It was sophomore year and it was that time of the year again; everyone was being asked out to homecoming and I was never one to be into school activities unless they were sports. I never got into the whole putting on a dress and heels, putting on a full face of makeup, and dancing the night away until my feet killed me to walk. I hate being around a bunch of people and I definitely hate being seen in a dress. Even though I hate participating in school events, such as dances, I was really excited to be going with my brother and my best friend; for weeks they begged me to go with them and finally I gave in and said yes. So now I guess it’s time for me to find a dress.

Finding a homecoming dress last minute is literal hell. I couldn’t find a decent dress that did not make me look like an old lady, but I finally came across one that looked like it was made for me. The dress had a turquoise top and a black pencil skirt bottom with a belt that went around my waist. From the moment I picked the dress off the rack, I was in love. I wasn’t too worried about what kind of shoes I was going to wear with my dress but my mom had insisted that I get heels. I tried on what felt like a hundred pairs of heels and then I finally found a pair that fit me just right and didn’t make my feet hurt the moment I put them on.  I finally had everything I needed for the dance.

Today was the day, the day where I get dressed up only for me to sweat all my makeup off and for my hair to look like I went out for a night out on the town. It took my mom two hours to curl my hair, but my hair would not hold any of the curls so we just decided to take the easy way out and straighten it instead. Now it was time for makeup; my mom treated me as if I was her own lifelike Barbie that she could dress up and play with. I didn’t mind it at all because that gave me and my mom time to bond and make memories with each other. When we were done with my hair and makeup I had twenty minutes to get everything on and head to dinner with a few of my friends. We were in such a big rush that I couldn’t even change before we left, so my mom had me change in the backseat of her car. I never want to go through that experience again! I hit my head so much trying to get my dress on. When we got Applebee’s we took a few photos before we all felt like we were starving. Of course I would be the one to spill soup all over my dress. I ran to the bathroom crying because the one night I decide to get dressed up and have a good time with everyone I look like a slob, all because I spilled soup all over me. My mom came to my rescue with a backup dress and not just any backup; she had brought me the exact same dress. “Knowing you, I knew you were going to spill something on yourself so I went back to the store after I dropped you off and bought you the exact same one because I know how much you love how you look in it, and baby girl I love how much you love yourself.” I stopped crying and hugged her and never wanted to let go because she is literally my hero and the greatest mom I could ever ask for. “Alright baby, let’s get you changed and back out there so you can enjoy the rest of your night.” With the biggest smile on my face I looked at her and said “Alright momma, we’ve got this.”

We got there and immediately everyone was so surprised to see me there which made me feel so happy because everyone wanted pictures with me and everyone was in such a good mood. Half an hour into the dance I met up with my brother and his girlfriend. It was amazing; we all just danced with each other and laughed so much that we all were in tears. Halfway through the dance, my friend Juan had come up to me. “Hey girl, I have someone I want you to meet,” so I went with him and he brought me to a tall guy with dirty blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes I have ever seen. “Devon this is Matt, Matt this is Devon. Enjoy each other’s presence.” I knew who he was the second I heard his name, he was the boy I had a huge crush on. I liked him so much because he is so sweet, a total gentleman, and always made me laugh. He turned around and his jaw dropped, “You… You look… You look absolutely amazing.” “Thank you, so umm…” “Would you like to dance with me?” he asked while he reached his hand out to touch mine. Of course I said yes because who would turn down a dance with the guy they liked?

We swayed back and forth around the cafeteria dance floor with his one hand on my waist, the other entwined between my fingers, and my head on his chest. I felt eyes watching us and I lifted my head and saw a friend of mine giving me a dirty a glare; her name was Jeandra. She came up to me and pulled me away from him, “Why are you dancing with my ex-boyfriend?!” I had no idea what she was talking about because as far as I knew he didn’t have a girlfriend.

“Hello, Devon I’m speaking to you.”

 “Jeandra, what the hell are you talking about? You guys never dated. He and I have been talking for months. He would have told me if he got with someone and he never mentioned you.”

 “Whatever Devon, be a man stealer and a slut. I don’t care,” she said as she turned and walked away from me.

 I felt like a terrible person but I continued to dance with him and he and I had a long talk while we danced to every slow song that came on. Everything she said to me didn’t matter because I was with him, and everything just felt right.

Here it was the end of the night, and in my head I was just praying that he would kiss me. We were standing in line to get our belongings and he reached for my hand. In my head I was screaming all because he was holding my hand in front of everyone we went to school with. We were standing just standing there talking and all of the sudden my friend Sabrina had ran up to me, “Oh my freaking god, are you guys dating??” Matt and I both exchanged a look and we didn’t know what to say. I was talking to Sabrina and he had spun me around to face him, “Will you be my girlfriend?” I was in complete shock because I didn’t expect to hear that from him. “Are you serious?” “Yeah I’m serious, why wouldn’t I be serious? I like you a lot, you’re so smart, extremely beautiful, and all in all you’re just the sweetest I’ve ever met.” “Well then yes, I will be your girlfriend.”

Matt and I have been together for two years since that night. I will admit that our relationship has not been easy; he and I have had our fair share of breakups and makeups. But no matter what, he was the guy I liked and danced with at the 2016 Kettering’s Homecoming. Ever since that night I knew he was the man I needed in my life. He has become more than my boyfriend, he has become my best friend; in all honesty I wouldn’t trade our relationship, our memories, or our past for anything in the world. I still look back on that night and all I can think to myself is that I’m really happy that had I went to homecoming that night.