High School Reunion Blog

I was disappointed that our reunion was coming to an end (which is kinda funny, because for many days I wished I'd hopped on the same early flight out as Scott H.) -- especially since it seemed like the drama was all behind us and the bond we were forming was stronger than ever. I think it took some really rough situations to get to that level of comfort, but the closeness that we formed was a direct result of all that we'd been through.

Just like in high school, I asked a friend to prom. I went with great friends to my junior and senior proms, and this time I asked my close friend Renee. Renee was one of my first and best friends when I moved to Chandler and I'm glad I was able to share this experience with her 20 years later. The prom itself was one of the best times of the trip. I think it was a perfect way for us to celebrate our time together in Kauai and cut loose! When you get to be our age, the opportunities to go out dancing are few and far between, but we felt right at home with some of our favorite '80s music playing. 

• Liz and Jenny buried the hatchet, and found a new level of respect and friendship for one another.
• Heather and Lynette were able to reconnect and put some bad feelings behind them.
• Drew got the opportunity to confess his crush on Lynette, and while it might not have had a “happily ever after” feel to it, I think about how much he has grown and changed by being able to do this. In the end, he came to the realization that being himself was the best thing he could do to achieve happiness.
• Tom and Kara had the opportunity to decide whether to give their relationship another chance.
• Chad got to get back in touch with many of the friends he moved away from 20 years ago.
• Shalonda got to experience some of the things she didn't take part in during high school. She also was a model of forgiveness and acceptance.
• Dennis got to show all of us that there's another side to him that's so much more likable -- he's kind-hearted and has a great sense of humor.
• We got to spend time with Manny and Octavia -- who were both a great part of our high school experience, even though they weren't from the class of '88. Octavia brought positive energy and enthusiasm to the reunion; Manny, with his infinite wisdom, was like a big brother to many of us.
• Maricela and Liz both were able to fulfill a life-long dream of being a cheerleader, and Liz was even lucky enough to be voted Prom Queen!
• Scott H. never was -- and never will be -- a loner.

I think one great thing about coming to your 20-year reunion is thinking you have life figured out way better than you did in high school. Many of us often ponder what it would be like to go back in time and doing things differently with the knowledge, wisdom and experience of a 37-year-old, rather than a 17-year-old who has so much yet to learn. For many people, high school experiences are some of the best memories they possess; others say they’re the worst.  

Personally, I achieved what I came to this reunion for. I'd lost track of Heather and Shalonda for the last 20 years, but now they're two of my closest friends again. I talk or text with them weekly, sometimes even daily. Scott H. is one of my best friends because of this experience, and I'm looking forward to visiting him in Montana this summer.  

Liz, my sophomore year party pal, was another person whom I never expected to see again, but am so thankful she's back in my life. I hope to see more Cardinal football games with her. Octavia, who I partied with as a senior, is practically my neighbor, so I fully intend to continue my new friendship with her. Tom, Kara and Renee were all people I kept in touch with before this reunion, but sharing this experience has made us even better friends.  

It’s hard to believe that it is already the last episode of HSR. This has been an incredible journey for me. I have made some life-long friends that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to get to know if I had not been a part of HSR. Those friendships are the reason I am happy that I did the show.

I was able to do so many things that I didn’t get to do in high school. Being a cheerleader for a day was definitely fun, even though I felt so awkward being in that outfit at 39! Hanging out with and getting to know people I never had the chance to know in high school was a highlight for me. I never did the whole sleeping-on-the-football-field thing back in high school so aside from prom, I think I most looked forward to that experience. You can’t even imagine how fun that was for us. It was truly like we were back in high school, playing football out there and just being together. 

During that time on the field it was as if none of the drama from the previous days existed. It was surreal! Dennis asking Shalonda to the prom really set the tone for everyone. What I mean is we were able to once again see forgiveness in action and it filled up my heart. It was a surprise to everyone that Dennis would ask Shalonda but when he did we all knew it was the PERFECT choice! I am not even joking when I say I was TOTALLY shocked when Chad asked me to prom. He is such a sweetheart! Asking Jenny to go with us to the prom just seemed right -- after all, Jenny and I had put the past behind us and were getting to know each other. There is one thing I want to share with everyone that you didn’t see in the finale: After Chad asked me to prom we talked about writing a note and having one of the others give it to Jenny. The note read, "Will you go to prom with us?" with two boxes, one that said “Yes” and one that said “No.” We thought it was pretty clever, but I guess not everyone did!  

Having my classmates choose me as their Prom Queen made me feel so great. I have so much respect for all of them and to have them choose me was such an honor! I truly did not expect it but I have to admit that I DID vote for myself (oops, did I say that out loud?)  

Love you guys,

Liz

Where do I start? The previous conversation with Liz didn’t go well. It was a very long conversation -- and you only got to see a couple minutes of it. I felt terrible that something I said had hurt Liz. I said I never had bad feelings toward her and I would have never wanted her to feel bad. I said I was so sorry that something I did was so hurtful and that it was never my intention to hurt her. I wasn’t making excuses -- I was only trying to explain how I felt.

In hindsight I think it would have been better if I’d just said I’m sorry and didn’t say another word. Liz said I couldn’t do anything to fix it or make the situation better, which pretty much summed up exactly how I felt. She said I was still a bitch. I’m not sure what I did to deserve that, but I really felt no matter what I did she had her mind made up before I got to the house.

I can understand why Scott H. wanted to go home. I too wanted to go home that same night. It’s hard to describe, but some days were so hard to be in that space. It was sometimes hard to understand why we chose to be there in the first place.  The incident Liz was speaking about was in the seventh grade and since I was only 12, I don’t even remember being at that particular slumber party.

When I said that Liz didn’t get my humor I was referring to the “fat *&^%$#” comment. But before the daggers start flying, let me explain what I mean. Liz was very tall and thin in junior high and high school. I CAN totally see me calling her a “fat *&^%$#” as a sarcastic exaggeration of the opposite. For example, if we were all sitting around talking about how fat we were (like we did back then – ridiculous, I know) I could see me saying, “Yeah, ‘cause you’re a real fat *&^%$#.” I can see NOW that wasn’t the right thing to say to Liz, but I didn’t realize it at the time. No one deserves to be treated badly and it definitely upset me that my words or actions caused someone pain.  

On to the overnight [Detention with Liz]: I thought it was SO funny! My grandma would have been proud, because she taught me how to fish, hunt and camp. I really did gut a fish with a dull butcher knife. We really cooked that little fish on a fry pan that we had balancing on the fire that Liz started -- and it was actually pretty good. The tent situation was like a scene out of an old Abbott & Costello show; we were trying to put it together for what must have been hours, and when we almost had it complete we found the instructions.

We were left alone on the beach all night. We didn’t fit in the tiny one-man tents: Our heads stuck out the top and when it rained, we had to zip ourselves in and when it stopped, we unzipped so we could stretch back out. The most ironic part was the pain we both felt after sleeping on the beach without a pillow -- and only when we woke up at the crack of dawn and rolled over did we discover what appeared to be a blow-up pillow tucked in the sleeping bag. That was priceless. 

We had some good conversations on the beach that night, and were finally able to move beyond the hurt and put our issues to rest. 

I really enjoyed how Dennis and Manny took in Andrew and made him their little buddy. It was all in good fun and I think something about the friendship gave him a little pep in his step. I enjoyed seeing the transformation, although I was glad I wasn’t at the pool to witness the entire transformation -- if you know what I mean! I thought Lynette handled the situation with compassion and grace; I loved how she was direct but also kind. I did like the new added confidence and sense of style -- way to go, Andrew! I hear that he’s in a happy relationship today and wish him all the luck!

Last but not least, I was so excited to have Renee come to the house. Although I didn’t know her well in high school, I knew who she was and always thought she was a smart, cute and very nice girl. I was excited for new energy in the house and knew she was someone I could have fun with. Thanks, Renee, I really appreciated having you in the house as my other awesome roommate!