being a short asian woman, i won't tell you i started out as a cute caucasian woman in high school (see picture)...but i wanted to capture that intimate appeal of the first dance.this is brought on by a surprise invite on facebook (which is a pure mystery to me...so i don't use it very often) by Bruce S....the first boy i ever danced with in high school.
my best friend at the time was Sharon, who was built like me...a chubby asian teenager BUT the difference was she was stunning and didn't really know it. she talked me into going to this dance together for moral support BUT i should have sat down with her to talk about the "rules of engagement" on the dance floor. though sharon was stunning...she was socially awkward, being an only child...of the two i was the better dancer...had some social graces, even as a teenager.
when she was asked to dance....OMG she refused unless her partner found a dancing mate for me...i guess to share the experience with me...i know she probably thinks that was the best thing she could have done as my friend BUT it was the way she did it. within earshot of quite a few people, she told the boy she would not dance unless he found someone to dance with me...talk about feeling so embarassed & humiliated...jeez, what was she thinking!! as he turned away to find a buddy, i protested to her, but she was relentless & kept raising her voice saying she would not dance unless i did too. if i could have thrown her out a window or down the stairs i would have, but i just didn't think fast enough.
before i knew it, the boy came back with a buddy...not just any "buddy" but a guy i had noticed on the grounds in-between classes...he had dark moppy hair (like the beattles), sexy eyes and seemed to have a bit of a "bad boy" reputation...he always seemed "cool" and a bit of an outsider.
the only way i could stop feeling like a "grade A" fool was to not make a fuss and just dance (omg...a slow one!). let me preface here, that i knew i was awkward...chubby, asian w/ unattractive glasses (which i didn't wear to the dance, so i couldn't see to good), and a fashion style that was not quite developed....Bruce on the otherhand was "cool" in my eyes...dressed in a monotone dark hue with a leather jacket (he says it wasn't leather, but hell this is my memory so it was leather).
i remember that he smelled good...his shouldars were naturally broad & not the result of shouldar pads sewn in his jacket...his body was warm & when i leaned into him his breath was warm against my cheek. I don't think we said much..maybe just "hi" and "don't you sit behind me in social studies?"...but what i noticed the most that night, was that he never once made me feel bad about having to dance with me as a favor to his buddy...for that moment in time, i was just a girl dancing with a guy...and it was perfect. i'll always appreciate Bruce for that memory.
note: after that dance i didn't remain friends with Sharon...my version of "throwing her out the window"...and Bruce, if you read this..."thank you".
