Love it or hate it, prom is a milestone for every high school student. Parker Smith was looking forward to the big night, though he knew the night would require a fair amount of preparation. He’d have to rent a tuxedo, buy a corsage and boutonniere, and of course find a date.
But then a monumental pre-prom task fell into his lap. If Parker had any hope of attending his senior prom, he would have to go completely out of his comfort zone and try something he’d never attempted before. The teenager barely had time to sleep!
Like many days after school, Parker Smith and Adrianna Rust hung out one afternoon in 2019. They were best friends, so Parker could tell that something was bugging Adrianna. He just couldn’t figure out what it was.
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Both attended Pendleton High School in Indiana, and the halls were unusually electric that spring. Not the SATs nor the impending summer vacation were the source of this excitement, however. That’s when it hit Parker.
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Their senior prom was just a few weeks away and driving their entire class into a frenzy. Based on what they’d seen in countless movies and TV shows, this dance was bound to be the biggest night of their young lives.
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Parker saw some of his friends ask out their dates with grand, creative gestures. Just being friends with Adrianna, he figured he could simply ask her to go to prom. But there was one problem standing in his way.
Adrianna said that she would love the chance to go to prom with Parker, except that she wasn’t sure if she could make it work. She visited their local mall in search of a formal dress, but each one cost an arm and a leg.
Every garment was simply out of her budget. Disheartened and downtrodden, Adrianna explained her predicament to Parker. She couldn’t buy a prom dress, so she said he might as well go with someone else.
Parker, on the other hand, wasn’t willing to give up so easily. His friend couldn’t afford a new dress, but what if he made one for her? Adrianna, sad as she was, laughed at the idea.
Parker putting together any kind of clothing was a hilarious image. Sure, he’d seen a fair amount of costume design based on his extensive theater experience, but that was the extent of his expertise.
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He was more likely to poke his eye out with a sewing needle than to actually stitch anything together. Adrianna imagined that wearing sweatpants to prom would be preferable to modeling one of Parker’s Frankenstein creations.
Still, Parker was adamant. Taking Adrianna to prom in a dress of his making was now his number-one goal. Throwing all caution at the wind, he was going to make it happen. Of course, Parker couldn’t pull it off on his own.
His grandmother, fortunately, knew her way around a sewing machine. She showed Parker the ropes, though naturally learning this completely new skill would involve a ton of trial and error. He hoped he could pick up the basics in time.
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Every night, Parker honed his craft, burning the midnight oil with the hum of the sewing machine as his only companion. While he made his fair share of mistakes, his homemade dress took shape surprisingly quickly.
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The high school senior found he actually had a talent for fashion, and that dress became his obsession. He couldn’t wait to present the final product to Adrianna, though his perfectionism was holding back other aspects of his life.
Fretting over every detail, Parker sometimes had trouble sleeping because he was thinking about the dress! On the night before, he awoke more inspired than ever before — and decided to make a drastic-last minute addition.
Flickr / Judit Klein
His ideal product would have been studded in diamonds, but in the early hours of the morning, Parker did the next best thing. The budding designer added decorative stones to really make the garment sparkle. It was finally ready.
Adrianna, meanwhile, was totally in the dark about Parker’s creative masterpiece. It wasn’t until the day before prom that she got to see — and try on — the final product. Like Cinderella, she hoped her fairytale would come true.
Once she saw the dress, Adrianna was nothing short of flabbergasted. Parker did this? “Not only did I get the honor of being the Prince Charming,” Parker exclaimed, “but her fairy godmother as well!”
Parker’s first sewing creation became the star attraction of the Pendleton prom. Every student wanted a photo with Adrianna’s glamorous dress, which was worth its weight in gold — despite being virtually free.
But its real value was bringing Parker and Adrianna closer than ever. No matter where they headed after high school, this memorable night would always keep them connected. They were glad to have each other — many other students had to work harder to find the perfect prom date.
