The night began with a Triller video to Sean Kingston’s Beautiful Girls. We were gathered at Annie’s house, multiple outfit options on hand, trying to find the perfect balance of “woman of the night” and “MHS sports banquet.” The move location: the home of a sophomore girl for whom every felt preemptively bad. The house was destined to be bumped. However, we willingly rolled through out of unadulterated teenage selfishness. As Annie’s dad parked at the mouth of the street, we saw an exodus of scantily clad teens, shivering beneath their sequined apparel. “We’re not getting in, I knew it,” Rachel goaded. “No, we are getting in. We have to.” Annie responded, voice cracking with hopeful desperation.
Surprisingly enough, we made it into the home without trouble and were hastily ushered into the basement. With each step downward, the air thickened. A scent that could only be described as “youth” punched us in the face with two sweaty fists. The room was crowded with the familiar and unfamiliar faces of sophomores, juniors, and seniors alike.
There were only two shoebox sized windows in the entire basement where teens stood, seeking solace by the fresh December air. String lights hung precariously from hot pipes. The floor was slick with soda. We needed to exit.
Jane escaped first, Annie short behind her. The line for the bathroom snaked around the entire first floor where teens stood shoulder to shoulder. Aidan D sat sedentary at the top of the stairs while panicked sophomore girls flitted around him. He was under the impression that he had broken his leg in a multi-flight fall, and was too afraid to move. Petal asked Jane if TMR (The Move Review) was going to be updated after the night was over and then proceed to reveal that her dad had told her about the blog.
While overlooking the diverse group of teens, Sophia remarked, “It's like a living yearbook, like flipping through a yearbook.” Jack added, “Four different grades. WTF.” Elana noted, "Every time I turn around its like I'm in the city because I see a new face"
John shouted apocryphal warnings about police on their way in a desperate attempt to relieve the host of some of the party’s population. Unfortunately, no one believed him. Bottles were popped, candles were lit, and benches were knocked over in testosterone fueled excitement. The clock neared 11:30 pm and teens began to find their way to the TV room in preparation for the the count-down. “This is like a video game, and my controller is broken,” Amani and Gabe agreed. Twenty-minutes-to-midnight, the arrival of the cops was announced, and this time, it was no drill.
Illuminated by blue and red sirens, teenagers scrambled every which way. “I’m gonna get’cha!” A police man threatened Cayley before she hopped a fence. Elisabeth and Zivia began a mad dash out the back door and across the backyard. Running with their eyes locked only on the horizon, they felt their feet slip into a liquid substance beneath them. They had made it half way over a tarp-covered-pool before realizing their mistake. With drenched socks and sneakers, they continued running on water before climbing a large hill ridden with branches and sharp twigs. Elisabeth likened the trek to Leonardo Dicaprio’s journey in “The Revenant.”
We sought solace in Glynnis’ home down the street, welcomed warmly by her parents and small dog. Her mother led us to the kitchen window where we peered at the cops blocking the end of the street, and thanked our lucky stars for shelter.
At 11:58 pm, we gathered around the television, surrounded by pals, and welcomed two thousand and sixteen with open arms.
To the host of the evening’s festivities: Thank you, truly, and we are all so, so sorry.
Overall Rating: 6.7/10
Female to Male Ratio: Too many people to be determined
Redeeming Quality: We are graduating this year
