Sticky Note Boy

It'll Last

"Thanks for helping me dress up, Kate." I smiled at our reflection in the full-length mirror.

Kate dolled me up. She bought me a dress, fixed my hair, did my make-up and all that girly shiz. She was so determined in making me look like a girly girl. "I can't believe we’re required to wear a mask. How can people see your face when it’s hidden behind a mask?!"

I grinned, “points for me.” I really didn’t want to go to the prom and I most certainly didn’t want the other students in McKinley High to see me like this.

“Yeah right.” She snorted and rolled her eyes. “At exactly 12 when all of us are dancing in circles and exchanging partners, we must take off our partner’s mask.” She shrugged while her eyes sparkled in evilness, “To eventually reveal our soul mate’s identity.”

My eyes widened, “must take off the mask? Soul mate? That happens!?”

She giggled, “yes.”

“Why did I not know that?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Because you never went to a dance before. You’re always locked in your room, Jane. Stuffing your face on a book.” She tossed a bluish white mask at me. It had musical notes around it. I looked at hers, we both have the same style but her mask was gold and it matches her gold glittery ball gown.

“Thanks,” I smiled at her. “For everything, Katy.”

“No problem,” she smiled gratefully at me. “Now, what favor do you want me to do for you?”

“You know me so well,” I chuckled. “I just want you to explain how the hell will be your dance partner becomes your soul mate?”

She smiled and sat on the edge of my bed. I looked at my alarm clock and saw that there’s still an hour left before we leave. She patted the spot beside her, “sit, you noob.”

I did as I was told. “We start dancing at 8:30. Dance with your friends, enjoy the party, and have fun. At 9:30 the DJ would play a slow song, and you,” she pointed at me. “Will expect that all the couples in McKinley High would dance to it.”

“Of course.” I nodded.

“10:30, the DJ will make all the boys go to the ‘girl of their dreams’-” she rolled her eyes “-and ask them to dance with them. Then the traditional thing would be going on again.”

I looked at her, “you mean every year--”

“Shush,” she glanced at me. “I’m not finished yet.”

I nodded for her to continue, “see every year at Senior Balls, students in McKinley High form a big circle and then starts slow dancing. A DJ would change the music to a classic one and the rotation would start.”

“Rotation?”

“Yes, the girl from the right would step to her left and dance with the boy that will be in front of her for the next few seconds then she’ll step to her left again and so on.”

“And when the song stops and the clock strikes 12, the boy in front of you will take off your mask and then you take his off then, as the others say, you’ll be fated to be with each other.” She made her finish, “it was kind of a tradition, yeah.”

“That’s lame,” I gave her a poker face.

“Lame for you,” she faced me. “you’re single and all. It wouldn’t be lame for the hopeless romantic ones.”

“Yeah, sure.” I tilted my head a little bit to the side, “what about the ones who have their boyfriends or girlfriends?”

“They don’t join the rotation, Jane. They just dance to the music without joining the circle.”