Teen Pregnancy, Car Crashes, and Student-Teacher Relationships: 11 High School Themes We'll See on TV Forever (PHOTOS)

It’s the day you become an adult, you guys; you put on that shiny Jessica McClintock gown, make angsty-sultry eyes at the boy you’ve been in love with since kindergarten, and — bam! — prom night is your first and last chance at true love.

Or so the small screen story goes.

On Parenthood, Haddie professes her love to the kid from the other side of the tracks and almost has s-e-x with him. On The O.C., Summer drunkenly accepts the prom queen title and then makes out with the nerd in the corner. In a cruel twist, Kurt (Chris Colfer) wins the same title at McKinley High’s prom on Glee, but he makes the best of it by dancing proudly with Blaine (Darren Criss).

Prom’s not only about boys and titles; it’s also about feelings and the rest of your life. Decked out in haute couture ball gowns, rich girls Blair (Leighton Meester) and Serena (Blake Lively) end their prom night together on Gossip Girl’s Season 2 finale, illuminating the surprisingly harsh reality of prom expectations: When it comes to boys, all that glitters is not gold — and make new friends, but keep the old.