When I was at Freddie's last time I was chatting with some friends when some of their friends walked up. Because the friends with whom I was chatting are good men with manners, they immediately introduced the walk-up friends to those of us who were already chatting together.
Once the initial introductions were out of the way one of the guys, Ricardo, who was standing next to Chris, looked at me and said "So, what's your story?"
"My story? Did someone tell you I had a story?" I responded, a bit caught off-guard.
"No, I just mean, what's your story? Are you from here, you know, that kind of stuff" he clarified.
"Oh..." I chuckled, "Yes, actually, I am a native Washingtonian. I was born in Washington DC and my parents moved the family to Woodbridge when I was a toddler. That's where I grew up."
Chris spoke up and said "I went to high school in Woodbridge."
"Really? Which high school?" I asked.
"Gar-Field" he replied.
"Me too! What year did you graduate?"
"81" he said.
"I graduated in 82! We went to the same high school during the same years! That's amazing!"
"That IS amazing" Chris agreed. "Ever since I returned to the DC area after college and working abroad I've never met anyone who's actually from here, much less went to my high school."
Ricardo asked why we didn't know each other if we'd gone to the same high school during the same years, so we explained that our high school had over 4,000 students so you didn't even know everyone in your own graduating class, much less know everyone from other classes.
From that point on Chris and I kept asking each other "Did you know so-and-so?" I was surprised how many friends we had in common. Finally he asked me if I'd known this one friend named Lisa and I said "Yes, I've known her since we were kids."
Lisa lived in my neighborhood so we had gone to the same elementary, middle, and high school together. We'd "starred" in the Junior Variety Show, the fundraiser put on by the junior class to raise money for the senior class's prom. The show got such rave reviews from people who'd seen it Fri night that on Sat night the auditorium was filled to capacity, they had to turn people away at the door, and they asked the performers to do the show again the following weekend. Needless to say the seniors had a most excellent prom that year!
Chris said he'd kept in touch with Lisa for a few years after high school but had lost touch. I told him that she and I had gotten reacquainted 2 years ago and that I'd seen her when she came back to VA for Christmas.
I got Chris' email address so when I returned home to DE I sent him and Lisa an email, telling Lisa that I'd met Chris, and giving each other their email addresses. Lisa was thrilled to reconnect with Chris.
The rest of that night Chris and I talked and talked, and despite us really not having known each other in school, we really connected. It was kind of like meeting a long lost relative, someone with whom you're familiar but don't really know. It was a lot of fun and Chris told me to let him know when I was coming back to DC to visit again. And I definitely will.
Drag Queen name of the day: Gwen D. Lottery
