Number 7: Go to Prom

Waiting for my Prom Date

God bless Brian Studler, Todd Stolarski and their fun friends on the Prom Committee for putting the Just Like Heaven prom together. This was so much more than just checking something off a list, I've been dreaming of prom since I was a teenager in Sweden, watching all those American movies with prom queens, cheerleaders and varsity football players and have always felt that my life was missing something because I didn't have that experience.  

As soon as the prom was announced, I immediately started to invite all my foreign friends; the Belgian, the Aussie, the French Canadian, the Frenchman, and also people I suspected of having had a less than satisfactory prom experience. (You know who you are if you're American and was invited.) The whole prom date thing turned out to be quite the ordeal. Do you ask someone or do you wait to be asked? If you wait to be asked, there is always the chance that there's no one left for you to go with...I've seen this in numerous Brat Pack films. I overshot and ended up with two dates which really made me feel like a tormented teenager, but lucky for me one of them didn't get their ticket in time. So that solved that. 

My date for the evening: Lorne Hiltser. Lorne is from Montreal and is a directing fellow at the AFI and one of my best friends. More Jewish intellectual than football player so I adjusted my mental picture for the night accordingly. The dress I wore was a champagne silk vintage dress that belonged to my friend Ellie's grandmother. It fits like a glove. I ran to Rite Aid to get some hair spray, poofed my hair and stuffed a bunch of pins in it to resemble some 50's updo before heading over to Figaro with my sweet and equally prom deprived Aussie friend Radha. That's where we had a drink, some food and met up with beautiful Belgian Zoe in vintage Dolce & Gabbana and waited for our dates.  

      

Lorne showed up with the most beautiful corsage in a plastic box and it literally made my night. I really did feel like a teenager. It was the perfect color and size and I was very upset when I had to let Radha try it on for a minute. It didn't leave my wrist for the rest of the night.  

Soon it was time to go and we piled into two cars and found that the direction "if you're on skid row, you're in the right area" proved to be very helpful. We made our way to an abandoned church downtown, which had been decorated with beautiful streamers, balloons and glittery curtains - thank you Prom Committee! First up, our official prom photo which I'll post as soon as it becomes available. Next, the BAR and finding all our fantastic friends...which we did quickly: Jen, West, Julian & Wei-ning, funny girls Karen & Elena, Sarah Goldfinger, Elysse & Cole, Sparky & Ellis, Todd & Studler and many, many more. 

 

                                                                                                    

          
      
 We danced and danced and danced...it started off prom like, very stiff, awkward, serious, and slow with Lorne's arms firmly planted around my waist. Then they kept on sliding down (as expected) and I kept on moving them back up.

 

     

    

 The most devastating blow came next. It was time for the crowning of the Prom King and Queen and although I had somewhat low expectations going in, when the woman making the announcement said, "she's foreign and this is her first prom" there was no doubt in my mind I was about to get the biggest honor ever bestowed upon me. So my friends started cheering and pushing me towards the front, and the next thing I heard (unfortunately) was: "Ma............ry Lou."

The most priceless photo ever...the moment itself...

 WHAT? Then came that moment we've all seen on TV. You know when the big actor doesn't get the Academy Award but is overly enthusiastic about the person who did...you can tell they're crying on the inside but looking hysterically supportive on the outside. On the inside I heard myself shouting "we was robbed" and pictured myself ripping the crown out of her mousy brown hair, or better, throwing a gallon of blood on her pristine, white dress. 

I had to take a moment. Several actually. And then it came. The prom feeling. The prom experience. Which is what I came for. Unfulfilled expectations. Broken hearts. For both me and Lorne since I had said I would only put out if I was crowned Prom Queen. 

Thanks to all my friends for coming and making it so great...but most of all, THANK YOU Brian Studler. Cause we is FRENZ and I HEART U.

Comments

[Jessica]

this is cute. be proud of yourself.

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OMG!!! THAT LOOKS LIKE AN ACEY EVENING!!!! MARIKA LOOKS GORGEOUS!!!!! STUDS LOOKS DAPPER. GOLDFINGER LOOKS AS LOVELY AS EVER. EVERYONE ALL DRESSED UP! FAB DRESS MARIKA!

[karen]

had so much fun grrrrrrrl! u r a queen in my book always!

[Javier]

I SOOOO wanted to come but got that email that tickets were sold out!!!! :( It sounds like so much fun! Glad you enjoyed yourself and for some of us at AFiyou are the Prom Queen!!!