I didn't really have any plans to go to prom. Didn't have a date, wasn't really my thing. If I can recall, prom was gonna be May 8th. I was currently in intersession (spring break's version of summer school) for [Senior]U.S. History class. It was an ok class, several friends were in it. But there was this one guy named Tommy (Mr. Vons) who was also in the class. He was quite the hottie and was pretty nice. Never really talked to him, didn't really run in the same circle of friends. For most of our senior year, Tommy had a girlfriend. Apparently right before intersession started,they had broken up. Like I said, I never really talked to Tommy-he was way too cute and he was pretty popular. I probably talked to him a few times during our History class, but nothing too extreme. One day after class, as he was waiting for some friends in front of the school, I decided to approach him and just straight out ask him. Besides, what did I have to lose?
I walked up to Tommy, said I had something I wanted to ask him and said...."It's ok if you said no, but I just wondered if maybe you'd like to go to prom together?" Tommy looked surprised! It was silent for a second til he said "ok, I'm not saying no, but I'm saving my money to put a down payment on a car I want to get. So I'm not too sure if I'm going because of this money situation." After feeling rejected, I just smiled and said, "don't worry, it's ok. I know we really don't know each other so it's ok." He tried to reassure me that he wasn't saying no... but I just wanted two things to happen, either the world open up and swallow me or well, that's all I wanted to have happen. I was a lil embarrassed. But I was way stoked that I was that gutsy to even do that. The next day at class was a lil awkward, but the next week and half left of intersession was ok because we started to talk a lil more.
I walked up to Tommy, said I had something I wanted to ask him and said...."It's ok if you said no, but I just wondered if maybe you'd like to go to prom together?" Tommy looked surprised! It was silent for a second til he said "ok, I'm not saying no, but I'm saving my money to put a down payment on a car I want to get. So I'm not too sure if I'm going because of this money situation." After feeling rejected, I just smiled and said, "don't worry, it's ok. I know we really don't know each other so it's ok." He tried to reassure me that he wasn't saying no... but I just wanted two things to happen, either the world open up and swallow me or well, that's all I wanted to have happen. I was a lil embarrassed. But I was way stoked that I was that gutsy to even do that. The next day at class was a lil awkward, but the next week and half left of intersession was ok because we started to talk a lil more.
Once regular school was back in session...the sudden pressure to go to prom was on. All my friends were going, so I really needed to go. One day, right before an assembly, I thought about asking my friend Herman....during the assembly I found out that my friend Wendy had just asked him right before. Dang...another shot down. A couple days later, I thought I'd ask my friend RJ. He was just a friend but was a year younger. He talked to alot of Seniors, so I figured it'd be cool for him to go. Cool guy, got along with him great, so yeah! I asked him, we would just be going as friends since he had a girlfriend at another school. It was set. A couple days later, RJ came up to me to tell me that he was workin' out with Tommy when he told RJ that he finally got the car and was coming back to ask me to go to prom. Nice, right? But--RJ, not knowing that I had first askedTommy, told him that we were going together. Didn't really matter in the end, because a week later RJ came to me to say that he couldn't go because he had no money. Ok, well that sucks again...but prom's a lil pricey, so that was ok if he couldnt' go. no worries...
Don't ask me what possessed me to do this but I did... I called up my brother's best friend Tim (Mr. Costco). Way cool guy, always thought he was a cutie. I figured why not, besides, he went to prom with my cousin several years before, why not? By the way, did I mention that Timmy's 10 years older than me? Yep he is. I called him up one night, kinda told him my other 2 failed attempts and then said I had the hugest favor I could ever ask him in this lifetime. I presented the favor and was met with, "OOOOOOH, Ehu! Man, I'd hate to say this to you, but I can't go. I promised myself after the last prom I went to that I would never ever go to one again" (could you really blame the guy, he was 27 y/o) I felt like an idiot. I said to Tim "I understand, that's cool (I really really wanted the world to open up right then and just swallow me whole!) don't worry about it Tim, I bet you'd feel weird going with your best friend's lil sister anyways" Then he responds with "OOOOoooh Ehu! Just go stag, you'll be fine. Plus you're just like my lil sister" Shot down in the head! Thank you very much. With that last line, I think I'd only get a kiss on the forehead had we gone together.
The day of prom, during 3rd period, I made up my mind to just go to prom no matter what. I went to prom with some friends. Got in free - since tickets were $80/couple (This is San Diego,we don't have proms in school gyms)...and who was there-RJ. That freakin' punk ended up going with the ASB. If I remember right, I wore my hideous bride's maid dress to prom and my best friend did my hair and make up-which was a bit much that night (Did I mention how I made up my mind to go to prom just hours before--there wasn't much preparation before that day, unfortunately). YUCK!! I'm so embarrassed I even said that last part!
Well, that was my prom story. Everything before prom sucked, but I went. Got to see all my friends dressed up, took tons of pics with friends (made faces, of course--I was not a huge hit at graduation later when I met all their parents though), got my palm read (that was pathetic), went to play laser tag afterwards....traded my friend Alfredo for his Airwalks while he ran around in my heels...Also, I borrowed his (medium sized) undershirt and wore my slip while playing laser tag. Yeah, it was freakin' funny...
But that's my prom story as funny/sad/courageous/daring as it is....for what it's worth, I'm glad I went thru it all and decided to go in the end. It's just high school, everyone has an embarrassing story or two.
