It didn’t happen all at once.
First, the texts went quiet—
then the group chats moved without me.
I kept pretending it was fine,
like maybe they were just busy,
like maybe I wasn’t the one being left behind.
They smiled in selfies
I wasn’t asked to be in.
They danced in circles
I was never invited to.
And as the flashbulbs popped,
and laughter echoed from bathrooms and booths,
I stood still.
Like furniture.
Like filler.
When I saw him with her,
it wasn’t even about him.
He was just
the final
shove.
And there I was—
crying in my prom dress,
not because I was heartbroken
but because
I finally saw the truth:
I wasn’t part of it anymore.
Maybe I never was.
Author’s Note:
Based on my actual prom night where I was ignored and excluded by the majority of my “friends”, I then saw the guy who was a large part of the reason I had lost my friends in the first place be with another girl made me realize I had truly lost everyone and the reason my prom dress now has tear stains.
Ashlie DiCarlo | 18 | Vernon Hills, IL | @ashlie.dicarlo on Instagram
