THE SCHOOL DANCE

It was my turn to wake Hannah from her slumber, so I thought of a way to do it quickly and also devilishly. I connected my phone to my speaker and played one of those crazy rap songs with a high pitch. Hannah jumped from the bed and shouted, "I'm awake! I'm not sleeping."

I turned off the music and laughed so hard that I fell on the bed. Hannah, realizing she was pranked, gave out a loud hiss and said, "Jerk." She sat on the bed and looked at the digital clock on my nightstand. "8 PM. How long have I been sleeping?"

"Approximately three hours and two minutes," I answered.

Hannah sank onto my bed and said, "I feel so nervous right now."

"Me too," I sighed.

"I can't believe we will be going to college soon."

I hissed and asked, "Why is time running so fast?"

A knock resonated on my door, and I said, "Come in." My dad walked in. He was wearing a blue shirt and blue jeans. He wore a smile, and he seemed very happy.

"Kiddo, it's almost nine o'clock." My friend looked at Hannah. "Hannah, are you okay?"

"I'm okay, Mr. Noah," Hannah answered, sighing. "I'm just nervous."

My dad sat on the bed, gave a deep sigh, and said, "I never went out for any date when I was in high school. Anytime we closed, I'd rush home because I didn't want to interact with anyone. I was so shy. I had my first date when I was in college, and that was Emily's mother. She incited the date; I couldn't muster such courage. It was in the park, one cool evening. Sophia changed me; she destroyed every modicum of shyness in me." I could see a drop of tears trickle down my father's eyes. He sniffed, stood up, and walked to the door. "You both will do good. I'll drop you both off at school." He opened the door and took his leave.

My father's leave was accompanied by a moment of silence in the room. I stood up and pushed Hannah to the bathroom.

"I refuse to be late for this school dance," I said.

In the space of thirty minutes, Hannah and I finished taking our baths and got dressed. My sister helped with our makeup and returned to the living room when she was done. I made sure I put perfume in my bag and other "girlish" stuff. I could swear I saw Hannah placing a small book in her bag. That girl was weird.

Hannah and I walked to the living room where we met my dad and Emma watching television.

"Wow, you both look gorgeous," my dad complimented.

"All thanks to my big sister, Emma," I said, swirling.

"I knew Amanda was going to pick the best for Hannah," Emma said. "You both look stunning.

"Thank you," Hannah expressed her gratitude.

"Now, let's get you both to school," my dad said, walking out of the house.

My dad sat in the driver's seat of his Audi A3 sedan and started the engine. Emma sat in front, with my dad, while Hannah and I reclined at the back. My dad navigated his way to the road and began the journey to school at a nice pace.

"I forgot to ask," I said. "How are we going to get back?"

"Give your sister a call when you're done; she'll come pick you up," my dad replied.

Hannah seemed calm. Guess my father's words stopped her from fidgeting.

Upon reaching my school, I noticed the sound of loud pop music. Party lights emanated from the inside of the school and brightened the environment. It seemed like a clubhouse.

Hannah and I alighted from the car and took a deep sigh. I heard my dad say, "Have a nice time," as he swerved off.

"Let's rock this party, girl," Hannah said, tugging me inside.

Our entrance inside attracted attention, making everyone stare at us. The DJ forgot his job, and I could see the face of everyone gazing at us. It was as if we carried weapons inside. Jeremy put an end to the unusual staring when he shouted, "And that's my queen, Hannah." He walked up to Hannah, greeted me, and took his date along with him.

Now, it was just me, waiting for my prince charming. I took a drink from a waiter, sat on a chair on the counter, and searched, with my eyes, for Henry. Unfortunately, my efforts to locate my date were futile.

Looking at the gossip girls who were busy dancing with their handsome boyfriends, I wished I could find my date. I heard someone give a deep sigh close to me, so I turned to see who it was. It was Henry. He looked very handsome in a crisp black suit. He gazed at me for a moment, chuckled, and said, "Indeed, I won the lottery."

Confused, I asked, "What lottery?"

"You."

I hissed and said, "Is it now you want to be romantic?"

"Is it too late?"

"Where have you been?" I asked. "I've been waiting for you."

"I've been waiting for you too."

"You're so dumb," I shook my head slightly, taking a sip of my drink.

Henry left his seat, extended his right hand towards me, and said, "My queen, can I have this dance?"

I smiled, took hold of his hand, and said, "Sure."

Henry placed his left hand on my waist and held my right hand with his. The DJ grasped the atmosphere and transitioned to a mellow, low-pitched blues song. Every dance step Henry took was precise; it was as if he had practiced every move before the night. Another part of me felt he could read my mind, as each time I tried to intentionally step on him, he escaped. We locked eyes, and for a moment, I felt I knew him deeply. I felt a form of connection between the two of us; I felt complete. It was as if all my pain went away. It was a feeling of emancipation.

I felt Henry's lips slowly drift towards mine, but I declined as he was about to kiss me. No, I wasn't ready to get myself entangled in a relationship at the moment. I just wanted everything between me and him to remain platonic.

I felt bad that I didn't let him kiss me, but he didn't seem moved. He just kept dancing as if nothing had happened. He was such a weird figure.

The DJ killed the sound and yelled, "It's time for a dancing competition, folks. Whoever wins will leave with this expensive diamond necklace, courtesy of Westify High." He started playing hip-hop afterward.

The bullies and overgrown kids were taking turns to express their dance moves as everyone cheered them. One particular one who won everyone's hearts was Brian, the best dancer in school. It was obvious he wasn't dancing to win the necklace for himself but for his girlfriend, Taylor.

When Brian was done, everyone applauded him, convinced that he won the prize.

"Is there anyone who wants to compete with Brian, or shall I call him the champion?" the DJ asked.

Everyone kept mute. "Okay, then. Brian, it is..." the DJ said.

"I will," Henry interjected. "I will compete with him."

"New kid, are you sure about that?" Brian questioned. "It's not good to get a shameful name in your first year of school."

Everyone laughed.

"Very funny," Henry nodded. "Why don't we do it this way? Whoever loses will be 'shit-brain' and go home with nothing."

"Seems good to me," Brian agreed.

"You heard it, folks. Let the battle begin," the DJ said, playing hip-hop songs.

Brian displayed his best moves, rolling his back on the ground, dancing like Michael Jackson, and bending like a stripper. He won the hearts of everyone. Henry took the stage afterward and shocked everyone. His moves left everyone speechless, and the DJ had to quickly turn off the music.

"Jesus Christ!" The DJ exclaimed. "Those are some crazy moves. Folks, who won this dance?"

"The new kid!" Everyone yelled.

What a night for Brian. Not only did he lose his title as the best dancer, but he also got himself a terrific name - shit-brain. Henry was given the golden necklace in a fancy bag, and his name resounded from the mouths of the crowd.

It was already 11 p.m., so I called my sister to come pick me up. She consented and said she would come around in fifteen minutes.

"I got you something," Henry said. From his pocket, he brought out a small sumptuous black box and placed it in the fancy bag in his hands. He handed over the bag to me.

I took the bag looked inside the contents and said, "Oh, Henry, I didn't get you anything."

"The universe doesn't give men gifts."

"Thank you, so much."

"You're welcome."

"How are you going to go home?"

"My uncle will be here any minute."

"I haven't met him before."

"You will, soon."

Fifteen minutes later, I got a call from my sister, stating that she was waiting for me outside. Henry and I searched for Hannah and immediately went out the moment we found her.

Outside, I saw my sister sitting in her BMW, patiently waiting for me and Hannah. Without hesitation, Hannah rushed into the back seat. I hugged Henry and kissed him on the cheeks. "I had a lovely night; Thank you so much," I expressed my gratitude, walking to the car.

My sister waved at Henry, got into her car, and started the engine. Our journey commenced the moment my sister made it to the main road.

"We will stop by Hannah's house so I can drop her off," my sister said. "How was your date?"

"It was awesome," I answered.

"I want to marry Jeremy," Hannah said.

My sister and I burst into laughter.