How to Ask Someone to the Senior Prom
It's finally here--your senior year at last. You passed your first-semester courses. SATs and college applications are out of the way. Now it's time for the hard stuff-- you know--the stuff that makes your palms sweat and your stomach queasy. It's time for the prom. You wonder if you can ever get up the nerve to ask that special girl or guy. Or if you finally summon enough courage, if you can find the right words. Most people, even the most reserved and shyest of them, find it easier if they just plunge ahead anyway.
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Instructions
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Write down the date. Make certain you know the correct date, especially if you're asking someone who doesn't attend your school.
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Start saving money. The costs of dinner, tuxedo, prom tickets, limo and flowers add up.
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List your options. Write your list. Put a star by the name of the person you most want to ask. Prioritize your remaining choices. Keep your list handy. Keep it from prying eyes as well.
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Ask early. This is the most important rule of all. Ask before she agrees to go with someone else. Plus, you'll have a better chance of finding another available date if she turns you down. Besides, if you wait too late, she may think you assumed she didn't already have a date and still would be available this close to the prom.
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Approach him at a time when you are less apt to have an unwelcome audience. Catch up with him outside his last class in the afternoon, or when he is alone in the hall or at his locker. You might find him at his part-time job at quitting time or when he's out shopping or pumping gas. Try to lessen the chance that a bell or another person will interrupt your big moment.
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Look up her telephone number. Call her. Dial at a time when she is least likely to be at work, at a friend's house, eating dinner or be out with someone else.
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Write him a note. This may be a last resort. But if your fear of rejection keeps you from asking him face-to-face or voice-to-voice, put those sweaty palms to work and write a letter.
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Give him the letter. Hand it to hers when she's on the way to class. Say, "Here, I wrote you something." By all means, don't mail it to her. Stories where the letter delivery goes awry become best-selling classics because of misplaced letter angst. The prom could be history before you receive an answer.
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Gather the right words. Practice them in the mirror. Or don't practice at all if doing so will paralyze you even further. Look into his eyes, though the floor will do its best to capture your attention instead. At least, aim for his face. Simply say, "I wonder if you'd like to go to the prom with me." "Would you be my date for the prom?" works well, too.
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Accept her answer. If she agrees, then smile and say, "I'll call you later." She probably needs time to think before you press her for any details. Then call her. Everything gets easier then, especially if you've been saving your cash.
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Be gracious if he says, "No." He has a reason for it. He may even still like you. If you've waited too long, he may have already accepted another invitation. This is why you ask early. He could have money issues and not want to divulge them. Proms are expensive, and he may have other plans for those funds. He might also have someone else in mind. If that's the case, leave it to fate, for now. Above all, don't beg. If you can't heed this advice, at least don't let it sound like you're begging. "Is that your final answer?" and an adorable grin work fine. Anything else is too much.
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Get over it. Fate may have had a hand in it. Your ego can survive. You can always ask her out later. For now, go on to number two on your handy list. Rinse and repeat until you achieve results.
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Tips & Warnings
Write or adapt a song and sing it to her. Incorporate the question into the lyrics. Accompany yourself on the guitar. She'll remember you forever.
Asking someone to the prom is not harmful to your health, no matter much it feels like it is. Rate of survival is extremely high. It is rarely terminal.
Resources
- Photo Credit Man stood up for his date image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
