As pencils scribble across the paper and students desperately try to grasp the difference between por and para, a boy stands at the front of the classroom with a corny poster and a ridiculous smile on his face, which in one form or another says, “prom?”

The whole class stares in morbid curiosity as the awkward exchange ensues. The girl flashes a sheepish smile, inaudibly whispers in the affirmative, and the couple’s peers watch the uncomfortable hug.

Now, everyone loves promposals—at least, on their phones. As they scrolling through Twitter, the elaborate displays always appeal and intrigue. However, in the middle of our homework time at the end of class, they aren’t so intriguing. Keep your special moments out of the classroom.

However, high school is about competition. Each promposal has to be more public and elaborate than the last. According to a study by Visa, families in the Midwest will spend about $218 on promposals, and $515 on prom itself.

According to Google Trends, each April, the Google search for “promposal” becomes increasingly popular. One of the first publications to actually use the words was a Dallas newspaper in 2001, according to the Washington Post. The Post also included pictures from unique promposals: “prom?” written in corn fields, on cows and on donuts.

The promposal craze really took off in 2005 when MTV’s “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County,” a reality show, featured Kristen Cavallari walking up a walkway of white roses to meet the guy of her dreams who wrote “prom… please?” in black Sharpie on his bare back.

By 2007, it was a internet phenomenon, which included asking celebrities like Justin Bieber, Kate Upton and Miss America. Despite its age, the trend doesn’t seem to be dying out; in fact, it’s the opposite. But what if we did away with the public, embarrassing and complicated promposals? What if we bucked up and just asked someone to prom? Politely?

A promposal will almost always have good intentions, no matter how intricate (unless we’re in Stephen King’s “Carrie”). While a gesture of affection is nice, it shouldn’t always be about money.

There are plenty of alternatives to an unnecessarily showy performance—like, for example, asking someone out in private and not trying to snowball the act to gain attention. Sincerity will beat flash any day.