Chapter Four: The Dance

A Bob and Betty Story

7/26/2024

Bob was overjoyed to get permission to take Betty to the dance the following night.  He wasn’t sure what Mr. Higgin’s answer was going to be when he had asked.

The big smile on his face told his parents what the answer had been.  Bob had told them that morning that he planned to ask for permission to date Betty.  Peter and Laurie Smith were all for the idea.  They liked Betty a lot and thought the teens complimented each other.

They didn’t even get to ask Bob how it went as he was bubbling over with excitement and told them all about it.  Peter laughed as Bob told him about Sam’s questions.  The Smiths and Higgins had often talked about their children dating.  Peter knew Sam’s questions were just to tease Bob.

Bob went to his room to do homework after telling his parents about the talk with Mr. Higgins.  He got the homework done, but it was a challenge as he thought about Betty much of the time.

It was hard for Bob to sleep that night.  His thoughts were churning about Betty and the date.  Would the date go well?  Would he look silly when he danced?  What if Betty wanted a good night kiss after the date?

Bob had never thought about kissing before.  Betty was the first girl he had dated and had never kissed a girl before.  Sure, he kissed his mom, grandma, aunts, and even his sister.  But that was not REALLY kissing a girl.  They were just relatives.

A kiss.  Now Bob was concerned.  Would he know how to kiss?  Surely kissing couldn’t be that hard.  He had seen people kissing on TV.  His dad often kissed his mom.  Maybe he was just worrying for nothing.

——————————————————–

It was early morning when he awoke.  Bob was too excited to spend any more time sleeping.  A quick breakfast and he was out the door.

Cal was waiting already when Bob and his younger brother, Paul, exited the house.  Cal gave them a ride to school most days.  Paul was a sophomore, just one year behind Cal and Bob.

Cal and Paul had a fun time teasing Bob about his date with Betty.  They laughed especially hard when Bob turned red when Cal asked him about kissing Betty good night.  Paul responded by making kissing sounds on his arm.

In Bob’s mind, the ride to school couldn’t end soon enough that morning.

It didn’t get much better when they got to school.  Cindy and Peggy were waiting for the guys on the steps of the high school.  The two girls joined Cal and Paul in their torment of Bob.  He muttered a quick hello and walked past the girls into the school.

Betty was at her locker getting her books when Bob saw her.

‘’Hi, Betty.  I thought you’d be out front with the girls this morning.’’

‘’Ugh.  Those two are too much this morning.  I called them and told them about the date last night.  They haven’t stopped teasing me all morning.’’

Bob laughed.  ‘’I know exactly what you mean.  Cal and Paul were ribbing me all the way to school today.  Then Peggy and Cindy joined in when we got here.’’

‘’Did I just hear someone mention my name?’’ Peggy said laughingly.

Betty groaned.  ‘’Oh, no.  The brats are back.’’  She had a smile on her face so her friends knew she was kidding.

Cindy chimed in, ‘’Look at the love birds.  Standing there starry-eyed at each other.’’

Betty rolled her eyes.  ‘’Come on, Bob.  Let’s go to class so we don’t have to listen to these loony bins any longer.’’  She giggled.  Grabbing Bob’s hand and pretending to storm off.

Bob was startled when Betty grabbed his hand.  They had never held hands before.  He realized instantly that he liked the feel of her hand in his.  He gave her hand a little squeeze.  His heart fluttered when she squeezed his hand back.

It was no surprise that Cal, Cindy, and Peggy were right behind them teasing them all the way to class.  But neither Bob nor Betty minded.  They were both enjoying holding hands too much.

——————————————————–

The five friends had the same lunch period so they always sat together to eat.  The three friends had toned down their teasing at first and the five sat talking about the dance.

‘’Do you want me to pick you all up as usual when we go out together?’’ Cal asked.

Cindy and Peggy responded that would be great.  The three then looked at Bob and Betty.

‘’Thanks, Cal’’ Bob started, ‘’That would be great as usual.  But I forgot to tell you, my dad is letting me use his car tonight.’’

‘’That’s swell, Bob.’’  Cal said, ‘’So you will be picking all of us up tonight then.’’

Cal was being a brat to his best friend.  He knew exactly why Bob’s dad was letting him borrow the car.

‘’Umm, no.’’  Bob was stuttering.  ‘’I am just picking up Betty for our date tonight.  You three can just go together.’’

Cal slapped his head as if he had forgotten something.  ‘’Oh, that’s right.  You two are going to the dance as a date tonight.  How could I forget such a thing?’’

Now Cal, Cindy, and Peggy were laughing hard again.  Especially at the way Bob and Betty were turning red.

‘’You all are so evil today,’’ Betty said.

This made the friends laugh more.

It didn’t take long for things to settle down.  The girls began discussing what dresses they were going to wear.  They were all close to the same size so they were going to mix and match their outfits with each other’s clothes.

Now it was Bob’s turn to have a little fun.  ‘’You know, Cal, I really like that brown shirt you have.  Do you think I could borrow it for the dance tonight?’’  He gave Cal a wink.

Cal caught on to Bob’s tease of the girls.  ‘’Well, I don’t know Bob.  I think my turquoise shirt would look so much better on you.  And can I borrow your black belt?  It would look so much better with my gray pants.’’

The boys started laughing so hard they couldn’t continue.  The three girls just looked at them like they were a couple of dummies.

Peggy turned to Betty.  ‘’Are you sure you want to go out with Bob after the way he and Cal were just making fun of us?  Maybe we should borrow your dad’s car and we three girls will go together.  Bob can take Cal as his date.’’

Betty put her finger up to her chin pretending to think.  ‘’That might not be a bad idea.  They do seem to deserve each other.’’

Cindy quickly added, ‘’Yes, and then Bob can give Cal the good night kiss instead of you having to kiss him.’’

Cal raised his hands up in front of himself, ‘’Wait, wait.  I don’t want Bob’s lips anywhere near me.  I take it all back, Betty he’s your date!’’

‘’I agree with Cal.’’ Bob half shouted.  ‘’Betty is the only one I want to kiss tonight.’’  Bob realized what he said and quickly covered his mouth.

This brought more whoops and laughter from the three tormentors and redness on the faces of Bob and Betty.

Cal was laughing so hard he could hardly speak.  ‘’See, girls.  He admitted he wants to kiss Betty tonight.’’

Bob and Betty turned a brighter shade of red.

‘’No, that’s not what I said.’’  Bob retorted.

Cindy laughingly asked, ‘’So you don’t want to kiss Betty tonight?’’

The three friends thought the two couldn’t get any redder than they already were.  They were wrong.  Now even Bob’s and Betty’s ears were red, they were blushing so hard.

Bob looked down at the table.  ‘’That’s not what I meant either.’’  He stood up.  ‘’I’ve got to get to class.’’  He took his tray then dropped it off to be washed and left the lunchroom.

Betty didn’t stay in the lunchroom much longer either.  She had enough of their friends’ torment for the time being.

Betty was also wondering about Bob.  Did he want to kiss her?  She felt herself blushing again as she thought about a kiss from Bob.

Cindy, Cal, and Peggy stayed in the lunchroom a while longer.  They finished finalizing the details for the dance and when he would pick them up.  They also decided they shouldn’t tease Bob and Betty anymore that afternoon.

——————————————————–

The afternoon was uneventful as was the ride home with Cal and Paul.  Paul started to tease Bob again at one point.  Cal gave him a look that stopped him.  Paul was like a little brother to Cal as he often hung around Cal and Bob.

The dance was going to start at 7:00 so Bob had a little time when he got home from school.  Usually, he would do his homework right away, even on a Friday night.  That was not going to be the case this night.  He couldn’t think about schoolwork if he had to.

The family ate an early supper so Bob would have time to get ready.  Carol was home from college for the weekend and hadn’t heard about Bob’s date yet.

‘’Hey, Carol, did you know Bob has a date tonight?’’ Paul asked teasingly.

‘’Oh, really?  Who do you have a date with Bob?’’  Carol asked truly interested.  There were two years between them and they had always been close.  Carol looked out for her two younger brothers.

Before Bob could answer, Paul called out in a singsong voice.  ‘’He’s going out with Betty.’’  Paul laughed.

A stern look from Mr. Smith told Paul that there would be no more teasing at the table.

‘’That’s great, Bob.  You two have been friends for a while now.  I think you two are a cute couple.  I can help you pick out an outfit to wear tonight if you want.’’

‘’It’s nothing formal.  I thought I’d just wear some nice pants and a shirt.’’ Bob answered Carol.

‘’Honey, you know Carol is going to school for fashion design.  It might be nice for her to help you pick out an outfit for your first date with Betty.’’ Mrs. Smith interjected.

‘’Betty has seen me in all my clothes already.  I don’t have anything new to wear that she hasn’t seen.’’

‘’That’s true, I’m sure,’’ Carol said, ‘’But maybe your big sister can help you spruce up some of the things she’s seen already.  You do want to look special for your first date, right?’’

‘’Yes, I do.  Okay, you can help me pick out an outfit.’’

Peter Smith smiled across the table at his wife, Laurie.  With just that one look, she knew he was proud of their children and how they loved and looked out for each other.  She often felt the same way.

Supper was over and Bob was excused to go shower and get ready for his date.  His dad said he would take Bob’s place doing the dishes that night.  He said it so sternly, but Bob knew his dad was joking with him.

Carol went through Bob’s clothes and picked out a few outfits for him to try on.  It took several tries but she was very satisfied with the way her younger brother looked for his date.

——————————————————–

It wasn’t much different at Betty’s house that night.  Susie, being 5 years younger than her sister, was quite gleefully teasing her.  Helen Higgins put an end to the teasing when she saw how frazzled Betty was getting.

Cindy and Peggy came over right after supper.  The three girls were going to get ready at Betty’s house.  Even though they had been teasing her all day, they wanted to help her look her best for the night’s big date.

The two girls were as excited for Betty and Bob’s first date as Betty and Bob were.  They knew those two were a great match.

They had brought multiple outfits with them.  Peggy was a little heavier than the other two, but they all still fit the same size clothes.  Some were just a little tighter on Peggy.

After half a dozen different outfits and combinations, they settled on an outfit they thought looked best for Betty.  Then Cindy picked out just the right earrings and necklace to go with the outfit.

They had spent so much time getting Betty ready, that the two girls didn’t have much time left for themselves.  It didn’t take long for the three of them to find the right outfit for each of them.  Then both girls raided Betty’s jewelry box to find their accessories.  Betty laughed about them just helping themselves to whatever they wanted.

——————————————————–

Bob was leaving the house when his dad stopped him.

‘’Son, I know this is an important night for you.  Remember, be a gentleman, and treat Betty with respect.  Your curfew is usually 10:30, but tonight I will extend it to 11:00.  That gives you time to take Betty out for something to drink or eat after the dance if you want.

Your mom and I trust you with the car.  Be sure to be careful and keep your mind on the road.  I know it can be hard when you are young and a pretty girl is sitting next to you.’’

Bob blushed slightly at his dad’s words.  ‘’I will be careful, Dad.  And thank you for extending the curfew for me.’’

‘’There is one other thing, son.  Here is thirty dollars.  That should be enough for the dance and a snack afterward.  Don’t worry about putting gas in the car.  I filled it up today for you.  Just don’t go out joyriding.  To Betty’s, to the dance, out for a snack, and then back home.’’

Bob teased his dad.  ‘’Dad, don’t you think I should take Betty home after the snack?  You said out for a snack and then home.  Is she supposed to walk home from here?’’

Peter gave his son a playful punch on the arm.  ‘’Listen, wise guy, you get smart and you will both be walking tonight.  I will keep the car at home,’’ Peter laughed with his son.

——————————————————–

Bob got to Betty’s house at 6:15. They wanted to get to the dance early.  He walked up the steps and pressed the doorbell.  Susie answered the door.

‘’Oh, you look so spiffy tonight.  Ready for your big date?’’

Mrs. Higgins came to the door.  ‘’Hi, Bob.  Susie, I told you earlier, no more teasing.  Now go do your homework.’’  She turned to Bob.  ‘’Betty isn’t quite ready yet.  You can come in and wait for her.’’  She said as Bob followed her into the foyer.

She called up the stairs, ‘’Betty, girls, Bob is here.’’

‘’I’ll be right down, Mom,’’ Betty called back.

Bob always liked the Higgin’s home.  It was a stately old Victorian with a front wrap-around porch.  The front door opened to a foyer with the stairs to the 2^nd level just to the right as you walk in.  Walking straight ahead next to the stair, was the dining room.  Bob had eaten many meals there.

But now he just stood in the foyer.  Feeling nervous.  Watching for Betty to step onto the landing and walk down the steps for their date.  He would have been nervous just by himself.  But Mr. and Mrs. Higgins were standing beside him waiting for their daughter to come down.

Suddenly, Betty stepped onto the landing.  Bob had seen Betty dressed up many times.  But tonight, her beauty took his breath away.  So much so that Sam looked at the boy to be sure he was breathing.

Cindy and Peggy had done Betty’s hair up in one of the latest styles.  They had it pinned in place with a gold hair comb.  She was wearing a ruffled white blouse with a pastel yellow skirt.  They had given Betty a wide black sash to wear around her waist.  The look appeared regal and playful at the same time.

Her parents both exclaimed how pretty they thought she was.  Sam chuckled as he looked at Bob whose eyes were wide with amazement.

‘’Don’t you think she looks pretty tonight, Bob?’’ Sam Higgins asked.

‘’Yes, sir.  She is absolutely beautiful.’’

Bob would have likely stayed standing there enraptured by Betty’s beauty had Cal not rung the doorbell.  He was there to pick up Peggy and Cindy.  He was their driver and escort for the evening.

Cindy and Peggy were made up very lovely also.  Everyone said how pretty they all were.  Bob only had eyes for Betty, though.

The young people turned to go out the door.

Sam put his hand on Bob’s shoulder.  ‘’Bob, Mrs. Higgins, and I are trusting you with our daughter tonight.  We know that you will treat her properly and will respect her.  But we expect you to drive carefully.  And her curfew is 10:30. We expect you to have her home by that time.’’

‘’Yes, sir.  I will have her home by then.  We will just go to the dance and for a snack afterward.  I will have her home right after that.’’

‘’That sounds good.  You kids have a good time and drive safely.’’

——————————————————–

Bob and Betty walked into the school dance hand in hand.  It felt natural for both of them to be doing that.  And they both enjoyed the feeling very much.

The lunchroom had been transformed for the dance. All the tables had been folded up and put into storage.  Some chairs lined the walls on two sides of the room.  Streamers were hung in various places giving the room a festive look and feel.  They also had colored lights shining around the room.

The lunchroom was a multi-purpose room for the small high school.  There was a stage at one end.  That is where the DJ set up his equipment.  That way the total floor space could be used for dancing.

They were still early for the dance, but not by much.  A lot of time had been spent at Betty’s house when Bob picked her up.  Now all the teens stood around talking while the DJ got ready to start the music.

The room was filled with the sound of excited teens all talking at the same time.  The five friends went to a corner where it was a little quieter where they could talk.  Cal, Peggy, and Cindy were no longer teasing the other two.  They were all there just to have fun.  The three were also going to let Bob and Betty go out alone after the dance.  They may all go to the same place, but they will sit at a different table.

‘’WHO’S READY TO DANCE!!!’’ The DJ shouted over the microphone.

Cheers and shouts were called out all over the event.  Some dance music came over the speakers and couples made their way to the dance floor.

Bob was nervous.  He had never danced much before.  Sure, in his bedroom by himself when listening to a good song.  But never at a dance like this.  He would just watch what others were doing and try to copy it a little.

Betty was feeling the same way.  She also had never been to a dance before.  She had an advantage though.  Peggy and Cindy had shown her some dance steps that afternoon.

Bob and Betty made their way to a spot on the floor.  They held hands as they danced like the people around them.  It wouldn’t have mattered who was there that night.  They only had eyes for each other.  Neither would look foolish in the other’s eyes.

Cal, Peggy, and Cindy danced together for most of the night.  Once in a while, a guy would come along and ask one of the girls to dance.  It didn’t matter, though.  They were enjoying themselves.

There were slow dances, fast dances, and dances in between.  The gang danced a lot of the dances.  But they took breaks occasionally to get something from the snack table.  Something to drink or nibble on.

Bob and Betty decided to leave the dance around 8:30. They wanted enough time to get a snack and be home in plenty of time before curfew.  They told their friends of the plan and what restaurant they were going to.  Cal said they would stay a little longer and maybe see them at the restaurant.

——————————————————–

The couple went to the family restaurant their families often go to.  The food is good and the prices are reasonable.  Plus, they know the staff and the staff knows them.  It is a good friendly place to go.

They chose a booth and sat across from each other.  They wanted to be able to look at each other so they didn’t want to sit side by side.

Mary, their waitress, came over to their table.  ‘’Hey, kids.  How are you tonight?’’

Bob spoke up, ‘’We’re doing fine, Mary, thanks for asking.  We are on our first date tonight.’’

‘’Congratulations.  This calls for something special then.  What can I get you both?’’

‘’I’m not sure yet.  Can you give us a couple of minutes, please, Mary?’’  Betty asked.

‘’Of course, you guys take your time.  I’ll be back in a bit.’’  Mary walked back behind the counter to let the two teens decide what they wanted.

‘’I have twenty dollars, so you can have whatever you want, Betty.’’

‘’Just a snack would be fine for me.  What are you thinking of having?’’

‘’I was thinking of a soda and maybe a banana split.  That way I can say it is healthy because it has a banana in it.’’ Bob laughed.

‘’That sounds good, Bob.  But I’m not a fan of bananas.  I think I will have a hot fudge sundae if that is okay.’’

‘’That is fine.  That sounds good too.’’

Mary stepped back to their table when she saw them put down the menus.  ‘’Have you decided?’’

‘’Yes, Mary.  We would like two root beers and a hot fudge sundae for Betty and a banana split for me.’’

‘’Okay, I will have those out to you shortly.  What did you do for your first date tonight?’’

‘’We went to the school dance and then came here to see you.’’ Bob offered as his answer.

Mary laughed.  ‘’Bob you are a tease, like your family.  I enjoy it when you all come in.  A dance at school.  I have a feeling we will be getting busy tonight in a little while.  I better let Charlie know so he’s ready in the kitchen.’’  She turned to head to the kitchen and get the kids their ice cream and sodas.

‘’Betty, you are so pretty tonight.  I know I said that earlier.  You are always pretty, but you are extra pretty tonight.’’

‘’Thank you, Bob,’’ Betty said blushing slightly.  ‘’You look pretty spiffy tonight yourself.’’

Bob laughed.  ‘’I had help.  Carol picked out my outfit.  She wanted me to look good for you tonight.’’

‘’She did a great job.  You are VERY handsome tonight.’’  She reached across the table to take Bob’s hand.

‘’I like holding your hand, Betty.  It feels so nice in my hand.’’

‘’I like holding your hand also, Bob.  I feel so close to you when I feel my hand in yours.’’

The two sat talking about various things.  Mary brought their food to them.  It wasn’t long before the restaurant started filling with teens after the dance.

Cal, Peggy, and Cindy got to the restaurant after many of the other students.  The other tables were all filled.  Bob saw them looking around and saw there was nowhere for them to sit.  ‘’Betty, do you mind if the girls and Cal join us?  It seems all the other tables are filled.’’  Betty agreed so Bob waved the group over by them.

‘’You guys should sit with us.  There aren’t any open tables.’’  Bob said.

Cal answered. ‘’Bob, are you sure?  The girls and I agreed that we weren’t going to intrude on your date tonight.’’

Betty laughed.  ‘’After all the grief you three have given Bob and me today, I think maybe you should sit on the floor.  But we will be nice and you can join us.’’

The girls slid into the booth next to Betty and Cal joined Bob on his side.

‘’Hey, those look good,’’ Cal said as he looked at the ice cream treats Bob and Betty had in front of them.

‘’They are good,’’ Bob answered.  ‘’And if you want one, you have to get your own.  I’m not sharing.’’

The five young people laughed at the exchange.

It suddenly was so busy, that it took Mary a while to reach their table.  ‘’Sorry for the wait.  It’s a little busy for some reason.’’ Mary laughed. ‘’What can I get for you three?’’

Peggy answered first.  ‘’I’d like a chocolate malt and an order of fries, please.’’

‘’That sounds good.  I’ll have the same.’’ Cindy said.

‘’Well, I’m the odd man out here, I guess.  Mary, can I please have a root beer and a banana split?  Bob’s looks so good I want one too.’’

‘’Okay, it will be just a little bit, but I will get them out as soon as I can.’’

The five chattered and after some time the food came out.  The friends talked about all the fun they had at the dance and how they had enjoyed it.

Cal, Betty, and Bob all commented on how gross it was for Peggy and Cindy to dip their fries into their malts.  The two said don’t knock it until you try it.  So, the three of them tried it.

‘’That is good,’’ Betty exclaimed.

Cal made a face.  ‘’Gross.  I think I will stick with ketchup.’’

‘’It’s okay.  I think it might be good once in a while.  The salty and sweet is a great combo,’’ was Bob’s opinion.

Bob looked at the time on his phone.  ‘’Oh my gosh, Betty it is 10:05.  We need to get going, I need to get you home by 10:30.’’

‘’Cal, my dad said I have to be home by 10:30 also,’’ Peggy added.

‘’Mine, too,’’ Cindy said.

‘’Well, it looks like we are all going then,’’ Cal laughed.

Bob paid for his and Betty’s food.  The other three were going to split the check.  Cal decided he would just pay for the two girls’ meals.  That way they could both owe him a meal some other time.  He thought he was funny.  They both slapped him playfully.

——————————————————–

It was a good thing Betty’s house wasn’t far from the restaurant.  It had taken a while to pay the bill as busy as it was.  Most everyone was leaving at the same time.  Maybe they all had 10:30 curfews.

It was 10:25 when Bob pulled up in front of Betty’s house.  He hopped out and went around the car to open Betty’s door.  They walked hand in hand up the walk, and up the stairs to the porch.

Mr. Higgins had left the porch light on.  It was nice that it was later in the fall as there weren’t as many bugs flying around the light.

Bob and Betty were both nervous as they stood facing each other holding hands.  Bob wondered if Betty wanted him to kiss her.  Betty was wondering if Bob was going to kiss her.

Meanwhile, Mrs. and Mr. Higgins watched through the curtains trying not to be seen.

Bob’s hands were getting so nervous they were sweating.  He finally decided it was now or never.

He leaned toward Betty with his eyes closed.  This was his first kiss.  It was THEIR first kiss.  He wanted it to be special.  He wanted it to be good.

What he didn’t want to do was hit their noses together as they didn’t tilt their heads.

They both backed away from each other rubbing their noses.  Both apologizing for what happened.  Mr. Higgins inside laughing and his wife slapped him gently to be quiet so they didn’t hear him.

Bob asked if they could try one more kiss.  But this time maybe they should keep their eyes open at first.  Betty said that sounded reasonable.

Bob put his arms around Betty this time and she put her hands on Bob’s shoulder.  They moved their heads towards each other, tilting to each side.  Their eyes closed when their lips touched.  And then just as quickly they parted.

It was their first kiss.  It wasn’t a long kiss.  It wasn’t a passion-filled kiss.  But it was the most special kiss they would both have for the rest of their lives.

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