The High School Dance

The High School Dance

He moaned with annoyance. The scratched up tiles of the dance floor were speckled with little reflections off the disco ball and huge colored circles from the lights. Piles of expensive high heels were in every corner of the room next to tossed jackets and purses. High schoolers leapt into the air, danced on the colored circles, and let the disco ball reflections fall softly on their dresses and suits that they bought to wear for one night only. This was another song he did not know. Who did this one? The pulsing beat echoed off the walls as he ran his fingers through his gelled, blonde hair that just brushed the top of his ears. His smile was hidden behind pursed lips and his emerald eyes were lost in boredom. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his old letterman jacket and leaned against the wall. Why did he volunteer to do this? He used to be a college student. He would rather be engaged in a research paper or a study session than here chaperoning a high school dance. Why had he dropped out? Why had he come home to watch his sister stand on the sides of the dance floor, bored, and beautiful? She wore a dress that she borrowed from her best friend who sadly couldn’t be here on account of a cold. Her hair was down in well- arranged curls with a flower head band that made her look like a forest princess, and her sad green eyes were decorated with shimmering eye shadow and mascara. She turned and looked at him with a feeble smile. He smiled back and made his way over to her. Do you want to go home? He seemed to say in his expression. She looked out to the dance floor than back at him. Not yet. A slow song came on. She turned to him. “ Lets go,” she signed.