When I was in high school, my prom was a bit of a non-event. I had actually asked a guy friend from another school to go with me, who backed out at the last minute (quite literally – he backed out the night I was waiting for him to turn up). I still went with a group of friends, and in what felt like both abject humiliation and youthful defiance, brought a blow up parrot as my “date.” Yes, you read that right. Prom photos and all! Although I remember having a good time, there is a part of me…