"I suck at dancinggggg"
"So? I bet you'll have fun"

"So we have to go to a football game in our clothes for Homecoming-?" I ask, looking down at my dress.
Clyde shrugs, "everyone else is doing it."
"At my old school the Homecoming dance was the night after the football game," I shrug, "I'd usually work concessions at the game and not go to the dance. I never actually sat in the stands and watched a football game, I was always working the concessions stand."
"Ao you've been to football games, you've just never watched any?," Clyde raises an eyebrow and I nod, "you didn't miss much," he shrugs.
He straightens his deep blue bow tie and we head out the door.
We climb into the car with Clarissa and her friend Janie, both dressed up and in full makeup.
"Doesn't Clarrisa have a boyfriend-?" I whisper to Clyde, breaking off at the end.
Clyde shakes his head rapidly and pulled out his phone.

Clyde: Clarrisa and Joshua broke up last week.
Me: oop
Clyde: yeahhhhh, I'm not exactly sure why, but I know shes the one who broke it off
Me: rip

Clarrisa pulls out of the driveway and we start down the street.
Once we get halfway down the street we look out the window and Clarissa stops as a limo stops beside us. One of its windows rolls down slowly to reveal a boy in sunglasses and a suit.
"What the hell are you doing in there?" Rider asks.
Clyde and I laugh and start unbuckling our seats.
"Thanks Clarissa but it seems our ride is here!" Clyde says, pushing the door open.
We scramble over to the doors of the limo and wait as Ashley slides door open.
"Welcome to your real ride," Rider motions to the empty Limo seats beside Ashley and Parker.
His date, a skinny brunette from our History class, giggles beside him.
I step over Riders legs, stretched out and crossed in the middle of the floor. I glance to Clyde as he follows me to our seats.
The limo begins to move just after we sit down.

Our group of eight takes up nearly a whole row in the bleachers.
"Who's the other team?" Ashley asks.
"Looks like Cathedral City," Max answers.
"Luckily we always come late so we only have to see the end," Ashley laughs.
"Hey, if we didn't have to pick up those two and Max, we'd have been perfectly on time," Tristan objects.
"We've never had to pick up Lana before and Clyde is usually already at your house or Riders," Ashley raises an eyebrow.
"And Max wasnt the problem dude, it was Riders girl who was out of our way," Parker glances to the girl beside Rider, studying her hands in her lap.
"And the Katella knights win against the Cathedral City Lions!!" The announcer yells over the speakers.
The crowd from Katella go wild and the Cheerleaders do impressive back flips and shake their pom poms.

The limo stops in front of the school and we all get out carefully. We stand outside for a moment to get situated before heading towards the doors.
Rider leads the way with his date and Ashley and Parker walk close behind him, the two of them holding hands.
"How long have they been together?" I whisper to Clyde.
"I think they started dating in January," Clyde shrugs.
"Cool," I smile.
The group pauses to hand over their tickets and then the doors open.
"Its loud in here-" I say, stepping closer to Clyde as we walk in the doors of the school.
"But it looks so amazing," Ashley breathes from my other side.
I nod, "Well yeah, but-"
I'm cut off as Clyde puts his arm around me and begins rubbing my right arm, "It'll be Alright."
I wince momentarily at the words but let him continue comforting me, though the gesture is a bit uncomfortable to be honest.
Amber, the Homecoming queen, stands at the front of the room thanking people excitedly as they come to congratulate her on her crown.
"I'm not going over there," I glare at her.
"Wouldn't have asked you to," Clyde laughs.
My phone vibrates and a grab it out of my pocket.

Ash: how's it going?
Zack: having fun yet?
Me: meh, it's loud
Zack: find some friends to hag out with loser
Me: pfft, I came here in a group of eight people
Ash: whoa cool
Zack: I'll believe it when I see it

"Guys," I lean over towards Clyde and hold my phone up, "let's take a selfie."
The group squishes into the cameras view and smile. I take a few like that and then give us all a chance to make silly faces too.
"There's a photo booth over there," Parker points out.
The booth is beside Amber. On the other side of her is a sign pointing to what normally is just the office that is now the area for professional photos.
"We should try the photo booth!" Ashley bounces.
The group weaves through the crowd toward the photo booth.
Max begins to instruct the group, "Ashley and Parker can go in an sit down-"
"I'm sitting on Parkers lap!" Rider jumbles into the booth, causing laughter all around.
"I'll stand with my head in the booth beside Rider," Riders date walks around to the far side of the booth.
"Her names Amelia, right?" Max asks.
Clyde nods, "She's Janies younger sister."
"Right," Max nods, "ok, I guess the four of us are leaning into the booth."
"I think we could fit Lana on the bench next to me!" Ashley calls out.
After a few moments everyone's situated and Ashley pulls out a wad of money.
"You guys each owe me two dollars after this," she laughs.
We all pose for a set of four pictures and then stumble out of the booth.
"Here they come!" Ashley looks at the photo slot as the photos begin sliding out, "we have eight photo strips!"
She passes them out and we all stand there looking at them for a minute.
"I think I blinked in this one," Rider leans toward Tristan and points at his photo strip.
"You're wearing sunglasses, you could've blinked in all of them," Parker shakes his head.
"Retake!" Rider laughs.
"Me and Parker are going for the professional photos, is anyone else going that way?" Ashley asks.
"Me and Amelia are," Rider links arms with his date.
"I will," I shrug.
"Me too," Clyde steps forward, "as per my mothers request."
Ashley nods and she and Parker lead the way.
As we walk I pull out my phone and send the selfies from by the entrance to my group chat and then to Clyde.

Ash: Ooooo
Zack: huh cool
Jake: party!

Clyde: here, just a sec

My phone vibrates and a new chat head appears. I check the list of people. There's ten people listed, not including myself.

Clyde: added Lana to the chat
#1: Lanaaaaa

I watch Rider pull his phone out in front of me.

#2: Hey newbie
Me: can someone send me the chat list?

Another new number sends a screenshot with all of the numbers.
The first new number had been Tristan and the second was Rider.
Looking down the list, I laugh at the contact pictures set for some of the people. It must be a screenshot from Parker because Ashley has a pretty picture of the two of them and a heart by her name.
I add all the numbers to my phone.

Me: I'm gonna need contact pictures for everyone at some point

As we stand in line for the photos my phone explodes with vibration.
I open the chat to see pictures of five different people, though there's six sent from just Rider.
I go through and pick contact pictures for all of then, including the four people I didn't know.

The contact list for the chat is:
Ashley
Clyde
Jasper
Kaitlin
Kevin
Max
Owen
Parker
Rider
Tristan

Kaitlin: Kev and I are twins
Me: ah, cool

Zack: so you do have friends weird 😂
Me: uhhhh I have you guys too
Zack: 🤪
Ash: go have fun!!

Clyde and I watch as Ashley and Parker get their picture taken. The two of them are like naturals. Parker has his arm around Ashley's waist and she has one hand on his chest. Her other hand is rested on his shoulder and his spare hand reaches around to the other side of her waist. They're perfectly entangled.
"Next up," the photographer calls.
I glance to Clyde, "that'd be us."
We had decided to get our pictures taken together.
Clyde leads us to the spot in front of the green screen. We had been given a paper to fill out and we had chosen a garden scene.
"Good thing my mom gave me money for this," Clyde smiles, "four pictures is eighty dollars."
"Try to look less-" the photographer breaks off, "like awkward teens."
Clyde and I laugh and the photographer nods.
"Good, now a little closer," the photographer instructs.
I take half a step closer to Clyde, still smiling. I glance down at my waist as I feel him slowly wrap his arm around me and my heart begins to beat faster and I hold my breath.
"Now look here and say 'Homecoming'!" The photographer takes the picture and the flash makes me blink afterwards, "Looks great! You'll be able to pick them up at the office next week."
Clyde doesn't move his arm as he leads me off to the side to watch Rider and Amelia get their picture taken. Once we get beside Ashley and Parker he finally moves his arm and I feel I can breathe again, though it takes a moment for my heart to slow to its normal pace.
"Sweet," Rider nods as he puts his sun glasses back on, "got that step done."
"Step?" Ashley raises an eyebrow.
Rider holds out his hand to Amelia, "step two is dancing."
Amelia giggles and takes his hand. The two of them wander towards the dance floor.
"Well, I guess we should all do that," Parker shrugs.
Parker reaches for Ashley's hand and the pair head towards the dance floor.
"Let's go," Clyde puts his arm back around me and walks us to the dance floor, causing my heart to race.
We walk back into the main room, bursting with music.
Clyde stands beside me and begins to move with the loud active music.
I take a deep breath and try to sway with the music a little.
After a few songs my head aches with the thudding of my heartbeat and I'm just trying to keep breathing and swaying.
"I'm going to go get us some Italian sodas, k?" Clyde asks.
I nod wordlessly, my heart beats fast in my chest. I watch him go and stand there for a moment.
The song changes and the volume goes up and I can't bear it anymore. I stumble towards the janitors closet, thinking it even more embarrassing to retreat to the bathroom. I go as fast as I can to get away from the people and the lights, my breathing is like a woman's in labor.
I open the door and flick on the lights. I put my back to the door and begin to slide down but pause when I see movement across the room.
"Oh my god-" a girl stands in the corner shielding her face.
"Calm down hun, it's just Lana," a boy laughs.
"Rider-?" I blink.
"Oh my god-" the girl covers her face and rushes toward the door.
"Amelia!" Rider calls.
I open the door for her and let her go.
"You weren't gonna-?" I raise an eyebrow.
"No!" Rider objects, "she led me in here."
"Gross dude," I shake my head.
"What're you in here for?" Rider asks.
He doesn't move from his spot, he just stands there and looks at me.
"Its loud out there," I shrug.
"Don't you think Clyde's going to be wondering where you are?" He tilts his head.
"I just need a minute," I sigh.
"C'mon," Rider walks over, "let's go."
I sigh and go with him as he places his arm over my shoulders. There's a feeling of safety as he walks me out of the room.
"Hey! Where did you run off to?" Clyde pushes through the crowd to the two of us.
Rider removes his arm from my shoulder and I glance up at him, "she was walking back from the restroom when I found her."
"Where'd Amelia go?" Clyde asks.
He holds out his hand and grabs my arm, drawing me to him slowly. The feeling of safety gained from Rider fades away.
"Don't know," Rider shrugs, "we've got two hours left and I don't want to spend it worrying about her whereabouts. I'll spend the last half hour doing that."
My phone vibrates and I pull it out of my pocket again.

Mom: having fun?
Me: yeah

Me: Hey Ash?
Ash: Yeah?
Me: this is super loud and I don't like it
Ash: *pat pat*
Me: there's still two more hours ;-;
Ash: oh-
Me: and Clyde loves every second of it-
Me: I hate it
Me: but I can't leave
Ash: I'm sorry
Me: I gotta go
Ash: ok

Clyde reaches his arm around my waist, "let's dance some more."
I nod, "ok."