Me, You, & The Party Rock Crew

“It’s a love thing, it’s got to be, your heart’s all locked and I got the key.” – LMFAO, La La La, 2008.

“Isabella, come on, take the picture seriously,” Odalys sighed in exasperation at her daughter goofing off as she posed for her solo picture. “The look” was all Izzie needed from her mother to cut the shit and straighten her act for a picture-perfect smile.

“Thank you, kid,” Odalys shook her head.

“Any time, ma,” Izzie winked. Sometimes she did enjoy irritating her mom for fun.

“Okay, now the rest of the group!”

Mrs. Sanderson called from the other side of the room. She and Odalys continued their talk about work as both of them worked in education, while Carolina’s mom, a professional photographer, took pictures of the girls, but occasionally chimed into the women’s conversations. The girls felt like supermodels, posing and smiling in their glitzy dresses. It was a dream for them.

Once the photos were done, Odalys offered to drive the girls, Mrs. Sanderson would pick them up, and Mrs. Thompson would do a group check-in on her phone. The women had their plan all down to a science.

As they arrived at the school, it looked completely unrecognizable. The theme was A Day at the Carnival, and sure enough, it appeared to look like a giant carnival.

“Wow, this school really goes all out for its dances. Me imagino prom,” Odalys said incredulously.

“No kidding!” Izzie breathed out.

“You can say that again,” Hattie chuckled.

“Absolutely,” Carolina shook her head in disbelief.

“Alright, well, you girls have fun. Please call if you need anything, okay?” Odalys offered. “You know we’re just five minutes away.”

The girls all giggled. 

“Thanks, Mom, will do!” Izzie hugged her mom from the back seat.

“Thank you, Ms. Odalys!” Carolina and Hattie chimed together.

“Have fun girls!”

And just like that, the girls hopped out of the Red 2004 Suzuki XL7 and entered the carnival-costumed chaos of Aspen Brook High. The dance floor was alive, filled with swaying bodies, and Lady Gaga’s Poker Face blared through the speakers–new, fresh, and already a smash hit. Everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives. 

Theo was front and center on the dance floor with his latest flavor of the week, and she was sandwiched in between Carter’s date. The sight was as comical as it was awkward. Hatter was leading a conga line of theatre students, with Steven bringing up the rear, waving to Izzie as he passed by, his goofy grin visible even through the sea of bodies. Drew was dancing with his middle school ex-girlfriend, Hayley, sparking some quiet whispers across the dance floor. Mikey S. was headbanging with his football bros, lost in the music and his own world. It was strange, but fascinating to see these people–her classmates, her peers–out of their usual school elements, showing off their true selves. 

As Izzie navigated through the crowd, she bumped into Anthony Miller and his date, Raven–a girl who could’ve easily been her doppelganger. The two exchanged a knowing smile, acknowledging their shared resemblance. But the real surprise came when Izzie ran into Sammi Ellerson and her date, Dom–the not-so-attractive cousin of Anthony Miller. Sammi’s sneer was instantaneous, her eyes narrowing as they locked on each other. 

Without missing a beat, Izzie bucked her chin in Sammi’s direction, daring her to make a move. Sammi flinched, knocking into Antoinette–Toni–a towering, muscular sophomore who didn’t seem to care about the scene she was unintentionally creating. Tony’s sheer size sent Sammi stumbling backward, crashing into her date, Dom. The two toppled into each other, tumbling onto the floor and disappearing into the sea of dancing bodies. 

The trio continued to dance deeper into the crowd when Izzie felt a tap on her shoulder. 

“Big Iz!” The familiar voice made her squeal in delight, spinning around to embrace her childhood best friend. Standing before her was the burly, 5’9” Alejandro Garcia–Alex for short–with his curly hair and warm brown eyes. 

“Alex! You made it!” Izzie exclaimed, the rush of seeing him filling her with relief. Finally, something familiar in this whirlwind night. 

“Good to see you, compa,” Alex chuckled, pulling away from the hug and eyeing Carolina. She was stunning, and he couldn’t help but notice. 

“Ladies,” he smiled, his gaze lingering on Carolina for a moment longer. 

“Gentleman,” Hattie replied coolly, raising an eyebrow at him. Izzie nudged her playfully, but Hattie didn’t budge. 

“Hi, Alex! We’re so glad to finally meet you, we’ve heard nothing but great things about you,” Carolina greeted him enthusiastically, her smile infectious. 

“Likewise, for sure,” Alex chuckled. “But damn, this place is fancy as hell!”

“I told you!” Izzie laughed in return. 

“Man, if I knew you went to a rich ass high school—”

“Upper-middle-class at best, my bro,” Izzie corrected him quickly. 

“My bad,” Alex said laughing. “If I had known that, I would’ve convinced my old man to move out here!” 

The three girls laughed, but Carolina’s warm, unrestrained laughter caught Alex’s attention, and he couldn’t help but notice the mutual spark. 

“Hey, you all don’t mind if I steal Carolina for a couple of dances, right? Alex asked, giving her a playful grin. 

“Yes, I do,” Hattie teased, but Alex just chuckled. 

“I like her, she’s feisty,” he said, the words helping to put Hattie at ease. She could tell he wasn’t a complete creep. “Carolina?” 

“I’d love to!” Carolina beamed, her excitement contagious as they both disappeared into the crowd. 

Izzie’s gaze wandered across the dance floor, but then it stopped. She saw Simon. And Lily. They were dancing together. Her heart sank for a moment, but at the same time, she felt a sense of relief. He was having a good time with his crush. 

Their eyes met–brown meeting green–and time seemed to slow for a moment. Izzie felt like she was in one of those corny teen rom-coms, her breath catching in her throat. SImon’s face lit up with excitement and awe as he saw her. She looked dazzling, and he couldn’t help but feel something twist inside him. He hadn’t expected his best friend to look this…this beautiful. Especially not when he was standing there with Lily. 

But Izzie froze. It was like a deer caught in headlights, and Simon’s eyes seemed to beckon her from across the room. This was wrong. No, she needed to snap out of it. 

“Earth to Izzie!” Hattie’s voice broke her out of the trance. 

“Oh, sorry, I was just…so obsessed with Taylor Lane’s dress. I mean, look at that purple!” Izzie quickly deflected, pointing to a nearby girl, Taylor Lane, who was also a freshman and known for dating Paulie Watson, the varsity football team’s running back. 

“Hm…not bad. The color could be a little deeper to compliment her skin tone,” Hattie observed with a thoughtful nod. “So, did you want to mingle some more, or grab some punch?” 

“I was thinking about mingling a little longer, but I’ll catch up with you after the next song?” Izzie suggested.

“Sure, I’ll see you in a few!” Hattie waved, disappearing into the throng of dancing teens. 

And just like that, Simon appeared in front of her, his grin infectious. 

“Did you, like, teleport here or something?” Izzie teased with a laugh, feeling a flutter in her chest that she quickly pushed down. 

“Almost, we’re getting there,” Simon laughed. “You look great, by the way!”

“You clean up pretty well, yourself,” Izzie chuckled,  her eyes scanning him with appreciation. “Where’s Lily?”

“She saw that Hattie showed up and went to catch up with her. I figured I’d let her do her thing,” Simon shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. 

“Good choice,” Izzie smirked knowingly, fully aware that Hattie and Simon didn’t exactly get along. It was a small satisfaction for her. 

Just then, the opening beats of Mi Dulce Niña by the Kumbia Kings blasted through the speakers. 

“Yo!!! This is my song!” Izzie shouted, already bouncing to the rhythm. She couldn’t help herself–her excitement was contagious, and Simon grinned, following her lead with a laugh. 

“Would Lily mind if I stole you for a minute to teach you some of the moves I wanted to do for my quince? Izzie asked, her eyes twinkling. 

“Nope, I don’t think so,” Simon grinned back, eager to join in. 

The song was a classic among the Latino students at Aspen Brook, one that Izzie had planned to include in her quinceañero, her sweet 15 celebration. It was an upbeat and fun song, and she’d always envisioned a big group dance. 

Izzie laughed as she tried to teach Simon the moves, and to her surprise, he was a fast learner. He picked up the rhythm quickly, his movements matching hers with ease. By the second chorus, he was twirling her playfully on the dance floor, making her laugh even more as she caught a glimpse of the impressive spin he effortlessly executed. 

The memory of Simon twirling her, that carefree joy on the dance floor, lingered long after the music had faded. She could almost hear his laugh, feel the warmth of the night. But time had passed, and with it, so had those moments. It felt like a different life.