Prom Spot - Q&A: Prom Dates: What If He Stands Me Up?

Q. I've heard horror stories about girls being dumped the night of the prom. What do I do if my date stands me up?!

A. Being stood up is every girl's worst nightmare -- let's hope it never happens to you! But if, worst case scenario, it does, stay calm. Under no circumstances should you throw a fit in your new dress (after all, you'll probably have to wear it later).

If you haven't already, try to contact your date. Email, page, call -- anything and everything to track him down. After all, there may be some kind of emergency. If an hour goes by without a word, it's time to face facts: your date is a no-show. All the waiting in the world won't make a dent of difference. It's up to you. Spend the rest of the night retouching your makeup, or come up with a new game plan.

If you're at a loss for what to do next, enlist the aid of a few trusted friends. Tell them what happened and ask for advice. The same goes for your parents. Talk to them. The more open you are now, the less embarrassed you'll be later. Once you've talked the whole thing out of your system, you'll need to make a key decision. Will you let the creep ruin your night or are you ready to salvage the evening by going solo? Remember, there's no right or wrong decision. And don't forget that if you do decide to go by yourself, it's not like you'll be completely on your own -- your BFFs will all still be there!

Finally, don't get down on yourself. Everyone's been stood up at some point. The only person who should feel bad is your lousy ex-prom date. So say good riddance and be happy you didn't spend your prom with someone so unworthy.