HOMECOMING- Part I

HOMECOMING- PART I
setting- at home

So, the rest of my entries have been a bit more constructive, essay-formatted. This one is a synapsis of Homecoming. I think I'll tell it in narrative form (plus, if I make it long enough it can count as a freewrite for my Engl 110 class!). But I might switch. We'll just have to wait and see.

Well, I have a gorgeous dress. I really do. It's dark blue at the top and bottom, but then has a gradiant to the middle where it is this lighter blue. Last Saturday morning my mom got out the sewing machine- this black thing that was given her from my grandma (and will be passed down to me), and was made probably around 1950. This sewing machine, like so many elderly people, is finicky. Some days (this is what my mother tells me, by the way. I wouldn't know any of this without the information from her, considering I'm not the one that sews) it decides to be a kind, lovely sewing machine, while others it decides to be the most stubborn piece of antique junk. Yesterday it was junk. So what did my mom do? She hand-sewed sleeves onto my dress. You see, my dress had no sleeves, which isn't such a good thing because it's not entirely modest, and I prefer by a far stretch modest dresses.

Getting ready, I was going back and forth between actually getting ready and studying for my psychology class.

So finally J_____ and K____ (names have been erased to protect the innocent) show up. K____ and my mom are best friends, so it's been funny getting ready for homecoming because some of it has been K____ asking me, "so, what color do you want your corsage to be?" and "oh! Your dress looks so pretty!" (this is when she saw it) "J____________ has a tie that is that'll match it perfectly!"

Oh, by the way, there is a history here, between J____ and myself. Would you like to hear it?

The Creepy Shrek Moment

I've known J____ for a very long time- since he was that kid sitting in the back of the primary room, tilting his chair back on two legs and ending the "Hello, hello we welcome you today" song with "good-bye". Our mothers (when they were both single) would attend the singles' dances togethor, so I would usually go over to K____'s house where C____ (her second to youngest child) would babysit J____ and me.

I had a crush on him. I was about 11 or 12 years old at the time, putting him at the age of 12 or 13. We were sitting on the couch, he on one side and myself comfortably seated on the other. We happened to be watching Shrek at the time. He started to move over. Just gradually, mind you, but he still started to move, about an inch at a time, every time bringing him closer towards me. Considering my age and naivete, I had no idea what to do. So I sat there and felt uncomfortable. He continued to close in. I felt like a deer being hunted, and moved an inch closer to the other side of the couch- away from him. This repeated. A few times. Until I was against the arm of the couch, and J____ was right by my side. He yawns. Stretches. And his left arm finds its way to the back of the couch. Behind my head. I tense. And I am scared.

Concerning what comes next in the story, I always have to ask myself- Did this happen? Did it really happen? The image is so blurry, I can barely tell. Why is this sole part of the video in my mind so blurry? This section is blurry because after that night I decided I didn't want to remember. Maybe it didn't even happen... I told myself. It couldn't have... I must have imagined it. Well, here's what couldn't have happened. Here's what I can't remember. Here's what I imagined happening:

My body stiff and straight like a pole, my heart is skipping madly. He leans towards my ear. And then everything gets fuzzy, like the whole picture in my head has been covered by gray clouds- distorting the image; and a windstorm is raging in the background- a deafening sound which dwarfs all other sounds. J____ whispers loudly- I love you. I am stunned. I sit in shock. And then-

Off the couch, I leap!! I dart across the room, arriving at my bag. Into the bag I dive, searching frantically for my book to read. To distract. I think, oh no, he's going to like me more because I'm reading and he'll think it's soo hot! I find my book and am immediately buried in it.

The rest of that evening was spent in discomfort. After the event, I avoided J____. He also became labeled as "Creepy-Shrek Dude". What a horrible reputation that would be to have.

Sweatpants

Is it promising when your date and his mother show up, and he is wearing sweatpants? Sweatpants which are baggy at the hip area (emphasizing his wonderfully curvy shape... oh, just kidding- he's not curvy) and have the bottoms scrunched up so the pants actually end a few inches about his ankles? And then there's the gym socks. With well-worn tennis shoes to top off the ensemble. At least his casual shirt is nice, I thought to myself.

Mom and I are standing on the doorstep, greeting K____ and J____ as they step out of the car, grab their things, and head up to the entrance. J____ gets there first. "Hi, J____! Long time no see!"

"Hey, Cassanndre! How are you?" And a nice, big hug. I hadn't been sure of what to expect- hug? handshake? I would have been more comfortable with a handshake. But it was a friendly hug from the side, and it reminded me of the hugs counselors gave at EFY. He stood there for a quick moment, his arm around me (and me feeling a little bit awkward), catching up.

Curling Iron, Mascara, and Time

At this moment, I am wearing jeans and a shirt, with my hair straight down. My bangs have just been trimmed by my mom, my make-up begun (but not finished). Still a lot left to do. In a very little time. J____ heads to the bathroom with his hair gel, shoes, comb, and older brother's suit in hand. I head to my bedroom. Mom is right behind me.

Then the curling fest is initiated. Top layer of hair is pinned up. Bottom layer combed and sprayed and curled; and curled and sprayed. Ten minutes later, second layer combed, curled, and sprayed.

Then an unexpected call is heralded from my littlest sister. "Cassanndre!! A bunch of people are here and they're all dressed up fancy!!"
"What?!!" What could she be talking about? Did Trevor and Coral, Christine and Tyler come for J____ and me? We hadn't planned that! Well, we actually hadn't planned anything having to do with transportation, but that was beside the point. Are they late for their pictures? "Mom...? What do we do?"

So Mom heads out to greet them, and introduce. From my bedroom I can hear, "Hi everyone! Oh, wow! You all look so nice! This is J____ and K____. Come on in, Cassanndre's just finishing up. J____, this is Trevor (not Stefan, right?), Coral, Tyler, and Christine." And they all start socializing. I make use of this time. Make-up: eyeshadow is finished. Chapstick is found. Mom comes back.

Ten more minutes, and the hair is all done. Bangs straightened with a slight curl. Hair at the sides pinned up. Hair in the back teased just a bit. Final touches. More hair spray. Perfume. Then the dress. Over my head. Mom zips it up and fastens the fastener. Put on shoes. So much for nail polish. Necklace and earrings. Mirror check. Tickets? There they are. ASB card? Where is it?! I check my wallet. Not there. Search around my room frantically. No, Mom, please stay with me, I don't want to come out by myself. No, Mom, I already looked there. What? It's in my wallet? I already looked there... Thank you. Am I ready? Mental Checklist: Hair, good. Make-up, yes, nice. Shoes? yes. Dress, yes. Tickets and ASB? Yes. Cell-phone? J____ has one. Anything else, Mom? Okay. No, you go out first.

The corsage, the bootineer (how do you spell that word?!), and we all line up for some pictures. Mom accidentally got a couple where I made a funny face, but those were deleted. Maybe I'll upload 'em with this story. Or maybe not.

Coming up next- pictures, dinner, homecoming, stake dance, and denny's.