But back to the point at hand, which is that often, if people don't like to dance, they like to dance near the front of a room even less, so the group inevitably splits between the floor and the stage. You'll be at the Masquerade, dancing on the stage, and the next thing you know, the people you came with have gone to Tommy's.

But the nightmare of all party nightmares is trying to meet people who arrived earlier. It's dark and crowded, not the ideal situation for finding even people you know well. There are other obstacles, though, that can hinder a rendezvous.

First, the people could flake (or come super late, which is equally annoying). This prevents those waiting from going anywhere else if the party is dead. The party is also less enjoyable because while you wait, you look around, thinking, "Did I just miss them? Could they be on the other side of that pillar/tall man/other largely immovable and wholly non-transparent object?"

Then there's the possibility that the friend got to the party and wasn't able to get in. I have been that person, and it's possibly one of the most frustrating things ever.

Last year, some of my friends went to a party and I ended up coming later. When I arrived, there were people spilling out of the room, and I couldn't get in. The guy at the door was like, "It's too crowded, Miss." First of all, I was thinking, "Dude, this isn't a club. You're not a bouncer. You're just a self-important 18-year old that's actually kind of small."

But of course, not having the nerve to say any of that out loud--my internal bravado is always so much wittier than my generally pacifist exterior--I was forced to say, "Please, my friends are in there. I just need to tell them I'm here. I'll come right back out." But he was not convinced. Later, I was accused of ditching my friends. What's up with that?

Assuming everything goes well--you and your friends have made it in and had your fun--you need to coordinate the exit. Whom do you leave with? Is it rude not to leave with the people you came in with?

Going to a party in a big group is fun--it's like the party has already started if there are a bunch of people heading to the same place. But it can be difficult to coordinate the return of the same group. People inevitably split up, but making sure that there are always groups of two and no one's left alone can be a problem.