One bright and sunny day, Andy Taylor was sitting behind his desk when the door to the sheriff's office opened. He looked up and saw his seventeen – year – old son, Opie walk in.
"Hi, Pa!" Opie greeted him breathlessly.
"Hi, Op. Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Andy asked him.
"It's okay, Pa. It's only lunch."
"Pa?"
"Yes, Son?"
"What is the prom?" Opie asked.
That was when Deputy Barney Fife came in from the back room.
"What is the prom? That is the silliest question I ever heard," Barney said.
"Don't you think that's a silly question, Ange?"
"I do, Barney, but Opie's a junior this year. Op, are you saying it's time for the prom?"
"Yes, Pa. What is the prom?"
"The prom is when you get all dressed up and dance with a pretty girl. You can take her out to dinner before the prom. The thing about the prom is that the boys have to give the girls corsages," Barney explained.
"Did you go to the prom, Barney?" Opie asked.
"What makes you think that? Of course I did. I took a cheerleader with me on my senior prom. I missed my junior prom."
"What about you, Pa? Did you go?" Opie asked.
"No. One year I went sick with the flu and Aunt Bee took care of me. The other year the girl I was seeing had to go on vacation so that's why I missed both years and couldn't go with Barney," Andy said.
"When I went on my senior year, Op, my date and I were named King and Queen," Barney said.
"What are King and Queen?" Opie asked.
"Just something they do. I'm not sure why they do that," Barney said.
"Oh. Maybe I will ask Cassie if she wants to go with me. Thanks, Barney."
With that, Opie was gone. Barney laughed the minute Opie slammed the door behind himself.
"What is the prom? I've never heard such a question before," Barney said laughingly.
Later that day, Opie saw his girlfriend, Cassie. Cassie heard him call.
"Hi, Opie."
"I have something I want to ask you," Opie said.
He felt a bit nervous.
"What do you have to ask me?" Cassie asked.
"Do you want to go to the prom with me?" Opie asked.
"I'd love to, but I can't. I have to baby – sit that night. Maybe next year."
"We can do something else if not the prom," Opie said.
"Okay. You can still go to the prom without me," she told him.
"I don't think I will. It won't be any fun without you," he told her.
That day, Opie skipped football practice. After school, Opie drove to the abode and headed straight to his bedroom.
Aunt Bee had noticed Opie was home early.
"Opie, what's wrong? Isn't there practice today?" she asked worriedly.
"There is practice, Aunt Bee. I just don't feel like it today."
He was half – lying to Aunt Bee and did not like it. That is when he opened the door to his bedroom and closed it again. He now could forget about spending money on fancy tuxedos and corsages.
Opie was still lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling when he heard Andy come home a few hours later. He heard Andy and Aunt Bee talking downstairs.
"I'll talk to him. Where is he?" Opie heard Andy ask.
"His bedroom. He did not sound very happy when he came home. He didn't go to football practice either," Aunt Bee added.
"I'll find out what's going on."
Andy went upstairs and let himself in the bedroom.
"Hi, Son."
He found Opie staring at the ceiling.
Opie did not look at Andy and he said, "Hi, Pa."
"Aunt Bee tells me you've moped around and didn't go to practice."
"I didn't feel like going today, Pa."
"That's okay too, Op. Do you want to tell me why you're moping around?"
"I asked Cassie if she wanted to go to the prom with me and she said she couldn't because she had plans to baby – sit. She told me I could still go without her. I said it would not be any fun without her. I might take her next year," Opie said, still disappointed.
"I'm sorry you couldn't go this year, Op. There's always next year," Andy said.
"I didn't know they did it two years," Opie said.
"They do. That's why it's for the juniors and seniors."
"Oh," Opie said.
"I can go next year if Cassie's not baby – sitting or anything."
"Good plan, Son, but that is only a year from now. You still have a year to decide if you want to go next year."
"I know, Pa. I hope it will be something memorable."
"I'm sure it will. We'll find out next year if it will be something you'll never forget."