a lot of preparation goes into the prom. guys go out and get fitted for tuxedos, girls spent large sums on a new dress; each gets the other a flower of some sort. once she answers the door, finding him fidgetting on her doorstep, they will slip into the role of the archetypal prom couple. they are no longer themselves, they are their expectations. some do not attend the prom, a small minority. they don't care, or they can't get dates, or both. so they sit at home and play Boggle, or hide in their rooms and tell themselves that it doesn't matter. we are, each and every day, attending the prom. how many more trips to the punch bowl can you make, how many more times can you excuse yourself to the powder room, before your date sees through your facade?