At first, Christine considered asking her crush to prom, but she eventually decided against it. "I decided I'd rather let loose and have fun than worry about impressing him," she tells us. So she opted to avoid the stress and instead ask Beau, one of her best friends who had already graduated. "Beau is the sweetest, cutest, funniest guy ever -- so why wouldn't I want to go with him?"
 SHE IS: Christine, 17, junior
HER DATE IS: Beau, 19, graduate
DAY OF PROM: June 6
THE SCHOOL: Gloucester High School, Gloucester, Massachusetts
THE SCENE: Danversport Yacht Club, Danvers, Massachusetts
GETTING READY "I'm pretty laid back about everything in general," Christine says, "so prom was really no exception." She started shopping in March, which she admits was probably later than she should have. It wasn't easy for Christine to find the perfect dress. " I knew I wanted a gold dress," she says, "but let me tell ya, gold is not a popular color!" She searched high and low for a dress similar to one her friend had worn three years before, when she thought, "Why not just borrow hers?" Luckily, the halter-style Jessica McClintock dress fit Christine perfectly -- and she didn't have to pay a penny! This set off a borrowing kick -- Christine then borrowed nude heels from her cousin as well as a gold purse from a different cousin. "A perk to having a large family," she jokes.
PROM PRETTY As Christine's prom prep was quickly becoming a family affair, choosing where to get her hair done was easy. "My cousin worked at the salon, so she did it for free!" she tells us. Christine wore her curly hair in a French twist with a large bun at the bottom and flowers on one side. "I loved it!" she says. She originally planned to do her makeup herself, but then realized she wasn't very good at it, so she enlisted the help of a friend. "I wore basically the works," Christine says. "Eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, blush, lipstick...but it was all very natural."
FLOWER POWER Beau brought Christine a wrist corsage with burgundy lilies and gold ribbon. "He's got good taste!" Christine says. She gave Beau a white rose boutonniere, also with a gold ribbon.
THE BIG NIGHT Beau arrived at Christine's house to pick her up wearing a classic tuxedo and everything else he was supposed to have on him -- except hair. "He failed to mention that he was planning on shaving his head," Christine tells us, adding "but he's cute no matter what." The two then drove to Christine's friend's house where the limo was to pick them up. There is a tradition at Christine's high school called Promenade, where all of the students gather at the school before the dance, and a DJ introduces each couple. Parents, friends, and other people in town come to take pictures -- a practice that seemed like fun to Christine, until it was her turn. "You feel sort of like a golden retriever in a dog show!" she tells us. After Promenade, the couple and their friends piled back into their limos and headed to prom.
PROM COURT The dance was held in a ballroom at the Danversport Yacht Club. Elegantly decorated with tablecloths and flower centerpieces on each table, the room boasted a dance floor, if not much else. "There weren't any special decorations," Christine says. There was no theme either, although there was a prom court. "No one really enjoyed it," says Christine, partially because she did not agree with who was chosen. "In order to avoid it becoming a 'popularity contest,' the teachers decide," she explains. "I think the students could have made a better decision!"
A MAGIC NIGHT Nevertheless, she, Beau, and everyone else had a blast. Except for when dinner was served, just about everyone was on the dance floor. "I loved just letting loose and having a good time," says Christine. But perhaps the most amazing part of the night was what she witnessed happening with her fellow classmates at prom. She tells us, "every stereotype, every clique, just broke down. For just one night all of those petty differences that have always meant the world to everyone are suddenly nothing. For one night, everyone is actually friends." After the dance, everyone had a sleepover at one of Christine's friend's house. The following day, the school hosted a Scholarship Night, followed by graduation on Sunday. "It really emphasized this awesome time in our lives," Christine says.
KEEP IT SIMPLE Is there a prom or another big party in your future? Christine offers the following advice: "Don't stress out! If you worry about every single little detail, then you will never be satisfied."
--Jackie Fisherman
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