What Was Your Prom Experience?

This weekend, seniors around the US will attend prom. At least, I think it’s this weekend. Or roughly around this time. I don’t keep up with high schoolers.

While my actual prom was pretty much forgettable–definitely not the epic nights depicted in movies–there was some drama and teenage angst leading up to it.

As I write this, I don’t think there’s any other way to say it: I was a bit of a flirt my senior year. Or maybe it was just that I was drawn to girls who enjoyed flirting, and I flirted back.

So a few months before prom, I was actively flirting with 3 girls in completely different social circles. I think all 3 thought they were going to prom with me, but I only asked 1 of them, and she said yes. The other 2 didn’t end up having dates.

I went on a few dates with the girl I asked, and it quickly became clear that even though we enjoyed flirting with each other, we actually didn’t have any chemistry (conversational or otherwise) beyond that. But by then, prom was just a few weeks away, so we just went along with the plan.

This is going to sound bad, but…as things fizzled out between me and my prom date, things were spicing up between me and the other 2 girls. I swear that this was an anomaly compared to the previous 18 years of my life and the 18 years that followed. I guess something was in the air in the spring of ’99.

In hindsight, my prom date and I should have just called it off. She was cute, smart, and funny, but she was also a junior, so she would have another chance at prom. One of the other girls was a senior, and I really should have gone with her. Sorry, Gin. I’m an idiot.

That said, I’m sure some kids make much dumber mistakes on prom night. I went with a nice girl, probably danced a little and hung out with friends, and then chilled for a while with her friends (I vaguely recall a gathering at someone’s house). I didn’t drink, and I think I was home by 10:30.

Did you have a memorable senior prom?

5 thoughts on “What Was Your Prom Experience?”

  1. Hope this is doesn’t turn out too long but, like you, the build up to prom was much more interesting than the actual dance. For years, I had a crush on this girl that looked like the Canadian version of Jennifer Love Hewitt in her “I Know What You Did Last Summer/Can’t Hardly Wait” days. We had several classes together and talked a bit during them but we hung out in totally different circles: I was a nerd and she one was one of the popular girls. So pretty much untouchable for a guy like me. But my heart would not listen to my head and I made it my goal to summon the courage to ask her out to prom. Sounds like a storyline straight out of a movie.

    I thought I had no shot but once I started tutoring one of her best friends in chemistry, she started waving at me in the hallway (baby steps!) and eventually we would occasionally talk outside of class. Prom was getting closer and I had to make my move before someone else asked her first. I was totally expecting to be shut down but it would never happen if I didn’t try so I went for it. Carpe Diem! On an afternoon I’ll never forget, after getting out of PE class, I stopped her in the hallway to ask her to be my prom date. I was so nervous I hardly remember how I asked her (and must have mumbled the whole thing) but she turned around, looked into my eyes, and said “You really think I’ll you to prom with *you*?”. Then she walked away. Yikes! Not the answer I was hoping for I am still proud that I had the guts to ask her. I guess the moral of the story is that Canadians, despite the stereotypes, are not always nice!

    I ended up going to prom with a group of friends, had a good time, but nothing remarkable. 🙂

    Reply
    • Oh no! I was hoping for a fairy tale ending while reading this…but alas, it wasn’t to be. Sorry Charles!

      Reply
      • It’s quite alright, I laugh about it now because it was too good to be true. I did get my fairy tale ending… just in a different country! 🙂

        Reply
  2. My most notable prom memories aren’t really all about me. You see, the previews for 1999’s smash hit “American Pie” were coming out in late ’98/early ’99. One of the trailers gave away how Finch was attempting to secure a prom date (for those of you who are unfamiliar, he paid someone else to spread rumors about how well-hung he was). In my mischievous high school mind, I thought, “Sounds like a fun joke, but most of the ladies at MHS already know this about me.” So I went over to a neighboring school, the Governor’s School for Government and International Studies, and started some fun gossip about my good buddy, “Gargantuan Jamey”. I stoked the fire for a few weeks, and voila! I give you the “anomaly compared to the previous 18 years of your life and the 18 years that followed,” Jamey’s magically flirtatious spring of ’99.

    Reply

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