{How we became The Sclaters. Part I}

The ceiling fan spun around. I would catch my focus on a single blade for a moment before the blur of the spinning pieces of white painted wood continued on their way. The back of my hands supported the arch of my back. I pulled at the carpet fibers with my fingernails. I was conflicted. & all I knew to do was lie on the floor & listen to the hum of the ceiling fan motor.

Plane tickets & hotel reservations were made. Swimsuits had been bought, new clothes purchased. Flip flops: check, sun block: check, toiletries, towels: check, check. The flight to Florida for the senior class trip was less then 24 hours away & I did not want to go.

I had moved in the middle of my senior year to Pottstown Pennsylvania. Pottstown was small, & thus, I could not bury myself under a large student body like the other high schools I had transferred into. I had made a few friends, but as the school year came to a close, I found myself dreading school more & more. Pottstown was tough for me & in some cases tough on me.

Flying to Florida with my classmates was the very last thing I now wanted to do.
& So I lay on the floor of my bedroom with its plaid pink walls & yellow comforter thinking I did not want to go at all.

To my surprise my parents wholly understood.

They had seen first hand how hard this particular transfer had been for me.

My father called Pottsgrove High School, & although non refundable, My mom & dad seemed unaffected by my ill-timed preference.

With that solitary resolution I unknowingly began my future.

That night as we sat in our usual seats infront of our dinner plates my Mom asked what I wanted to do with my stolen week.

My best friend Jenny (with a Y) was graduating at her high school in Maryland that week. It took me only a few minuets to assemble the week’s plans. The next morning my Dad loaded up my already packed bags for Florida & took me to Maryland to stay the week with the Zonarich family.

Jenny Zonarich & I had met through our boyfriends who had since broken up with us (you know High School boys), but that didn’t stop us from being friends. We never attended the same high school, & really only lived near each other for 2 years, but we loved each other & she just made me laugh & wiped my often dramatic tears. She & I tried to die our brown hair blonde…to no avail. Jenny & I would lay on vents to try & over hear other peoples conversations. We went to baseball games together & proms. She was always only a 11 digits on a phone away. She was so confident & so gorgeous. I loved that girl. Still do.

Jenny had a busy week with graduation parties & senior week at the beach. I tagged along everywhere & enjoyed all of it. I was happy to be with her.

During that week, not sure when. Maybe the beginning, maybe the end. But at some point Jenny was contacted by an old boyfriend. Travis had returned home from his first year at Brigham Young University in Utah. Travis (by no surprise to me) wanted to see my Jenny. Jenny was certain to make clear she had a friend staying with her & didn’t want to make a 3^rd wheel of me. By no happenstance I am sure, Travis had a friend staying with him also. This friend of his had been on his hall at BYU, & was staying with him for a few weeks before going abroad to travel Europe.

A lunch date was made.

The place: Baltimore Inner harbor, the time: a bit before noon that same day.

& all despite my objection to a blind double date.