It’s time to celebrate the ghosts of middle school dances past

When you’re in your twenties, nights out with friends can be a blast. You’ve finally come into your own as a full-on, grown-ass adult woman and being legally able to drink is nothing to scoff at. But there’s something to be said for the nostalgia of your awkward phase. Ten years ago, instead of sipping on gin and tonics with your girlfriends, you were strapping on your first pair of heels and braving the school gym for a night to remember. So let’s take a trip down memory lane and celebrate your Ugg-boot wearing, hair-straightening self in all her glory. Here are a few things we all remember about middle school dances, and why they were actually the best:

You worried about finding a date

And probably ultimately decided to go with your #squad instead. If you did find a date, you met them there, because nothing kills the vibe like Dad dropping the two of you off in his Toyota Camry.

And the perfect outfit

For formals, you wore satin dresses so bright they could be seen from space. If the dance was more casual, it was jean skirts, leggings and whatever top Abercrombie had deemed acceptable for that year.

Getting ready was more enjoyable than the dance itself

There was nothing more fun than getting ready with your friends. For a lot of girls, middle school dances were the only time you were allowed to leave the house with makeup on, and boy did you take advantage. Adding an insane amount of kohl to your lids, glittery eyeshadow and layers upon layers of frosted lip gloss might have been the best part of your night. Then of course there were the “natural” curls, held together by three gallons of hairspray that would last only until you finished taking pictures on someone’s flip phone to upload to MySpace.

They played the best songs

Soulja Boi. Paralyzer. Low. You found your friends and shouted out the words to Miley’s “7 Things,” felt vaguely promiscuous moving your body “like a cyclone” and had the friend with older siblings explain the meaning behind “London Bridge.” Riri and Gaga were just on the cusp of fame, and “Teardrops On My Guitar” was your slow jam, even if you didn’t yet know the legend behind it. The excitement you felt when “Gasolina” came on was matched only when you nailed the moves to the Cupid Shuffle or a two-step.

You couldn’t wait to dance with your crush…

You were really unsure if grinding was cool or gross, but when that slow song came on, it was all you. You waited for that boy from your homeroom to take your hand and whirl you around to “Bleeding Love.” He probably smelled like Axe body spray or A&F’s Revival, but you didn’t mind. Even if you did little more than shift from one foot to the other and refuse to make eye contact, it was still the most romantic moment you’d experienced in your young life.

…which might have lead to your first ‘relationship’

It consisted mostly of texting each other or having your friend talk to his friend, but it still counted!

You documented everything on MySpace

You probably had some kind of weird nickname on your page because your mom didn’t know you had one. You posted bulletins religiously about how the dance was “$o FuN!!!” along with lots of blurry pics with your squad.

The more ‘advanced’ kids came buzzed

There was a small subset of intimidating kids at your school that were probably already smoking weed or stealing bottles of Burnett’s from their parents, and they were always the talk of the dance. You saw them and told yourself that alcohol was immoral and you wouldn’t touch it until you were at least 36.

The sleepovers afterwords were the best part

You changed into your PJs, washed off your makeup, and loaded up on snacks, spending the rest of the night gossiping about who danced with who, and speculating about which boys liked you. You talked over the DVD of Mean Girls someone had put on until the hostess’ mom came down and told you it was time for bed.

They were the best nights of your middle school career

You were cringy and awkward, with hair that didn’t know what to do with itself and the first signs of acne on your chin. You were bracefaced, insecure and still figuring out how to walk in heels. But when your favorite song came on, dancing in a circle with your friends, none of that mattered. You were moving toward adulthood for the first time, and with your best friends surrounding you and cheering you on, there was nothing you couldn’t face.