Our Highly Professional Relationship: A Sequel

    It's a tale of stalkers, hypothermia, and raining writing utensils. As a sequel to our getting-to-know-us post, we're following up with the story of how we met. And subsequently how this professional and mature relationship blossomed into the thriving business it is today. Truly, it was meant to be.
   
    It all started in ninth grade when yours truly (that would be Corinna) was thrust into the thriving metropolis that was Maplewood Baptist Academy. Now, you have to understand, I was homeschooled up to this point. Although I'm not that sure how that bears impact on this story since I was such a shining social butterfly. Anyways, I'm pretty sure Cherith passed me in the hall on my first day there and said something incredibly compelling like, "....Hi." After that, our relationship was sealed. For the next semester and a half, I stalked Cherith around every corner and at every lunchtime to solidify our already fantastic friendship. If she closed her locker, I was there. If she lowered her book, I was there. I was a fantastic friend. I'm sure she greatly appreciated it. You're welcome, Cherith.

    So fast-forward a few years to when I had learned the value of moderation and you have a somewhat more balanced, two-sided friendship. By this time, we had been through several experiences that had created a...er....unique-yes, unique bond between us. For example, the Great ACT Test of 2008.
    For those of you who have never taken the ACT, you literally feel as if your entire future will be decided in that grueling day. Cardboard box or elite college. Affording groceries or picking through garbage cans. It's all there. So to say this is one of the more stressful mornings of our lives would likely be accurate.
    The morning started out with a beautifully blinding snowstorm and about sixteen feet of snowfall. It would have been spectacular had I not gotten a call (as Cherith was supposed to be picking me up) to tell me she would be another ten minutes. Something about not being able to see the road or some other such lame excuse. Fifteen minutes later she came flying down the driveway at the speed of sound....and promptly buried her car in a snowdrift. I raced up the stairs, four at a time, and woke my dad to tell him what happened. After some grumbling and fancy tractor work, we were back on track and on our way.
    Once we got to the college campus, we found another slight problem. The building that was slotted to be the testing site was not only dark as night but also locked up tight. After mobbing a poor janitor and demanding information, we found that it had been moved and, no, he had no idea where to. But he had seen a lot of vehicles pulling into __________ Building. After waddling in all our five-layers-of-clothing-splendor back across the parking lot to the car, we frantically drove around until we found a campus map half-buried by the well-meaning snow plows. As I dug through the drifts to locate this allusive building, Cherith yelled, "I think I see it! I see __________ Building! We can still make it!" and pulled away leaving me to sprint-waddle after her. Finally, we pulled into the only parking lot in the college with no available parking spot. This was our queue that we must be in the right place.
    Finally, having found a suitable parking spot, we wogged with gusto towards the building and Cherith said, "Crap!...Corinna, I can't find my driver's license!" (which, of course, is legally necessary in order for you to test....of course). At this point, we crawled with panic back to the car searching with our frozen bare hands through the snow drifts for the missing license. Once in the car, we ripped open glove compartments, seat covers, and wall paneling. Just as Cherith heroically said, "You go on without me" I found the license sitting calmly in the door compartment.
    Again, we wogged with panic towards the door. At this point all I was thinking was, "I have a better chance of getting into Hogwarts than college. Please don't put me in Hufflepuff. Please, please, don't put me in Hufflepuff." As we burst through the door,  one of us, and I can't remember who...well, ok, maybe I do....may have dropped all their testing items on the floor. I'm chocking it up to the extreme hypothermia and frostbite from looking for the license. But as the doors exploded open, and our frozen-solid-as-Schwan's-icecream faces burst into the hallway, a glorious shower of Number 2 pencils and $100 and $2 calculators ensued (I brought two to be prepared- I was a brownie scout for three months back in the day.).....And we were faced with approximately twenty-two kids who were still waiting in line to be checked in. After discretely gathering together my mess of materials, we were finally able to relax a little and I realized I may not end up in Hufflepuff after all.

    I won't bore you with the story of Cherith being my mother in Alaska and physically restraining me from walking 2 feet under a 5,000 year old glacier that was sure to choose that day to fall and crush me. Or the time we thought it would be so motivational to run a 5K when neither of us had run in a year. Or the night we trespassed in a hayfield in Wisconsin in order to star gaze and ended up running for our lives sure we were going to be arrested and thrown out of college. I believe our exact words were, "They'll never believe there are college students lame enough to go star gazing on a Friday night and not be out here doing drugs! We're doomed!" Yes, we said "doomed."

    I'll just say that Cherith has been an amazing friend. Actually, one of the most consistent friends I've had in my entire life. And I'm proud of how far she's come with her business and the work and dedication I've seen her put into it. I'm honored to be able to help when I can in order to make her dream a reality, and I'm so excited to see where the business goes from here. It's the least I can do after stalking her for year....

-Corinna