smitten [s. clearwater]

the age-old high school tradition

-

-CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE AGE-OLD HIGH SCHOOL TRADITION-

-

Delilah sat at the head of a brown wooden table with Gabby sitting to her right as more people filed into the library and towards the reserved table. Delilah had prepared extensive notes for the meeting as the topics surrounded more than just unfair curriculum and the phone policy, now including prom.

Prom was an important rite of passage if you asked any parent or graduated high school student. It's where memories (and the occasional baby) are made. Delilah was neutral on the idea of school dances, though. She always liked the idea of them and now that she had someone to go with, the idea was more likable. But to her, prom was just an excuse for cliques to get together and show how much better and clique-y they were than everyone else.

As everyone took their seats along the table, Delilah cleared her throat. "So, we've discussed most of the items on the docket for the quarter, but we need to start discussing prom as it comes up this March. We're responsible for picking a date, a venue within the budget, and the theme. Then we'll pass it off to the prom committee and they'll handle everything else like decorations, prom court and whatnot."

"I suggest we not have a prom at all this year and instead take a senior trip to somewhere interesting," Gabby suggested. "Rome or Russia, maybe."

"I think that's because you have no one to go with, Gabby," one of the girls who'd run against Delilah and Gabby said bitterly.

Gabby rolled her eyes. "I think prom is a waste of time for boys to parade their girlfriends around and for girls to flaunt how much money and popularity they have. It's asinine. And I'll have you know that I'm not hard pressed to find someone to go with."

Delilah silently agreed with her, but instead of voicing it, she refocused the meeting. "Regardless of how we feel about it, prom is a tradition and we have a responsibility to uphold it."

The meeting continued on as she gave a short list of locations and themes as suggestions, telling the rest of the council that she would be open to better suggestions, but if no one had any they would put it to a vote two meetings from then. They managed to somehow agree on one date in April, all of them agreeing that March was too early but May was too late.

At the end of the meeting, Delilah and Gabby stayed behind to tidy up the space. "I never thought you to be the type of person to be one hundred percent behind prom. In fact, I don't think I've ever even seen you at a school dance."

Delilah shrugged. "Maybe it's because I'm with someone I know won't complain the whole night and ruin it, but I don't think prom is that bad. I think it could be fun and I think I'm going this year," she decided. "Prom is not the devil incarnate."

"It's entirely sexist and a ploy to get girls to spend an insane amount of money on dresses they'll wear once just so they can look good standing next to their boyfriends," Gabby argued. "It's inane and pointless."

Delilah looked at Gabby and laughed lightly. "Who are you taking to prom, then?"

Gabby shrugged. "I could make a statement and go alone, you know."

"But you won't."

With a sigh, the sandy blonde haired girl spoke again. "I need you to not make fun of me if I tell you this, okay?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Delilah said, dragging her finger over her heart in two intersecting lines.

"I don't think I like just boys and I know that sounds insane," she began, "but there's this girl, Jasmine Greenwood, and I really like her and I know that she likes girls, so I want to ask her."