The Slap

The Slap

It was a little unnerving to walk into the dance because I felt as if everyone was staring at us. I mean it’s not a surprise to my classmates or the school to know that I was going with Jackie. I’m sure Tim and John tried to smear my name with everyone in the school and in doing so he thought he could try to get back with Jackie before the dance. That’s all politics and immaturity to do that kind of stuff so even if that was going on in the background, I didn’t care. All I cared about was walking into the room where the dance was being held and to dance with the most beautiful girl.

There was a photographer right as we walked into the room. He was taking everyone’s picture as they walked in so naturally, we got our picture taken as well. After the picture was taken, Jackie noticed her friends about 20 feet away talking with each other. I told Jackie to go ahead and talk with her friends, and that I would get us something to drink. She left me and went over to talk with her friends. As I was getting our drinks together, I felt what I could only describe as a slap on my shoulder and it didn’t feel good. It was Tim and he didn’t look very happy. He surrounded me along with his goons to I guess intimidate me. I told Tim that I didn’t want any trouble, that I just wanted to get back to Jackie. He got about two inches to my face which wasn’t good because I could smell some type of alcohol permeating from his breath and he said, “I told you to watch your back.” I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen after he said that so I bolted past Tim and went back to where Jackie was. I know what you all are thinking. This was a weak move, that I tucked my tail and ran, and well yes you would be right in thinking that. If you have ever known what it’s like to be bullied, to have people snicker things towards you as you pass by, to have people point and laugh at you when you speak then you can sympathize with me, otherwise you don’t know the humiliation something like that is and even though I am not the skinny person from a year ago, I still felt as if I was the smallest person in that room. I felt like a bug, that anyone could squash at any time.

At this point my night was ruined by this altercation. As I got back to where Jackie was, she noticed that I was not myself and asked what was wrong. I couldn’t look at her to tell her what had happened, not that I thought she had anything to do with it, but I didn’t want her to think I was weak and someone who cowered down. I sat down on one of the chairs that were at the table and Jackie sat down next to me with a concerned look on her face. Before she could say something to me a person got up to the microphone that was on a make-shift stage and started to announce and introduce the King and Queen. After the announcement, I saw Tim glaring at me with what I could only describe as an evil grin, as he walked up to the stage. I think Jackie noticed this and she looked to have a scouring look on her face as she walked up to the stage. I guess it’s customary to have the King and Queen have the first dance to kick off the night. That’s all I need to see is Tim with his hands on my date. Both Tim and Jackie walked to the center of the dance floor and when the song started playing Jackie walked away from him. Tim, with a disgusted look on his face, grabbed Jackie’s arm to pull her back, but she then swung her other arm and clocked him right in the face with a slap. HOLY COW!!! The slap was loud and before Tim could do anything in retaliation some chaperones stepped in. Jackie came back to the chair that I was sitting in and said, “let’s dance.” I replied with an ok and we both headed to the dance floor and started dancing. I didn’t care about anything at this point and as someone might say “we danced the night away.”