Hello Rochester! I have a story for you about a very awkward moment in my middle school experience. I hope you enjoy.
I’m sure most people reading this have had the unfortunate experience of going to a middle school dance. The memories of surrounding the edges of the dance floor, staring in horror at the adult chaperones desperately trying to keep the energy up for the whole night, should ring a bell for those unlucky enough to have gone to one of these. However, the story I am going to tell does not take place at one of those kinds of dances. Because my friends, this story takes place in seventh grade, and in seventh grade, I lived in Utah.
Utah is a bit of a hot mess, but if there’s one thing to know about school in Utah, it’s that they looooove dancing. And when I say dancing, I mean actual dance styles. At the schools in my area, you could either do a typical PE class, or take ballroom dance lessons. To put the lessons into practice, there would be moments at the school dances where announcements over the speakers would say it was time for a certain style, and for everyone to partner up. In all honesty, they were fun. But this is not a fun story, and I’ve stalled for too long.
So, this took place at one of my friend’s schools. They were much more about the formal dancing than my school, which was fun at first. I was there in an awful dress that I thought looked cool, and this was seventh grade, so I was not looking my best. I was nervous since the environment was unfamiliar, but my friends made it fun. A few rounds of dancing passed, and I forgot my worries.. Then, something unexpected occurred.
I was standing along the edge of the circle when the Mambo was announced over the speaker. I told my friends that we hadn’t learned the Mambo yet at school, and that I was going to sit out. Right before I could move, though, this girl came up to me. Dear readers, she was gorgeous – she had short black hair, a short black dress, and was way out of my league. And what she did next baffles me to this day. With the most swag I’ve ever seen in my life, she did a little bow, extended her hand, and said, “May I have this dance?”
My brain short-circuited. I mean, I had only realized that I liked girls a month prior, and now, here was this beautiful girl in front of me wanting to dance with me. Without saying a word, I took her hand, and she pulled me onto the dance floor.
While I didn’t know how to Mambo, I did know that it was a rather flirty and sensual style of dance, which only increased my worries. As confident as she was when she asked me, she drew me close and began to lead the dance. She took it slow, sensing my inexperience, but I was still very bad. I struggled to keep up, I stepped on her feet many times, and I was sweating way too much. She was very kind and reassured me as I apologized over and over, but internally I was still panicking. This was a fantasy and a living nightmare.
The dance felt like an eternity, but once it was done, she brought me back to my friends like a gentleman. Then she disappeared into the crowd. I never saw her again after that night. My friends asked me a million questions, and I had to tell them that no, it wasn’t good, and that we didn’t fall madly in love with each other. After that I realized that I didn’t even ask for her name or socials. Very smooth.
Wherever you are mysterious girl, thank you for giving me a heart attack, and I hope you are doing well.
