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Last year, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. My girlfriend of seven months wanted to go to the prom and, myself, I've never been the type of person who enjoyed or even liked those types of dressy occasions. In fact, I hated the thought of spending so much money to eat and talk with people I see everyday at school. The worst thing about it all was that I knew that Kristi wanted to go so badly that she would go with a guy friend named Billy if I didn't go with her. She had known Billy her whole life; he's more of a family friend than a guy that would take my girl. Still, she wanted to go so badly that she would rather go with him than spend time with me doing something different. What was I to do?

Well, for first things, there was absolutely no way I was not going to go and have Billy go in my place. That was not an option, so I thought to myself: "What could I think of that would take the place of prom, that Kristi would enjoy as much as I would?" I had an idea.

"Come on, Kristi, you know I really don't want to dress up and go to the prom. All I've ever heard about the prom is how boring it is and how much you're going to regret paying over one hundred bucks for that stupid thing."

"I don't think it will be that bad, Josh. You're making it out to be way worse than it really is. Prom is a big thing to me and I really want to go with someone I care about, not just a friend. You're going with me!"

"Wow. It's not even your senior prom, and, I tell you what--if you go with me to a Detroit Piston's game I'll go with you for your senior year. I promise you that I will."

"Well, I guess we could, seeing that this is your senior year and we should do what you want to do. Then, by next year, I'll be the senior and I will have the say in what we do for prom, ok?"

"Ok. So does this mean we're going then?"
"
Yes, we're going to the Pistons game instead of going to prom."

It wasn't easy, but after some huge begging and praying she finally gave in to replacing prom with my first option of the two--going to a Detroit Pistons playoff game at The Palace of Auburn Hills. I thought I was a genius after she said that would work, because I not only got out of a horrible event but also got her to do something that I loved. It almost worked out perfectly. Vassar's Senior Prom was on a Saturday and the Pistons played Game Two of the New Jersey series on the following Tuesday.

I can't recall exactly what the price of the Pistons tickets was, but it was around forty-five dollars per ticket. The seats were in the upper deck and in the last row in the Palace. I thought seeing the game was going to be impossible because of the distance, but when we finally got to our seats it was like being in heaven. It was amazing, because for the first time I was actually able to watch the team I've loved for years in a playoff game against the Eastern Conference Champs of the prior year.

Once that ball was thrown up at center court for the tip-off, it was all worth it: the drive, the seats, the money, the begging, and mostly the praying that Kristi would have as great a time as if she were at prom--or better, which she did. Everyone in the stands was going fanatical. It was like we were all friends of ten years or better, and none of us knew each other. To my right was a father who had brought his three sons, none over age ten, and to Kristi's left were two guys, maybe in their 20's. In the seats directly below us sat a group of four acquaintances about the same age we were. They were die hard fans like me, so it made the game that much more electrifying.

The Pistons ended up winning by a huge margin, and Kristi told me on the way home that she had never had as much fun with me as she did that night. "It was absolutely amazing, Josh! I've never had so much fun, and I'm so glad that we decided to come here instead of that dull, dreary, and lifeless prom."

"I'm glad you had a great time--now we can come again in a year"

"Oh, yeah."

I was so relieved to know that my plan worked. I got out of a terrifying night and had one of the best nights of my life with someone I care a lot for. Now, my next gigantic challenge is finding a way out of this year's prom because Kristi is still in high school for her senior year, and I told her I'd go to her prom if she would go to the Pistons game with me. Now what do I do?