As we make our way into the gym I feel Michael's hand squeeze mine and my smile grows at least 3 times bigger. We walk passed the chaperons and then my eyes fall on the leaves and pumpkins. There are also orange streamers and balloons hanging overhead.
The dance's theme is fall and I think that this is fitting since it is fall and I have fallen hard for Michael. God, how corny I am! But he looks so good in his jacket and light blue shirt, which brings out the blue in his eyes. I feel a swoon coming on, but remain upright, 'cause swooning is embarrassing.
Michael leads me towards the side of the room where our friends are standing drinking punch. Talk interspersed with laughter rings out as we join them and I feel my cheeks flush with color.
I am Michael's date, and he is mine. This is what keeps repeating in my head as my friends all look at me with what I perceive as envy. Every one of them would have loved Michael to have asked them to this dance, I know this. But I also know that they are happy for me.
My friend Stacy grabs my hand almost instantly and we five girls head off to the bathroom proving to a new generation of men that we girls really do all go to the bathroom together.
When safely ensconced behind the sacred walls of the girls room we 5 turn to each other and our squeals, which we had hoped these four walls would contain are so shrill we are most likely responsible for the instant death of at least 5 neighboring dogs.
"Oh, my God, Sara, Michael looks so awesome! You are sooooo lucky!"
I feel like my face might rip if I smile any bigger, but my already 1000 watt smile gets even brighter at Stacy's words.
"I know!" I hear myself saying.
And then Jenny voices what I have been thinking since the day Michael asked me to this shin dig.
"Do you think he will kiss you, Sara?"
I feel the color rush to my cheeks as I think how to answer her. Do I try to act cool and say, well if he doesn't, I know I'll kiss him? Which of course is a bunch of bull, and my friends will guess this, I am sure so I say, "I hope so!"
We are all so excited and the dance has just begun. We have roughly 2 hours to dance close with our dates. Well kind of close, that's what the chaperone's are here for.
One year 2 students were ushered out for misbehavior on the dance floor, or so I have heard. I know I would just die if Michael and I were asked to leave for any reason.
We finish up and as we 5 make our way back to our dates we stop and form a huddle one last time, putting our heads together. We all giggle and whisper our plan to drag our dates out on the floor for the first dance, and then break apart and move to the boys' sides.
Stacy who is the bravest at all horror movies, grabs her date Chad's hand first and they take off, with him only protesting slightly. And then the others follow suit until it is just me and Michael standing alone with me trying to get up the nerve to do as I had planned.
Just as I think maybe I have psyched myself up enough to do just that, he reaches for my hand and says, "We should dance too, Sara, don't you think?"
I nod my smiling face and we head out to the dance floor. And then we are standing in front of each other with the music surrounding us; not to mention at least 80 other kids. The song is a fast one and just as I start to move it comes to an end leaving us non-dancing in the middle of the dance floor before we technically even got started.
I look at him shyly and he smiles. I am mentally crossing all of my fingers and toes that the next song will be a slow number and then; there is a God! One of my favorite, 'if I had a boyfriend we would dance to this song', songs starts playing.
Michael moves closer to me, and I feel really breathless all of a sudden. I have to tell myself to just breathe. I mean he looks strong and all, but could he hold me up if I were to collapse from lack of oxygen? Maybe, but I better not chance it.
As his arms come up and his hands fall at my waist I feel like I am in heaven. I move a little closer to him and his face is so close!
Oh, my God he could kiss me right here and now! What if he does? I feel my cheeks turn even more colorful, but then he moves closer and my head is near his, but my chin is just above his shoulder. One of the things I like best about Michael is that he is taller than I am. This is important since I am taller than most of the other 6th grade boys.
Michael spins us around and I feel so happy, I wish the dance could go on forever. I know of course that it can't. But maybe if I beg really hard my parents will let me go to the movies or something with Michael.
That is if he
even asks me to the movies.
I shouldn't get my hopes up too much,
I know this, but I feel a future daydream taking root all the same.
When the song ends we head to the punch bowl and I watch as Michael ladles up some punch, first a cup for me, and then some for him. As we stand and sip the overly sweet stuff we make some small talk.
When we can see the bottoms of our cups, Michael asks me if I would like to dance again and I say "yes, I would love to, Michael," and we head for the dance floor, with him walking and me floating on the cloud that has enveloped me on this awesome night.