“I absolutely did not plan this.”
“We’re in trouble.”
I stepped forward. Every eye followed us. Noah walked beside me without touching me.
We climbed onto the stage.
From up there, I saw Jada in the front with her arms folded and Chad near the dance floor, jaw tight.
Dr. Morrison waited until the room settled.
“Prom Court voting closed before tonight’s event began,” he said.
A murmur moved through the ballroom.
“The votes were counted during dinner. This year’s Prom Court winners are Damien and Noah.”
Noah walked beside me without touching me.
The room froze.
Then someone gasped.
Chad’s voice cut through the silence. “That’s impossible.”
Dr. Morrison looked directly at him. “It isn’t.”
“Nobody voted for them.”
“Clearly, many people did.”
A few students clapped softly.
“That’s impossible.”
Dr. Morrison lifted one hand. “Before anyone applauds, I want to be very clear. What happened on this dance floor tonight matters. Not because two students came to prom in a way some of you didn’t expect. It matters because too many people saw someone being humiliated and treated it like entertainment.”
The phones lowered one by one.
“Private kindness isn’t enough when public cruelty is loud,” he said. “Some of you voted for Damien and Noah when no one could see you. Tonight, I’m asking you to show that same respect when everyone can.”
