The Dance

It was two-thirty in the afternoon. Today was activity day at Maple Valley Middle School. All seventh graders were to report to the gymnasium for square dancing. Katie did not want to participate in the activity. She knew that none of the boys would want to dance with her. As Katie entered the noisy gymnasium, she weaved through the crowd and stood near the stage. A few minutes later, the song "Achy, Breaky Heart" blasted through the speakers. Becoming restless, she sat on the edge of the stage and observed the others as they laughed and danced. Apparently, they were having fun.


From time to time, Katie would stare at her feet, which she believed were too large for her eighty-pound frame. She also stared at her bony knees and disliked the idea that they knocked against each other when she walked. Fifteen minutes has passed, and it wouldn't be long before the activity would be over. Katie sighed with relief. That's when Coach Sims noticed Katie and decided to get her attention.


"Katie! Get down here and dance!", Coach Sims shouted through a megaphone. Katie hopped off the stage and stood there, frozen. Coach Sims then gestured and said, "C'mon! You shy?" Katie stared at her feet and said sadly, "No. The boys don't want to dance with me." Then she looked up at Coach Sims with this look in her eyes that said, "Please don't make me do this."


Coach Sims took her hand and Katie's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. The two weaved through the crowds in search for a dancing partner. Coach Sims stopped and pointed at Earl. He was sweating and smiling, trying to keep up with the beat.


"Earl, come here and dance with Katie!" Earl walked up to Katie and gave a nervous smile. He towered over Katie and he had these large, expressive eyes. Earl took Katie's hand and they began to dance. His hands were sweaty, but Katie held on tight and they laughed and danced. Things weren't too bad after all.


As soon as the opportunity came, Earl quickly switched partners with Rick. A lot of girls thought that Rick was so cute. He was lean and tan with blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Katie didn't see what the big deal was.


Rick gave Katie a look of fear and disgust. He held on to her fingers and acted as if the whole experience was painful. He seemed very uncomfortable. Katie's face flushed with anger and her eyes started to burn. A lump formed in her throat. Then she said as her voice quivered with hurt and anger, "You don't have to dance with me. I'll leave!" Just like that, Rick dropped her hand and found someone else to dance with. Katie quickly walked away and tried to keep herself together, but her legs felt wobbly and her vision was slightly blurry.


Katie stood near the exit door, took a deep breath and blinked her burning eyes.


Here goes Coach Sims again. All of this could have been avoided if he would've left Katie alone.


"What's going on? Why did you stop dancing?" He stands there with his hands on his hips. Katie glares at him and says, "Those boys did not want to dance with me. I told you!!"


Coach Sims looks at Katie as if he almost feels sorry for her. His mouth parts as if he was about to say something, but he decided not to. It was finally time to go.


Katie quickly left the building but Rick and Earl weren't too far from her. Within an earshot she could hear them laughing and talking about her.


"Ugh! I know." Rick said while laughing. "She is sooo skinny! I thought that her hand was going to fall off if I held it." Earl laughed and said, "She is skinny."


Katie headed for homeroom and she would have to wait there until the final bell rung. Unfortunately, she shared homeroom with Rick and Earl.


She sat at her desk impatiently and noticed how Rick was staring at her and making faces. Katie rolled her eyes and reached into her backpack for a textbook. She needed some type of distraction.


Earl called his friend Rory over to sit by him. Rory and Katie had a few classes together. He would compliment her on how well she played her instruments in band practice or how well she sounded in chorus. He also sat behind her in math and would always tap her on the shoulder and ask to borrow a pencil, eraser or a sheet of paper. She would notice the extra supplies he had in his backpack, but didn't say anything. Instead, she smiled and lent him whatever he asked for during that class period. At the end of the day, he would pay her back with the amount of sheets of paper he borrowed.


Katie notices Earl nudging Rory and pointing at her. She looked back down at her opened textbook. Now Earl is speaking loudly, as if he wants Katie to hear his conversation.


"I had to dance with Katie! Can you believe that?!" Katie glances over her textbook, waiting for Rory to say something equally negative. Rory shrugs and says, "So? And your point is?" Earl stares at him blankly and he's at a lost for words. Rory continued, "I think Katie is attractive. I wish I could've danced with her." Katie smirked and flipped through the pages of her textbook and continued to listen. Then Earl said, "But she is so skinny! I thought that her arm was going to fall off while we were dancing." Katie thought Rory would laugh, but instead he said, "Now that is stupid. Why would you think that would happen? I'm skinny too. I can't help it. She can't help it. Earl, you are stupid."


Katie was slightly amused. The bell rung and it was time to go home. Katie gathered her belongings and headed to the door. To her surprise, Rory was standing there holding the door open for her. They smiled at each other and she thanked him. He nodded, smiled and said, "Have a good weekend Katie." She replied with a smile, "You too. See you on Monday."


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