After a couple of ditched attempts to draw out a prom queen schedule on notebook paper, Megan resorted to her computer and was forced to learn how to use the spreadsheet program. After mastering that, she did some online searching and gathered up what seemed like critical information about how to win the crown. Of course, it was too late to take up cheerleading or debate team, like one website suggested, but she still had time to start a book club or participate in a fundraiser. And according to one prom queen expert, it was never too late to become more friendly to classmates. The site claimed that the girls with the best prom queen potential knew how to befriend everyone and anyone. This took Megan a bit by surprise since she didn’t recall Belinda reaching out beyond her own circle of friends. But according to Prom Queen Diva (which seemed to be the best site), Megan needed to get comfortable talking to all sorts of kids, no matter who they were. A vote, after all, was a vote!

  One particular thing that she read on the Prom Queen Diva site really seemed to stand out—and it was directly aligned with what Pastor Robbie had said on Shower of Power this morning. This slogan impressed her so much that she decided to make it her own secret mantra: Act as if you have already won the prom queen crown. Think of yourself as royalty, and you will become royalty.

  The more she thought about this kind of positive positioning, the more she realized that it was exactly how Belinda had always acted—her entire life. Belinda lived as if she were prom queen both before and after she was elected. This had to be the secret to her success, and Megan felt certain she could make it work for herself as well. Okay, there was a small part of Megan that questioned this—was it shallow or self-centered? But then she realized this was the “dooming voice of the naysayer,” so she decided to ignore it.

  By midafternoon, Megan had managed to create a rather impressive looking schedule, complete with color-coded tasks and an exhaustive “Countdown to Prom” checklist which included a shopping list, exercise regimen, beautification plan, and suggested reading list. She was just hitting Print on her computer when her mom knocked on her bedroom door.

  “Are you feeling better?” Mom asked with concern.

  “Yeah.” Megan nodded as she caught a page from the printer and examined it for print quality. “I’m fine.”

  “Then why are you still in your pajamas?” Mom came over to see what Megan was working on. “And why are you holed up in your room?”

  “Just working on something.” She caught another page.

  “Homework?”

  Megan turned, gave Mom a confident prom queen smile, and began to explain in one long, run-on sentence about Pastor Robbie and the power of positive thinking and her conversation with Belinda and the power of optimism and how it was about to change her life. She paused to catch her breath and another page from her printer.

  “That’s wonderful, dear.”

  “And that is why I have decided to run for prom queen this year.” Megan skimmed a page as she waited for Mom to react to her announcement.

  “Oh . . . ?” Mom sounded doubtful.

  “I realize I have a lot of work to do before prom,” Megan admitted. “So I decided to make a schedule. You know, like you used to post on the refrigerator. I need a routine to keep me on task.” She spread several pages of her schedule across her dresser for Mom to see.

  “Wow, Megan, that looks . . . well, very industrious.”

  “You know me, Mom.” Megan pushed a strand of greasy hair from her forehead. “When I finally decide to do something, I go all out.”

  “What’s going on in here?” Arianna pushed open the bedroom door and peeked in with an impish expression.

  “Go away,” Megan told her.

  “Be nice,” Mom warned.

  Megan tossed Arianna a threatening glance. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her little sister, but lately Arianna had turned into a total pest. It was as if she suddenly thought she was Megan’s age, although she was only twelve. Even worse, Arianna had recently taken to sneaking into Megan’s room and “borrowing” clothes without even bothering to ask. Then instead of returning them, she’d hide them in the bottom of the dirty clothes hamper.

  “I thought you were sick.” Arianna peered suspiciously at her.

  “Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine now.”

  “What are you guys doing in here?” Arianna pointed to a page of schedule falling onto the floor beneath the printer. “What’s that?”

  “Megan is . . . well, she is considering a campaign for prom queen.” Mom said this hesitantly, almost as if she was questioning Megan’s sanity.

  “Prom queen?” Arianna stared at Megan with incredulous eyes. “You gotta be kidding.” Now she started to laugh loudly.

  “See!” Megan pointed a finger at her sister. “You are exactly what I don’t need.”

  “What you do need is a reality check.” Arianna wrinkled her nose. “And a bath!”

  Megan picked up a ball cap and threw it at Arianna. “Get out of here, brat!”

  “Girls!” Mom frowned. “No fighting.”

  “Then tell Arianna to stop aggravating me.”

  “I’m just trying to help you.” Arianna made a smug smile. “Someone should bring you back to your senses before you make a total fool of yourself.”

  “Just because I’m thinking positively, you want to tear me down.” Megan turned to Mom. “And what about you? You’re the one who made me watch Shower of Power. That’s what got me thinking—”

  “Instead of watching a show about a shower, you should be taking one.” Arianna giggled. “Or maybe you’re running for prom queen pig.”

  Megan grabbed her hairbrush and aimed it directly at Arianna’s head.

  “Go on out of here,” Mom told Arianna. “And stop picking on your sister.”

  Arianna made loud grunting noises as she exited the room.

  “Very mature!” Megan threw the hairbrush toward the door.

  “Megan!” Mom scowled.

  “I should’ve known you guys would be like this.” Megan folded her arms across her chest, glaring at her mom.

  “I’m sorry, Meggie. Really, I think it’s, uh, very nice that you’re setting such high goals for yourself.” Her voice sounded stiff. “I just hope you won’t be too terribly disappointed if you—”

  “You’re just as bad as Arianna!”

  “I’m just trying to be realistic.”

  Megan covered her ears with her hands. “Pastor Robbie said not to listen to the naysayers in my life. He said there would be people who would try to discourage me. But I have to keep believing in myself, believing in my dreams. Believe and receive.” She let out a deep sigh as she put her hands down. “And that’s what I’m doing, Mom.” She smiled hopefully. “Just wait and you’ll see.”

  Mom made a weary nod as she left Megan’s room. “I hope you’re right, sweetheart.”

  “Maybe you should try it too,” Megan called down the hallway to Mom.

  Mom turned with a confused look. “I should run for prom queen?”

  “No. You should work on your attitude toward life, Mom. A little more optimism wouldn’t hurt you.”

  Mom tilted her head slightly, as if considering this advice. “You know, you just might be right about that. That’s the thing I really do like about Shower of Power when I catch it on the radio. I know I need to be more upbeat, and I like Pastor Robbie’s positive outlook. I just need to implement it better.”

  Megan nodded. “Like with your job, Mom. No offense, but you’re always complaining that no one appreciates you at work. Maybe you just need to appreciate yourself. It’s time to start thinking more positively about yourself, and then others will too.”

  “Okay, I will do that.” Mom got a twinkle in her eye. “In fact, I’m feeling very positive that you’re going to go clean the kitchen this afternoon. Especially seeing how you’re not sick anymore.”

  Megan rolled her eyes, then closed her door. It figured that her own family would treat her like this. Pastor Robbie said that it was those closest to you who would try to stomp on your dreams. As she taped her pages of schedule and lists on her wall, she was reminded of something from youth group a couple weeks ago. The youth pastor had talked about how some of Jesus’s own family members had doubted him—and he was the Son of God. So, really, what did it matter if Mom and Arianna thought Megan was nuts for running for prom queen? Or even if her friends acted the same way? She would refuse to let their negativity bring her down. She would show them! Forty days from now, they would have to admit that they were wrong and she was right.

  However, as she caught sight of her reflection in her mirrored closet doors, she was slightly taken aback. Perhaps Arianna was right about one thing: Megan could use a shower. Besides—she glanced at item number one in the “Improve Your Appearance” column—excellent daily hygiene was first on the list.

  By Monday morning, Megan was ready to implement part one of her prom queen plan: “Friend Strategy.” Fortunately, Megan already had a solid core of good, dependable friends from her youth group. Her plan was to announce her intentions to her closest friends at lunch today. Oh, she was prepared for their reaction. It probably would resemble what she’d received at home. To bolster her self-esteem and to help her friends see that she was sincere in this mission, she had taken great care in her appearance today. Her hair was clean and glossy. She was wearing a denim skirt from the Gap that Belinda had given her for Christmas, along with black tights and her favorite boots, topped with a burgundy sweater that everyone said looked great on her. She even put in earrings.

  Megan had noticed that she and some of her friends had gotten used to dressing pretty sloppily this winter. It was probably because they were seniors and felt they had no one to impress, but Megan realized it was time to step up her game. Maybe she could even lead her friends to a higher fashion level while she was at it.

  Her extra efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Several of her friends mentioned that she looked nice. Janelle Parker even asked her if there was a guy involved in this new and improved appearance. This was ironic coming from Janelle since she’d never seemed to care much about her own look. In fact, Janelle often referred to herself as a “plain Jane.”

  “I’ll answer you at lunch,” Megan told her mysteriously.

  As a result, her friends were all ears when she invited three of them to sit with her at what was not their usual table.

  “Come on, out with it,” Janelle insisted. “What’s your big secret?”

  “I have decided to run for prom queen.” Megan waited for their reaction.

  “Yeah, right.” Janelle rolled her eyes. “Now tell us the truth. You’re trolling for a boyfriend, aren’t you? I heard that you’ve been flirting with Dayton Moore.”

  Megan firmly shook her head. “That’s totally bogus. But I really am going to run for prom queen.”

  “Have you lost your ever-loving mind?” Lishia Vance demanded.

  This actually hurt since Lishia was supposed to be Megan’s best friend. Lishia used to be best friends with Janelle Parker. But that was before Chelsea Martin moved to town and shook things up. Oh, Chelsea was nice enough, but she was way too pretty—in that long-legged blonde sort of way that turned guys’ heads. Megan just hoped Chelsea had no intention of running against her for prom queen, because Chelsea would probably have a very good chance of winning.

  “I knew you guys would react like this,” Megan calmly told them.

  “Because it’s insane.” Lishia shoved a straw into her soda.

  “Why are you doing this?” Janelle demanded. “Have you turned into a masochist? Or maybe you think you’ll become a martyr.”

  “Or just a total fool.” Lishia’s brow creased, making her pixie-like features resemble a grumpy Smurf.

  “Hey, you guys.” Chelsea shook a finger at Janelle and Lishia. “Give Megan a chance to explain what she’s thinking.”

  “Thinking?” Janelle laughed. “The girl has obviously lost it.”

  “There is obviously no thinking involved,” Lishia added.

  Megan restrained herself from reacting.

  “Be quiet, you guys.” Chelsea’s voice grew firmer. “I want to hear what Megan has to say about this.” She turned to Megan. “Go ahead now.”

  “Okay . . .” Megan took a deep breath, trying to remember what Pastor Robbie had said yesterday. “I’m trying to utilize the power of positive thinking. I think God has shown me that I’ve been too negative about myself.”

  “Well, that’s true,” Lishia admitted. “You usually are knocking yourself down.”

  Megan nodded. “That’s right. And I’m going to put an end to it.”

  “But running for prom queen?” Janelle still looked skeptical. “What if you lose?”

  “That’s just it,” Megan explained. “I can’t think like that. I need to believe in myself, and I need to put everything I’ve got into this campaign.”

  “And if you lose?” Lishia pestered.

  Megan held up her hand like a stop sign. “I don’t want to hear that kind of negativity, okay? I’m sorry you don’t get this, Lish. I just think it’s something I really need to do. It would be nice to have your support, but if you want to—”

  “I think it’s great you are doing this,” Chelsea interrupted. “I would absolutely vote for you, Megan.”

  “Really?” Megan blinked.

  Chelsea nodded enthusiastically. “I’m always saying that just because we’re Christians doesn’t mean we should exclude ourselves from everything around us. Aren’t we supposed to be an influence? How about what Jesus said about not hiding your light under a bushel basket? I think it’s great you want to run for prom queen. I’d love to see a Christian in a position like that.”

  “Then why don’t you run?” Janelle pointed at Chelsea. “You’d have a way better chance of making prom queen than—”

  “That’s not fair,” Lishia shot back at Janelle. “Megan’s the one who came up with this idea, so why are you trying to horn in on her—”

  “It’s a free election,” Janelle argued back, and just like that, Lishia and Janelle, two girls who used to be best friends, were fighting over who should be running for prom queen and why or why not. Megan sat down and stuck a fork into her salad. This was another part of her plan—to eat more healthfully and hopefully take off a few pounds before the big event.

  “Hang on, you two.” Chelsea hit her fist on the table. “First of all, I do not want to run for prom queen, thank you very much, Janelle. I appreciate your support, but I’m not into that. Second of all, I want to help Megan run for prom queen. I think she’d be a great candidate.”

  “Really?” Megan couldn’t believe her ears. Chelsea was the prettiest girl in their group of friends, maybe the prettiest girl in the whole school, and she wanted to help? “You’d actually do that?”

  “Of course.”

  “I’ll help you too,” Lishia said in a slightly indignant tone.

  Megan smiled at her. “I was hoping you would.”

  Janelle still looked unsure. “Have you seriously thought about this, Megan? I mean, do you have any idea what you’re actually getting into?”

  “You do remember that her sister was prom queen, don’t you?” Lishia said defensively. “Of course Megan knows what she’s getting into.”

  “Your sister was prom queen?” Chelsea looked surprised.

  Janelle filled Chelsea in, then added, “But believe me, Belinda and Megan are as different as night and day. Some people would swear they’re not even related.” She laughed. “And some of us think that’s a good thing.”

  “Thanks, I think.” Megan made an uncomfortable smile.

  “Is that why you want this?” Lishia asked cautiously. “Like you feel some weird, misplaced need to fill your sister’s prom queen pumps?”

  “Not at all. Belinda doesn’t even know I’m doing this.” Megan bit her lip, wondering what Belinda would say when she found out. “Although I’m sure I could get her to help me some—I mean, if she has time, since she is in college now.”

  “Well, I think you’re very brave,” Chelsea assured her. “And I meant what I said—I’d love to help you.” She turned to the others. “You guys meant it too, right?”

  “She’ll need all the help she can get.” Janelle took a bite of her burrito.

  Suddenly Megan remembered her new mantra: Act like you’ve already been crowned. “Thank you so much.” She graciously smiled at her friends. “You have no idea how much I appreciate all of you.”

  Lishia giggled. “Sheesh, Megan, you sound like you’re giving your acceptance speech or something.”

  Megan forced a laugh. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Thankfully, the conversation switched gears now. But as Megan sat there, eating her salad and listening to her friends, she felt more excited and hopeful than she’d felt in ages. She felt like her life was finally on track!

  3

  Megan’s first official campaign planning meeting was scheduled for after school on Tuesday. However, Lishia had a yearbook meeting, so only Janelle and Chelsea were able to attend. To sweeten the deal, Megan offered to treat her friends to sundaes.

  “Why are you having frozen yogurt?” Janelle gave Megan a suspicious look as they sat down with their sundaes.

  “I’m trying to lose a few pounds before prom.” Megan patted her midsection. “You and Chelsea are already skinny. But I need to watch the fats and calories.”

  “Are you working out?” Chelsea asked.

  “Not exactly, but it’s on my list.” Megan opened her bag. “Speaking of lists, I brought some with me.” She handed them each a copy. “These are the things I need to get done in the next few weeks.”

  Chelsea’s eyes grew wide. “Wow, this is more involved than I realized.”