Prom Ever After

by Dona Sarkar, Caridad Ferrer, Deidre Berry

  “My, Miss Garrett, you look quite smashing this evening, I must say!” Chad whispered as we twirled across the dance floor.

  It was so hard not to burst out laughing, but that’s how it was most of the time when we were together—just fun times and lots of laughs. But Chad had gotten so serious and moody lately, it was almost as if he had two different personalities. If he thought I’d changed in the last few months, then so had he. It didn’t take much to set him off these days. Chad could go from zero to a hundred in the blink of an eye, just as he had during our argument earlier in the day.

  While sitting there on the edge of the pool, splashing water around with my feet, I had one of those Aha! moments that Oprah’s always talking about.

  If things were truly over with Chad, then I just had to accept it and move on to plan B, which was to score a new date for prom. But any old prom date would not do. I needed a high-status hottie who was worthy of being on my arm for what would be the biggest night of my life so far.

  And I knew just who to call.

  Eight

  DEANNA PARKER

  It turns out that I wasn’t wrong in assuming that working with Chad Campbell and Shelly Bennett would be an uphill battle.

  A whole week after Mr. Baisden had given us the assignment, my group was still trying to compromise on a topic. Unbelievable! For starters, Shelly hadn’t been to class in four days even though I’d seen her around school, and Chad was there, but he wasn’t really there, if you catch my drift. He’d just sit in class, not really saying much, and looking as if he only had six brain cells left in his head. The poor guy was obviously going through a rough patch, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with Aubrey. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she was the source of his troubles, because she tends to bring out the worst in people. Just saying.

  The point of group papers is to exchange ideas and see how well you can work with others. It’s kinda hard to do all that when everybody who’s supposed to be there doesn’t show up.

  Luckily, Shelly had decided not to skip social-studies class for the fifth day in a row, so it was a chance for the three of us to finally get down to business.

  The second we scooted our desks together, Chad asked, “So what are we gonna do, you guys?” which surprised me because he was apparently finally ready to do more than just take up space and oxygen.

  “Madame C.J. Walker and Oprah Winfrey,” I announced with great pride. I thought it was an excellent choice, and practically a no-brainer, but Shelly shot me down right away. Since becoming a part of Team Deanna she had finally found her voice, and was more vocal and opinionated than I had ever known her to be.

  “Madame C.J. Walker is so three hundred years ago,” Shelly told me. “How about Janet Jackson and Rihanna?”

  “At least one of them has to be a historical figure,” I said as patiently as possible. “And last time I checked, Janet and RiRi are both very much alive.”

  “Shelly’s right,” Chad piped up. “Oscar Micheaux was the very first black filmmaker, so I think doing the paper on him and Tyler Perry would be a better choice, because with all due respect, Madame C.J. Walker didn’t invent the hot comb, she just introduced it to black women.”

  “Which is something I’m sure your girlfriend really appreciates, especially with all of that weave in her head,” I quipped. Yeah, it was kind of mean, because I’m not 100 percent sure if Aubrey wears a weave or not, but I just couldn’t resist taking a shot at her.

  “Aubrey’s hair is all natural, and she’s not my girlfriend anymore,” Chad replied casually.

  Oh, so she was the problem!

  “Sorry to hear that,” Shelly said super-sarcastically, but Chad didn’t seem to care.

  “Anyway,” I said, determined to keep us all on track. “Whether Madame C.J. Walker actually invented the hot comb or not is a moot point. It doesn’t take away from the fact that she was a self-made woman who inspired countless other women, just like Oprah, not to mention she was this country’s first black millionaire.”

  Chad gave me a slow, sarcastic hand clap. “Bravo for doing your homework, but I don’t think you can argue that Tyler and Oscar are just more interesting.”

  “I most certainly can, but since I’m a huge movie buff, and enjoy the challenge of learning something new, I say let’s go with your idea,” I conceded.

  “And I second that motion!” Shelly said.

  With that finally out of the way, Chad, Shelly and I had just begun discussing the pros and cons of our topic when Aubrey walked into the classroom. She whispered something to Mr. Baisden, who then signaled Chad to the front of the room. When Chad followed Aubrey out into the hallway, I looked at Shelly and said, “Just what we need right now...more distractions, and more drama.”

  “You got that right,” Shelly said, shaking her head. “Aubrey Garrett is nothing but drama!”

  AUBREY GARRETT

  The day after my argument with Chad, I arrived at school low on energy. I’d tossed and turned in bed all night, and couldn’t get to sleep because I was so upset. It was senior year, and I was supposed to be having the time of my life, but my dream year was slowly but surely turning into a nightmare. My dad was being a jerk and my boyfriend wouldn’t talk to me, despite the fact that I’d blown his cell phone up with dozens of calls and texts.

  My fourth-period class was right across the hall from Chad’s, and since I hadn’t seen him all day I decided to take a chance and ask Mr. Baisden if I could talk to Chad for a minute. When I walked into the room, I noticed that Chad didn’t look happy to see me; in fact, he looked annoyed. And I was annoyed by the fact that he was sitting so close to Deanna Parker. The two of them were smiling, laughing and looking so chummy, it almost made me lose my lunch.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Chad asked, once we were out in the hallway.

  “You tell me, because that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to figure out for the last twenty-four hours,” I said. “And if you’re still mad because of that campaign video, you’re taking it way too far.”

  Chad sighed and rubbed the top of his head. “Do we really have to do this right now?”

  “Yes, right now. Because I need to know exactly where we stand as far as prom is concerned, and most importantly, where does our relationship stand?”

  “Okay, where we stand is that it’s not just about that video, it’s about you. I’m highly stressed right now, and instead of comfort and support, all you can manage to bring to the table is your never-ending, high-maintenance diva antics. It’s exhausting, man, and I just need a break...for real!”

  “We were just talking marriage a few days ago, and now you want a break? Get it together, Chad, because I’m sick of being on this roller-coaster ride where one day you know what you want, and the next day you don’t.”

  “You know, Aubrey, it must be nice living in that bubble where everything revolves around you,” he said nastily. “You talk a lot about yourself, but you rarely ask questions about others. If you did, you would know that I got rejected from my top three colleges because my entrance exam scores were too low, and the way things are looking, I’ll be lucky to get accepted into a junior college way off somewhere in Timbuktu.”

  I knew he was bummed about not getting a basketball scholarship to Georgetown University, but I had no idea that Michigan State and Kansas University had rejected him, too.

  “I’m sorry if that went over my head, but I have a lot of things going on, too,” I said.

  “Yeah, I know, like running for prom queen,” Chad said, again with that same nasty tone.

  That was it for me. If he couldn’t be civil to me when I had come in peace, then I was no longer interested in trying to save a relationship that was apparently already dead, as far as he was concerned.

  “You know what, I get it,” I told Chad. “It w
as nice knowing you...peace out!”

  “Yeah, you, too,” he said, chucking me the deuces before heading back into his classroom.

  I needed confirmation on where we stood, and I’d gotten it. While standing in that empty hallway trying not to cry, I had an overwhelming feeling that someone was watching me.

  I looked up and there was a big five-by-five-foot poster of Deanna looking down on me. I knew it was just a poster, but it felt like Deanna herself was actually laughing at me, relishing the fact that I’d just gotten dumped by my first love only one week before prom.

  I took a black marker out of my book bag and drew a squiggly mustache on her upper lip, then blacked out every other tooth so that she resembled a jack-o’-lantern. I only drew on that one poster out of anger and frustration, but by the end of the day almost all of Deanna’s posters had mustaches and blacked-out teeth. It wasn’t my intention, but it was kinda funny. Oh, well, chalk it up to the strength of #TeamAubrey.

  Nine

  DEANNA PARKER

  I walked out of social studies class and saw a small cluster of kids laughing and pointing at something on the wall. When I saw that it was a poster of me with a mustache and missing teeth, it wasn’t hard to figure out that the culprit was none other than Aubrey Garrett. She had stood outside the classroom arguing with Chad in the very spot where the poster hung, and it was right up her alley to do something so silly and childish.

  My picture had been defaced, but it was #TeamDeanna’s collective hard work gone to waste that bothered me the most. Kids had spent their own money and put a lot of time and creativity into making those posters, only to have them ruined by Aubrey and her team of mindless followers.

  Kristen was livid. “We can’t let them get away with this,” she said when we met up in biology lab. “Payback is a must!”

  “What do you have in mind?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure yet, but please believe that retribution will be swift, and it will be strong!” Kristen’s green eyes were bulging out of her head and shining with the mere idea of sweet revenge. I looked at her, highly concerned that she and a few others on our team were a little too invested in this race for prom queen. This wasn’t politics out in the real world, but some kids were treating it as if it were life or death.

  I put on my white lab coat and safety goggles and went to my station, where one of Kermit the Frog’s poor little relatives awaited the autopsy I was about to perform.

  I picked up my scalpel and was poised for the first incision when Michael Turner walked into the classroom all dressed up in a suit and tie. He had an acoustic guitar strapped around his body and was also carrying a single red rose. All dead giveaways that some lucky girl was about to get a prom proposal.

  I liked Michael. He was a pretty cool guy who had been down with #TeamDeanna since day one. He and Kristen had been working together closely on the campaign, so I just naturally assumed that he was there for her.

  “Excuse me everybody, can I have your attention, please?” Michael asked the class.

  When all eyes were on him, Michael began strumming the music to Jay-Z’s song “Excuse Me Miss.”

  And then Michael started half singing, half rapping, “Excuse me miss, what’s your name? Can you come hang with me? Can I take you out to prom? ’Cause I see a lady tonight that should be hanging with Mich-ael Turn-er!”

  Everyone laughed and started clapping along to the rhythmic beat, even though no one knew exactly who Michael was singing to. As he continued, Michael eventually locked eyes with me, and slowly made his way over to my station. I looked behind me to see if he could’ve possibly been looking at someone else, but there was nothing behind me but a large window overlooking the school parking lot.

  Michael stood right in front of me strumming and singing his tall, lanky heart out, and then handed me the rose. “Miss Deanna Parker, will you do me the honor of going to prom with me?”

  A chorus of “Awws” went up around the room. I put my hands over my mouth, in complete and utter disbelief. I was in a daze for a few seconds, and didn’t snap out of it until Kristen yelled out, “Say yes!”

  I was speechless, so I nodded “yes,” and everyone clapped while Michael hugged me.

  * * *

  Being invited to prom by a decent guy is the equivalent of being asked for your hand in marriage, if only for one night. I had said yes to Michael’s prom proposal, but it wouldn’t be 100 percent official until after Michael met my parents and received their approval. Michael arrived at my house at five that evening, and the first thing he said was, “Man, I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous before!”

  And I was nervous for him. Michael had a reputation for being a gentleman and a scholar, but Dad was a tough nut to crack. He’s not always right, but he does always speak his mind, and that alone was cause enough for worry.

  Besides, my father had barely gotten used to the idea that I was going to prom with a group of friends, so there was no telling how my being coupled up with a guy within that group would sit with him.

  The four of us were in the kitchen: me, Mom, Dad and Michael. Dad was the only one who wasn’t already sweating bullets. He sized Michael up and then pulled a chair out for him. “Have a seat, son,” he said, in a manner that was more of a command than a request.

  It was an hour-long Q&A session that consisted of Dad hurling a barrage of questions at Michael like, “What do your parents do for a living?” “Are you in a gang?” “Have you ever been in trouble with the law?” “Do you have any kids?” “No kids, but are you a virgin?”

  Michael squirmed ever so slightly at the virgin question. “Well...”

  “Don’t answer that!” Mom said, taking Michael off the hook.

  Michael looked relieved, but I was beyond embarrassed. But Dad didn’t stop there. Oh, no! He just couldn’t resist going into military recruiter mode.

  “Have you ever considered a career in the military?” Dad asked.

  “No, sir.”

  “How would you like to travel the world and get thirty days paid vacation for the first year, and a free college education?”

  “That sounds good, Mr. Parker, but I’ve already earned a scholarship to Ohio University,” Michael said politely.

  “That’s one of the biggest party schools there is, son!” Dad shouted like a drill sergeant. “I just hope you get a diploma at the end of all that partying!”

  “I’m not going for the parties, sir. I chose that university because I want to be a doctor, and they have one of the best medical programs in the country.”

  Good answer! I gave Michael an encouraging nod and a reassuring smile to let him know he was doing well under the circumstances.

  “I’ll be honest with you, Michael,” Dad said gravely. “Game recognizes game, and I don’t trust you or any other boy with my daughter.”

  I put my head down on the table, wishing a hole would open up in the floor and swallow me whole.

  “No, I completely understand, Mr. Parker,” Michael said. “My father is just as protective with my sisters.”

  “Anything can happen in the heat of the moment, especially on prom night,” Dad continued. “It’s a time when everyone’s hormones are raging, and girls feel more pressure to give up the keys to the kingdom.”

  “Well, not me,” I insisted. “I’m not giving up the keys to this kingdom until my wedding night.”

  “That’s what your sister said,” Dad snapped.

  I threw my head back, and sighed. Here we go...AGAIN!

  “Can we not have this conversation in front of company?” I pleaded.

  “Yes, we can,” Mom said. “Michael, it was nice to meet you, and you have our permission to take Deanna to prom.”

  “Just don’t make me come looking for you,” Dad warned Michael, and then went into the living r
oom to watch the evening news.

  When the interrogation was finally over, I fully expected for Michael to rescind the invitation, but he just chuckled and said, “Wow, that was interesting....”

  “Yeah, I know my father can be pretty intense, so thanks for being such a good sport about it.”

  I walked Michael outside to the souped-up muscle car he was driving, which he said belonged to his older brother.

  “So I’ll pick you up next Saturday at seven p.m. sharp?” he asked.

  “Seven it is.” I smiled, trying not to blush.

  Michael was such a cutie. I could tell that he wanted to lean in for a hug, but instead, he offered me a handshake. It was a smart move on his behalf, because Dad was standing in the living-room bay window, watching our every move.

  Ten

  AUBREY GARRETT

  Sometimes there are some real gems in the friend zone. All you have to do is stop, look and pay attention.

  Julian Pearson was whom I had in mind to call if things didn’t work out with Chad. Julian had been crushing on me since eighth grade, so when I asked him to escort me to prom, he jumped at the chance. “Of course, I’d love to! What color suit should I wear, what kind of corsage do you want and what time should I be there to pick you up?” he asked all in one breath.

  Julian was the son of one of my mother’s oldest and dearest friends. Just like with Chad, our families hung out together socially, and even though we didn’t go to the same schools growing up, we had attended Jack and Jill together since we were four years old.

  Because we’d known each other so long, Julian and I went through an adolescent period when we both thought the other was yucky. I hated to see him coming because I thought he was a dork who made Napoleon Dynamite look cool, and he got a kick out of saying mean things like, “Aubrey Garrett looks like a mangy ferret!”

  However, Julian’s teasing stopped around fourteen, when I transformed from an ugly ducking into a beautiful swan with hips and curves in all the right places. A year later, I almost didn’t recognize Julian when he showed up to our poolside Fourth of July barbecue wearing only swim trunks and a smile. I’d never noticed before, but his arms, back and chest were chiseled to perfection, causing me to wonder when, and how, he had gotten so buff. The last time I remembered seeing him with his shirt off, he was about fourteen playing ball down at the country club. Julian had a skinny little bird chest back then, but things had definitely changed.