Prom Night | Teen Ink

Prom Night

February 20, 2009
By Samarie GOLD, Princeton, New Jersey
Samarie GOLD, Princeton, New Jersey
14 articles 0 photos 1 comment

The night took a turn for the better when she walked in
Bedraggled from the late spring mist
Skinny jeans and a borrowed hoodie
The hood was up, but her face was unforgettable
With the most peculiar smile
Full of emotion, but hindered by a subtle touch of grief
Those green eyes burning

It is an evening full of bad basement parties
She is the girl they all don't know
Friend of friends, tagging along for just tonight
She keeps her smile quiet, and still so strange
Because there must have been something in the poignant way
It barely reaches her eyes, round with exhaustion
Enough was enough for her, and he can tell

Then she sits down beside him
Crossing her legs at the knee
He meets her eyes dead center when she glances his way
It's after twelve, he's still stone sober
The friends are all burning and drinking and sweating
But the two clear minds hold fast to the glance
What in the world is she doing here?

Tonight is prom night
Back at home she says
And this explains her appearance tonight
He thinks, she's hoping for anything
That could get her out of there
And away from whoever made
Her smile so damn sad

No date? he tries playing on the tender place
Backfires, of course she'd be there if she had a date
And it gives him such a sickening feeling thinking
Of all the ugly girls with their faces made-up
Lounging with their legs open
While the effortlessly pretty girls all sit alone
Always so routinely heartbroken

Their eyes locked, his conscience starts:
Are you willing to allow yourself
To let her work out her frustrations on you?
To kiss you, hold you, stroke your face with her palm
As she sighs and pretends you're somebody else?
And then he thinks about her all alone
There in the basement on prom night

It's been too long since she's kissed like this
The passion she shared with the one who's still killing her
Is dead and buried beyond in the past
She hardly remembers what it's like
To feel this surge, a mass of tongues, teeth, tissues
Hands touching, breathing, lips catching
Eyes closed, the moment transcending

So who is this girl, where has she been?
It all doesn't seem to matter, unimaginable
She should be in the palest pink floorlength
That boy on her arm, corsages and photographs
Instead she's here, with tears in her eyes
Indulging on her desire to forget it all
He was just there, the right place, the right time

In the basement on prom night is a girl who doesn't belong
Who still deserves the absolute best
He pulls away after minutes, an hour?
Withdrawing her face, averting the gaze
Don't forget about me, he sighs getting up
She leans her head back and clenches her eyes
Of course she won't forget you, you're somebody else


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