I have no doubt that senior prom was a blast. What with the limo, the dinner, the after- party, the friends, the drinks, the hotels, the equation sums up to one big night of roaring fun.

But one night rings up some major cash spent on preparations; from tickets to hairdos to dresses that cost over 200 dollars, the only thing more excessive about prom is its price tag.

Though I didn’t go, the month before the big day proved interesting in terms of pre-prom conversation and post-prom planning. People were all talking about it regardless of whether they were going or not.

First thing I noticed was that a lot of people are going even though they don’t really care for it; while on the other hand, some aren’t attending though they would love to. The former were either dragged by expectation, their dates, their friends, or a combination of all to show up at the glam fest while inside, they secretly felt indifferent to it all. They just want to get it over with, sort of like an obligation needing to be fulfilled.

The latter, on the other hand, don’t attend due to family rules, lack of dates, friends, or the hefty price tag. But secretly, they are jealous of the whole deal and feel sorry for themselves while excessively mulling over their pitiful lives.

There’s also a third group, who are just indifferent to all the school functions. Prom was just another dance, and the night could be spent having just as much fun someplace else.

Then there’s the money issue. The economics of it all varies in degrees. For the person who’s looked forward to the day since elementary school, ringing up the dough is well worth the magical evening. For the normal kid, it’s a constant juggle between the weight of costs and just how much fun money can buy. Finally, for the poor student, three-digit numbers just can’t be spent on a single-digit night of fun.

It seems to be that guys shoulder the cost more than the girls, what with paying for both tickets, dinner, and whatnot, but a girl’s preparation is much more straining. Shopping for the right dress and accessories, booking manis and pedis and makeup and hair-styling, all of the primp time leads to either fulfillment or frustration.

Prom is just another dance, the same people go who’s always been interested in school dances while others find fun somewhere else. The big magic after all, is just the fact that it’s the last big party of the year, and it’s the only place some people can experience the tux and gown dream.

But one thing I can’t stand is when people excessively push the non-interested into liking it, citing that we will miss out on the biggest day of our lives. When people ask me why I didn’t want to go, no matter what I reply, my answer elicits this pitiful doe-eyed, whining look, like they are so sorry I’m going to miss out on the defining moment of my whole high school career when I deliberately chose no in the first place, well aware of what I’m missing out on.

Well, thankfully, now that prom is over with, everybody can let out a sigh of relief.