A Night to Remember: The Sweetheart Dance and the Deer Disaster

Some nights are just unforgettable, and my Sweetheart Dance night was one of them, but not for the reasons I expected! What started as an exciting day with a big cheerleading win turned into a wild adventure involving fancy clothes, fun with friends, and…a very unlucky deer.

The day started off good. My cheer team won at districts, which was a huge deal! After celebrating, I rushed home to get ready for the dance. My date, Makray, wasn’t great at giving directions, so I had to follow my friend Annie to our meeting spot. Once we all arrived, the boys’ moms took tons of pictures.

We smiled, posed, and put on corsages, it was all very fancy and fun.

Then came dinner, which was supposed to align perfectly. But taking pictures took longer than planned, so we were late for our reservations in Idaho Falls. The day before, I had filled my car with a full tank of gas (which turned out to be a waste since, spoiler alert, my car wouldn’t last much longer!).

After a delicious meal, we finally made it to the dance. We danced for a while until 11pm, then met up at Maverick to decide what to do next. Our group chose to go to Annie’s house, so Makray and I got in my car and started driving there.

That’s when everything changed.

We were on West 1000 South, almost to the end of the road, when out of nowhere, a deer ran into the road! It was hidden between houses, so I had no time to slow down. I hit the deer hard. My heart was racing, but I kept control of the car and pulled over safely. I was completely frozen in shock, with my hands over my mouth for what felt like forever. Makray later told me, “It was crazy, you just sat there, not moving for like 20 seconds!”

When we finally got out to check the damage, it was bad. The whole right side of my car was smashed, my headlight was gone, and pieces of my car were scattered everywhere. To make things even crazier, we crashed right in front of my friend and cheer teammate Taylee’s house! Her dad heard the crash and came out to help. A few minutes later, our friends from the dance group arrived and ran to get Annie’s dad.

Since I was still wearing my dress, I was freezing, so I went back into my car and called my mom. While I waited, Makray decided to show me something “funny”, a chunk of the deer stuck in my car! I didn’t think it was that funny at the time, but looking back, it kind of was.

After checking my car, we realized it was still drivable. Taylee’s dad made sure no fluid was leaking, so I drove home with Makray. When we pulled into my driveway, my parents were waiting outside, shocked by the damage. My dad checked everything and couldn’t believe the radiator hadn’t broken. Annie came to pick up Makray, but before he left, my mom insisted we take a picture, because why not capture this crazy night forever?

Now, my dad won’t let me drive the car because the radiator could break at any time. We’re still waiting for insurance to decide if the car is totaled. I’m sad because I really liked my red Jeep Compass, but I guess it’s time for a new ride.

Looking back, that night was a rollercoaster of emotions, excitement, fun, shock, and a little bit of sadness. But one thing is for sure, it’s a night I will never forget!