"I can't believe it. We got Van Smoot House," Lily declared triumphantly.

Marshall, always dramatic, exclaimed, "It is on! It is on like the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan."

EJ chuckled, shaking his head. "It is on like Donkey Kong, how many times must I tell you this?"

Robin, still feeling the tension between her and EJ after their recent breakup of their friends-with-benefits arrangement, looked puzzled. "What?"

Ted, trying to lighten the mood, added with enthusiasm, "Wow! You guys are getting married in two months."

Robin shifted uncomfortably in her seat, glancing at EJ as Lily began organizing their wedding tasks.

"How are you going to get everything done?" Ted asked, genuinely curious.

Lily took charge, assigning tasks to each of them. "Division of labor. Everyone's got a job to do, so listen up. Okay, Robin, you and EJ go to the florist..."

Robin hesitated, her eyes darting to EJ uncertainly. "I don't think that's a good idea, right?" she trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging between her and EJ.

EJ paused, feeling the weight of the moment. "Maybe not..."

Lily, unaware of the underlying tension, continued without missing a beat. "Or, actually, Robin, why don't you go to the florist? And, Ted, I could use your keen architectural eye on the invitations." She glanced over at EJ. "And EJ, you can handle the catering details."

"Roger, Roger." EJ announced in a mock salute.

Barney, ever the observer of social dynamics, noted the awkwardness lingering in the air. "Wow. That was really awkward, Lil. And still. It's still really awkward right now."

However, Barney wanted to contribute (in his own way). "Hey, what about me? What's my job? What do I get to do?"

Lily turned to Barney with a mock-serious expression. "Okay, your job is very simple. At the wedding, do not sleep with anyone even remotely related to me."

Barney feigned offense. "Lil, you know I can't promise that."

——

The apartment was filled with the hushed sound of shuffling as Marshall, EJ, and Ted quietly entered, careful not to wake Lily who had fallen asleep on a pile of wedding planning books.

"Shh! Shh! Look how cute she looks," Marshall whispered, gazing lovingly at his fiancée.

EJ chuckled softly. "All tuckered out, this one."

Marshall gently stroked her hair. "Hey, babe. Hey, little one. Hey, Lilypad."

Lily stirred awake suddenly. "Crap! Band! We forgot a band! It's just gonna be silence and then people chewing."

"Shh! Shh! Baby, don't worry about it. I called The 88!" Marshall reassured her.

Lily, still half-asleep, asked, "Who?"

EJ grinned. "You don't know The 88? They played at my graduation party."

Marshall added, "They played my law review party. They were found guilty. On three counts of rocking."

Ted chimed in, "I saw them two months ago at my cousin Bonzo's wedding, they were great."

Lily, more alert now, asked incredulously, "John 'Bonzo' Bonham from Led Zeppelin?"

EJ laughed. "Yes, Lily, the drummer from Led Zeppelin, who died in 1980, got married two months ago."

Lily sighed, "Look, I... I can't sign off on a band I've never even seen. We... we don't even know if they can play our song. They're... they're going to have to come over here and audition."

EJ shook his head, "Audition? Lily, this is a wedding, not some high school talent show."

Marshall tried to calm the situation, "Baby, The 88 don't audition. They're, like, the Wiggles of wedding bands."

Lily, not convinced, replied, "Well, then... I have to say no."

Marshall, looking stressed, said, "Baby, they're only holding the date until Monday."

Lily, thinking, asked, "Well... well, are they playing anywhere this weekend?"

Marshall quickly checked their website. "Let me check their Website."

EJ and Ted exchanged incredulous looks with Lily.

Ted finally spoke up, "Lily, you're being a wee bit intense about this band thing."

Lily, clearly stressed, retorted, "Intense? I have a wedding to plan in nine weeks for 200 people. Even if a dinosaur should poke his head out of my butt and consume this coffee table, I need you two to roll with it, okay? Okay?"

EJ sighed, "Jesus, Lil, relax a bit. Remind me to not get on your bad side."

Ted added, "Wow."

At that moment, Barney entered the apartment with excitement. "Guys! I just tasted an amazing caterer."

EJ rolled his eyes. "Barney, I took care of the caterer last week."

Barney, unfazed, quipped, "Oh, right. Marshall and Lily getting married. You see what I did there? Took a..."

The group laughed, lightening the mood.

Marshall found some information on his phone. "It looks like The 88 are playing at a high school prom in New Jersey tomorrow."

Lily perked up. "A prom? Can... can we go to that?"

Marshall, somewhat skeptical, replied, "Yeah, we'll just call the high school, they'll let us stand in the back and watch."

Lily's hopes were dashed moments later. "Yeah. No, they won't."

Marshall, puzzled, asked, "Why not?"

Lily, matter-of-factly, answered, "'Cause it turns out we're not in high school."

Barney, ever the schemer, suggested, "No sweat, we'll just sneak in."

Marshall, shaking his head, said, "We're not sneaking in to a high school prom."

Lily, desperate, declared, "Yes, we are. It's the only way."

EJ, astonished, remarked, "You're getting on board with Barney's idea? Man, you really have snapped."

Lily, exasperated, replied, "It's nine weeks till the wedding. At this point, I'd say yes to just about anything."

Barney, seizing the moment, began to speak, "Well..."

Lily cut him off. "No, Barney."

EJ then had a sudden inspiration. "Maybe you don't have to."

Lily looked at him curiously. "What? What are you talking about?"

EJ picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Samantha, hi."

Sam's voice came through the phone, "What's up?"

EJ quickly explained the situation. "I need you to crash a high school prom. For Marshall and Lily's wedding."

Sam hesitated. "And why would I do that? I'm in college."

EJ reminded her, "Because you're close to high school age and because you owe me a no-questions-asked favor."

Sam, slightly irritated, replied, "EJ, that was ages ago. And it wasn't even that big of a deal."

EJ chuckled, "Not a big deal? You snuck into that club and almost got caught if I hadn't been there. And let's not forget the time I helped you when you got that tattoo and had to hide it from Mom."

Sam sighed, knowing her brother had a point. "Fine. I'll think about it. But a prom? That's not how I want to spend my last week of school. But I'll do it for Marshall and Lily."

EJ smiled, relieved. "Thanks, Sam. You're the best."

Marshall and Lily looked at EJ with excitement, and there was hope that there would be a band for the wedding.

——

The following evening, the group gathered at the bar, buzzing with anticipation.

"I'll go with you," Robin suddenly volunteered.

Lily looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

Robin nodded. "Yeah. I never got to go to my prom. We always had field hockey nationals in the spring."

Barney couldn't resist. "Lesbian."

Robin rolled her eyes. "The cough is supposed to cover the 'lesbian.'"

Barney, smirking, replied, "No, I'm trying to start a thing where the cough is separate."

Lily sighed, "Do you think we look young enough to blend in at a high school?"

Barney puffed out his chest. "Please, I'm ageless. Sherbatsky just needs a good night's sleep, and you've got 'statutory' written all over your body."

EJ interjected, "You'll have Sam with you guys anyways. She'll be able to get you in."

Robin, confused, asked, "Sam? EJ's sister?"

Lily explained, "Yeah, she's the one who's going to help us crash the prom."

Ted, ever the voice of reason, chimed in, "Hey, why don't we all go?"

Robin shook her head. "I don't know-- more people might be harder to sneak in. We don't want to mess things up for Lily."

Ted nodded, "Yeah, you're right. Besides, Marshall, EJ, and I have been planning on having a guy's night out before the wedding. Why don't we just make it tomorrow night?"

Marshall, enthusiastic as always, agreed, "Sounds awesome. We should go out and just get freakin' weird."

Ted grinned, "Yeah."

Marshall added, " 'Cause, you know, you be a bad, bad man, and I be an outlaw."

EJ couldn't help but laugh. "Marshall, you're killing me here. This is going to be epic."

Barney, always the instigator, teased, "Wow. Hey, Thelma, Louise, y'all don't drive off no cliffs now, ya hear? Lame! But seriously, leave me a message, and we'll meet up later."

——

Barney stood back, admiring the outfits of Lily and Robin. "Nice. You ladies look good, but your outfits are missing just one thing."

Robin, wary of Barney's usual antics, quickly intervened. "No, Barney, this is as far as we're going to go. I'm not showing anymore..."

Barney held up two beautiful corsages. "Two beautiful flowers for two beautiful flowers."

Lily smiled, touched by the gesture. "Aw. Sweet. Thank you."

As Barney handed over the flowers, EJ approached Robin. Despite Barney's insistence they dress provocatively for prom, Robin still looked stunning.

EJ smiled at her. "Wow, you look nice."

Robin, flustered but pleased, replied, "Shut up," but couldn't hide her smile. "Thanks."

Barney noticed a tear in Robin's eye. "Oh, Robin, are you tearing up?"

Robin rolled her eyes, trying to hide her emotions. "No. I've never been to prom before, okay?"

Lily glanced at the time. "We got to go. See ya."

Ted waved them off. "Bye, have fun. See you."

As Lily, Robin, and Barney left, Marshall and Ted watched them go.

Marshall shook his head. "They grow up into skanks so fast, don't they, guys?"

Ted chuckled. "So, what, we ready for tonight?"

Marshall nodded. "Yeah. Just one thing we got to do first."

EJ suggested, "Shot of Jim Beam?"

Marshall grinned. "Yeah."

Ted added enthusiastically, "Yes!"

Marshall then remembered. "And then I promised Lily that we'd stuff 200 wedding invitations."

Ted's face fell. "What?!"

EJ protested, "Dude, no! No more wedding stuff tonight!"

Marshall, feeling the pressure from Lily's stress, tried to explain. "I'm sorry, dudes, but you saw how stressed out she is."

Ted sighed. "Come on! You've been doing wedding stuff nonstop. Take a break. Once you're married, if we go out and you get so drunk you throw up, it'll be sad, but if we do it tonight... it'll be less sad."

Marshall considered for a moment. "Okay, it'll be cool-- I'll tell you what. We'll make a game out of it. First one to stuff a hundred invitations gets a big prize."

EJ, intrigued but skeptical, asked, "Do I look like I'm four? All right, what kind of prize are we talking?"

——

Meanwhile, in Jersey, Barney, Robin, and Lily picked up Sam from her dorm at Rutgers. As they drove, they made small talk, the conversation peppered with humor and familiarity.

Sam, comfortable with Lily and Robin (thanks to EJ's presence in her life), bantered easily. When Barney tried to hit on her, Sam didn't miss a beat. "Nice try, Grandpa," she retorted, making everyone laugh.

As they arrived at the prom, the sight of all the teenagers made them pause.

Robin looked around nervously. "Is this gonna work?"

Sam reassured her. "Yeah. Look, when I was 17, I used to sneak into clubs all the time."

Robin smirked. "I know, I helped you out of one."

Sam, confident, replied, "And you were my hero for that night."

However, a security guard quickly stopped them. "Uh, you're adults."

Lily tried to explain. "Okay, look, I just need to see the band. I'm getting married in two months, and..."

The security guard laughed. "And you're just finding a band?"

Barney stepped in, trying to charm the guard. "Hey, ho, hey!"

The guard, unimpressed, cut him off. "I'm sorry, ma'am. You either need to be a student or the date of a student."

Lily sighed. "Wow. 'Ma'am?' Check and mate."

Sam stepped up, trying to sweet talk the security guard. When he dismissed her rudely, she kicked him in the shin. "Listen, four eyes," she threatened.

Seeing the commotion, a boy approached Sam, asking to be her date.

Robin seized the opportunity. "Hey, guys. Do you want to take two hot girls to prom?"

The boy, awestruck, stammered, "We don't have that kind of money."

Robin laughed. "For free."

The boy's face lit up. "Oh, hell yeah!"

Robin introduced them. "Great. I'm Robin, this is my friend Lily."

Lily smiled. "Hi. Shall we?"

The boy, still in disbelief, nodded. "Sure. I knew it would happen. This is the dream."

As they walked in, Robin suddenly remembered. "Oh, hey, wait. How's Barney getting in?"

Barney smirked confidently. "Don't worry about me. I'll get in. Oh... I'll get in."

——

EJ and Ted sat in Marshall's apartment, frustration clear on their faces as they continued stuffing wedding invitations instead of enjoying their planned guys' night out.

"This is pathetic. It's guys' night. We should be out in a bar getting in fights. If I got in a fight, would you have my back?" Ted lamented, looking at Marshall and EJ.

Marshall nodded confidently. "You know it."

EJ chimed in, "Without a doubt."

Ted, feeling indignant, asserted, "I'd have your back, too."

Marshall grinned. "That's cool."

Ted, wanting to prove himself, boasted, "What, you don't think you'd need my help? You don't know what I can do. I'm like... like a berserker."

EJ chuckled, not entirely convinced. "Yeah, okay, man. You'd be the cheerleader hiding inside the bar."

Ted defended himself, "I can be useful."

Marshall's phone rang, interrupting their banter. He answered and heard Robin's voice on the other end.

"Hey, it's Robin. Um, Lily needs you to download the sheet music for 'Good Feeling' and bring it out here, like, now," Robin requested urgently.

Marshall hesitated for a moment, then turned to Ted and EJ. "Hang on. It's Robin. She wants me to go to prom. Can EJ and Ted come?"

Ted immediately protested under his breath, "Wait! Don't ask! That's so lame! I don't even want to go anyway."

Robin's voice continued over the phone, uncertain and hesitant. "Uh, I don't know. Things have been so weird between EJ and I..."

Marshall cut her off gently, "I know all about the friends with benefits thing, so you don't have to make up some crappy lie."

Robin seemed surprised. "Oh, well... We did promise not to tell anyone, so I don't know how you know."

Marshall shrugged casually. "I'm a lawyer. I know how to get things out of people."

EJ interjected humorously, "That's what she said."

Robin laughed on the other end. "I don't know, things have been awkward between us, and I don't want to make it even more weird at a prom."

Marshall nodded in understanding. "Okay, I understand. I'll be over."

He hung up the phone and turned to EJ, reassuring him, "She said you can totally come."

EJ looked conflicted but eventually nodded. "Okay. I guess I'll go."

Ted shook his head with a grin. "Well, I guess I'm outnumbered. Have fun at the high school prom, guys."

With that, Marshall grabbed his keys and EJ followed.

——

"It's just one dance, God!" Sean exclaimed, trying to persuade Lily and Robin.

Lily glanced at Robin, who shrugged with a smile. "Well, we did promise them one dance."

They moved to the dance floor, joining the high school students in their revelry. Sam, feeling adventurous, went off to dance with the boy who had asked her earlier.

Meanwhile, Lily struck up a conversation with Andrew, one of the boys they had befriended.

"So, Andrew, what's your big plan? What's life going to be like after tonight?" Lily asked, genuinely curious.

Andrew grinned confidently. "Well, you know I got it all worked out. Uh, leave this place in my dust, four awesome years at college, and then I'll move to Prague or start my own video game company or something."

Lily shook her head knowingly. "No, you won't."

Andrew looked puzzled. "I won't?"

Lily continued with a hint of cynicism, "No, you won't accomplish anything you set out to. You'll get a girlfriend the first day of college, and you'll give up your independence. You'll never live abroad, and you'll wind up old before your time wondering 'Whatever happened to my hopes and my dreams?'"

Andrew's expression shifted, processing Lily's words. "Whoa. You really think I'll get a girlfriend?"

Nearby, Robin was approached by Sean, who was a well-meaning but overly eager boy.

"So, uh, what's the deal here? Am I getting lucky tonight?" Sean asked, oblivious to the social cues.

Robin hesitated, trying to let him down gently. "Oh, Sean, look, um, you're a nice guy, but I just don't..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Sean suddenly leaned over and threw up on her dress, causing a sudden commotion and drawing everyone's attention.

Robin sighed, looking down at her soiled dress. "No, you're definitely not getting lucky tonight."

——

Minutes Later

EJ and Marshall successfully made their way inside, blending somewhat awkwardly into the youthful crowd. As they navigated the chaos of teenagers dancing and socializing, they were unexpectedly greeted by a familiar figure disguised as a giant turtle.

"EJ, Marshall, how'd you get in here?" the giant turtle inquired with a muffled voice.

Marshall squinted, trying to figure out who it was beneath the costume. "What's it to you, giant turtle?"

With a mischievous grin, the turtle pulled off the head of the costume, revealing Barney underneath. EJ and Marshall burst into laughter at Barney's elaborate scheme to sneak into the prom.

"Oh, hey, Barney. Where's Lily?" Marshall asked, looking around.

Barney motioned towards the bathroom area. "She's in the bathroom. I'll wait here. You should go talk to the band."

Marshall nodded, heading off in search of the band. EJ and Barney exchanged amused looks.

"How did you guys get in here?" Barney asked incredulously.

EJ chuckled. "We just snuck in the back."

Barney's eyes widened in disbelief. "You just snu... Are you serious? I've been trying to get in here all night. I finally paid a janitor 200 bucks to let me borrow this mascot costume."

EJ grinned. "But you got in. Slow and steady won the race."

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Sam was helping Robin clean the mess from Sean's unfortunate incident off her dress. Lily, feeling reflective after her conversation with Andrew, started talking to Robin about her thoughts.

"I can't believe I unloaded myself like that on a high school senior," Lily mused, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Robin tried to lighten the mood. "I can't believe a high school senior unloaded himself like that on me."

Sam couldn't resist adding her own humorous take. "I can't believe you didn't think of a better word than 'unloaded.'"

Robin turned to Lily, a more serious expression on her face. "I'm going to ask you something, and, um, maybe it's crazy 'cause you guys are the cutest couple ever. But, um, are you having second thoughts?"

Lily paused, considering Robin's question carefully. "Yeah. But not about Marshall. About me. I just keep thinking about the girl I was ten years ago and wondering what happened to her."

1996 - Wesleyan University

Lily was perched on the edge of her dorm room bed. Across from her, a boy named Marshall sat, captivated by her enthusiasm and the music playing softly in the background.

"I don't want to be tied down. I want to live in France and Spain and Italy and just soak up life and put it on a canvas," Lily declared, her voice tinged with determination. "Even if it means being a waitress in crappy cafés for five years, I don't care. I'm going to be a painter. And I can't do any of that with a boyfriend shackled around my neck, you know?"

Marshall nodded. "It sounds incredible. I mean, living life to the fullest, that's what it's all about."

Lily chuckled nervously, suddenly aware of her own monologue. "Way to make new friends, Lily. I'm sorry. What was your name again?"

"Marshall," he replied with a warm smile. "Nice to meet you, Lily. Guess we're hallmates."

"Yeah," Lily agreed, feeling a sense of ease in Marshall's presence. "It works."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of another student, a boy with thick glasses bursting into the room.

"Marshall, come back. Ben will be here soon with the weed," the newcomer announced, breaking into the room's atmosphere.

EJ, as he introduced himself, noticed Lily sitting there and greeted her casually. "Oh, sorry, what was your name?"

"Lily," she replied, smiling at the newcomer's easygoing manner.

"Sweet, you wanna come hang out with us?" EJ offered, his enthusiasm infectious.

Before Lily could respond, another voice joined them from the doorway.

"Babeeee," came the playful call from behind EJ, as his girlfriend Naomi popped into view.

2005

didn't have any of the experiences I set out to," Lily confessed softly, her voice tinged with a mix of resignation and wistfulness. "The travel, the bohemian art life, my big lesbian experience. I didn't do any of it."

Sam, ever pragmatic and supportive, leaned in with a comforting smile. "Lily, you're marrying your best friend in the world. Isn't that worth it? You and Marshall are adorable."

Lily nodded slowly, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Yeah," she agreed, her gaze drifting into the mirror as she reflected on the journey that led her to this moment.

Robin, ever the irreverent and loyal friend, chimed in with her trademark wit. "And look, you can still travel, I mean, you can still paint. And as far as your lesbian experience... Happy?"

Robin leaned in and softly kissed Lily on the lips.

Sam couldn't resist adding her own humorous perspective. "You wanna hear about my lesbian experience? I had one too many mojitos," she quipped, prompting a round of laughter from the trio.

"Yeah," Lily replied with a grin. "So, field hockey, huh?"

Robin smirked, teasingly deflecting the topic. "Shut up," she retorted playfully, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

——

Outside the high school gym, under the watchful eyes of indignant security guards, EJ, Barney, and Marshall found themselves in a precarious situation. Accused of trespassing and the theft of a mascot costume, tensions were high as accusations flew.

"Trespassing, assaulting a minor. This mascot costume you stole cost $5,000," Security Guard #1 recited sternly, his tone dripping with authority.

"We can have you guys arrested, you know that?" added another guard said, arms folded across his chest in a stance of defiance.

EJ, never one to back down from a verbal skirmish, shot back with biting sarcasm. "'We can have you arrested, you know that?' You're the ones who let kids with weapons in."

Barney chimed in, "Yeah, what kind of security guards are you?"

Marshall, attempting to diffuse the situation, interjected, "I totally could have taken that kid."

EJ, not missing a beat, retorted, "Uh, yeah, and I tackled that kid for you."

Marshall, ever the grateful friend, nodded in acknowledgment. "Well, I don't need it, but thanks."

EJ, half-jokingly seeking acknowledgment for his heroics, added, "A 'you're welcome' would be nice."

The security guards remained unmoved by their banter, firm in their resolve. "Absolutely not," they reiterated sternly.

Barney, always the wildcard, seized the moment to distract the guards. "You guys will thank me for this later, okay? Listen, Don, Ray, can't we all...?" With a swift motion, Barney ripped off the head of the turtle mascot costume and took off running.

"Hey!" the security guard shouted, but Barney was surprisingly agile for someone in a cumbersome costume.

EJ and Marshall, seizing the opportunity, slipped back inside the gym amidst the chaos caused by Barney's diversion.

——

Back inside, amidst the pulsing music and the swirling dance floor, Marshall and Lily found each other. The band, The 88, dedicated a song to them, and as the music filled the air, they began to dance. Lily's eyes sparkled with happiness, and Marshall couldn't help but smile as he held her close.

As the began, EJ sought out Robin amidst the crowd, their eyes locking in a moment of unspoken understanding. They shrugged at each other playfully before closing the distance between them.

"So, how was your first prom?" EJ asked.

Robin chuckled softly, her eyes reflecting a blend of amusement and reflection. "You tell me. I hated my dress, my date got wasted and puked on me, there was a huge fight, and I kissed a girl."

EJ grinned, memories of his own prom surfacing. "I remember my prom went a lot differently. So much differently."

Robin's laughter was warm and genuine. "Okay, I've missed you," she admitted, her tone softening with sincerity.

"I missed you too, Robin," EJ replied honestly, his gaze meeting hers with a depth of understanding.

"Not in a rip-off-your-clothes way," Robin clarified with a playful smirk. "Just in an I've-missed-you way."

EJ pulled her closer as they swayed to the music, the distance between them melting away. "I'll take it," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the music. "And for the record, you look amazing."