The senior prom. It had been all that Natalie could think about when she returned to school in September to begin her senior year. She often day-dreamed of what it would be and feel like walking into the banquet hall dressed to to the max, with hair and make-up having been done by a professional that offered to come to her house for a small fee and perform these final tasks. Robby of course would be on her arm as she and Robbie had been friends since childhood.

They were Batman and Batgirl, Tarzan and Jane, Steed and Mrs. Peele and any other male and female duet you could name. They rode their dirt bikes, fished, played baseball and hiked in the park. They shared their first kiss at sixteen and from that moment on they were designated a couple by the hierarchy of the popular students. In any class they had together that required partners for a project or an outing they always sought out each other out.

Oh, they had their little spats, like the time she caught him staring at another girls chest.

"Hey, I got boobies too," she said and would thrust them toward him.

She was always rewarded by his blushing and stammering an apology. He never tried to grope her uninvited as the other girls said their boyfriends did. Robbie was a gentleman and when she allowed him to touch her on occasion he was very respectful but she never realized it until it was too late. It was right before the Christmas break that everything changed. That's when Chad transferred in from another district and Natalie was blown away.

Chad was unlike any male in her school as he looked and dressed like a rock star. Since they were assigned to the same homeroom and study hall she took it upon herself to show him around and bring up up to date on the local gossip. He flirted with her and she with him and Robbie was not happy about it and voiced it to her. Her response stunned him.

"Hey, you don't own me," she said.

They began to drift apart much to the surprise of her friends and even some of the girls she was not tight with told her that she had making a mistake. She ignored them all and it seemed that she and Chad seemed connected at the hip. It was after gym class that one her closest friends approached her asked her if she had a problem with her hanging out with Rob.

"Knock yourself out," she responded.

Her friend Darlene wasted no time in approaching Robbie during lunch and chatting with him. Soon they were seen everywhere together in and outside of school.

Then came the Christmas party on the first weekend that they were out of school and she and Chad attended as a couple and it was a mistake. Alcohol was always forbidden at these parties and despite the fact the hostesses parents were home he brought a bottle and hid a bottle outside.

The evening started out fine. They laughed, danced and talked about the upcoming prom. Chad would disappear outside occasionally to imbibe from his hidden stash and return with his breath smelling like cheap wine. Then the problems started and it seemed he just could not keep his hands off her and she seemed to spend most her time preventing his hand from sliding under her skirt or grabbing at her breasts.

Unlike Robby he didn't wait to be invited, he just grabbed.

"No matter what you think I'm a virgin," she told him in a hushed voice.

"I can fix that," he responded.

"I'm not interested."

"I figured you were that's why you broke it off with that goody two shoes."

"You figured wrong."

"Then what good are you," he retorted angrily.

She stood up to leave and he grabbed the waistband of her skirt and pulled her back down on the couch and as soon was seated again he was on her. One hand was on her breast while he glued his mouth to hers and attempted to insert his tongue as his other hand started another journey under her skirt.

She crossed her legs hard and sandwiched his hand between her knees and bit his tongue. He released her with a curse and she scrambled off the couch. As she forcefully lunched forward his hands grabbed at her skirts waistband again and attempted to pull her back. This time the stress was too much for the garments zipper and stitching and it ripped and puddled to the floor.

Thankfully she had listened to her Mother and began to wear a half slips under her skirts so she wasn't standing there in just her pantyhose. She ran for the door and Chad's attempt to follow was blocked by the boyfriend of one of her friends who had witnessed the whole incident. She flew out the door and was two houses away when she heard her name being called, it was her friend Stephanie who threw the party at her parent house.

She had been unaware of the growing problems between her friend and Chad. She handed Natalie her torn skirt and they held each other as Natalie cried. Stephanie had told her parents that one of the boys had been drinking when she returned and his parents were called. She honored her friends wishes and did not mention what had happened to Natalie.

Natalie managed to slip unseen into the house and head for her room. She buried her head in her pillows and had another good cry. Late in the Evening when sleep avoided her she repaired her torn skirt so her Mom would not see it and question what caused the damage.

The senior prom was now a faded dream as far as she was concerned. Christmas vacation ended and school resumed and she saw Chad everyday in homeroom and study hall and the creep didn't even attempt to apologize for his actions. The months passed and soon all the seniors were making their final prom preparations, all the seniors except Natalie as she refused to attend.

Her friends tried to change her mind and convince her to put her name on the list in the office of senior girls that had no prom date and she flatly refused. The graduation ceremony arrived and she managed to smile as she walked proudly across the stage and receive her diploma.

There were hugs and kisses along with best wishes after the ceremony along with yearbook signing before she headed home. The Afternoon of the Evening of the prom while her friends readied themselves Natalie stayed in her room watching TV.

She looked lovingly at the black sheath prom dress hanging in her closet. It had purchased from the money she had been saving from her part time job and she shed a silent tear.

Her parents had planned to stay home if she had attended the prom to wait up for her. Now she bade them to go out as they usually did on Friday nights.

"You don't need to sit home and hold my hand," she told them.

It was about a half an hour after they had gone that the black limousine pulled to the end of the driveway and a female exited and headed for the house. As the female approached the house she was illuminated by the pole light and Natalie could see that it was her friend Darlene. She was dressed for the prom and looked absolutely stunning. Natalie opened the door and stood there until her friend reached the screen door.

"Did you come to rub it in?, " Natalie asked.

"No, to tell you that Robbie is not my date."

"What?"

"I asked but he had no interest in going with me."

"Really."

Yes really and rumor has it that he is also at home alone."

She gave her friend a hug and kiss and as soon as the limo pulled away she headed upstairs. She showered and afterwards spent a serious amount of time doing her hair and make-up. It wouldn't be as good as the professional she would have paid to do it, but it wasn't bad. She then donned her prom dress and slipped on her heels.

She walked the ten houses down to Robby's door where she rang the door bell and waited. The door finally opened and there stood Robby staring at her. The expression on his face confirmed that she looked as good as she thought she did.

"No prom date?" he asked.

"No."

"Why is that?"

"There was only one person I wanted to go with and I screwed it up."

"What about you?" she questioned.
"There was only one person I wanted to go with but it didn't work out."

He invited her in and she took a seat on the couch.

"Would you please excuse me?" he asked.

He then disappeared and returned about ten minutes clad in a beautiful fitting tux and he carried two cans of Coke and handed her one.

"Wow, you look great," she said showing a big smile.

"I purchased this on line about six months ago and couldn't send it back."

She told him what had happened at the party and was in the process of starting to cry again when he took her in his arms and kissed her.

"We could crash the prom," he suggested.

"No, I'd rather stay here with you."

Pizza was ordered and he dug out the candles that his Mom kept for special occasions placed them in the ornate candle holders and lit them. He used the timed shutter on his Dad's camera and took a picture of them standing in from of the living room drapes.

They dined on pizza and spent the rest cuddled on the couch watching some movies from his DVD collection and fell asleep inn each others arms and that's how Robby's parents found them. They called Natalie's parents to let them know where she was less they begin to worry.

They decided to let her stay and that was all right with them. It was a great beginning to an ending.