Jade, Lena, and I planned the party. It was a formal event. We even arranged to rent a hall. Okay, it was the clubhouse in Lena's parents' neighborhood, but it had a great view of a lake. The theme was "Shine," and everything was dusted with glitter. There were twinkle lights and candles everywhere. The atmosphere was incredibly elegant, for 20-somethings on a budget.
In order to manage all the last minute details, we girls went over together. I tried not to be sad that I wouldn't be arriving with Allen. After all, we'd be together at midnight. That was all that mattered. Starting the next year together.
"Someone's looking dreamy again," Lena teased, as she checked the evening's playlist one more time and made sure the speakers were connected properly.
"I'm surprised she hasn't fallen off the ladder," Jade replied. I had been moving around the room with my one of my dad's ladders taping up balloons and streamers.
"Just you guys mind your business. Jade, did you have enough confetti for each table?" Adding a little sparkle to the floating centerpieces at each table had been Lena's idea. She'd seen it done at her cousin Nancy's wedding this fall, and thought it looked magical.
"More than enough," Jade grinned. Jade loved all things small and messy. When I'd told her about the confetti idea, she'd been thrilled.
"Great. When you finish, you can start setting out the food. We're going to have to get dressed soon. Lena - how are the activity centers?"
"Great," she answered, glancing around the room. In the 3 of the 4 corners of the room, we had set up different activity centers, much like parents do at a child's birthday party. One of the best parts about planning a party for our friends was that we knew how quirky they were. Sure, we could've just stood around talking and dancing all night, the way most people do at these kind of parties. That wasn't really our style, though. We weren't nearly that mature yet. We still had our spunk.
The back corner was set up with had a low table, stools, and a muted amber light. Boxes lined up on the table were stocked with plain plastic masks and glitter and beads and feathers and quick-set glue. I was hoping to throw a masquerade one of these years and was curious to see how my friends would react to the masks. If these supplies didn't get used, then I would scrap that plan. I really hoped that wasn't the case. A masquerade with my friends would be so much fun.
A waist high counter in another corner had glow-in-the-dark fingerpaint and a black poster-paper covered wall. Lena had gotten the poster paper from the child-care center she managed. It was the kind that teachers used to make bulletin boards. Hung in 2 wide strips from the ceiling to the floor, I couldn't wait to see what kind of a masterpiece we would create. Jade contributed a floor-light from the community theater where she volunteered, and arranged it with a black-light bulb pointed at the wall. The bulb would activate the paint and make it glow. I had gathered old black aprons from the restaurant I worked at most evenings, to we could protect our fancy dresses. This was certain to be a busy corner.
Corner number three was for shadow puppets. A sheet strung in front of a bare light bulb with a stool to one side was all the preparation it needed. Gareth (of the doormouse proposal) had been our inspiration for that. I was a little skeptical, but Lena and Jade were convinced it was a good idea.
Satisfied at last with the decorations, I descended the ladder and folded it up. "You guys find a place to hide the glow bracelets for hide-and-go-seek. I'm going to fire up the ovens," I said, heading back to the kitchen. The fourth corner would be for food. The nice thing about renting the hall was all the space. One drawback was doing all the preparation in an unfamiliar kitchen. Everything seemed to take longer.
We were all set up and ready by 9, when our friends started arriving. The transition from setting up to hosting is always a little weird for me. If you plan well enough you're ready on time. Then you just stand around for a while and wait for folks to show up. Akward. Even when it's your friends you're waiting on.
Oh, and your boyfriend.
Your incredibly good-looking, sweet, funny, charming, I can't-believe-he's-with-me boyfriend.
I was excited for Allen to arrive. I couldn't wait to see him see me in my new dress. He'd seen me dressed up before - we had gone to high school together, after all, and even shared a limo for a couple of dances - but we hadn't been together then. He'd had a different girlfriend. I'd had a buddy-date. We were just friends. This would be completely different.
I wanted to twirl. I wanted to jump. I wanted to go check the driveway every five minutes.
I felt like I was 12, not 21.
Gareth and Adie were the first to arrive. Adie brought some sweet treats and added them to the food table. Gareth made a beeline for Jade to start picking apart her theater's production of "A Christmas Carol."
Adie had once asked Jade if his critical attitude about theater bothered her. Jade had laughed. "As a community theater," she said, they "didn't get the attention of the news media. If Gareth didn't point out the flaws in the show, how would we ever know about them? Besides," she reminded Adie, "I just volunteer there behind the scenes. It's not like I run things." That's Jade. Always helping out behind the scenes.
Next to arrive were Mark and Christina. We'd gone to school with Mark, but had only met Christina this summer when they got engaged. He'd met her when he'd gone to Idaho to visit his parents the previous year for Thanksgiving. He'd driven over there most weekends through the winter and the spring. By summer they were engaged. In November - not quite a year after they met - they were married. For some couples, that would seem risky, but not these two. They were so perfectly matched that it was clearly God's plan they be together. I love being around them.
After Mark and Christina came Rich and Karen, both friends from high school, engaged to be married next February.
Adal and his date Jamie.
Then Lena's boyfriend Nick.
Next came Will and Julie, dating since September.
Then Kate and Joe, dating 2 years now.
Ben and Amy. I hadn't realized they were together, now, but it was cute the way he helped her with her cloak.
Lillian and Zeeke. Lillian was pregnant, again. Married the August after we graduated, they already had a lovely little girl, Elizabeth. I couldn't believe they were having another one. Lilly was so tiny that carrying little Liz to term had been very hard. She'd been on bed-rest for 3 months! I made a note to ask her about it later.
After Allen showed up.
Soon, most of our friends and their significant others had arrived. I'd counted 29 people. We'd invited 40, counting the plus-ones, so that wasn't bad at all. The party was off to a great start.
I checked the punch. The dip. The chips.
I stopped by the finger paint table. We were already low on paint. I was thrilled.
I visited as I worked my way around the room. I found out that Kate and Joe got engaged over Christmas. He'd actually asked her dad. She was amazed. Her dad was shocked. Noone did that anymore. She giggled. He smirked. I wished them well, and moved on.
At the mask table, Adie gave me a mask she'd made and then decided she didn't want. She was going to try again.
Lilly was excited about the new baby. She told me she was going to have as many kids as God allowed, and no doctor was going to stop her. She and Zeeke had always wished they came from big families. Now was their chance to have one.
Adel made a second pass at the food table. His date was chatting with Lena about child-care.
Nick was making shadow puppets.
Jade was on the phone in the kitchen with her boyfriend in Montana. He had to work tomorrow.
I was not watching the door.
Not listening for a car.
Not watching the road.
I was smiling. Hostessing. Glad it was going so well. Everyone was having a great time.
At 11 they played hide-and-seek. Adie was "it" first. She had a handful of glow bracelets, and whenever she found someone she "tagged" them with a bracelet. They were honor-bound to keep it on and help find others. Whispered laughs and "shhh's" filled the room. I fussed in the kitchen. I wasn't feeling very festive. I was worried. Angry. Sad. Confused.
Adel found me around 11:30, pouring sparkling cider into plastic flutes. I hadn't realized he was still there. I should be feeling victorious ... he'd stayed most of the night, enjoying good clean fun, just as I'd planned.
"Well, hon, we're heading out" he said, giving me a fierce bear hug, and waving at his date.
"It's so late," I said, hugging him back, "why don't you just stay and make a night of it?" I tried to make the offer sound offhanded, as if I hadn't been hoping to keep him there all along.
"We've only got a mile or so to go, so don't worry," he said with a wink. "You know I can't stand that stuff."
I didn't have the heart to argue. I knew I'd loose anyway. I just hugged him again and said, "be safe."
"Always," he laughed. "Walk us to the door, why don't you," he said with his brotherly dimples flashing, " then you can peek down the driveway one more time. Though honestly," he lowered his voice to a near growl, "if he showed up now, I might have to stay here just to kick his ass."
"Well," I tried to joke back, "maybe that was the plan all along."
I should've stayed in the kitchen, pouring drinks. I didn't. I waved Jade over and had her do it, then walked out with Adel and Jamie. It was a gorgeous night. Not a cloud in the sky. I could even see some stars off over the lake behind the clubhouse.
I watched them drive away.
And then I stayed outside.
Alone.
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