Just thought I’d do some writing and then some proofreading before either Jesse gets noisy or his dogs do. Whichever comes first.

Duewi is Marie’s nickname which I referred to as M in my last entry online. I let her know I don’t use last names and that I’d refer to her only by her nickname.

Anyway, you know you shared a certain hell together when you run into each other 26 years later in cyberspace and are instantaneously good buddies! Guess it’s something only those who went through what we went through could understand, but if Duewi were suddenly homeless and on the streets around here, you bet I’d go pick her up! Well, Tom would have to help since I don’t drive, LOL!

She said the last 8 years have been great for her, before that a distant memory. She asked if I remembered her and as I told her, I have an impeccable memory, so yes, I do remember her. I also remember Tammy and Judy, two different girls she used to hang out with. I even took hers and Tammy’s picture before Tammy left.

Like I said, we weren’t pals in any way. We were never roommates nor did we have any classes together that I remember, but we always got along.

She’s the only Valleyheader so far that I’ve been in touch with. I once looked up a few names, but I either didn’t get any hits or I got too many to be worth going through.

Later…

I hear Jesse sawing away at something right now. Why can’t the guy ever take a day off and stay home and INSIDE on weekends? I prefer him to stick around so the dogs don’t go crazy, but when he does, he makes a racket himself.

So anyway, I’m so happy to have Duewi as a friend! She is so cool. What’s more is that she’s surprising as hell, too. Yeah, I guess she wouldn’t mind my saying this, but when I asked if she remembered me, she said, “Sure I do. I had a huge crush on you.”

I was both shocked and flattered, alright. I had absolutely no idea she liked me. I knew she didn’t dislike me, but I thought I was just there as far as she was concerned. Just another spot on the wall.

She lives in New York now and understandably she prefers the East with it being more accepting of her lifestyle. It’s definitely more liberal there than here in conservative Cali!

She remembers my singing and playing the guitar, saying that despite the craziness there I could really break out that guitar and get singing! Yeah, music was pretty much all I had to keep my sanity, LOL!

Anyway, Duewi was what I’d describe as cute and tomboyish. She was tough but not mean. I always liked her smile. She’s Italian but doesn’t speak it. She had “the look” unlike my more feminine self and I can see where girls would’ve thrown themselves at her like crazy while short fems like myself were usually more of a hit with the guys, unfortunately, LOL! Bet I could still go hang out in a lesbo bar for hours and still not be approached. Hey, at 4’ 11”, 124 pounds, why would I?

During the time I was actually at Valleyhead, which was from ages 16-18, I was too young, dumb and naïve to put two and two together as far as who was gay. But once I got older and came out myself, I could look back and recognize which staffers and students were gay. There were actually several staff couples that formed there. Mary, the one I had a crush on, took up with Annie. Debbie, my therapist, took up with some guy and they got married. I know my other therapist, Lisa, was gay, along with Ellen, the owners’ daughter, and Jennifer. Duewi said she ran into Ellen after she left Valleyhead and was still in MA and learned she’d not only gotten with Jennifer but liked Duewi as well.

Well, like I said, I had no idea she liked me. Maybe that was because I was too busy paying attention to Mary. It’s kind of funny after all these years when you think about it. Duewi liked me while I liked Mary who liked Annie all the while Ellen liked Duewi!

She remembered a lot of the people and their names, saying the staff was cool to her, but she didn’t like some of the students. There were a few students I didn’t like either, but I thought some of the staff were crazier than some of the students. Donna, Margaret and Barbara were a nightmare! Other than Mary, Lisa and Michelle, one of the teachers, no one else really stands out as far as staff goes.

There was a little confusion for a minute there when I mentioned being the crazy window jumper and she said she “pulled me in in room 7, the room we shared.” I said, “It couldn’t have been me. I was never in room 7, never shared a room with her, and I assure her no one pulled me back when I flew outa room 13’s window!”

She got me mixed up with a girl named Doreen. I guess she too, tried to jump, desperate to get out of there. Then she ran away instead, never to be heard from or seen again. As far as I always knew, no one knew whatever became of her.

Anyway, it was really cool to chat on Facebook like we did. She too, lives in a trailer in the boonies with some girl and her sister.

It’s too bad we can’t run over for a visit. She is just so way cool. I meant it too, when I said I was flattered to learn she had a thing for me. She’d have been my last guess as to who I’d end up getting back in touch with from Valleyhead. I’d have guessed Denise, Stacey or Ethel. We hung out the most and were often roommates.

It’s as fun to have so many cyber friends as it is not to have so many friends close by in physical form where they could really be a pest. I still wouldn’t mind meeting a few of them in person if only for a day. My top 3 picks would be Duewi, Eileen and probably Paul.

I finally heard from Mary. Even though I figured she was just depressed, busy or both, I always worry when too much time passes between letters.

They threw her in lockdown for trying to send her lawyer a birthday card. That’s pretty fucked up, but I guess with her being new and all that they just had to prove a point.

She asked for my email so she could send me recent pictures of her. I guess she’s got internet access there. She’s enjoying the story I’m sending her. I’ll have two more to catch her up on after this one, then the scenes I’ve been working on with Paul.

She wants to write erotica with me as Gothic Beauty and share the earnings so she can have canteen money, but as I’ll have to tell her… A, I never heard back from them, and B, I’d hate to take risks like that. If the prison ever got wind of it that she was making money her ass would be grass and they’d be the lawnmower! I wouldn’t mind posting a story of hers on the free rating site, though, and it wouldn’t have to be lesbian erotica not that she’d care either way.

She’s looking forward to getting a degree as a paralegal and taking the first step toward becoming a victim’s advocate. She’s learning Spanish, too.

It turns out that Selena’s killer was just some sicko pretending to be her killer. Yeah, I knew they were just putting her on and that the real killer was in Texas.

So life is going a lot better for me these days. I just wish it wasn’t so cold!