A Wallflower’s Tale

I couldn’t wait for the next Jr High Dance.  I loved going into the dimly lit gym and feeling the anticipation of dancing with a really cool guy. This is pretty funny because I was the biggest wallflower you could imagine.

One spring dance was a great example to share. One of my good girlfriends came over and we got dressed up and did our makeup together. We both had our best spring dresses pressed and looking wonderful. My sister Sandy let me borrow her dress. It fit perfectly and I felt like I looked great. I had recently taught myself to use eyeliner and my eyes were finally beginning to be one of my best features. (not the scabby eyes my sister accused me of having)

It was a beautiful evening and my dad dropped us off at the School. We walked up the front steps feeling the excitement of the evening. I had recently developed a crush on one of the trombone players in our band. I wasn’t sure if he noticed but tonight would be my chance to get his attention. 

The music started and the guys started asking the girls to dance. Pretty soon my good friend was asked to dance and I tried to remain inconspicuous at the bleachers. I felt like the only girl in my class that hadn’t been asked to dance. I scoured the room to see if my trombone player was in the gym. I didn’t see him and my heart sank.  In fact, it really didn’t matter because he had no idea that I had a crush on him. 

Finally, out of nowhere, one of my fellow eighth grade students asked me to dance. I had watched him get turned down by two other girls. I thought I might as well say yes rather than sitting on the bleachers by myself. He was one of the boys that wasn’t really on the other girls’ radar. He had sweaty hands and was overweight. His dancing was mediocre and his small talk was non-existent. I couldn’t wait to take refuge back at the bleachers when the music ended. I had taken one for the team and had completed my duty dance. Sadly, this was the only dance of the night.

After the dance, my dad picked us up. We were much quieter on the way home than we had been on the trip there. After we dropped my friend off at her home, Dad and I went home, too. I went upstairs and carefully hung my sister’s dress in the closet. I put on my favorite Pajamas and a Johnny Mathis record and lay on the bed. I closed my eyes and dreamed about the dance that could have been. Listening to the romantic notes of “Chances are” and “Heavenly”, I drifted off to sleep. I dreamed about that really cool guy and we danced into the night.

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