The Prom, continued.

*When we left our friends in the Land of the Flowered Bed, Pumble was calling Ladybug to cancel going to the prom with her with an elaborate lie.....................***

"Ladybug?" Pumble said tentatively into the phone. "Hi, it's Pumble."

"Hey Pumble!" she cried, obviously excited. "How are you? Ready for the prom?"

"Yes well about that, I have something I think you should know"--

"I'm so excited about it,"Ladybug interrupted, happily babbling. "All my friends are going, and they all have dates too. It's going to be a blast! We'll go to the dance and eat and maybe even catch a late movie afterwards!"

"Yes, about the dancing thing"--

"Won't that be funny if we're all sitting there in our prom clothes watching a movie?" Ladybug laughed into the phone. "I have to tell you Pumble, it means a lot to me you're going. It's going to be something I never forget. It'll be a true night to remember--not one of those cheesy high school movie ones. So what did you want to say?"

"Uh, nothing," Pumble lied. "Just that I may have a white corsage instead of red."

"White's my favorite color with red!" Ladybug squealed. "Well, besides black of course. I'll pick you up at 8 p.m. on Thursday!"

"8 p.m.", Pumble echoed. "See you then!" He hung up the phone and turned to look at his friends. Hairy and the seals were beaming. Cookies was glaring and sputtering so hard feathers were flying off his face.

"What was that?" Cookies bellowed. "That was crap! Not only did you agree to go, you agreed to go get her a corsage! What is your deal??"

"I just couldn't lie to her," Pumble said miserably. "I'd rather humiliate her than break her heart. She's so excited."

"Well I'm proud of you," Hairy said, and the seals nodded enthusiastically. "That was a very honorable thing you did."

"That was a very dumb thing you did," Cookies corrected. "That was the stupidest move you could have made."

"Well," Pumble said grimly. "I guess we better get me a tux and a corsage."

The next few days were a blur. Hairy sewed Pumble a tux from a black and white t-shirt in the boy's closet. Pumble admitted he looked quite stunning in it. They created a white corsage from toilet paper and feathers from the ducks in the spa, who were quite pleased with the result.

"It's stunning!" the first duck cried.

"Breathtaking and marvelous!" the second duck cried.

"It looks like an onion, sorta," the third duck said, cocking his head to get a better look.

Finally, the night came. Pumble stood ready and dressed, the corsage clutched in his trembling hand. The bell began to toll eight. At the last bell, the Ladybug appeared at the window.

"Ready?" she said cheerfully as she came in. "Oh Pumble, you look marvelous!"

"Thanks," he said awkwardly as he extended the corsage. "I mean, you look good too. I mean beautiful. Anyway, here's your corsage."

"It's beautiful!" she cried, bending down to smell it. She stood up and smiled. "It smells lovely!"

"I told you the perfume was a good idea," the first duck whispered to the second.

"It makes it like a real flower," the second duck said to the third.

"It still looks like an onion," the third duck said to no one in particular.

Hairy took photos while Pumble and the Ladybug posed in front of the Spa. The seals clapped happily as they showed off their outfits, and sighed dreamily as Pumble escorted Ladybug to the car with all her friends.

"You're still dumb!" Cookies shouted from his perch on the dresser. "But have a good time anyway!"

"What does he mean, that you're dumb?" Ladybug asked. Pumble paused before he opened the door to the limo.

"Ladybug, I have a confession," he said. "I almost cancelled our date tonight."

"Why?" the Ladybug cried, shocked. "Don't you like me?"

"I like you a lot," Pumble stuttered, his face turning red. "See, that's why I almost cancelled. I didn't want to embarrass you at your prom."

"How could you possibly embarrass me?" the Ladybug said kindly. Pumble whispered his shameful secret in her ear and lowered his head, ready to hear her send him back inside.

"Oh Pumble!" the Ladybug grinned. "We don't dance at the prom! You shouldn't have worried at all!"

"What do you do at the prom, then?" Pumble asked curiously, relieved he wouldn't have to dance.

"We eat, take pictures and do what Ladybug's do best," Ladybug said as she opened the door to the limo. As she stepped in, she turned and gave him a wicked grin. "We fly!"

***Pumble and Ladybug want you to know they had a wonderful time. Pictures will be available soon!***