“…Eyeballs…” Book II: 22. The Homecoming Dance

Hey! You Got Eyeballs In There?

By Kate Chamberlin

As Grace grows up, some of her stories are happy, some trying, some enlightening, and a few themes are sad, but, they’re all the warp and woof of what goes into the tapestry of life we call Family. The daily living skills and techniques demonstrated by the fictional characters in these stories are valid, tried and true.

Book II:  The Teenagers

#10. Bad News

#11.  Grace’s Day One

#12 Knight With Shining Flatware

#13. The Locker Fiasco

#14. Lost In Thought

#15. The Musician

#16. Day Two And Beyond

#17. First Date

#18. The Zipper Creep

#19. Making Up

#20. Mall Cruising

#21. And More Questions

#22. Homecoming Dance

“What happened to Crackers? Where is she?”  Joe asked from Stang’s back seat, as Grace buckled up in the front bucket seat.

“Crackers is a very smart dog and she’s well trained, but, she doesn’t know how to dance,” Grace smiled, folding her long, white cane into its three parts.

The gym had been decorated with the school colors of blue and gold. There was an arched trellis with tissue paper carnations and green crepe paper ivy leaves on it. A professional photographer, who was an alum took picture after picture of all the attendees of the Home-coming Dance.

“Let’s have our photo taken,” Edie said. “All four of us.”

“Aren’t you afraid the camera will break?” Joe teased her.

Grace felt Ken’s arm snake around her waist, guiding her next to Joe and Edie under the archway. She knew she’d never even see the photo, but she sure liked the feel of Ken’s arm around her.

Grace hadn’t really danced with a boy before. At the residential school, she and her friends had practiced dancing with each other with a pillow between them. They took turns leading and usually fell into giggles until the floor mother came in to shush them. Grace thought that if she could follow Crackers with just her harness on, she ought to be able to follow Ken. She was right.

“You are a fabulous dancer,” Ken said, walking back to their table after their first slow dance. “How are you on the fast dances?”

Grace felt panic rise in her throat. Slow dancing with his touch guiding her was one thing. But the thought of letting go, not knowing what the steps were, worried her.

“It’s going to be a Western Square Dance,” Ken said. “Have you ever done that before?”

“No,” Grace said.

“Four couples form a square. There is a caller on the stage. He’ll tell you which way to turn and how many skip steps, hop steps, Polka steps or Rants to take. There will be a different partner as we go around the square. Do you want to try it?”

“Come on,” Edie urged her. “It’ll be fun. We’ll keep an eye on you.”

So, Grace left her folded, long, white cane on the table and let Ken lead her out onto the dance floor where the squares were forming.

The music began. The caller said, “Allemande left.”  Grace felt Ken’s hand pull to the left and passed it to the next fellow. She followed each new hand until the caller said, “Swing your partner round and round.”

Grace was super surprised to find big, strong hands on her waist picking her up so that she instinctively put her hands on his shoulders. She was a bit dizzy when he put her down, but the dance continued before she could protest.

Where was Ken?  Edie?  Joe?  They said they’d keep an eye on her. The music was so loud. She couldn’t hear the caller anymore. The people were laughing and moving all about her.

When the set finally ended, “Are you alright?”  Joe’s familiar voice asked her, touching her arm. “You look like you’re about to bolt again.”

“I’m not really comfortable with so many people I don’t know touching me,” Grace said. “I wish I hadn’t left my long cane at the table. Do you see Ken?”

“Well, yes,” Joe hesitated. “He’s over on the far side, talking with Heather. She looks upset. I wonder what’s going on.”

There was a sinking feeling in the pit of Grace’s stomach. She remembered last night when she thought he’d dumped her for Heather. Was it really going to happen again tonight?

Joe, Edie, and Grace threaded their way over to their table. There was an awkward silence as Ken and Heather came to the table, too.

kathryngc1@verizon.net