Home(town High)coming

According to Wikipedia, the college student's best friend, homecoming is "the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school."

...am I the only person who feels like this was never made clear to me in high school?

Back in the day, when I still a lowly teenager at Hometown High, I was under the impression that homecoming was about me and my peers. The current students. The high school kids.

I don't know why I would have thought that. Maybe it was because the school threw a parade for us. Or maybe it was the exciting assembly about how our school spirit would help us win the football game. Not the alumni's school spirit. Ours. Or possibly it could have been the fact that the school kind-of sort-of held a semiformal homecoming dance for us.

My life is a lie.

Starting the last week of summer, Little Sister wracked her nerves over whether she'd get asked to this year's version of said semiformal homecoming dance.

Little Sister is pretty, friendly, and has many male admirers. She kept saying things like, "I probably won't get asked," even though there was no doubt in my mind that she would.

AWKWARD MORMON GIRL: Stop saying that. You're going to get asked.

LITTLE SISTER: Well, I might not.

AWKWARD MORMON GIRL: Stop it. You will.

LITTLE SISTER: (perks up) Do you know something?

I didn't know a thing, but I saw this as a golden opportunity.

AWKWARD MORMON GIRL: Maaaaybe.

LITTLE SISTER: (perking down) You don't know anything, do you?

AWKWARD MORMON GIRL: Someone's asking you, and I'm in on it. And so is Older Sister. And Mom and Dad. And Baby Brother. We're all in on it.

LITTLE SISTER: I can't tell if you're being serious.

AWKWARD MORMON GIRL: Your friends are in on it. Everyone's in on it.

LITTLE SISTER: (on a family drive) So-and-so asked me if I'd been asked to homecoming yet.

AWKWARD MORMON GIRL: So-and-so is in on it.

AWKWARD MORMON GIRL: (on a calm Sunday walk) See those small children playing in their driveway?

LITTLE SISTER: Yes...

AWKWARD MORMON GIRL: They're in on it too.

As I predicted, Little Sister was asked to the dance with time to spare. She was excited that she got asked, but she said that she felt really paranoid while she was waiting. I don't know why.