Prom.

Google defines it as, “a formal dance, held especially by a high school class at the end of an academic year.” Well, Google got one thing right. As the sun set and night sky sparkled, teenagers filled the bombastic halls of the Design Center in San Francisco. Prom is known to be a time to celebrate with your closest friends, a time to throw on a glamorous dress and party afterwards. You could say it’s an evening of expectations, but maybe it’s being thrown into something you don’t know will meet those expectations that makes the evening exciting and a great time.

My date happened to be my best friend. I could look into his eyes, be myself and feel at home. What’s that quote? “Sometimes home isn’t four walls. It’s two eyes and a heartbeat.” For me, the most meaningful thing about prom wasn’t the dresses and photos with people I likely wouldn’t meet again later in life, but getting to spend a night in my best friend’s presence, my boyfriend’s, my home. Even though he got sick. And threw up. And spent most of prom in the bathroom. Like I said, ’twas a great time.

Photography by Anne