It’s prom. Everywhere. TV. Movies. Tis the season!

While many people have horror stories from their proms, I was fortunate enough to not have all the drama or the aftermath. e.g. “My prom date never called me again” or “That was so romantic then he dumped me” etc. I actually had a great time and no consequences.

Ah. The magic of going to prom with your best guy friend. (Well, he did come out later. So technically, my best gay.)

I didn’t expect to go to prom. At all. After all, my two years of American high school life went without anyone asking me to any of the formals. Nor did anyone ask me out on a date. Heck, I even had a boy turned me down for Sadie Hawkins. But then again, I was reaching for that one.

But you’ve gotta give me credit for asking my crush to Sadie Hawkins. The boy was the son of my host mom’s friends who carpooled with us occasionally and even drove me to/from school once in a while.  He was smart, handsome, and popular, and has a great voice.  He would go on to become a rock star.  I knew I didn’t have a chance in hell but I did ask anyway.  A nice guy that he was, he turned me down gently.  I think he said he was already going with someone else.  Then again, he was always nice to me. I’m sure he was taking pity on this dorky nerd from Thailand which probably dented his reputation a little. I’m also sure he was instructed by his parents to be nice to me. LOL.

Anyways. So prom came. I really knew my odds then so I wasn’t going to ask him again. Or anyone else for that matter. I’d always been at home when everyone else was out partying or going to formals. One more wasn’t going to kill me. I’ve seen Carrie and I’ve seen Pretty In Pink. I was sure if I was asked, someone’s waiting for me with a bucket of blood at the entrance. And I wasn’t going to prom solo because I didn’t have a Ducky to fall back on.

These American boys don’t like me so they don’t ask me to prom. I get it. I’m moving on. There are boys in college…right?

My host mom, though, was concerned that I wouldn’t have a complete American high school experience if I didn’t go to prom. But she also didn’t push it.

Then, Michael caught wind of the situation.

Michael was one of my very first friends and the first guy friend I had.  (And of course, after high school I found also that he was my first best gay friend!) He was quite upset when he found out that I had given up on prom altogether. He was already committed to going to prom with his friend who graduated last year–she wanted to go to prom again.

Michael changed the plan with said friend so that he could take me.

“You haven’t been to a single formal!” he said. “And you didn’t come all the way from Thailand to NOT go to prom.”

So, prom was suddenly on. And I had a week to get a dress and all that good times. My host mom didn’t have time to take me to the mall that week. In stepped the mom of another boy we carpooled with. A fairy godmother to my Cinderalla, if you will. She said she always wanted a daughter she could take to shop for prom. It worked out for the both of us.

My strapless, black ball gown, while getting all the rave from the carpool lady and my host mom, didn’t past my mom’s approval. It was a good thing she didn’t see the dress it until prom pictures came out a few weeks later. Hehe.

Michael came to pick me up with red rose corsage. We shared the limo with a few other friends. The details there are fuzzy to me now.

The rest of the evening was a blur of laughter and awesome dancing. And boy did I remember the dancing! It’s a good thing Michael liked to dance. When most girls were sat out because their dates wouldn’t dance, Mikey and I owned the floor.

When I stepped out of the limo that night, Michael gave me a peck on the cheek. That was the first time a boy kissed me anywhere.

As for the rock star, he actually never got to go to prom. As rumors went, he and a few others were caught smelling like booze at one of the school events. So he wasn’t allowed to go to prom. Whoops.

It was funny that 10 years later our class reunion was at the same hotel we had our prom. And Michael and I were once again reunited.

And we danced like we did in 1995.

Me and Michael. 10 years after prom.

How about your prom? What was it like?