Week 5 Story: Al and the Wonderful Promposal
Promposal by P.D.V Photography. Web source: Creative Commons.
It was March of Al's junior year and things were really starting to get crazy. In addition to college entrance exams and application practice, there was was one thing bigger than all of the others- THE PROM.
Everyone who was anyone already had a date to the dance, outfits picked out, and limos rented. Al though, was not taking part in any of this. He was quiet and mostly spent time hanging out with his best friend, Genie.
One day as Al dropped his books off at his locker, he caught a Glimpse of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He knew that he had never seen her before, and assumed that she was a new student.
"I know who I'm going to ask to prom," said Al to Genie.
"What do you mean? We're not going to prom," said Genie.
"I've just seen the most beautiful girl, and I know that I have to ask her", Al replied.
Genie rolled his eyes, but immediately began helping Al come up with the most elaborate promposal that their school had ever seen. He also went on a mission to find out the new girl's name, because that might be important to know when asking someone out.
The girl's name was Jazz, and she had just moved there from out of state.
Lunch finally came on the day that Al was going to ask her that life-changing question- Will you go to prom with me?
Genie helped Al get into a prince costume and and line up the marching band members who agreed to be a part of the spectacle.
As Al and his posse burst into the cafeteria, they realized that there was already someone else asking Jazz to the prom, and she had already said yes to him.
Al was devastated, he immediately ran out of the cafeteria, humiliated, and began to cry. Genie tried to console him.
"It's okay, man" Genie said. "She already got asked and we have to respect her choices. We can still go to the dance and have a lot of fun."
Al looked up, shocked.
"You're going to go to the prom?" Al said shocked.
"Anything for my best friend," Genie said.
The two friends went to prom together and had the time of their lives. Al saw Jazz and her date there and was genuinely glad to see that they were having a good time.
Al learned that sometimes you put yourself out there and things don't work out, and that's okay. With great and loyal friends like Genie, things are never bad for that long.
Author's note
This retelling is based on a small part of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp. The original story follows Aladdin and his first few years with a magical lamp and a genie. When he catches a glimpse of the princess, he immediately falls in love with her and decides that he must marry her. After a deal goes wrong with the Sultan, the princess get married off to another man. Aladdin uses his magical friend the genie to kidnap the princess and her new husband in order to convince her that they will be together. I made my version take place in a modern day high school, and instead of trying to "win" the princess in marriage, Aladdin, Al, is trying to ask a new student to the prom. Genie is just a human in this story, who is best friends with Al. In my version, I also have completely eliminated the dad giving his daughter away to be married and the kidnapping.This story wraps up at the prom, but the original work goes on for many more parts beyond the kidnapping of the princess.
Bibliography
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Part 2 from The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang. Web source: The UnTextbook.
ReplyDeleteHi Jacqueline! First, let me just say your story was so fun and lighthearted while still following closely with the story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp. When I first saw this story title, I really had no idea what it could be similar to in mythology and folklore. As I started reading, I really enjoyed your characters names and descriptions, they were subtle but noticeable enough to give you an idea that this could be Aladdin. Did you consider adding a twist to the story? Something along the lines of Al bumping into Jazz, then Jazz being curious who Al was? You might want to add a short backstory to the other guy that ended up asking Jazz, maybe he could turn out being rude and Al would get to go to prom with Jazz in the end. This story is so well written and light that you have endless options of where to take this story if you chose to rewrite or do something similar. I cannot wait to read more from you!
Hey Jacqueline! I love how you did a modern take on Aladdin! This story was so fun for me to read and made me realize how far away prom feels for me now. I also thought that you did a good job keeping the language sound the same, I could picture all of the dialogue in Aladdin's voice even. I also liked that it ended with such a positive lesson about good friends and things working out the way they're supposed to. I wonder what would've happened if Jazz hadn't been asked by someone else? Would she have said yes to Al? How would they're night have gone? My one suggestion would be to just make a sequel to this! Maybe they meet some other way, after the prom? Or maybe the night takes a turn for the better for them? I would love to read it, I thought this was super cute and a fun take on Aladdin.
ReplyDeleteHi Jacqueline! This is Genie speaking. Thank you for showing how much I care about Al. Even though I did not really want to go to the prom, I went because I wanted to support my best friend. Even though sometimes Al is shy, I was try to bring him outside of his shell and make him do things that could be outside of his comfort zone. I wish I could have told them how Al and I originally met, how we became such good friends, and how long we had been friend for. I think that background story could have helped explain why I was always trying to do everything in my power to make Al happy. Also, I like how you showed how wise I am! You explained how I told Al that I had we had to respect Jazz's choices, even if was extremely hard. How did I become so wise? Furthermore, why do I always give good advice?
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