From KCRW and KCRW.com, I'm Bob Carlson, and this is Unfictional.

Unfictional is KCRW's program of storytellers and documentaries and on today's

program it's a couple of stories about the high school prom. It's a right of

passage that for some people is a fond memory of youth, but for this man, an awkward nightmare.

I will never forget walking into Cocos in my baby blue ruffled 1978 tuxedo with my prom date and her parents.

I felt as if I had lost a bet.

Two tales from Carlos Kotkin.

He's a regular at the Moths storytelling nights here in Los Angeles.

In fact, he's won the moth's story slam eight times.

And recently, he came into the KCRW studios and told these two stories, which really

should be heard together.

Because apart from being a writer and a storyteller,

Carlos also has the unusual distinction

of going to high school prom two separate times, more than 10 years apart.

Coming up on this program, we'll hear about both of those events from Carlos's distinctive

point of view.

Today on Unfictional, it's the two proms of Carlos Kotkin, beginning right now with

Part 1. Senior year of high school I was in love with Isabel Cambria. We were a

beautiful couple destined to be in each other's arms.

Isabel was not aware of this, but I was hopeful she would be.

There were clues Isabel might want my body too.

We had to exchange phone numbers for a class project.

...