Camels, queens and other things
November 20, 2008 – 8:00 amWhen I heard I was nominated for top 5 I couldn’t believe it. Being a homecoming princess was something you usually only expect in movies. I was completely flabbergasted. After dancing in the homecoming float every year before, finishing out high school as a princess could not have made me any happier. I had counted the endless amount of ballots (for the last time, it’s not rigged) and watched court participate in insane activities and events every year. Now I was a part of it.
I had to find a gown first. Every girl dreams of that beautiful floor-length gown – the one that turns heads and steals the show. There was no way I was going to the mall with all this homecoming jazz so I started looking for gowns online.
I was on my fifth website and decently frustrated when I saw it: a stunning lime green backless silk gown with a mermaid train following behind. It was to die for.
After pleading with my parents, they forked over the credit card. Things were great until the package arrived in the mail the Monday before the game. I grabbed the box from the porch and booked it up the stairs. In the next three minutes I went from being excited to disappointed to insanely panicked. The dress was for a walrus, not a girl. Three of me could have fit in it.
Within minutes I was in my perpetually crayon-scented Jetta driving to the Mission Mall. I had two hours to find a comparable dress. Pressed for time between AP classes and helping with homecoming, I was desperate.
The mall closed in a half hour and I was on the last of several dresses I had dragged into the dressing room at BCBG. Any sense of hope I had was completely gone.
I half-heartedly slipped on the last dress and looked in the mirror not expecting much. It was perfect. The backless flowing blue fabric with its gorgeous detailing fit me flawlessly. I put the dress on hold and sped home to once again persuade my parents. After already asking my parents for so much stuff that crazy week I wasn’t surprised when they weren’t too willing.
The next day I was sitting in my sixth period when my phone buzzed. The text said “Got the dress. It’s too tight on me. Love Dad.” I couldn’t sit still. When the bell rang, I got home as soon as humanly possible.
There it was in all its glory sprawled out on my bed – one less thing I had to worry about.
Friday rolled around and, after primping, I got to school to hang out with the other princesses and their dads. It was a blast: Liz Allison, Jessi Arman, Dana Spencer, Amanda Ross, and I in full-length ball gowns with our parents…and camels – pretty memorable. As halftime approached, we all grew nervous for good reason.
If you didn’t know, camels are massive. Incredibly massive. Try sitting on top of one. It’s so ungraceful it’s almost pathetic. Despite practice, we were convinced we all were going to eat it in front of thousands of people.
The original plan was for the first camel to circle back around and get that last girl, which happened to be me (just my luck), and then bring her up, but as the trainer so graciously decided to share with us five minutes before, camels tend to buck when they are separated from each other. I hyperventilated for a good minute.
I was going to go flying off some grizzly animal, in a dress, in front of everyone I knew. Fantastic. Our activities commissioners realized this was a problem and Amanda, the amazing person she is, shared her camel with me so I would not face certain death. We were good to go.
As the senior float winded down, I took a deep breath. With my dad at my side (a good many feet below me) and Amanda next to me for emotional support, the camels started to go right in time with the music. The ensuing few minutes were some of the most adrenaline-filled-smile-until-your-face-is-going-to-fall-off-but-keep-smiling-because-you’re-so-ecstatic minutes I’ve ever experienced.
Hearing the girls’ bios played, waving to all of my friends, and walking down the red carpet, dad at my side, was so surreal. And then it was time, the huge moment: DANA SPENCER! We all jumped on top of her and screamed as loud as we could.
Time seemed to stand still. Exiting the field was a blur. As soon as I got off, I was jumped on by my screaming, laughing, crying friends.
Despite obstacles, being a 2008 homecoming princess was unforgettable. Dress fiascos, probable embarrassment, stress, certain camel-induced death – whatever it was, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
By Taylor Kilbride, Guest Writer
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