#20. Expecting the Prom Day
Jackson Loop was in his senior year and waiting for the prom to arrive. He usually was a loner, but when his band friends invited him to join them, he was eager for that day to come.
Jackson would then learn who his friends really were. His joy turned into a huge disappointment as the prom day came… What was wrong? Unfortunately, he'd find out on his own the hard way...
#19. The Invitation to Prom
The teen had no idea who to go with to the prom and what to do. He knew he was going there, but for that he needed a suit and everything…
His mother Sheila Loop was excited to see her son was finally happy about something. She saw he was stressed about the prom day and tried to help him get ready.
#18. A Group of His Own
From a young age, we feel the need to belong to a group and make some friends. Jackson wasn’t really popular at school, but since his school band invited him to the prom, he knew that was going to be a great party.
All Jackson had to do was find the perfect suit and the shoes for the night. It was his first prom and he made sure to look perfect.
#17. The Morning of the Prom Came
It took a lot for Jackson and Sheila to prepare for the prom night. Now that the prom was only a few hours away, Jackson was expecting a call from his friends.
He was wondering what kind of music will be played that night and how the others would show up. Jackson thought maybe he would also find someone to dance with… Then, this happens!
#16. His Bandmates Pranked Him
Jackson would soon learn that his bandmates pranked him that day. Maybe they thought it was a good joke, but what they didn’t know was that their prank was going to backfire!
His ‘friends’ may have ruined Jackson’s prom, but Jackson would be the one to laugh at the end. That’s all thanks to a group of friends that really like Jackson for who he was. Let’s learn more about Jackson’s story which got viral in just a week…
#15. Jackson Loved Music
Jackson loved to listen to and to play music. He was part of the high school band and when they told him he could come with them for some photos before the prom, he was eager to join them.
After the photoshoot, they would all head towards the prom in a limo. But as hours passed, Jackson still waited for that phone call. He had no idea that the phone wouldn’t ring that day at all…
#14. Waiting for the Call
Jackson kept waiting for the call, but his phone was dead silent. No text message, nothing! His friends weren’t behind the schedule, realized Jackson a few hours later when it was obvious he was being pranked…
A few days later, Sheila sent a letter to John Richards, a DJ for Seattle radio station KEXP. It was then when his story went viral. Before Richards began reading the letter, he played the song Sheila had requested: “All My Friends” by LCD Soundsystem. What was so special about Jackson’s prom day prank?
#13. You’re Crying
“Take a second to get to know some amazing kids who, on a Monday, changed one life. This is MUST LISTEN/READ. I'm not crying, you're crying,” wrote John Richards on Twitter, talking about Jackson Loop.
You’ll understand the whole thing as we get back to the prom day. His mother said in the letter: “He waited, and he waited, and he waited. No one responded to his texts or picked up his calls. His younger brother and sister and I watched him as he started to realize that he was being ditched.”
#12. Dumped By ‘Friends’
“I have to tell you that in my 18 yrs. of parenting I have never felt so much pain. It was mixed with an indescribable amount of rage. This was… painful,” said Sheila, recalling the day when her boy trusted his ‘friends’ to keep their promise.
She couldn’t stand it when she saw a heartbreaking post on Facebook! Sheila explained that Jackson changed out of his suit and then opened his Facebook. That’s when he couldn’t take it anymore…
#11. His Face Got White
As he walked back into the kitchen where Sheila was, Jackson’s face turned white: “After he changed out of his suit, he saw all of their pre-prom pictures on Facebook, and he all but collapsed in the kitchen.”
Jackson’s bandmates pranked him and confirmed that he was just “an invisible, throwaway loser.” But a few days later, Jackson’s story gets a thousand times better.
#10. Not a Popular Guy
While Jackson hadn’t usually felt like he belonged to a group, when he got to high school, joining the band changed him. He finally felt like he was part of a group, but his bandmates turned out to be jerks!
The high school years had Jackson follow the bandmates for rehearsals and events, but they always took trips and ‘forgot’ to invite him. They made him feel miserable, but Jackson thought maybe it was his fault…
#9. He Just Went With It
Jackson said that he had “been kind of blind about it, […] kind of showed them how to treat me.” Nonetheless, he didn’t like begin the one left behind. That prom day put an end to it and he finally opened his eyes.
On the night of the prom, Sheila received a message on her phone from a girl Sophie. The girl was in the junior high school band and asked the mother to help her with a surprise for Jackson.
#8. Awesome Kids
Sheila couldn’t believe how awesome Sophie and the other juniors were. She agreed to sneak Jackson’s suit on that Monday. It was Memorial Day, so the kids didn’t have school. However, they planned a surprise for Jackson!
Early that morning, Jackson woke up angered at his bandmates. He went to the gym to blow off some steam, but had no idea that the junior Band was planning a huge surprise for him.
#7. He Was Meeting Sophie That Monday
On that Monday, Sophie invited him to her house with the excuse that they wished to practice with him. He headed to her house and that’s when he heard the junior band yelling at him: “Happy Fake Prom!”
They were holding a sign and wearing suits! There was also a cake for Jackson’s fake prom day! Jackson was handed the suit and Sophie told him to get inside the house and change his clothes.
#6. He Cried While Changing Into His Suit
“I’m in the bathroom changing and I kind of shed a tear a little bit,” admitted Jackson who couldn’t believe that someone went the extra mile to cheer him up.
Jackson learned who his real friends were and said that “this is what it means to receive a gift from friends who are doing something, particularly for me.”
#5. Senior Bandmates Called Jackson
After Jackson’s story of the prank and fake prom party from his real friends got viral, the senior band members called him. They saw the photos online and realized they took it too far…
They apologized to Jackson, but he knew that the bandmates weren’t really sorry about the prank. That made him realize what true friends really do for you!
#4. Taking Care Of One Another
A true friend will stand by your side and empower you. That’s what Jackson learned after he missed his prom night. “You may feel like you belong in a place and you’re in a great group of friends, but make sure that they’re taking care of you as well,” he said.
“It took me a long time to figure that out,” Jackson said about the senior band members who were not his friends. He then realized something else...
#3. We’re Not Alone
Jackson realized that he was not alone. Even though he had tried his best to belong to a group, he felt bad he was not fitting in, but kept trying.
“There are 7 or 8 billion people; at the same time, we feel like we’re isolated with these few groups of people, and if they’re gone or you decide not to be friends, then you’re alone. But there are plenty of people out there.”
#2. Awesome Junior Members
Thankfully, the junior band members taught Jackson and the whole world a great life lesson. Why be a jerk when you can make someone’s day?
We all know kindness goes a long way, and we hope that the senior band members learned that their bad joke was not funny at all… What were they thinking?
#1. Turning Someone’s Life Around
A single kind gesture has turned Jackson’s life around. He now has hope, knowing that there are others out there that would go the extra mile to make someone’s day.
It might be a small surprise and might not make up for the missed prom, but it surely has lifted Jackson’s spirits that day, which he will never forget! Plus, there was cake!