everything out of life because you deserve it. But I don’t have to worry about that because I know you will go after what you want and not stop for anything. If you ever need me to support you or back you up for anything, you know I will be there.

Love, Becky

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Becky was a bitch our senior year. But only the second half. It started after Christmas break. I think something happened when she went to visit her older brother in Chicago. She left the day after Christmas and spent the week with him, including New Year’s Eve. I tried talking to her about it every now and then, but that just made her bitchier.

Finally, a week or two before graduation, she seemed to come around. Whatever she was pissed about, whatever happened I guess she made peace with it. I was glad to have the old Becky back. As much as I always tried to support her, even I was getting tired of her whiny, bitchy self.

Becky went into the Air Force right after high school, and I’m sad to say we lost touch. Mom sent me a newspaper clipping when she finished basic training. There was a photo of Becky. I remember the photo because she wasn’t smiling, and Becky always had the most beautiful smile.

Lynn (Yearbook post)

Gina,

To a really terrific girl that I’ve known practically all of my life. Remember all the fun in student council and all of Mr. Flannigan’s “speeches.”  Of course, don’t forget all the work we put into making the prom a hit. I’m glad we have stayed friends all of these years, and I hope that we will always be friends. If you ever need me to plan anything for you, let me know.

Love, Lynn

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Lynn was always a great planner. Very organized and detail oriented.  She made a great class president, an office we had to beg her to go for because no one else in our group wanted all of the responsibilities. And, to be honest, none of us was as good as Lynn at planning and making sure things got done.

It didn’t surprise me that she became an events planner for a swanky country club in Massachusetts. I always thought that if I needed a wedding planner, I’d want Lynn.

When we planned the prom, she kept everyone on task and focused. She thought of details that the rest of us hadn’t given any thought to – like the order of the people in the receiving line. That’s how she was; she left nothing to chance. Every decision was backed up with sound reasoning and she always had a Plan B. Her obsessing drove me a little crazy at times, but she made everything she was a part of better.

Joe (Yearbook post)

Gina,

To the one girl who I think has the best personality out of anybody I know. Always keep those good looks and special smile. I wish you luck at anything you try to accomplish in the future. You are very special to me as a friend.

Take care, Joe

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I’ve never see anyone battle drugs like Joe. He started drinking heavily our junior year in high school and then got into pot and other stuff.  I liked Joe. I always tried to talk to him about what was going on. I knew he was in trouble. He always said that he could handle it and that he could quit anytime he wanted. We both knew that wasn’t true.

I watched as his smiling eyes turned into a blank stare. As he lost weight and stopped caring about his appearance. As he started skipping school and his grades plummeted. Looking back, I’m surprised he graduated.

Watching Joe was like watching a fly become ensnared in a spider’s web. I wanted to rescue him, but I didn’t know how.

He called me one night when I was in college. He was crying and saying things that didn’t make any sense. Eventually, he hit rock bottom. Ended up in a ditch, then the hospital and then rehab.

Joe tells his story over and over to high school students and anyone else who will listen. He made it out of that sticky web, but it wasn’t easy. He would tell you that drugs are a demon he battles every day.

I often wonder what would have happened if Joe didn’t have the support of his family and friends.

Today, he's married to a wonderful woman who, like him, counsels drug addicts.

It’s good to see Joe’s smiling eyes, and it’s good to see wrinkles hug the outer corners. As the years pass and the wrinkles appear, it means he’s beating the demon – one day at a time.

Bill (Yearbook post)

Gina,

To a very special girl that I think about a lot and I will never forget you as long as I live. I have many memories about you that I wouldn’t trade for the world, and I’m sure you have some memories too and I hope you never forget them. You made this past summer something very special and something to always remember and I want to thank you for that. I’m sorry what we had together had to end but it seems like it’s been for the best. I’m really glad that you and Mike found each other and I hope your relationship always lasts. I don’t know Mike very well but it seems like you two were made for each other and I’m really happy for you. You deserve the very best that life has to offer and I hope you always get it. Best wishes and please take good care of yourself.

Love, Bill

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I dated Bill the summer before I started dating Mike.  I learned how to make out and French kiss hard and deep. We never went the whole way. We were both too scared. And while we knew we liked each other a lot, maybe not quite enough to go that far. So we had a summer romance filled with fun days and steamy nights.

I was the one who broke it off. School started and we weren’t spending as much time together, and I realized that I didn’t care that we weren’t spending as much time together. And then I started to look at Mike and, well, it was only a matter of time.

Just being near Mike made my heart tingle. It never tingled with Bill. And then one day Bill came around the corner at school and saw me talking to Mike. Later that day, he mentioned it and said how I had a smile on my face that he had never seen before. He told me that he wished I had smiled at him like that. That was the day I broke up with him. I think we both knew it was coming. The summer was over.

Keith (Yearbook post)

Gina,

To a really sweet girl who has a nice personality. Keep up the good looks and keep working hard and you’ll go far.  See you over the summer.

Love, Keith

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Keith was the first boy I ever kissed. It was in sixth grade and we were playing Spin the Bottle in my girlfriend’s garage. There were eight of us, four boys and four girls. We sat in a circle – boy, girl, boy, girl. If the bottle pointed at someone of the same gender, you kissed the person to their left. I got to go first because I picked the longest blade of grass. I spun the empty bottle of Budweiser that we dug out of the trash. When the bottle stopped spinning, it was pointing at Keith. 

I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to open my mouth when we kissed. The girls and I had talked about it earlier that day when we planned to meet up with the boys in Becky’s garage, but I realized we hadn’t made a decision. Now I was first and everyone would probably follow whatever I did.  I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest. It pounded so fast it scared me. Even when I gave a violin recital, and I was always nervous at those, my heart didn’t pound like this.

I sat cross-legged on the cold cement. Keith looked at me and he didn’t move. The others were egging me on. I finally got up enough courage and got on my knees and wiggled over to Keith. I decided I wasn’t going to open my mouth. I gave him a quick peck and everyone ooed and ahhed.

Whenever I’m with someone at a bar and they buy a bottle of Budweiser, I remember that day so many years ago. And I also remember Becky’s mom catching us kissing after only a few spins. She chased us all out of the garage and sent the boys home. It wasn’t the last time we played Spin the Bottle, but it was the last time at Becky’s house.

Keith followed in his dad’s footsteps and became an eye doctor. When he joined his dad’s practice, they built a new office with state-of-the-art technology and equipment. Keith married a nurse that he met in school. They have five kids – two sets of twin girls and a boy.

Frank (Yearbook post)

Gina,

To a really neat girl I’ve known for awhile now. Thanks for trying to keep me awake during Period 6. I don’t think I would have made it through school without your help. Good luck in college. I know you’ll do great, you always do.

Love, Frank

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Frank was forever falling asleep in class. But I would, too, if I were stocking grocery store shelves until 2 in the morning. By the time he got home and to sleep it was almost time to get back up. School started at 7:40. But Frank’s family needed the money. He never talked about his dad and I got the feeling that he left when Frank was really young.

His mom worked at the mini mart in town during the day and cleaned office buildings at night. He had three sisters who weren’t old enough to work. He told me one time how embarrassed he was that his family got food stamps and that he qualified for a reduced lunch at school. He hated being poor.

I was so happy that he got a college scholarship. Actually, he was offered several. Despite falling asleep and not doing his homework half the time he was one of the smartest kids in our class. In fact, he was nudged out by Keith for salutatorian by tenths of a point.

Frank decided to attend the local university so he could continue to help out at home. He was one of those kids who you never felt got a break. But that changed in college. A professor took him under his wing and mentored him. I guess he saw potential in Frank and wanted to help him. Turned out that Frank earned his undergrad in business and went on to get his MBA.

He’s doing quite well from what Mom tells me. And she sent me a newspaper clipping of Frank starting a program in our high school for kids interested in business. He got other business leaders in the community to help mentor the kids. The students set up a store in the school and were learning the ins and outs of running a business.

And all this from a kid I constantly had to nudge to keep awake in period 6.  It makes me smile.

Sue, aka Tigger (Yearbook post)

Gina, to my dearest and closest friend.  You are an amazing person and I love you so much! Always remember the good times we shared, especially the wild parties at Jeremy’s. I wish you nothing but the best in everything you do. I know that you will go far. Thanks for always being there for me.  I will always be here for you. You can call me anytime, anywhere. Remember, soul sisters forever!  You are an incredible person and friend. I love you, Tig