This is a photo of my first dance in high school. My dad just sent it to me. I was a freshman. The other girls in the picture were the most popular girls in my grade. I was kind of friends with one of them.
My date was in the popular crowd, too, but he was short, which made him accessible to me.
I remember feeling so nervous about hanging out with this group that night. I wanted them to like me so badly. These girls were worshipped in my class. Oh, and they all had boobs.
Then we went to dinner, and I was bored out of my mind. I missed my real friends.
Three years later, I had my first kiss with the boy on the far left. It happened on spring break in Fort Meyers. Me and my friends ran into his crew of hot waterpolo players on the beach one afternoon. Apparently in Florida, no one knew they were the hottest guys in Kirkwood High School. So in lieu of meeting some hot strange, they decided to lower their standards and hang out with my group of unkissed juniors who were thrilled at the opportunity.
Long story too long, we made out. I was drunk and it was sloppy, but great.
A week later, I went to the doctor and was told I had mono.
I knew he had given it to me because the only other people with mono at our school were him and his girlfriend.
Sorry, Emily. I will, to this day, pretend I didn’t know.
