Oh, middle school. For many of us, these few years were not the peaks of our lives. Being in middle school in 2009 could only be described as interesting and possibly cringe-worthy. We had great peaks of this year with absolute bops like Poker Face and everything by The Black Eyed Peas. We were also obsessed with all things vampires and bright neon colors. Through our awkward phases and brace-faces, let's take a step back in time when iPods were all the rage, and we were excited and nervous for our middle school dances.
"Which plaid shorts should I wear?"
In 2009, plaid was all the rage, and this pattern moved to our shorts. If you didn't own a pair of plaid shorts, you were definitely out of style. The question was, how many colors could you get on one pair?
"Which Aéropostale t-shirt goes best with my plaid shorts?"
Now that you had the most perfect pair of plaid shorts, which thin-cotton, brightly colored Aéropostale shirt would look best? With them being inexpensive and super popular, you had one in every color.
"Should I straighten or curl my hair today?"
Whether you were getting ready for school or a school dance, the problem was how in the world were you going to do your hair? The hard choice between straightening or curling your hair was answered in 2009, do both! Straightening your bangs and curling the rest of your hair seemed like the perfect solution, no matter the situation.
"Wait, maybe I should wear my floral skirt instead..."
You're dressed and ready to go, but you decide maybe you should have worn your fave floral skirt. If you were in middle school in 2009, you know precisely the type of skirt I am talking about. You could always pair them with one of your fave shirts, and you'd be strutting the halls like a model.
"Should I wear cotton candy perfume or vanilla cupcake perfume?"
First off, of course, "Jersey Shore" needed to be featured in some shape or form, and two, what decision should you make? Trying to find your perfect scent was a challenge for all of us middle schoolers. No matter the scent we used, we all usually put on too much.
"Am I Team Edward or Team Jacob?"
Vampires, sharp jawlines, and constant shirtless scenes let the "Twilight" book and movie series took the world by storm. You repped which side you were on through "Twilight" shirts featuring your favorite characters. I was for sure Team Edward then and now.
"Which J-14 poster should I hang on my wall this month?"
All of your favorite heartthrobs were featured in J-14, and luckily for all of us there were always posters involved in the magazines. Jonas Brothers were usually always on my walls and doors.
"When is the best time to give my BFF our "notes" notebook?"
Before phones were such a massive part of our lives, we passed notes in class or in the hallway. If you were tight BFFs, you had a "notes" notebook to pass along so you could continue conversations and read on past things you talked about. The stress was making sure you didn't get caught by one of your teachers or someone taking it to read all of your secrets.
"Do I seem old enough to make a Facebook profile?"
In 2009, Facebook was becoming a major social media trend, and everyone wanted to be a part of it. I'm not sure if this rule is still a thing, but Facebook had an age limit to join in 2009. If you want to see some of the OG's from 2009, check people's birthday's to see if it is their actual age or like 20 years older.
"Who should I tag in this "tag your friend" picture?"
If you had a Facebook back in the day, the next challenge you had was figuring out which of your friends fit best in one of these categories. Who did you choose as your coolest friend?
"How many Picnik filters can I use on one photo?"
Did you really edit your photos on Picnik if you didn't put some inspirational quote or your own dang name on the picture? The free photo editing app helped us take our tongues out and peace sign photos to the next level.
"My photo-editing skills are da bomb, should I offer to edit other people's on Facebook?"
Once you mastered Picnik, you felt the need to spread your talents everywhere on Facebook. You would usually make a status offering to edit people's photos for them, generally making it black and white except for their eyes. Before you could even drive, you were a photo-editing pro.
Even if you were super popular or a wallflower, we all had to make decisions like this when in middle school. Now let's laugh at the memories, try not to think so hard about how we dressed, and leave some of these trends back in 2009 where they should stay.
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
women in street dancing
Photo by 
man and woman standing in front of louver door
Photo by 
man in black t-shirt holding coca cola bottle
Photo by 
red and white coca cola signage
Photo by 
man holding luggage photo
Photo by 
topless boy in blue denim jeans riding red bicycle during daytime
Photo by 
trust spelled with wooden letter blocks on a table
Photo by 
Everyone is Welcome signage
Photo by 
man with cap and background with red and pink wall l
Photo by 
difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations desk decor
Photo by 
photography of woman pointing her finger near an man
Photo by 
closeup photography of woman smiling
Photo by 
a man doing a trick on a skateboard
Photo by 
two men 
running man on bridge
Photo by 
orange white and black bag
Photo by 
girl sitting on gray rocks
Photo by 
assorted-color painted wall with painting materials
Photo by 
three women sitting on brown wooden bench
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
people sitting on chair in front of computer
