Anyway, that day I got ready. It was still mid-afternoon. I had taken a shower and gotten dressed. There was no doubt that I was excited. I put on my long-sleeve dress shirt, black slacks, tie, and a vest—it was the best stuff I had at the time. Then, I grabbed the corsage and boutonnière from the fridge and hopped in the van with my mom. (I wished that I had my license by then, but I had to do with what I had.)
I arrived at Jackie’s house and walked to her front door. I knocked and Jackie answered the door. It was most likely her because no one else was home and her mother was still getting some things ready. If my memory is wrong, it does not really matter.
I said hello, and she gave me a hug in return. Her mother also greeted me and I greeted her in Tagalog, like I always did with friends’ parents. Jackie asked me if I wanted a drink; I declined. Her mother then told her to get me a drink, not knowing that there had already been an exchange about the matter. Jackie obliged to her mother’s request and filled a tall glass with orange soda. It was Jackie’s favorite drink and favorite color. Because of a certain hold-up, Jackie’s mother told me to let my mother go home and that she would take us instead. I did not protest the request—I actually welcomed it.
Jackie asked if I brought a jacket. I did not have one, so with my response, she resolved to get her own. We were probably thinking the same thing: if I did have a jacket or sports coat, I could lend it to her if it started to get cold, like how it happens in the movies. Of course, I could have just been hoping.
Finally, all was set and we were ready to go. I placed the corsage onto her wrist and she placed the boutonniere on my vest. I gulped down the remaining orange soda wishing not to be disrespectful to their offer, and then we headed out to their van (or it may have been an SUV). We headed to her school, just up the street, and finally started our night.
We were dropped off in the parking lot near the gymnasium as the sun was beginning to set. Other people were being dropped off as well. We said goodbye to her mother and headed to the dance. The first order of business was to look for her friends.
Once inside, we met with her friends while other students were still trickling in. I met each friend as I was introduced. I had been the only one in the group that did not attend their school. In total, there were eleven of us in a group: six guys and five girls. The only names I remember are those of Charmane, Lysette, and Daniel. Apparently, Daniel had signed the form in my name that allowed me to attend. There were others, including a couple that were both “related” to Jackie. It was one of those friendly yet familiarly joking relationships—one was her “daughter” while the other was her “brother” of sorts (he was either her “kuya,” older brother, or she was his “ate,” older sister).
We all found ourselves a large enough table to sit all of us, then headed over to take our pictures. We stood in line for only a short period of time then entered the room to take our group picture. It was only $5 per person and everyone contributed, including myself. Jackie having been the tallest of the girls sat in the middle. The rest of the girls sat next to her, two to each side. The guys then stood behind their dates, while I shared the center behind Jackie with the one guy that went stag. The one thing I remember about him was that he had been mistaken for a teacher by one of the parental chaperones.
It only took a few seconds to get us situated before the photograph had been taken. Once the photographer snapped the picture, we were hurriedly led out for the next group to enter. The most interesting thing about that picture is that to this day, I still have not seen it, even though I paid for it. It actually comes to me in a different form later on.
After getting resettled at our table, the rest of the night became a blur—not because I was intoxicated or anything, but because it was fun overall and only a few things really stuck out as being more fun than the other things. Everyone put their stuff down and left the table to head to the dance floor. Jackie offered her purse to me for my cellular phone, and then led me to dance with her. We danced for a few songs, working up a sweat. Our bodies were close together just as they had been during her birthday party, and we just kept on dancing.
We took a break for a drink and some air some time during the night. During that break I remember her going to take a picture with one of her female friends. I thought to myself that maybe I should take an opportunity to take a picture with her as well, but throughout the night, I never got the chance. It was probably better off that way. While she was away, I tried to fill the air the best I can by conversing with her male friends. None of them drove from what I recall, and most of them were fifteen years old, just like me—duh. It was not long before Jackie returned with her friend and found me sitting next to Daniel (I think). She commented, “Are you trying to steal my friends?” or something to that effect.
We left that matter alone as everyone started heading outside. Lysette, or someone, was apparently crying because one of the other girl friends danced with either Daniel or one of the other guy friends. It was commonplace high school drama. Jackie was her best friend so she went out to console her, leaving me inside the gymnasium standing with Charmane. We just stood there for a second, and I thought to myself that Charmane was actually quite cute, but I was not about to do anything because Jackie had told me a small story about their relationship with each other, plus I was here because of Jackie, not her friends. Charmane suggested that we go outside to join the rest of the group, and that we did. She was the only other person that night that I probably talked to. As soon as the incident was over, or seemingly over, everyone returned to the dance.
The guys got together, excluding myself, and suggested to request from the DJ this popular song by Joe called “I Wanna Know.” From what I recall, they requested it, but it never got played. Nevertheless, everyone went back to dancing, and likewise with Jackie and me.
Before the night was over, we danced some more, including to the same song by Limp Bizkit and Method Man that we had danced to during her birthday party. It feels like such a weird song to remember a girl by, but whenever I do hear that song nowadays, she is whom I think of. We danced the night away, to fast songs and slow. Then before I knew it, the night was over. I had lost my boutonniere some time while we were dancing, but all in all, the night was great. It was probably the most fun I had ever had in one night up until that point in my life, and I felt that it brought me even closer to Jackie than anything else ever had, which may not have been such a good thing.
I called home using my mom’s cellular phone for a ride back, and Jackie called home as well for her mother to pick her up. Her friends had suggested that we all go to Denny’s afterwards but it was too late for me, my mother was on her way without any other form of contact. Jackie informed me that she would probably just go home as well, but later I found out that she had gotten coaxed into going to Denny’s with the rest of her friends. Once my mother was in sight, Jackie and I said our goodbyes. Then, she did something that probably just complicated things for me from then on out, though it was a great feeling. She gave me a kiss on the cheek—something she said she had wished to do the first time we saw each other. She leaned in, and immediately I wanted to reciprocate; however, my mother had arrived and it was time for me to go. I did not want to have a scene for my mother to watch that she could remind me of over and over later on. The night was wonderful and I did not want anything that would ruin that before the night finally ended at home.
For something that had been so much fun, it is actually saddening to know that it was the beginning of the end for me.
1 comment:
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