The 8th grade dance took place in the cafeteria on Friday, October 22. I’m sure people were cringing and groaning at the thought of dancing in front of the whole grade, but this was my first dance, since the 6th and 7th grade dances were cancelled due to COVID. My friends and I had no idea what to expect, but reluctantly we bought our tickets and showed up. I heard the music from down the hall and on instinct began thinking of ways to sneak out the window or go home early. It was so loud and crowded we immediately ran into a corner to hide together, collectively dreading the rest of the night. The seniors and teachers tried to get us to dance, but we had no intention of moving.

And then the Cotton-Eyed-Joe came on.

I threw the anxiety and worries out of my mind and jumped in the crowd, remembering how many times I had done that dance at other parties. A few kids were breakdancing in the center of the circle, and most of the girls were belting out the words to Taylor Swift and Harry Styles songs. I knew the words to most of the songs, and I showcased my horrific singing voice by screaming the lyrics into the crowd. Eventually I got my friends to join in, and we didn’t stop jumping around for another 2 hours. After a quick break to eat pizza, we continued singing and dancing until my voice was gone and my legs were on fire. It felt like a giant concert, except you knew the whole audience. The night went by pretty fast, and before I knew it, it was time to leave. While it was a relief to step into cool air, I still wanted to stay just a bit longer. I had so much fun that night, and I’m so glad I went!