Homecoming

Homecoming was a big time when I was in high school.  The dance, football game, etc.  However, my first Homecoming was nothing short of awkward.

I was a Sophomore.  I got asked to the Homecoming Dance by a guy who was a Junior.  He was nice.  Very shy.  I had never had a conversation with him before and still to this day have no idea why he asked me out.  But it was my first date so I was excited.  Besides, Homecoming meant I got to get all dressed up in a pretty dress with fancy hair and jewelry.  What girl doesn't wanna do that?   

My date picked me up sometime that Saturday afternoon.  We went swimming at a local hot springs.  I wore my best swimsuit and rocked that forest green gingham one-piece like it was nobody's business.  My date and I chilled in the pool with the other couples we were with.  As our little posse hopped out of the pool and headed for the water slide my date and I tagged along.  Within 10 steps of leaving the pool....WHAM!  I was down!  WTH?  Did I just fall flat on my back in a forest green checkered swimsuit on my first date?  Whatevs.  I bounced up quickly and acted cool.  I'm sure nobody noticed.  Ummmm...DUH!  How do you hide that?  Either way, the water slide was calling.

After returning home from swimming I cleaned up and got ready for the dance that night.  I wore my sister's hand-me-down forest green velvet dress.  (It seems as if forest green was a theme here.)  I curled my hair and did it up.  By the time my date arrived I was ready to roll.  From my house we went to dinner where I ordered a steak.  I was sure that my date would appreciate that I was a good eater.  I wasn't one of those "anorexic salad girls".  But to my disappointment my steak was still mooing when they brough it to me.  Being too shy to speak up and send it back to be cooked, I picked around it and ate what I could.  When we were finished eating we headed for the dance at our high school.  My date didn't talk much.  Neither did I.  Awkward.

From the dance, my date and I, along with the other couples we were with, went to someone's house to watch a movie.  Oddly enough this was my least favorite part of the date.  I had just eaten a steak.  I had just eaten vegetables.  I had just downed a soda.  I had just danced for an hour.  My stomach was digesting in a very loud and un-lady-like manner.  My forest green dress was tight.  How do I watch and enjoy this movie?  I was surrounded by people I didn't know and a date that didn't speak and all I really cared about was how hard I had to concentrate to not fart.   

Several days after the dance I heard that my Homecoming date had felt much the same as I had.  Apparently he hadn't had a very good time.  I don't know why.  I entertained him with comedy at the swimming pool.  Then I wasted a good $13 worth of steak at dinner.  And then I flattered him with conversation for the remainder of the night. 

Happy Homecoming!  These moments in time are exciting, horrible, and life altering.  I haven't been able to look at forest green gingham since that splendid Homecoming that was my first.