My best friend at the time was the all-island tennis champ. We had a misunderstanding one night. Never spoke again.
We sometimes held our senior class meetings at a local strip club. If for the backdrop.
Ran the 400-meter in track just to mingle with the all-girl sister school from across the island. I've forgotten all their names.
Graduation day was suppose to feel special. Woke up went down to the church and I stood tallest next to my class. Over.
Got accepted into USF with some grants and aid. Another ticket out. But apparently I haven't had enough of Florida.
Walked by the Naples Daily News building one day and went in to apply. I wrote "graphics department" at the top.
Illustrated features and made infographics on a Mac Quadra running Aldus Freehand. Learned about deadlines.
Weightlifting. Five-cent chicken wings. Botany and French at the college. I stopped drinking soda. Not sure what I was wasting for.
Bought my grandmother's old yellow 2-door Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. She always made us call her "mamita". Little mom.
At 21 I moved to San Francisco for art school.
She was 18 I think. I had her in a class but we met at the steps during break. So little did I know at that moment.