High School Reunion 3, Episode 2: Some Things Never Change

It’s time for another day in paradise with our twelve classmates from Cardinal Gibbons. At the start of the day, we see Gianni, John, and Jim talking about an unpleasant part of high school: Jaime. Gianni recounts a few of the crazy things jealous Jaime did when they were together: she punched a girl because Gianni was talking to her, she punched his windshield and broke it, and she even smacked Gianni over the head with a Snapple bottle. Gianni says she’s crazy. I say she’s crazy. Everyone says Jaime’s crazy, except for Jaime.

Everyone gathers for breakfast. Jaime comes in, says hello, and automatically causes a rift among herself, Gianni, and John. She says in confessional that she came to the reunion because of the “bond” between her and Gianni and she wants to see if she could rekindle the romance between her and Gianni. She’d have better luck in the lottery.

Nikol and Jim talk in their confessionals about their relationship. Nikol says she came to the reunion to simply find some closure with Jim and get on with her life. However, she discovered that the feelings between the two were still there. Jim talks more about how Nikol started the separation in sophomore year, and how Jim finally broke the relationship.

Speaking of breakers, we get some confessional from Jen next. She reminds us how she was the girl whose primary interests in relationships were a Y-chromosome and a girl already attached to that chromosome. Her relationships only lasted a few weeks before the challenge was over. She’s here to get to know the guys more and give some the chance to be with her. Carin says that Jen is much more interested and aggressive with the boys than she is with the girls.

Jim and Jen are talking together. She had some time with Jim after his falling out with Nikol, but that fling ended in a few weeks. She knows that Jim and Nikol will try to bond again, but she doesn’t care. She wants to give Jim another chance with her.

Back at the pool, Brien tells Gianni about the Hall Pass on his bed. As Gianni heads over to his room to get it, Jaime says that due to their history, he’d better take her on the Hall Pass date, or she’s going to get mad.

Gianni decides to ask Loretta. The scene with Loretta getting out of the pool may be clichéd, but it works. Gianni asks Loretta out on his Hall Pass, and she accepts. Gianni is thrilled. She tells us that Gianni was never really aggressive in high school, so this will be a good chance for them to hang out. Jaime’s so steamed, I’m surprised the pool water hasn’t evaporated. She asks, “What does Loretta have that I don’t?” Self-restraint, perhaps?

Loretta finds a secret admirer note on her pillow. She has received a few of these already. They are not signed, but she believes that Gianni has been writing the notes. This note in particular is pretty telling, since it mentions finally getting some time to know her better, referring to the Hall Pass.

Eze reminds us that he came to the reunion to try to get a chance with Nikol, but after she asked Jim out on the Hall Pass, Eze has mixed feelings about a possible Eze-Nikol relation. Indeed, Nikol takes another opportunity to bond with Jim. She wants to break down the barriers keeping the two apart. Jim, on the other hand, is still hurting from the first time they broke up, and is cautious about entering a relationship with Nikol again.

It’s time for Gianni and Loretta’s Hall Pass. Gianni is excited about this time with Loretta, because he was so nervous around her in high school. Probably afraid Jaime would hurt Loretta. He says he’ll be more assertive now.

While sitting on the bench and drinking wine, Loretta asks Gianni about the secret admirer letters. Gianni denies writing the letters. Loretta was sure Gianni was the author. I was sure it was Gianni. So either Gianni’s a liar, or there’s yet another person in the house with an affection for Loretta. John? Brian? Jen?

Carin recalls her group of “friends” in high school who would call her “fat” and make fun of her behind her back. Nikki was part of this group. Hence, Carin and Nikki get into a spat over the issue. Carin claims Nikki willingly made fun of her, yet claimed to be her friend. Nikki claims she was just the closest link to the true perpetrators. Nikki says Carin has a chip on her shoulder. Carin doesn’t know what that’s supposed to mean.

Gianni and Loretta head up to the pavilion to talk some more, especially about the letters. Gianni, however, can’t even focus because he wants to tell Loretta about his feelings for her these past ten years. Gianni tells Loretta he wanted to talk to her more in high school, but he was in a relationship with crazy Jaime. Loretta then confesses to Gianni that she had feelings for him as well. It’s kissing time. Hooray. They talk about staying the night at the pavilion. Loretta and Gianni both confess that this was the moment both have been waiting ten years for. Cherish it, because once Jaime finds out, uh-oh...

The next scene is Carin talking to the guys about the hurt she felt from her “friends” in high school. Nothing new, really.

Nikki and Nikol talk about Nikki. She recalls talking to Brien about her high school boyfriend, and restates that she came to the reunion to show everyone that she is no longer the bitter, angry, and weak girl she was in high school.