Awkward Moment
“Are you ready?” he asked. She wasn’t, but he began to unfold his “master creation” anyway.
She caught a glimpse of blue and saw the layers and layers of tulle and covered her face with her hands. She had not asked for this, but he’d gone ahead and done it anyway. All she could do was cry and cry.
Best Friends
When best friends Parker Smith and Addi Rust decided to go to Pendleton High School’s senior prom together, she felt like a character in a movie.
After she said “yes”, her mind was racing with all the things she had to do to get ready and, of course, one burning question had her giddy with excitement -- what was she going to wear? But she had no idea the level of drama a simple prom dress would create.
Excitement
Addi knew this would be the most important night of her young life, and she was going to revel in every minute of the build-up.
She and her friends even went to an expensive dress store to try on some gowns. They didn’t even care about the snooty looks from the sales assistants who knew she couldn’t afford it. Addi was just happy to be going to prom; she didn’t think it was that important to have a designer dress. But, as she would soon learn, it was very important to someone.
Crushed Dreams
Addi knew she could never afford anything from a store like this. Sometimes she felt ashamed going in there knowing her family didn’t have that kind of money.
But the fantasy of walking up to the register and paying for such a beautiful prom dress just gave her butterflies in her stomach. She settled for something more affordable from the mall and started saving. But when her date found out about the cheap dress she was planning to wear, he put his foot down.
Overstepping Boundaries
Addi knew Parker had high standards. And, after years of being best friends, she was all-too-aware of his stubborn streak.
But with the big day just weeks away, she knew she had to make a decision on the dress and chose a perfectly nice one that she would be able to save up for in time. But when she told Parker about it, he demanded to see the dress first.
Breaking Tradition
Usually, it’s tradition for boys to wait at the bottom of the stairs to watch their date come down for their first glimpse of the dress.
But considering himself a fashion guru, Parker insisted on knowing exactly how the girl he would be taking to prom was going to look. And he wasn’t happy that she’d chosen such a cheap dress.
"I Could Do That!"
When Parker saw the dress Addi intended to wear, he absolutely hated it. “I could sew a better one myself,” he cried.
Addi had been so excited for the senior prom, but now she didn’t even want to leave her room. Little she know, when Parker said that he thought he could do a better job than a professional dressmaker, he meant it.
Anxiety
Parker didn’t know the first thing about dressmaking, let alone how to even sew!
The thought of Parker making the dress that she was supposed to wear on her big night made Addi want to curl up into a ball and cry. Why was he being so stubborn? She knew Parker. There must be a reason. Was he trying to ruin prom for her?
Adamant
To make matters worse, Addi wasn’t allowed to see the dress that Parker was creating until the big day. But he was still adamant that she wasn’t wearing the cheap dress she’d picked out.
She had sleepless nights about what monstrosity he was about to force her to wear. What if it didn’t fit properly? What if it was hideous? She’d surely become the laughing stock of the entire school!
The Day Arrives
On the day of the prom, Addi was sitting on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest, feeling like there was nothing special about her.
It turned out that her prom dreams were just that: dreams. Waiting for Parker to reveal his homemade dress to her was absolute agony. Maybe she should just call the whole thing off? But before she could text him, the doorbell rang.
Changing Her Mind
It was Parker. Addi called down to her parents, insisting that she’d changed her mind. She had decided that she wasn’t going to prom at all.
Eventually, her dad came up and asked if he could come in. Allowing him to sit on her bed, her dad explained that she should hear Parker out. Addi agreed to come down, but before she knew it, she was in floods of tears again.
The Big Reveal
Parker began to take the DIY prom dress out from its protective packaging and Addi cringed.
Trying not to show that she was crumbling inside, she cracked a smile. “Are you ready?” he asked. Preparing herself for the worst, she nodded her head. But she could never have prepared for this. All she could do was cry and cry. was this some kind of joke?
Hard At Work
You see, Parker had been hard at work for the last few weeks. He had sketched out the dress that Addi had loved so much.
His grandmother sat with him for hours, teaching him how to sew. He had completely remade the dress several times, just to make sure that it was perfect. But when Addi finally saw it, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Dedicated
Parker has never wanted Addi to wear the cheaper dress because he wanted her to have the one she fell in love with at the designer store. But unable to pay for it, Parker had made the beautiful dress himself for a fraction of the cost.
The theatre student -- with a little help from grandma -- spent night after night sewing together a gown that would make his date feel as special as he knew she was. And the way he did it was quite ingenious.
Exceeding Her Expectations
Instead of the studded crystals that the dress in the designer store had, Parker added decorative stones to make the dress sparkle.
He’d picked out material that matched the color of the original dress perfectly -- a gorgeous sky blue. He’d added layers of tulle to the skirt to give it body. The finished product exceeded all of Addi’s wildest expectations.
Blown Away
Addi was so blown away that she took to Twitter to tell everyone about Parker’s amazing feat.
‘Taking a minute to brag on this man because I think this is the coolest thing that I’ve ever been a part of. Parker MADE my prom dress,’ she wrote, ‘Straight from scratch did the whole thing and I am still speechless. I’m so lucky to have him as my best friend!’
She Loved It!
Addi couldn’t believe that Parker would go to such great lengths to make her happy. “I absolutely loved the dress,” She said.
“And it grew our friendship more than ever. I was so proud of him and so blessed to be able to call him my best friend. He’s so talented!” But Addi wasn’t the only one with a magical feeling inside.
His First Sewing Project
Parker also took to Twitter to share his experience: ‘Quite a journey, but the first thing I’ve ever sewn (a prom dress) has been finished, just in time for the ball,’ he wrote.
‘Not only did I get the honor of being the Prince Charming to the beautiful @AddiRust, but her fairy godmother as well, haha! I’m so thankful for her. (From scratch).”
Happily Ever After
Parker was pleased about the opportunity to work on Addi’s dress and realized what he was capable of, opening the door for a future as a fashion designer.
Soon after word got out about his stunning creation, he was asked to create gowns for the theater community -- on the production of none other than Cinderella!
Making A Career
Parker’s friend Gracie Bertram, who played Cinderella in the production, shared how beautifully the costumes that Parker had created for her turned out.
‘Can we appreciate my best friend for a moment. He made both of these dresses BY HIMSELF FROM SCRATCH and look how gorgeous they turned out,’ she wrote. ‘You are truly remarkable and I’m so proud of EVERYTHING you do.’