Dottie’s First Dance - A Jaci and Dottie Story

Dottie put her hands on her “magic” Princess Charm School dress, and for the first time since she had found it in her closet, she trembled at the prospect of putting it on.

She had loved the charm school class, and especially wearing the dress, but today was different.

Today, she would dance.

And not alone, she would be joined by a boy, a prospect that still gave her the willies just thinking about.

Could she do this? She desperately wanted to be able to pass the charm school class, and today was a big part of that, but dancing? With a boy?

She gritted her teeth, and put on the dress.

“I can do this, I can do this...” she thought.

Tante Drea split her time between checking on Dottie and checking on her sister Jaci, who was having similar problems, but eventually both girls made their way to the class.

Dottie said nothing when they arrived, but gave Tante Drea’s hand a squeeze, drawing strength from the love and acceptance they shared.

Then the boys started to arrive, and Dottie watched carefully for the boy she thought of as Rugby Boy.

It was a double look at him that caused her to have flashbacks recently, but she found herself hoping he would be here anyway.

And he was.

He came toward her in a “Prince Charming” costume that took Dottie’s breath away.

“And I thought he looked good in a dirty rugby shirt ....” She thought.

When it became obvious he was to be her partner, the shakes she had fought all day got worse until she could barely stand.

And then he took her hand, and the fear vanished behind .... other feelings.

She stammered about being a poor dancer, and he just gave her a smile, and said “Just relax, let me lead, and I promise not to step on your toes.”

The dance was simply magic, equal to anything Disney could have created.

When the class finally ended, and she sat down, he smiled at her a smile that turned her insides into putty, and said, “Thank you for the dance. You’re very good.”

Dottie stuttered, and said, “No, you’re very good. I ... I never caught your name.”

“Bailey. Bailey Summers.”

The words escaped before her fears could stop them. “I ...I dont suppose a guy like you would take a girl like me out for ice cream or something sometime?”

“I would, but I’m spoken for.” He pointed to a girl a couple of years older in the audience.

Dottie shook her head. “Of course you are.”

*****

Later, she recounted the whole event to Tante Drea as they curled up on the couch with her sister Jaci beside her, and wept a bit.

“I’m sorry, Dottie. You gonna be okay?”

“I ... I guess so Tante. Just being able to dance felt like such a big deal that anything more was probably asking too much. “

“And how was your dance, Jaci?” Tante Drea said.

Jaci composed herself, and took a breath. It was clear she had a story to tell too ....