A thin piece of paper. A moment stopped in time; So full of emotions and memories that remind me of an amazing night. I am reminded of the feeling of happiness I felt as we stood close together, smiling at the camera which would take a picture to freeze this moment in time.  My partner was in a beautiful black sequin dress that shimmered with the reflections of the colorful lights shining from the dance floor. We stood together as music played in the background. Laughter and singing filled the room from others dancing together. The camera in front of us started to count down. 3..2..1.. We smiled as the camera flashed and captured our emotions. After taking two more pictures, we took off our props and laughed as we walked to get our pictures back. Looking down at the three pictures, we both smiled as we were filled with happiness and love.

Going to prom may seem very normal for a high school couple, but for a couple in a queer relationship, it can be nerve-racking. I never know what kind of reactions we will get when we hold hands in public, or even just hug each other. However, these reactions we may receive do not stop me from admiring them. They looked perfect that night. They had a long black dress, covered in black sequins that reflected the sunlight. A long slit in the dress revealed their legs as we walked into the venue. The sound of her black heels vibrated off the ground as we walked together. A feeling of happiness comes over me as I look at their face. They brush their dark brown hair out of their face, bangs falling back into place. His brown eyes shine in the sunlight, and I can see the hints of green that appear as I look at them. Their black eyeliner perfectly matches the dress they wear. As I continue to look at them, a small smile comes across her face, and I smile back. 

We walked into the hall of the country club, holding hands. As we approached the doors, the sound of talking and laughter became more clear. We walked in the doors to see a room full of tables, and chairs lined around those tables. There were glasses full of cool, iced water placed next to every plate on the tables. People wearing long dresses and suits in every color. The smell of delicious food, soon to be served, fills the air. Calm music played in the background. The checkered dancefloor in the middle of the room was empty, but it would not be bare for long. We smiled as we walked to a table filled with friends we would spend the rest of our night with. 

At prom, I felt as if I was being stared at constantly and being judged for my relationship. We would dance together under the bright party lights and flash in our eyes. Jumping up and down to heart-pumping songs. We belted out songs till we couldn't even hear the music, we could only hear each other.  Although we were in the middle of the crowd, sometimes it felt as if people were only staring at us. In between all of the high-energy songs that we would dance to, a slow song would come on. I grabbed my partner's hand off the table and we stood up together and walked to the dancefloor. I wrapped my arms around her waist and her arms laid over my shoulder. I laid my head down on her shoulder as we slowly swayed back and forth to the beat of the song. I wished I could have stayed in this moment forever, just being together with the peaceful music on in the background. 

Although a little picture from the photo booth may seem tiny and worthless, it has so much value to me. It reminds me of how important my relationship is and all the memories and emotions it brings to me. Being in a queer relationship is not always easy. Having a relationship that doesn't appeal to society can be difficult, but with all of the memories I have with my partner, I wouldn't have it any other way.