Prom Night_(1)

It was a disaster! I couldn’t believe something like this could happen! This was the Senior Prom, the last dance before graduation, the biggest and best of all the school proms and three days before my boyfriend had to fly to Memphis because his grandmother died. I felt bad for him but it was still a disaster, we wouldn’t be able to attend the prom.

I was devastated. I lay on my bed and sobbed tears of sorrow as I looked at the ball gown hanging on my closet door. I don’t know if I cried for him, his grandmother or myself. Maybe all three.

I’d been dating Steve for 8 months, almost the entire last year of school and we were both looking forward to the Prom. It was the night we were going to consummate our relationship. I’d fended off his advances for months but I promised him in a moment of heated petting on my 18th birthday that I’d come across for him after the prom. I mean, after all, isn’t that the custom? Actually, I was looking forward to sleeping with him.

Betsy, my best friend and I were going to a hotel with our boyfriends after the dance. They already had the rooms reserved and were crooning to us how good the night was going to be. Of course my parents didn’t know. Dad had demanded an itinerary from Steve because we had asked him if I could stay out late. Steve, Betsy, her beau and I worked up a reasonable list of activities that covered us until 8 am. Nothing on the list said anything about a hotel room at midnight. Dad was satisfied and reserved the right to call me at any moment, I had to agree to keep him from hounding me. Later mom told me in a conspirator tone that she would make sure dad didn’t call and ruin my evening. After all, I was 18.

But now that was all wrecked! Steve was a thousand miles away attending a funeral and my dress was hanging limply from the hanger. I cried myself to sleep.

The next morning we gathered in the kitchen, mom was torn with anguish at my predicament. Dad was more nonchalant and wondered out loud if we could get a refund on the dress. I was aghast at the thought of returning the dress new and unsoiled. I started to cry again.

Then my dad hit me with an alternative plan. “Why don’t you ask Chuck to take you to the prom?”

I didn’t hear him right. “Who?”

“Chuck, you know, Charles.”

“Charles!? I can’t ask him to take me to the prom. How would that look to Steve and Betsy and everybody else? God dad, get a clue! I can’t date my cousin.”

Chuck is my cousin on my mother’s side, his father is my uncle. He’s three years older than me and attends a local university. Even though we grew up together in a close extended family, none of my friends knew him.

“It wouldn’t be a date sweetheart,” my dad said, “you’d have to think of it as a favor.”

“Nobody knows him dad, how would I explain showing up at the dance with a strange guy on my arm when Steve is in mourning.”

“Sorry girl, I was just offering an alternative to returning the dress.” Mom shrugged her shoulders at me, patted dad on the arm and flipped a pancake.

Two hours later Betsy called me and fucked up the rest of my life; my world as I knew it changed with her shocking revelation. “Guess what I saw! I can’t believe it!” she gushed as soon as I answered her ringtone. She didn’t give me a chance to guess, “I saw Steve in the Southside mall. He isn’t in MEMPHIS! He’s here and he was with LouAnn Myser.”

I was having trouble with my ears, first dad and now Betsy “What? What are you talking about?”

“Misery, dammit, he was holding hands with that bitch Myser. Remember her? We call her Misery because she’s such a slut. She caused more than one girl a lot of misery by stealing their boyfriends. Well now it looks like your turn.”

I was slow on the uptake. “She dropped out of school last year, why would Steve be with her?”

“Maybe because she’s screwing his nuts off? Come on, he’s 18 and you haven’t exactly been a sperm bank for him.”

Betsy had to be wrong “Steve is in Memphis. His grandma died.”

“Well maybe it was a fast funeral, cause he’s back and LouAnn was glommed to him like she owned him. You better call his mom.” With that bit of advice Betsy hung up.

My stomach felt like I had swallowed burning coal as I punched in Quickdial 4, Steve’s home. The phone rang three times before Steve’s mother answered. She recognized my number, “Hi Diane, what can I do for you?”

I was stunned. It was supposed to be her mother who died, at least that’s what Steve told me. I was grasping for anything to say but my mind was blank. “Diane? Are you there, are you okay?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know how to say this but I heard your mother passed away. I’m so sorry.”

“My mom? God, I hope not, I was just talking to her yesterday. Where did you hear this?”

“It doesn’t matter if she’s okay. She didn’t die two days ago?”

“No sweetie, she’s doing fine but now you got me worked up, I’m going to call her again.”

I was fighting the dread building in my heart, “Can I talk to Steve?”

She paused, “Steve? Why – I thought he was with you.”

“I haven’t seen him today; I was hoping he was home.”

“Well, sorry dear but he’s out. Have a good day; I’m going to call my mother now.”

I dropped the phone to the floor and bolted for my bed where I spent the next hour wreathed in sorrow and self pity. I knew I had to confront Steve but I didn’t want too. There had to be a reasonable explanation for him lying to me, ditching me three days before the prom and hanging out with the easiest cum sucker in the city. For the second time in 24 hours, I cried myself to sleep.

Betsy woke me up. “Diane? Hey girl, wake up. How do you feel?”

I opened one eye to see her sitting on the bed next to me, concern and worry plastered all over her face. “I feel fucking great!” I snarled, “Can’t you tell? I just got fucked without a dick and I liked it!”

Betsy stood up “Hey, don’t take this out on me, I didn’t cheat on you.”

I rolled over, “I know, I’m sorry but I feel really used and shitty right now.”

“You should. What did you find out about Steve?”

“He lied to me. He dumped me for that stinking bitch,” I looked at Betsy, “and if he didn’t, he’ll wish he did.”

“What are you going to do?”

I hadn’t thought about that but her question triggered a fledgling plan of action. “I’m going to get a date for the Prom” I snapped at her.

She looked at me surprised “Who?”

“I have someone in mind, he’s a friend, you don’t know him but you’ll like him.”

“Is he cute?” Good ole, Betsy, always thinking practically.

“Not cute, he’s too old to be cute. He’s handsome.”

“Tell me about him!” she demanded.

“No, you gotta go; I’ve got things to do.”

After Betsy left I went to find my mother. I told her what had happened, that Steve had lied and cheated and that I was going to dump him then I told her I still wanted to go to the Prom, “Should I ask Chuck?”

“I think it’s a good idea. It’s short notice but if he hasn’t anything to do I’m sure he’ll go with you. You want me to call him?”

“No, I know how to ask a guy on a date.”

Whether or not Chuck could be my Prom date I had to face down that lying, cheating little bastard who would never touch me again. I called his cell and when he answered I asked him how things were going. He lied through his teeth telling my how sad everything was and how much he missed me. I promised to see him soon and hung up. Twenty minutes later I showed up at his house, his car was there so he was home. I didn’t even bother to knock; I barged through the front door and straight to his room. When I slammed the door open he jumped, startled out of his chair. I banged the door shut and slapped him twice as hard as I could, right, left. “You weaselly fucker! You lied to me! You cheated on me!”

My blows knocked him backwards to the bed where he sat heavily looking at me stunned, his cheeks were bright red with the imprint of my open hands. I was almost done with him but I wanted two things. “Give me my pictures back you asshole, and the information for the room. I’m taking it.” It flashed though my mind that if he had the hotel room he would take that slimy bitch up there and for some reason I’d didn’t want to think about that too. We had reserved that room for us and it would have been special, I didn’t want that specialty ruined by her. I felt elated when I drove away from Steve’s house. I had faced him down and thrown him out of my life.