Staci Stallings’ heroine’s interview

» Posted on Dec 11, 2008 in Blog | Comments Off on Staci Stallings’ heroine’s interview


If you want to be entered in the drawing for Reunion, please leave a comment with your email address or email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday evening.

Interview with the heroine from Reunion:

1.Camille Wright, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

I design fighter planes for the military. I am an aerospace engineer, working on a billion dollar project.

2. What do you do for fun?

What’s fun? I work most of the time, and when I’m not working at work, I’m working at home. In fact, work is pretty much my whole life. I do have a cat, however.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?

Well, my high school reunion is coming up. Ten years. To be honest, I really don’t want to go. When I was in high school, a lot of the kids were mean to me, so I stuck to the walls and kept my head down… Well, except for the last part of my senior year when I was chosen for the lead in my school play opposite Jaylon Quinn. But we’re not going to talk about him if that’s okay with you. I haven’t seen him in almost seven years. We kind of lost touch. But like I said, I don’t want to talk about him. Of course, I’d love to see my best friend Lexie and her husband Nick. I’ve meant to go back but haven’t really had time. At least that’s what I tell myself. Part of me doesn’t want to go back and see what I’ve missed, how happy they are, you know that kind of thing. I don’t even know if I like being alone like I am now, but then again, I don’t guess I really have much of a choice, except for Ben, but we’re not going to talk about him either… Uh, what was the question again?

4. What are you afraid of most in life?

That I’ll never be able to top what I’m doing now, and so when everyone looks at me and says, “Next?” I won’t be able to find anything else to impress them with. Truth is, I don’t really think anyone loves me for me. They only love me for what I do. I guess I’m afraid that I’ll never be able to do enough to earn their love.

5. What do you want out of life?

I wish I knew the answer to that question. I thought this was what I wanted—my dream job, working in aerospace, having graduated from Princeton. You know, what everyone wants. But sometimes when I look around my apartment at two in the morning, I can’t help but think something is missing.

6. What is the most important thing to you?

Not letting other people down. That’s why not going to the reunion is such a big deal. See, Lexie and Nick are kind of the coordinators of the event, so if I don’t go, I will really be letting them down. And I know they want to see me, and I really want to see them too. It’s just… I don’t know if I can face all of those happy people with their spouses and dates, and me there all by myself. It’s strange because I can almost get myself to think about doing that, and then I think that Jaylon might show up, and I really don’t know if I can handle that. So do I disappoint Lexie and Nick, or do I stay here and make sure I don’t even chance running into Jaylon? Good question. It’s the one that keeps me up at night, sitting over my airplane plans, trying to look like I’m accomplishing something.

7. Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?

I don’t really have time to read much. Mostly what I read is spec books for the plane. If I did read, I’d probably have to say history or something where I could learn something. No fiction. That’s a waste of time (except for that one book I have under my bed that I got right out of college when Jaylon wasn’t writing as much as I wanted him to. I know that sounds weird, but I’ve read it cover-to-cover like eight times. I haven’t read it in a long time though. Brings up too many memories, I guess.)

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

That’s easy. I wouldn’t be Camille. I would be glamorous and everyone would take notice of me. I wouldn’t be shy, and I wouldn’t be afraid of everything. I would be like Ariana in high school—although without the superiority complex.

9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

Yes. I have a cat. His name is Max. He’s a white and orange tabby. I love him because he doesn’t expect anything from me (okay, food and water, but that’s it). He’s always happy to see me when I come home, and when I’m not there, he doesn’t get all bent out of shape because I should be doing something with him that I’m not.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

I guess if you must know, I would go back to Spring Semester my senior year of high school. That was really a magical time in my life. I would never have thought Jaylon Quinn could be like he was, that we would hit it off like we did, or that he would really make such a profound difference in my life. Truth is, if I could go back and do it all again, I would not think my life had to go to Princeton. If I could sit under that tree with him just one more time, I would tell him I made a horrible mistake and I didn’t care where we went, I needed him in my life. Thanks. Now I’m crying. I knew thinking about all of this was a bad idea. I think I’ll call Lexie and tell her something’s come up. I know now I cannot face them… or Jaylon. Especially Jaylon…