Prom night is full of expectations and sometimes complete left turns. Hear from this year’s Fringe models on how they fared during the “best night” of high school.

KINDI FREY, CAS junior

Prom was awesome. I got to wear a tuxedo for the first time and go with the girl I had a crush on for the entire year — cheesy, I know. Two of my friends decided to flex and rent a limo for us and our dates, and we popped champagne during the ride. The only issue was that my friend’s cousin was driving the car. I thought I’d never make it to prom alive.

GEORGE MATSUO, CAS junior

My prom was at The Fonda Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. All I remember is a bunch of kids getting thrown out for sneaking in drugs or showing up plastered. They had free donuts, but the music sucked. The after-party was a good time.

CAIRA BLACKWELL, Gallatin senior

I didn’t want to go to prom, but I was expected to anyway. My parents threatened to make my cousin take me if I didn’t agree to go with a boy — any boy — from school. So I went. The best part was leaving. My date, male best friend and I sped down the highway in my dad’s sports car with all the windows down as music blasted and my hair flew everywhere. I dropped them off at a party and made it blissfully home by midnight.

TICKLE MHLAMBISO, Tisch first-year

Buried beneath the blinding light of the chandelier hid an unpleasant surprise. My date stood bathed in light as the music vibrated beneath our feet, hips trying to match mine but they were unmatched. Hiding behind this perfect facade stood a man with deeply rooted prejudices — he was a racist. But nothing could stop me from shining that night. My eyelids coated in gold and my lips ruby red, I swept the crowd as I walked.

THOMAS PAPARELLA, Steinhardt junior

A bunch of my friends were supposed to get white dinner jackets with me to change things up. I was the only one who showed up with a white dinner jacket and frankly, I looked like a proper fool. I spilled a mysterious beverage on it even before I got to the prom. Sad.

IMANI ARNETT, Tisch sophomore

I’d like to think of it as an overdressed homecoming, a horrible DJ, “eh” food and all eyes on you. It was the day I realized we were all five-year-olds pretending to be 23. This event was nothing like what we observe in the movies, but somehow magical in its own right. I managed to spend over $2,000 on makeup, hair, nails, hair accessories, body lava, a dress, a dress tailor, mink lashes and jewelry simply for three hours of buffoonery. But I’d do it all once more.