Yes, it’s me. Just another victim of a graduation year robbed at the hands of COVID-19. But don’t worry. This isn’t another story of lost opportunities and never fulfilling childhood fantasies. My school made sure we got our send off. So this is the story of my prom, just one year on.
I spent the entirety of my school life at an idyllic boarding school in the countryside of England. The school was small and my grade was only 100 people large. I started at my school at 7 years old, so when the pandemic hit I was distraught at the idea of not being able to celebrate my long awaited graduation with a bang.
March began, we were sent home, and a year of uncertainty followed. Some people went to college, some began to work, most were left with no direction. I went traveling for a year in an attempt to work out exactly what it was I wanted to do.
So when we all got the email that we were being invited back for our send off, it was a mixed bag of emotions. Most of us were excited and game. However, there was also an element of anxiety and apprehension. How much had everyone changed in a year? What were people going to look like? Those friendships that had trailed off were facing a forced resurgence.
I think that we were all interested to see how everyone would act. A one year reunion was a strange middle ground, especially for those coming back from only one year at university. I myself was very nervous. I hadn’t seen most people for a year. I also was moving halfway across the world for college, the next day.
I was lucky to have my friends around me. The year had helped me really realize who those real friends were. So I got myself ready on my own, eagerly awaiting the reunions after only a brief time apart. Everyone was decked out on the day. Fluffed up, fancy and with a best foot forward, my friends and I entered the venue.
We treated schoolmates like celebrities, attempting to keep side glances to a minimum. Attempting to avoid direct eye contact we whimsically whispered as new faces appeared through the all too familiar doorway. Once we were all together, though, the nerves dissolved faster than the bubbles in our glasses of prosecco. Silly stories of our younger selves revealed ripples of belly laughter accompanied by the all too familiar, “Gosh weren’t we stupid.”
The welcome drinks lead us to the ‘after party.’ An old barn adorned with fairy lights and round tables sprinkled with confetti. Dinner turned to drinks and drinks turned to dancing before we knew it. After the guidance of some liquid courage (some needing more courage than others) we found ourselves jumping around to some classic Kool and The Gang and The Beejees.
The anxiety I had felt before had completely melted away and instead, I was happy to be able to celebrate graduation with those who meant the most to me. Of course, there were faces I would have liked to have avoided; people I actively worked to stay away from. But don’t worry, they deserved it, and that is a story for another time (trust me…)
Two years out from my “prom” experience, I can promise that it was something I would never change. I know how lucky I was to get my prom one year on. The thing that made it special was the people around me. They are still the people most important to me. People are what make these experiences special. Not the perfect dress, or the prom nails, or the natural soft curls you spend hours perfecting.