If I could erase any year from memory, it'd be 1997. I would choke the life out of it. I was 13, just starting middle school, awkward, and part of the Beat It Entourage with my all-white-everything socks and highwater jeans. Trust, if I was a dude, babies down the line would've been difficult.
It was the end of the school year and I was determined to unleash a new Gina (the "Mae" would be added later which is a whole 'notha "Forget Me Not Friday").
This dance was the business because one of the DJs from WKYS 93.9 was deejaying for our party. I borrowed one of the BFF's high school ensembles and showed off a little of my skinnty leg. No stanky for me that day! Oh NO! Not me and my high school outfit.
I repeated positive mantras in my head:
"You kinda cute. With your matching color braces!"
"You are way more fly than that bitch Lanisha."
"Just do what the popular girls do. The boys will follow."
I was ready. I had practiced the night before during the GoGo hour on the radio. I talked to the BFF about some dance moves they do in high school. High School. I can't go wrong.
And...I watched the "Pony" video I recorded on my VHS. Repeatedly.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaass. Who DIDN'T want Ginuwine? "Pony" was the business. I had a choreographed dance for this song and needed it to be played at the dance! I hyped myself up so high that Ginuwine himself couldn't tell me I wasn't that deal. I was going to get a boyfriend. Or at least a number. A number.
The day went by slow. I anxiously sat through sixth period. Who cared about science and the bucking crawfish on THIS DAY. This miraculous day of days that would let me change my image?! Change my unpopular, overlooked, and under-appreciated life?! I drifted in and out of class hearing snippets of "Pony" and rehearsing my dance in my head.
Finally, the words were spoken: "All seventh graders attending the spring dance please report to the cafeteria." Show time.
The cafeteria looked like....the cafeteria. No chemistry yet. Girls were still huddled by the door and the guys were lined up at the foot of the stage. Cool pose my ass. I nervously glanced over to the boy I wanted to impress. Thomas. Wit his fine ass. But I saw him looking at Sophia. She was beautiful and really sweet. No braces. Big booty and hazel eyes. She was THE 7th grader.
And that pissed me off. Why couldn't I be Sophia? I was sweet. I was nice. But she had something I didn't. Thomas' attention. And her body could flow with the music.
People started edging towards each other. Seventh and eigth graders mingling under only this acceptable circumstance. I kept my distance. My song hadn't played yet. But I did like the mix, so I edged closer and closer to the middle of the floor.
And then..."I'm just a bachelor...."
I put aside my fear and started moving side to side. The boys started looking at me in all my awkward glory. Probably because I had got my growth spurt and I towered. Maybe out of curiosity. But they were looking in my direction.
One of them nudged Thomas. I got a lil' confident. I turned to face the male lineup and my man in my head. I stood tall, legs shoulder length apart and started to sway my non-existent hips. I got so excited I got off beat. I tried to regain my swag by beckoning to the boys. They laughed and shook their head. I was already out there and embarassed. I countered their laugh with my own. Defeated. And stuck. Why won't this damn song END!?!?
What made it worse? The DEEJAY shouted out my trainwreck: "Fellas ya'll gon' leave her hangin' like that?!"
Finally, Ginuwine shut the hell up.
I retreated to the back of the cafeteria. Thomas returned his attention to Sophia. And all was right in the middle school world. I guess.
But dammit, I looked fly. So I saved whatever shred of popularity I had left and danced with my friends.
And Derrick was looking kinda good.....
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