Under the Mango Tree: 101 Tales (1)

PROM NIGHT

Challenge No.8

Awkward Prom Date.

Your character's prom date went ... not so well. Why?

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Prom Night had arrived and Julie stood before the mirror making her last checks. This was an important night for her.

"You look fine." Her older sister Barbara assured her.

"You think?"

"I know."

Julie did a twirl with her eyes still fixed on her image.

"Going as Egyptian royalty was a stroke of genius. Is Bryan going to match you?"

"Oh yes."

"That boyfriend of yours is quite the hunk."

Julie waited for the punchline. "...and?"

"No 'and', his sister is in my class at college. She says that since you two got together, her brother finally raised his head and realised that there is more to life than sports."

"Cricket." Julie corrected. "He's obsessed with cricket, getting on the West Indies cricket team, then to be captain one day."

"Cricket." Barbara corrected.

"The jock and the nerd."

"In your own way, little sister, you were just as bad. Your nose deep in books of palaeontology, biology, meteorology..."

Julie's laughter interrupted, "Babs, I'm prepping for archaeology."

"Well, I knew it had an ology in it. But you miss my point. Before Bryan, your nose was deep in your books. Now you actually lookup. You go out into the sun. Now you're off to the prom."

"I suppose."

"You suppose. Let me tell you. If one year ago someone had told me that my sister Julie would be going to the school prom, I would not have believed them. To tell me she'd be going with the captain of the school cricket team, I'd say they were crazy... yet here we are."

"JULIE! BRYAN'S HERE!" Their mother's voice floated up.

"AND HE LOOKS GOOD!" a younger voice added.

"Well, Amy approves." Barbara grinned.

Julie gave herself one last look then the sisters headed downstairs.

"Be back for two o'clock. A little extra time. But don't abuse it!" She warned.

"No, mum. Thanks, mum." Julie said.

"Thanks, Miss Davis. We'll be back on time. I promise." Bryan vowed. The woman nodded.

Bryan joined Julie, she was looking at the SUV at the curb. "Is that your cousin Jerry's car?"

"At your service ma'am." Jerry dressed all in black, tipped his cap. Julie giggled.

"I have no wheels so we made a deal. I wash the SUV inside and out, and Jerry would give us a ride to the prom and back."

"Thanks, Jerry," Julie said.

"Anytime. Now, we gonna stand here chatting or are we rolling?" He held the back door open. "By the way. Looking good Julie."

"Rolling. Rolling." Bryan replied.

Julie blushed under her brown shin.

They came to a halt at the hotel. Julie took Bryan's offered arm and they strode forward Pharaoh and Queen of all they surveyed. The massive doors swung open to the dance hall and the couple froze. The boys were in suits and the girls were in ball gowns.

"BRYAN!" A boy came running up.

"Bryan. Didn't you get the email with the change in plan?!"

© 8 March 2022

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