PETRA’S PROM NIGHT—JULY 2002

 Tony Bohnenkamp

Toby Hocking became the envy of his high school buddies when he landed Miss December 1989 Petra Verkaik as his prom date.  The story made national headlines.  “Toby’s mom is a friend of mine,” Petra says.  “She told me that he didn’t have a date.  It was a girls-ask-the-guys situation.  I told her I would be his date if no one asked him.”  Not surprisingly, Toby caught wind of Petra’s offer and opted to go with her.  “I kind of put it off until the day before,” Petra says.  “Then I thought, Oh shit, I need a dress, a boutonniere, a limo.  I need to get my hair done.  I felt like I was 17 again with all the typical girl stuff.”  Petra had to pass one test with the school administration before the date.  “I got called into the principal’s office!” she says.  “ I think he was scared I was going to show up in a hoochie-mama outfit.  But the principal was grinning the whole time we talked.  He just wanted to be careful.”  At the prom, Toby’s friends were impressed by Petra as well.  “While we were dancing, all of his friends kept cutting in.  I was looking at him like, Aren’t you going to do anything?  You’re my man on this date!”  Unfortunately for Toby, Petra said goodbye and went home at midnight.  “He was a perfect gentleman,” she says.  “At the end of the date, he gave me a kiss on the cheek and took off with his buddies to an after-prom party.  It must have been a great bash, because his mom called me at eight in the morning, wondering where her son was!”