I stood in one of the less crowded sections of the dance floor. I figured it’d be easier for John to find me if I wasn’t wandering around like I had been the last time a slow song had come on. I had Anisa scouting the crowd and trying to find him and was looking in the direction she’d gone off in. John appeared behind me and I turned around and he caught my hand in his. He muttered a greeting and pulled me over to a little spot on the edge to the crowd.

“So, uhm, I don’t really know how to…” his words trailed off.

“Yea…I don’t really either,” I said with a tiny, quiet giggle. I looped my arms around his neck like I saw the other couples doing and like I’d seen in movies. His hands rested on my hips.
We smiled shyly at each other. Our eyes met for milliseconds at a time. Neither of us was brave enough to keep a steady gaze. We continued to sway back and forth. Looking over his shoulder, I saw Anisa at the back of the gym watching us and smiling. John and I had started a good arm’s length away and our bodies were now nearly touching. Mustering up any courage I had, I leaned forward and rested my head on his shoulder. My breath caught, hoping I wouldn’t be rejected. His hands simply readjusted their spot on my back.
I inhaled and was relieved to find that I liked the way John smelled. While it many seem strange to some people, I always make sure that the people I like have a scent that appeals to me. It’s not the scent of a cologne or deodorant…it just the way they naturally smell or the scent of the things they surround their selves with. One of my ex-boyfriends always smelled like spearmint gum and smoke. I couldn’t yet name the John’s scent but it was a pleasant one.
We continued to sway in time to the music. John’s head rested against mine and I felt his breath on my right arm. I wondered about “us” now. When he asked me the dance, he said we would just be going as friends. Even from the beginning I had the suspicion that it was just a pretense so that his pride would be less damaged if I had turned him down. I mean…we barely spoke before he asked me. We could hardly be called friends. Now I was almost certain he had feelings for me.
The music drew to a close. Sensing the end of the song, I raised my head. As the last couple chords of the song played John was leaning forward, suggesting a kiss. Feeling like I was in a movie, I leaned in to meet him. It only lasted a second, but it was the best second of the night. As the song ended, we let go of each other and smiled, still as shy as before, and went our separate ways. Elated, I sprinted to where Anisa was. I wanted to do cartwheels. This was the greatest night of my life.