The Aqua Net Diaries (35 page)

You can imagine how much fun it was to contact my classmates. And what the response was like, especially since they are all mothers and fathers and hard workers and businesspeople and heads of companies and upstanding, responsible citizens now.

Some of my favorite replies:

From Tom Mangas: “I'll be happy to help in any way I can. Just as long as you change my name.”

From Jeff Shirazi: “Um. What exactly is going to be in this book? Just how risqué are you planning to get?”

From one of the cheerleaders (re. the subject of making out): “Jennifer, do not put this in the book! I don't want my children to think their mother was a slut!”

From Curt Atkisson: “Turned 40 yet? That dread can only be matched by finding out that a woman you dated in high school who became a well-known writer is now writing an autobiographical book.”

From my own mother: “I've just decided that I would like you to change my name in this book.”

Is it any wonder that, when I proposed an in-person minireunion for the purpose of sharing stories and pictures and memories, it was almost impossible to (a) choose a date, and (b) get people together? Remember that I did not go to a small school.

No, RHS is huge and our class was huge, which means there were many, many people to contact before this book could ever see the light of day. But the minireunion (in Richmond, of course) was fun and everyone was amazingly supportive. Jeff Shirazi even rented a plane and flew it himself from Columbus, Ohio, to the Richmond Municipal Airport so he could bring me some albums of high school pictures. (Which made my high school self squeal:
Oh my God! Jeff Shirazi is renting a plane to come meet me!)

At the minireunion, we relived the old stories. We laughed so hard my stomach hurt for days afterward. My classmates let me photograph them. They let me record them as we talked and laughed and talked and laughed. They shared stories with me that I had never heard. They agreed to let me use their names in the book. Even Tom Mangas changed his mind and agreed (albeit tentatively, warily), although he had visited with his mother before coming to
meet us and received the following advice: “Be careful what you say because she might write it down!”

They have given me their full support, these former classmates of mine. Everyone has been great (far better than I would have been given the subject matter!), but I do have to single out a few folks:

Joe Kraemer, without whom none of these pages would exist. I wouldn't have survived Richmond (college, Los Angeles,
life
) without him. Thanks for being, bar none, my BFF.

Eloise Larkin Abernathy (the pseudonym my mother, Penelope Niven, suggested I use to conceal her identity in this book) who taught me all about Big Dreams and who has learned many a shocking thing about her daughter while reading this manuscript, but who continues to love me anyway.

Jack F. McJunkin Jr., fastest father on earth (be it in car or on foot), who isn't here to see this book, but who lived through much of it while it was happening with great patience, style, and humor (I realize now in retrospect).

John Hreno, who has been to every reunion and who knows every story.

Laura Lonigro—best girlfriend ever. Thanks for pictures, late-night phone calls, laughter, memories, and moving to Richmond all those years ago. What on earth would I have done without her?

Heather Craig, for being there before anyone else, and for being there again.

Teresa Ripperger Radtke, for her enthusiasm, generous help, and for nearly out–Harper Leeing Joey. If you are writing a book and need something organized, call Teresa!

Jeff Shirazi, for going the extra air miles and for entrusting me with his photo albums.

Tommy Wissel, for some of the funniest (and most unprintable) stories I've ever heard. He is a book all by himself.

Eric Lundquist, for first love.

Alex Delaney, for the bear, for boxes opened, and for himself.

Dan and Kim Allen, for going above and beyond.

Tom Dehner, for his generous, modest self. I giggled for five full minutes after talking to him on the phone the first time, and, of course, called Joey immediately afterward to tell him all about it.
(“Oh my God! I just talked to Tom Dehner!”)

Shane M., for Barrett Attic days,
Sounds from the Attic,
and letting this high school girl hang out with him.

Tom Mangas, for letting me use his real name.

Sherri Dillon Bergum, for proving me wrong about cheerleaders, and for sharing her newfound sparkling wit.

Becky Scheele, for party pictures, yearbooks, girl time, and for “keeping it real.”

Hether Rielly Schlosser (fastest driver in the Midwest), Curtis Atkisson, Ross Vigran, Lisa Fanning, Dan Mikeska, Robert Ignacio, Ronnie Stier, Leigh Torbeck Walkotte, Todd Irwin, and Troy Hildreth for all their help.

Mr. Van Shank, for saving me from
Flossy Flamingo
and showing me what a great teacher truly is.

Mary Lou Griffey, Rachel Sheeley, and Sue King—three marvelous researchers and treasured friends.

Mike and Melanie Kraemer, my adopted parents, who rescued Joey and me from more than one catastrophe with
the car, and who have miraculously managed to maintain their sense of humor and their youthful good looks.

Penelope Niven, John Hreno, Roy Hall, Angelo Surmelis, and Lisa Brucker, who didn't go to high school with me but who read the book in its rough form and got it. I crown you honorary kings and queens!

John Ware, my remarkable agent and friend, for his constant encouragement and his faith in this project. He would have made a terrific cheerleader (in the best sense of the word!).

The amazing team at Simon Spotlight—Jennifer Bergstrom and Tricia Boczkowski, Katie Rizzo, and Michael Nagin for the super-cool cover. And most of all to Sarah Sper, kindred spirit as well as dynamite editor supreme.

Charlie Sheen, Ramon Estevez, and David Woodbury for believing in this book, and Lisa Lang, Wendy Steinhoff, and everybody at Warner Bros. for seeing its small-screen potential.

Satchmo, Rumi, and Lulu, the most involved, devoted literary cats I've ever known.

Heather Webb, for making my hair much smaller than it was in high school.

And to Richmond High School, Dennis Middle School, Westview Elementary School, Earlham College, Morrisson-Reeves Library, the
Palladium-Item,
the Wayne County Vistor's Center, and, most of all, to Richmond, Indiana, my hometown. I hope you'll still let me visit after you read this book.

•   
Who were you in high school?
I was sometimes a brain, sometimes a beauty, sometimes a rebel, sometimes the girl next door, sometimes popular, sometimes a wallflower, sometimes Scarlett O'Hara at the barbecue. I was a chameleon.

•   
Who did you want to be in high school?
Demi Moore, Scarlett O'Hara, Jaclyn Smith, George Sand, Stevie Nicks, Frida from ABBA, Jane Austen, Belinda Carlisle, Debbie Harry. I wanted to be anyone larger than life who moved on the world stage.

•   
Who are you now (in what ways are you similar to your high school self)?
I'm still more comfortable with men than with women and I still trust men more (other than my mother, the women in my family, and a handful of girlfriends). I'm still a flirt. I still feel like an outsider sometimes,
especially in smaller places. I'm confident and I know who I am. I'm an artist. I'm boy crazy. I'm silly. I'm disciplined. I'm serious. I'm spontaneous. I want everyone to like me. I try to please people. I'm happy. I have fun all the time. I worry about everything. I'm positive. I am younger than my age. I dream big. I think anything is possible. I still plan to be a rock star. I am constantly growing at lightning speed. I like loud music and driving fast. None of these things have changed.

•   
If you had to label your high school self in a simple category, what would that be?
On a more superficial level, I was the flirt. On a deeper level, I was the outsider. I never truly felt like I fit in, although I wanted to.

•   
What do you think made your high school experience so unique/special?
There was something about that one enormous high school in that one small town. All eyes were on us. We were all collected into one school. Even when I was dying to get out of Richmond and RHS and go far, far away to the big city, there was still a part of me that was proud of that big, grand high school and the impression it made, the pride the town took in it, the quirky and charming town itself, and the colorful characters unique to Richmond. I remember the way my classmates looked at me when I went to college in New Jersey—with people who'd grown up in Manhattan or Philadelphia or Boston or L.A. When I said I grew up in Indiana, they looked at me as if I was from Mars. And there was a part of me that really enjoyed that.

•   
What's the most valuable thing you learned from your high school experience?
Besides learning to type, I learned to talk about things that affect you, even if someone says you shouldn't. Not to hold things in because this can
damage you—it's not healthy. To let people see inside those boxes. To really experience what's in front of you at the moment without always looking ahead toward the next thing, because you just might miss what's right there. And what was right there in front of me were some pretty incredible people in a pretty incredible place. I'm glad I was able to realize it before I left.

Now it's your turn …

High School Questions

 

•   Who were you in high school?

•   Who did you want to be in high school?

•   Who are you now (in what ways are you similar to your high school self)?

•   If you had to label your high school self in a simple category, what would that be? (Were you the jock, the brain, the nerd, the geek, the wallflower, etc.?)

•   What do you think made your high school experience so unique/special?

•   Craziest memories?

•   Funniest memories?

•   Hardest/saddest memories?

•   Can you share specific memories of the following:

•   Teachers (Those you hated, those you loved; funniest, favorite, most memorable classroom moments.)

•   Skipping school

•   Detention/other punishments (Specific times you might have gotten into trouble.)

•   Breakups (Friendships? Romances?)

•   Sex and dating (Did you feel like everyone was doing it but you? Were you doing it? Did you want to do it but had no one to do it with? Did you do it but wish you'd waited?)

•   Parties (Do any specific party moments stand out? Funny ones? Scary ones?)

•   Anything else you want to add?

•   What's the most valuable thing you learned from your high school experience?