Prom Queens

We aren’t making that much noise but Ms Pritchard is giving us the evil eye from across the room. 

“I think she’s going to come over here any minute,” says Janie. “If looks could kill.” 

But it is hard to contain our excitement. Dave asked Janie to prom and Steven invited me so we are discussing the details in hushed whispers but now and then a squeal erupts from Janie. After the last one, I was sure that Ms Pritchard would come storming over to our table and sure enough, she is over like a shot. 

“What on earth are you girls up to?” she demands. “You’re making so much noise that I can hear you from clean across the room.”

“Sorry, Ms Pritchard but we are researching costumes for the prom. The Roaring Twenties is the theme.”

“Well then let me steer you towards the section of the library that has such information. You two girls giggling madly is not going to help with your research.”

Catching our eyes, she directs us towards the history section and hands us a book on costumes. 

“If you want a good visual, you might want to check out the movie The Great Gatsby,” she says. “It has wonderful costumes that will get you started.” 

And then just as quickly as she had appeared, she disappears back to her perch to extend her watchful eye to any other library patrons who might disturb the peace next. 

We check out the book and the movie and return to Janie’s house to watch it. 

***

“I think I’d like being a flapper,” says Janie afterwards. “It seems like it was such a wild time in history.” 

“For women, it was a time of transformation from the harness of corsets to the freedom of casual sexuality. It’s like they forged the way for the freedom of women.” 

“I guess we have to thank them for all that but what the heck are we going to wear?” Janie says. “I’m not sure I can pull off wearing some of those see-through dresses.” 

We decide to head down to the local costume shop to see what those dresses might actually look like on us – that’s the only way we will know for sure. 

***

Malabar Studios has a wonderful array of costumes for any occasion and prom is no exception. 

“We have several dresses from that era that you might like,” says Madelaine the proprietor. “It’s just a question of how daring you are feeling.” 

Janie and I each take an armful of dresses into the change room and I’m sure the delighted squeals and giggles that erupt can be heard for miles away. We finally each decide on a dress that is dazzling with sequins and not too revealing and we look like we have just walked off the movie set. 

Janie chooses a brown bob of a wig that she can tuck her blond hair underneath and we are both startled by the transformation. 

“I don’t know if Dave is even going to recognize you when he comes to the door,” I say. “You are barely recognizable.” 

I take a more conservative approach with a gold headband and long black gloves because I don’t think I can pull off wearing a wig all evening. I have a long string of fake pearls at home that I had bought for another costume party and I think that they will add the finishing touch to my outfit. 

“You look very glamorous,” says Janie. “Not to mention pretty darn hot. I hope Steven is going to be able to keep you on his arm all night without getting singed.”

We collapse into a heap of giggles at that point and Madelaine asks if we were all right. We assure her that we are great and she helps us fill out our rental contracts. The outfits are not cheap but then is it ever cheap going to prom? 

We giggle all the way home and can’t stop imagining how terrific we are going to look. And we have Ms Pritchard to thank for it all. We will have to swing by the library after the dance and show her our photos and thank her for steering us in the right direction. Now, we just have to pick up some cheeky red lipstick and we’ll be all ready. One more sleep until the dance but we both know that neither of us is going to sleep a wink. ‘

***

The boys show up right on time at Janie’s house. We decided to get dressed together since the dresses were tricky to get into and we could also help each other with makeup and other finishing touches. 

“You chicks look pretty smashing,” says Dave and I can smell the alcohol on his breath from across the room. 

“Yea, you’re pretty hot all right,” Stephen adds and it doesn’t take us long to figure out that they are both plastered. Janie and I look at each other and after just a few seconds pause, we make the decision. 

“Sorry guys, we’re not going to prom with a couple of drunken gorillas. Janie and I will go on our own. We’re certainly not going to drive with either of you in that condition.” 

We slam the door in their faces and turn off the porch light. Then we call a taxi and have him pick us up at the back laneway so we don’t have to have any more nasty interactions with those idiots. 

“Boys can be so disappointing, can’t they?” I say. “But we don’t really need them anyway. We are strong, independent women just like the flappers that we are emulating.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” says Janie. “Off we go!”

***

The cab pulls up in front of the school and we get out of the car wearing our shawls tightly wrapped around us as the night is quite chilly. We look around at the others that are arriving and wonder what they are wearing underneath their coats. 

“I bet we’re both going to be the centre of attention tonight,” Janie says. “It’s so exciting, isn’t it?” 

“We don’t need those silly boys to escort us to prom,” I say. “We have each other.”

But when we get to the cloakroom a funny feeling starts to come over me. There are girls from our class in little huddles whispering as we show up. 

“Never mind them,” Janie says. “They’re probably just gossiping because we’re here without our dates. They’re such bitches when they want to be.” 

But as our eyes adjust to the darkened room, we begin to see a different picture emerging. All the girls that are whispering, and even those that are just chatting among themselves, are wearing ordinary ball gowns. They are long, glamorous gowns with figure-hugging details and plunging necklines, but not one of them looks like a flapper. Only Janie and I are in costume and we certainly are the centre of attention, but for all the wrong reasons. 

“Are you girls going to say Trick or Treat? Halloween was last month, or did you just lose track of the date?” says Kia Nightly, the coolest and cruellest girl in the school. 

There is no response fitting for this situation and we are both completely dumb-struck. Emily Breckenridge, the head of the prom committee, and luckily a kinder soul comes running up to us breathless. 

“What on earth are you guys dressed up as?” she says. 

“Why we’re flappers,” I say. “We’re keeping to the theme for the dance of Roaring Twenties. How come we’re the only ones?”

“Because that isn’t the theme for the dance,” Emily says. “Roaring Twenties is the name of the photography company that is taking the prom photos. Somehow you guys got your wires crossed.” 

Janie and I explode into fits of laughter and we have to hold onto each other for support. We laugh so hard that everyone around us starts to laugh as well but they are laughing in that “aren’t you guys great sports,” kind of way instead of cruel laughter. All except Kia Nightly and her gang who are looking disdainfully at the entire scene and eventually wander off to find some other poor soul that they can torment. 

True to form Janie and I do look extremely elegant and a little racy and we have lots of heads turning to check us out the whole night. The boys never did show up for the dance and we heard later that Doug threw up in Steven’s car and then passed out for most of the night. 

We line up to have our pictures taken and the photographer brings out his signature backdrop for us when we step up to the platform. The backdrop is right out of the movie The Great Gatsby and when the photographer snaps the shots, he takes a few extra of us. 

“You ladies stole the show,” the photographer says. “With your permission, I’d like to use some of these shots for promotion on our website.”

We both agree and the next day we head back to the library and show Ms Pritchard the pictures and tell her the whole story. 

“Well, it’s amazing what a little research can do,” she says. Even when you don’t have all of your facts straight a librarian can help in ways you’d never even imagine.”