Now that prom is within the one-month marker, all the details are coming together.  You’ve probably bought your dress or matched your tie to your date’s attire, flowers and limos are ordered, and possible dinner locations are being discussed.  The only prom-blem? yes, that’s a prom problem, trying to wade through all the drama of building a prom group.

This couple likes this person but not his date, these two friends are going together but they’re leaving out her best friend, these people went to ring dance in a group but half of them hate the other half now.  Prom group drama is turning the senior class inside out, mixing together people that regularly wouldn’t speak to each other in the halls, and not in the 80’s movie kumbaya way.  People that lead the prom groups are frantically snagging couples from other groups, luring in pretty people to fill their pictures, or splintering off into their own new groups that include a third of other people’s established crews.  The prom group drama is making us all forget what prom is really about: everyone coming together for their final dance.

So if anyone out there is in the same boat, which is presumptively the entire senior class save a few lucky Monarchs that are secure with their friends, here are a few ways to combat being sucked into the last piece of high school drama… until graduation parties arise.

Communicate.

Talk to your close friends, you know, the ones you spend time with when you’re not shaking hands and kissing babies to get into the “cool prom group,” and find out what their plans are.  If you have a small group of friends, try to get together -dates included- and see if you all want the same kind of prom experience.  Do you all want the classic picture/dinner/dance combo?  Are some of you more party people?  Do some of you want to join an entirely new crowd for prom?  Talking to each other is a good way to prevent friends from telling one person one thing, and then texting someone else with different information.  The best part about prom is getting to be with your friends but in fancy and uncomfortable clothing; keep this in mind when forming your prom group.

Merge.

If you don’t have a group of friends that you particularly want to go with, go with your date’s friends.  It happens all the time and you’ll get to hang out with people you don’t usually see.  Plus, if your date isn’t a person that’s a frequent member of your crew, it’ll make him or her really comfortable to be with their friends.  In the end, your prom group isn’t binding.  These are the people you eat a meal with, ride with, and take pictures with.  Though that sounds like nearly everything, it’s not.  All the pre-prom stuff is just the appetizer for the night’s main course and dessert: prom and afterprom.  So don’t stress if you think you don’t know the people in your group well enough because they’re your date’s friends or your small group was sucked up by a larger prom group conglomerate; you won’t be with them all night unless you want to be.

Investigate.

Do neither you nor your date have a group in mind? Perfect! You’re now free agents.  There are tons of groups looking for couples to add in.  After all, it’s pretty much all about the pictures anyway, and groups are hungry for more people to add to the long line of boys with boutonnieres awkwardly holding their dates’ waists.  More people=more likes, and that’s basically what it boils down to.  If you and your date -or just you if you want to go stag- don’t have a group, just ask around.  Chances are, there’s a group that needs someone else to help bring down limo prices or wants to replace a few people that jumped ship late in the game.  The key is to know that you/you and your date are a commodity; this confidence will help in finding a group with open manicured and corsaged arms.

In the end, don’t let the hassle of picking a group keep you from going to prom and having a great time.  Despite all the madness, secret texts, and switching teams that’s happening right now, prom will find a way of working itself out, and in the end: you’ll get there.  Even if it’s without a group, in a car, on the way to the Marriott, all the fun will come at the dance and at afterprom.  Because really, what’s more fun than sweaty dancing and riding a mechanical bull at 4 a.m.?