The auditorium began to fill with students for the two o’clock assembly. Christy looked for Katie among the few people already sitting in the front rows, but she wasn’t there. Slipping into the second row, Christy quietly waited.
Deep in her heart, she whispered a prayer. Father God, I want to become the person You want me to be. I want You to be pleased with me. You are—
Her prayer was interrupted by a familiar voice. “Hey, how’s it going?”
“Todd? Todd!” Christy jumped up and impulsively gave him a hug. “What are you doing here?”
“Heard this was a big day for you.” He looked excited, with his wide grin and clear eyes.
Suddenly aware that people were watching them, Christy motioned for Todd to sit next to her. He stretched his arm across the back of her chair and sat looking at her, still smiling. He clearly was proud of her.
“I like your hair,” he said. “You look like an angel with a halo.”
Christy felt thrilled and uncomfortable and confused all at the same time. “Thanks. But how did you know about the assembly today?”
“I was at your aunt and uncle’s last night when Marti was talking to your mom. Thought I’d surprise you. Did I?” He looked almost silly he was so pleased with himself.
“Yes! I still can’t believe you’re here. But Todd, there’s something I should tell you about the cheerleading announcement—”
This time Katie’s voice interrupted her. “Christy! Todd?” Katie’s face reflected her surprise.
“I know!” Christy laughed. “Kind of a surprise, huh? Do you want to sit by us?”
Katie inched her way into the empty seat on the other side of Christy as Todd pulled an envelope from his back pocket. “You want see my pictures from prom night?”
Christy’s emotions plummeted. How could she say no? Especially with Katie leaning toward Todd and saying, “I want to see them. Pass ’em this way.”
“Jasmine’s mom took these at their apartment before the prom dinner.” Todd lifted a photo out of the envelope as if it were a rare treasure and handed it to Katie.
Christy closed her eyes for an instant, then opened them and looked at the photo Katie now held in front of her. All of her jealousy fled. Christy’s first thought sped to her lips, but she held back from speaking it. That’s Jasmine?
The picture showed Todd standing, tall and dashing in his tux with a teal blue bow tie and matching cummerbund. He looked finer than any knight in shining armor. Jasmine wore a long blue satin gown with straight long sleeves. The skirt covered the bottom part of her wheelchair, and in her lap lay one long-stemmed white rose with a blue ribbon.
Jasmine didn’t have the long, flowing blond hair of a prom queen, as Christy had imagined. Instead, her dark hair was cropped short. Her hands lay useless in her lap, with fingers frozen in a twisted grip. And although she wore makeup, she still had a plain, simple-looking face.
But her smile! Her heart shone from her face as she smiled.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Todd asked.
Katie pulled her head back so Todd couldn’t see her and gave Christy a doubtful look.
Christy knew exactly what Todd meant, so she sincerely answered, “Yes, she is. She’s beautiful.”
Jasmine deserved to have a special prom night, and she deserved to have it with Todd.
“So,” Christy asked bravely, “did you have a good time at the prom?”
“We didn’t go to the dance. Just out to dinner,” Todd said. “I’m not big on dressing up and stuff like that. But I heard some of Jasmine’s friends say they were all going to dinner in Laguna Beach before the prom. I thought taking Jasmine would be the best present I could give her—something no one else would think about giving. That’s my favorite kind of gift.”
Christy felt the cool metal of her Forever bracelet and realized how carefully Todd planned the gifts he gave. Her bracelet meant more to her at that moment than it ever had before. She was so glad she’d run back that morning and fished it from the coffee can.
“You didn’t go to the prom, then?” Christy realized that neither she nor Rick nor Todd had gone. She had ridden a colossal emotional roller coaster for nothing. “You guys didn’t go to the dance part of the prom?”
Todd looked at Christy as if he didn’t understand her question. “No. Dances aren’t exactly my idea of a good time.”
“Tell me about it,” Katie muttered.
“Jasmine and I had a great time with her friends at dinner, and that’s the part that really mattered to both of us.”
Christy remembered when she and Todd and the rest of her beach friends had gone ice-skating last Christmas, and Todd had turned out to be a klutz on the ice. She wondered if maybe he wasn’t really comfortable with dances for some of the same coordination reasons. The thought made her smile. There were so many things she didn’t know about Todd. She was glad things were back to normal so she could keep getting to know this one-of-a-kind guy.
Todd slipped Jasmine’s treasured photo back into the envelope. “I can’t wait for you to meet Jasmine,” he told Christy. “I told her that you and I would fix breakfast on the beach for her one morning. Only this time the birds wouldn’t get to the food. I told Jasmine her job would be to keep the seagulls away.”
“You told her about our breakfast on the beach last Christmas?” Christy asked.
“Of course. She said she’s anxious to meet you. You know, she asked if you were upset that I took her to the prom dinner instead of you, and I told her you weren’t like other girls.”
Christy felt awful. She was about to argue the point and tell Todd that she really failed more than succeeded and that she’d worked herself into a jealous rage over his taking Jasmine to the prom when the curtain began to go up in the noisy, packed auditorium.
A girl slid into the seat directly in front of Christy and turned around. “Hi! Hope you didn’t think I was going to miss this!” It was Teri.
“Hi!” Christy greeted her and quickly introduced Todd.
The football coach began to introduce next year’s lineup, and soon the stage bulged with proud young men roaring with school spirit and slapping each other on the back.
“And now,” the coach bellowed into the microphone, “Kelley High’s best all-around athlete from this year will introduce next year’s cheerleaders! I present to you Rick Doyle!”
Rick jogged onto the stage in his letterman’s jacket, his half grin showing how much he loved the wild applause that filled the auditorium.
Will Rick see me sitting here with Todd? Will he even notice? Do I even care? Then Christy began to feel nervous. Up until then she had been fine. In the garden of her heart, she knew the right seeds had been planted, but now that the moment had come for everyone to see the harvest, she felt her stomach jumble. What will everyone think of me? And do I even care?
Rick stepped up to the microphone, seemingly quite at home in front of an audience, and waved his hands for the applause to die down. It reminded Christy of when Rick had announced her name as Christina in front of the youth group the first Sunday she visited his church with Katie.
That time he had embarrassed her and made her feel nervous to be noticed by him. Now she felt strong and unafraid of him. And not just because Todd was beside her. It was because she knew that she was becoming who she was meant to be, as her mom had said. And she could rest in that confidence. Not Rick or anyone else could shake the strange confidence she felt in the midst of her nervousness.
“Okay! I have the list here.” Rick held up an envelope. “As I announce the cheerleaders by name, come on up and stand in front of these men that you’re going to be cheering on to victory next fall.”
Rick tore open the envelope and scanned the list before saying, “Renee Duvalt.”
Renee sprang from her seat and, with mock surprise, swished onto stage, giving Rick a perky little hug. With a halfhearted response to Renee, Rick kept looking at the list. Christy saw him turn it over and check the back.
Rick called the rest of the names loudly and clearly. Then he paused on the very last name.
Katie reached over, squeezed Christy’s arm, and whispered, “Get ready! This is it!”
“And our final cheerleader is … Teri Moreno!”
Christy felt like the whole world was looking at her, gasping its surprise.
“Teri!” Katie snapped.
Teri turned around, stunned.
“But Christy.” she stammered.
“Go on, Teri! They called your name.”
“But why?” Teri slowly rose from her chair, searching Christy’s face for the answer.
“Because God wanted you to be a cheerleader, and I knew it.”
Teri, dazed and overjoyed at the same time, gave Christy a big hug. Then she ran—leaped—onto the stage as the other girls whispered among themselves and clapped for her. She gave a mighty jump and eagerly received the astonished congratulations from the other girls. Then, facing the audience, Teri turned on her electric smile, shooting a current of absolute joy right at Christy.
Christy kept applauding until her hands hurt, ignoring Katie’s nonstop questions.
Todd leaned over. “You did that, didn’t you? You gave up the spot you earned so she could be on the squad?”
Christy nodded and blinked back the tears of happiness.
Rick’s voice boomed over the microphone as he said, “I’d like to say something here. Please sit back down. I think it’s important to say that some people give to our school in ways that no one else sees. Those people, and they know who they are.” Rick paused and looked directly at Christy. “Those people rarely get the thanks they deserve.”
The auditorium had begun to quiet down.
“For those people who never quit giving of themselves, this is what I think of you.” Rick crumpled the list and stuffed it into his pocket. Before a hushed audience, he slowly, dramatically, with deliberate strokes, stepped back and pounded the palms of his hands together in applause, his gaze glued on Christy.
Katie sprang to her feet and, facing Christy, joined in the applause. In a breath, the whole student body stood, clapping and cheering. Christy instinctively stood too, surprised that the applause was for her.
Todd put his arm around her and spoke so she could hear above the roar, “They’re clapping for you, Chris. They know a real God-lover when they see one.” He leaned closer and added, “Or should I say, they know real love when they see it.”
Christy felt the warmth of Todd’s breath on her neck. She looked at him. “Are you sure?”
Todd laughed and held her tightly. “Am I sure? Just look up on the stage.”
Christy saw the cheerleaders all lined up, smiling their approval at her and clapping. Even Renee, with a soft expression on her face, stood there clapping—clapping for Christy. Rick also stood there applauding and looking like a guy who indeed was willing to wait.
And then Christy looked at Teri and knew for certain she’d made the right decision. Tears danced down Teri’s cheeks as her dazzling smile filled the auditorium. Teri glowed—absolutely glowed. Just like an angel in the great forever.