“What about this one?” my mom asked pulling a long lilac dress from one of the racks at Macys. Looking for my prom dress was a lot harder than I originally thought. I nodded at her, an indication to add it to the row of dresses lined up at the front of a dressing room. The store didn’t have much of my size so my mom and I were basically picking up anything that would fit me, not caring too much about color and style. After numerous trips in and out of the small, crowded dressing room I found it. As I stepped out into the store to look in the three sided mirror, I couldn’t help but smile. The sleek, shiny orange gown’s train swayed behind me and the form fitting dress made me feel elegant and graceful.

Though my boyfriend wouldn’t be too particularly happy with the color, I figured he’d change his mind after seeing me in it. As my mother and I walked out of the store she, for the millionth time mind you, brought up the fact that we haven’t started packing yet. My family was going on a cruise in just a few days and we were all starting to get equally anxious and excited. I was just glad I got my dress before we went on vacation because prom was less than a week after we got back to Rhode Island.

The cruise came and went faster than anything I’ve ever experienced. Between the shows every night, the teen club, being at the beach, and the excursions, there was barely any time to breathe. The excursions were by far the best part of the trip. During one, my family was able to pet and even swim with dolphins, and during another we got to explore “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter”. Almost every night I spent my time at the Blue Lagoon ordering as many appetizers and desserts as I liked, since everything served was both all you can eat and delicious.
My emotions were torn as I stepped into my house. I dreaded school the next morning, yet admitted to myself I was a glad to be able to sleep in my own, comfortable bed tonight. Mere minutes after arriving, I heard a car pull in front of the house. My heartbeat got faster as my boyfriend reached the door and I realized how much I’d missed him. After telling him all about the cruise he mentioned prom, and needing to get the right color tie. I figured I’d rather show him what the dress looked like on me, mainly because I was eager to watch his mouth drop.

Racing upstairs to my bedroom and opening my closet, I tore off the bag covering the silky dress. As I tried slipping into it I sucked in my stomach. The zipper wouldn’t budge. I realized in horror that my so called ideal dress wasn’t going to fit. I hurriedly seized the scale hidden under my bed that I hadn’t touched in the longest time. In shock, I stared at the numbers that shown back at me. I had gained almost ten pounds.

After making something up about having the dress on layaway and losing the picture I had put upstairs, I promised my boyfriend I would send him the exact color of the dress as soon as possible. My eyes started to water the second he left and I dashed toward my mom’s room. I explained what had happened to her and she couldn’t believe it. She understood that I was incredibly upset and told me she’d take the dress to the tailor and see what she could do.

I sat impatiently in the car outside the tailor’s while my mom hurried inside to see if she could make an appointment. I looked up anxiously at her as she opened the car door. As soon as I saw her pitying expression I felt completely deflated. She told me that there were no appointments since prom was so close and everyone needed adjustments. She also stated that there was no way I could lose that much weight in just a few days and we’d have to return the dress and look for a new one.

Even though I was completely exhausted, I didn’t fall right to sleep that night. Prom was around the corner, all the good dresses were gone, and I was sure there was almost nothing in my size anymore. After school the next couple days my mother and I were swamped with work and we ended up going out to find my new dress two days before prom. After a trip to Macy’s, and JC Penny’s in two malls, I had lost all hope.

That’s when I saw it. As we headed out of the mall the most striking, glamorous dress caught my eye. It was in the window of a store called The Deb Shop that I had never been to before. I stood there in awe of how gorgeous it was before hurrying in with my mom. I prayed that they would have my size and after looking twice through the dresses I realized they didn’t. My mom looked at my disappointed face, and then glanced toward the one on display in the window. After checking the back of it, she turned around smiling. It was my size.

I headed toward the dressing room, my mom following close behind. After stepping into it and having her help zipper up the back, I looked at my reflection in astonishment. The shimmering sky blue dress made my eyes pop and it fit like the dress was made specifically for me. It may sound corny, but the girl gazing back at me looked as if she were a princess. This dress was better than my first by far. When I put it on, it made me feel more beautiful than I have ever felt before. It was perfect.