The Prom Date

In the olden days, if you were not asked to prom, if you had no date, you just did not go. These days, well, for the most part, people go regardless if they have a date or not. More people these days go with a group of friends, or have one of their best friends as their "date". That's what I did last year.

Last year, I went with my very close friend Kelsey. I had a pre-prom party at my house, pictures, dinner, ya know, the usual. A bunch of my friends came over (male and female), got ready, our parents fawned over us, taking millions of photos of the same things, couples gave each other the proper flowery arrangement to wear, we ate dinner, and drove to the dance at the James J. Hill House. We all had a blast, each of us beautifully dressed and made up.

Yet, this year, for some reason, I told myself that I wanted a date, not just a girl friend to go with, but a real date, preferably not a last resort. And I had this one guy in mind. Zach. He has been such a great friend to me these past few months that I've actually taken the time to get to know him. He was funny, sweet, understanding, funny, he wasn't afraid of me (as in, he gave his true opinion without being hesitant and worried that I might explode or break down). He is, unfortunately, not going to be at MPA next year, he is going to be going to Hill Murray. All I wanted to do, all I had in mind, was to take him to one MPA prom, as a friend, before he left.

I had been thinking about asking him two weeks ago. So, last Friday, my school performed our Spring Show "Cabaret", and Zach was doing sound for the entire show, he was in charge of mics, reverb., how loud the band was, everything. I came early to the show to see if I could offer my help for last-minute things. Zach was doing mic checks, and asked me to sit up next to him for the entire show! He said that he would like someone to talk to during the show, I was like, "Okay, sure, why not?" So, through out the show, he'd say things like, "Can you hear okay?", "Was that cool or what?", "I kinda hate that guy's voice, don't you?", "This song is my favorite in the entire show!" It was great! I had a blast just sitting or standing next to him. During intermission, he also learned just how ticklish I am. THAT was an interesting time.

So, I had told a few friends at what I was planning on doing, and when my friends convinced me, literally PUSHED me to ask him, I finally plucked up enough courage to go up and ask him. So, after the concert was over, I went up to him, and I finally asked him if he would go with me. After a long pause, "Sorry but no." It felt like my world had turned upside-down. He gave me a hug and said, "Thank you for asking me though." If he said anything to me after that, I have no idea. The minute he let go, I walked away, willing myself not to start crying in front of anyone.

I guess I must have liked him more than I thought I did, I didn't think that he would have such an affect on me. I went home, and for the next two nights, I cried myself to sleep. I don't even know why he said no, but I guess that doesn't really matter, does it?

Love,
~Andie

Listening to: This Time Imperfect- A.F.I.