When I was little, I always imagined prom to be the most magical night of my teenage years, a milestone complete with twinkly lights and long sweeping gowns. I would be escorted by my handsome high school sweetheart that I would marry after our second graduation together from college (Georgetown, obviously).

I and my best friends would be on the cusp of adulthood, and with that promise in the air we would dance until past midnight, basking in the glory of our imminent high school graduation. Ah, I can hear the swans in the pond singing even now… Oh wait. No, that’s not a swan song. It’s that question again…

“Are you going to prom?!”

I have heard this inquiry and variations of it demanded to me and my peers no less than 33 times since last Monday. Yes, I have been keeping track (those of you who know me really shouldn’t be surprised). Prom is dominating conversations in the halls, the quad, and the bathroom stalls (for girls, anyway), and every time I hear the word I can’t help but sigh and brace myself for the next 2-20 minute discussion on dates, dresses, transportation, and after parties.

I have no doubts that this year’s prom will be nothing short of fantastic, but really, this topic should not be such a burden. With just over a month until the fateful day, girls are biting their nails waiting to be asked and guys are shrinking under the pressure to ask someone. It doesn’t even matter that the ACT was last Saturday, we’re in the midst of mock AP exams, and the real AP exams are the week before and of prom.

The constant stream of consciousness on all sides, weighing any and every possible prospective date or outfit is getting so old, it actually makes the alternative of dressing up and just going to an after party, (skipping the prom entirely) all the more enticing.

All I’m saying is that prom is supposed to be fun, and while it does require some preparation, that preparation should be fun too, and I think we can all agree that we have much more important things to stress about, especially considering most of the people stressing about it still have next year to go.

So instead of flirting harder than ever and exhausting the topic when we still have four weeks to go, can we please take a breather and let at least a bit of that fairy dust from child fantasies about prom remain in our imaginations? Yes, it may be a rather large sacrifice for some, but something tells me we can handle it.