A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 24

This is the fifth year in a row I’ve run this series in April.

Today’s story: Town turns table on school prank.

High school student Whitney Kropp was shocked earlier this month when she was named to the homecoming court.

Her happy surprise turned to humiliation when she learned the reason. The students thought it would be funny if the popularity contest was won by someone who was unpopular.

Kids pointed at her in the hallways and laughed. The boy who was picked with her withdrew.

Students told her that, in case she was wondering why the boy had dropped out, he was uncomfortable being linked with her.

“I thought I wasn’t worthy,” said Kropp, 16. “I was this big old joke.”

Her embarrassment was complete, but it didn’t last long.

This tiny farm town an hour north of Saginaw quickly rallied around her.

For the homecoming dance Saturday, businesses will buy her dinner, take her photo, fix her hair and nails, and dress her in a gown, shoes and a tiara.

For the homecoming game Friday, residents will pack the football stadium so they can cheer when she is introduced at halftime.

They will be wearing her favorite color (orange) and T-shirts with messages of support. A 68-year-old grandmother offered to be her escort.

“I am in awe, overwhelmed at the amount of support,” said Jamie Kline, 35, who began a Facebook support page. “I never expected it to spread as far as it has.”

For Kropp, a sophomore at Ogemaw Heights High, it’s been a remarkable transformation.

Before the homecoming vote, she was either ignored or scorned by classmates.

Now, when she isn’t fielding yet another free offer from a business, she’s being lauded by hundreds of strangers on the support page.

Cast in an unlikely role, she has embraced it. She vowed to continue representing the sophomore class, even if she has to do it alone.

And here is a photo of Whitney at the event:

For good measure, this is a photo from Stop Bullying Whitney Kropp Facebook page:

I literally have nothing to add to this story because if you read the whole article, it lays out all the major characters, all the major Plotline points, and the metamorphosis arc not only of Whitney, but the town itself. It even has its own tagline:

It’s like “Carrie” with a happy ending.

There you go: My twenty fourth story idea for the month. And it’s yours. Free!

What would you do with it?

Each day this month, I invite you to join me in comments to do some brainstorming. Gender bend, genre bend, what if. Take each day’s story idea and see what it can become when we play around with it. These are all valuable skills for a writer to develop.

See you in comments (hit Reply to join the conversation). And come back tomorrow for another Story Idea Each Day For A Month.

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