Magdalena wasn’t exactly sure how prom was supposed to work. Kareem had asked her to go “as friends,” and then a few days later, before prom rolled around, he asked her to become his girlfriend. So, did that mean they were here as a couple, or were they here as friends?
It was all very confusing.
She found him sitting at the table with the school celebrity, who was some sort of actress or SimTok star, or something, and Principal Abe.
“So, Kareem, your last prom,” said Principal Abe. “What are your plans after graduation?”
Wait, what?
Kareem was graduating?
“You’re graduating?” she asked him.
“Yeah,” he replied, “you knew I was a senior, right?”
“Yes, I guess. I just didn’t put it together that that meant you’d be graduating three years ahead of me.”
“”We’ll just have to make the best memories,” he said. “Besides it’s not like I’m going anywhere. I’ll still be your boyfriend. It’s just that… it won’t be legal!”
He laughed.
But they had a great time at prom. They took a romantic photo together. They talked. They danced. She only saw him, and he, it seemed, only saw her.
And then, Kareem got elected Prom Royalty! And her friend, the one who was always sad, whom she was always consoling, was elected Prom Jester!
She got to dance with the Prom Royalty. It was like a fairy tale.
In fact, maybe it was. How could she be sure that this was really happening, and she wasn’t just dreaming it?
She closed her eyes to imagine what it would look like if it were her daydream. And when she opened them, she knew it had to be real, because there was no way she’d imagine a bathroom door, let alone an all-gender one. Come to think of it, her imagination never contained brick walls, either. Gold and silver, maybe, but brick? Nope.
There was some kind of drama at the after party, but Kareem didn’t seem to mind, and Magdalena didn’t bother figuring it out.
She had more important things to do, like listen to her boyfriend brag about his new crown. He really did look royal.
Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology 