Sillage

the dance

11.11.2017

The two of you with your arms around each other, beaming, not even at each other but at the ground. I smirk at the picture, how ridiculous of you to think that what you had would last eternally. How naïve of you to assume that you were made for each other. I remember the music playing and everyone except some dancing to music.

I remember wishing to dance as well but I glanced around to see everyone in pairs of two. I peeked back to the soft tune and the couples dancing. Some whispering promises to each other, some laughing because they kept stepping over each other's foot and some just swaying to music with grins plastered on their faces.

"Hey, wanna dance?" a voice suggested, and I glanced up to see a familiar face. I moved my head sideways and made an excuse of being tired. The face melted back into the crowd it came from, not making an effort to ask me the same question just one more time because honestly I might have said a 'yes' then.

I pulled out my camera and clicked pictures of a few of you dancing away to music, so firmly believing that you are going to be stuck in this song forever. Now I gawk at your pictures and sigh at your absurdity.

The girl in the high ponytail with her arms around a guy dressed up in a suit. I think of how she kissed someone else later that year. The screams in the cafeteria and the nasty comments about each other. The two laughing with crinkles by their eyes. The silent cries in the washroom and the longing stares from the empty hallways. I look at the boy in a batman t-shirt with a grin on his face, holding a girl so carefully as though he was afraid of breaking her accidentally. I think of how he called her a 'fucking bitch' just months later.

Their fantasies about finding 'the one' at 15 were ridiculous but they were brave to have such ridiculous fantasies. Yes, they don't speak to each other anymore like they used to. Yes, they probably cringe on remembering this day. They were stupid teenagers having no fucking clue about anything, but they were happy. They were radiating happiness all over that dark room lightened up with disco lights.

They grew up though, they forgot the adrenaline and they forgot the smiles. They forgot that song they danced to and they forgot everything they were feeling that night. I wish they all could have lingered a little longer in that song. I select the pictures and click on delete making them fade away from the screen.