Free Prom Date by Melody Carlson

because I honestly think he would be more supportive of prom than Jason.” She smiled at Lane and to her relief, he smiled back.
    â€œI second the nomination,” Cassidy said.
    If only this would split the guys’ vote. In that case, Bryn would win.
    â€œAre we ready to put this to a vote?” Mrs. Dorman asked.
    Before anyone could answer, the doors to the conference room flew open and Felicia and Devon burst into the room, followed by several more girls. Bryn wasn’t sure what was going on, but when she looked at Emma and Cass, they both held up their phones as if the answer lay there. Of course, they had texted more girls in the school, probably begging them to come to this meeting. Brilliant!
    â€œI think we’re almost ready to put it to a vote,” Bryn told Mrs. Dorman. But first she brought the latecomers up to speed, explaining how Jason had shown up with the intent of throwing their prom under the bus. Bryn pointed at the petition papers in his hands. “Jason feels that just because the guys have gathered a bunch of signatures, they have the authority to take prom away from us.” She looked at the girls clustered in the back of the room. “But I don’t think that’s fair. Prom is a time-honored tradition in this school. Something that we all look forward to. And, sure, there might be some outdated things in regard to prom, but let’s not toss it all aside. I happen to have some ideas that could transformprom into something truly amazing. But if Jason has his way, we’ll never have the chance.”
    â€œAnd for that reason you can all thank me.” Jason made a mock bow. “Seriously, who has time for this? Has anyone considered how many hours it takes to make the preparations for prom? Have you thought about the expense? What it costs the school too? Couldn’t that money be put to better use? Has anyone taken a good look at some of the sports uniforms lately? But that’s not all, what about what it costs us guys to take a chick to prom? I don’t know about you guys, but I can think of better ways to spend my money. For the cost of prom, I could probably buy a—”
    â€œSpeaking of money,” Bryn cut him off, “I want to share with everyone how I think prom could change.” She reached for Emma’s poster, holding it up. “This little girl is the sister of one of our students. Her name is Sofia and she’s just eight years old. Sofia was recently diagnosed with leukemia. Her family took her for the best treatment at the best pediatric cancer center in the area, but they soon found out their insurance won’t cover it.” She paused for dramatic reasons, holding the poster high so everyone could see this sweet little girl’s big brown eyes. “The quality of Sofia’s treatment could be the difference between life and death for this little girl. Think about it. About eight years from now, where will Sofia be? Will she be right here, enthusiastically helping to plan her own prom . . . or will she be gone?”
    Bryn looked imploringly at the faces around the room. “We have the power to turn our prom into a fund-raiser. A fund-raiser that could help save this sweet little girl’s life by getting her the kind of medical treatment she needs. We have the power to help save a life.” She turned to Jason. “If that’sa bad way to spend your money—well, then you’re just not the guy I thought you were.”
    Jason looked totally off guard, just staring at the poster.
    â€œLook, I understand why you guys are so anti-prom,” Bryn continued gently. “It is expensive. But think about it—what if the proceeds from your tickets all went toward Sofia’s treatment expenses? Would that change your thinking at all?”
    No one said anything, but some of the guys looked slightly less smug. And when Mrs. Dorman suggested they put the chair position to a vote,