by Sheryl Berk
• • •
Delaney could barely concentrate in fifth-period history class. The debate was next period, and she was afraid her nightmare last night was about to become reality.
“So we learned that Caesar’s tragic flaws were what?” Mr. G asked the class.
Sophie raised her hand. “He was stuck up,” she said. “And power hungry.”
“Yes,” their teacher replied. “He was ambitious and arrogant, and declared himself a dictator for life.”
Delaney gulped. What if her fellow Weber Day students thought she was a bossy dictator? What if they hated her campaign platform and wanted to overthrow her?
“What is the difference between a dictatorship and a democracy?” Mr. G asked. He noticed Delaney in the back of the class, staring into space. “Delaney.”
She snapped to attention. “What? Huh?”
“Tell me the difference between a dictatorship and a democracy.”
Delaney cleared her throat. “Well, in a democracy, the leader answers to the people. He or she has to be elected fair and square, and every vote counts.”
Mr. G smiled. “Excellent answer—and an excellent attitude for a presidential candidate.” Just then the sixth bell rang. “Speaking of which, it’s time for the fifth-grade assembly and the debate, which I will be moderating.”
Delaney felt her stomach do a backflip. This was it. There was no turning back now.
“You got this,” Sophie said, trying to cheer her up. “And if you need me, I’ll be right there, front row.”
“Thanks, Soph,” Delaney replied. But she knew it would be just her and Olivia going head-to-head in the debate. No one could help her.
When Delaney reached the auditorium, it was packed with students and teachers. There wasn’t a single seat open.
“Why is everyone here?” she whispered to Sophie.
“Um, ’cause it’s an assembly and everyone has to be here,” her friend replied. “Relax. You’ll be great.”
“I second that,” said a voice behind her.
“And we third, fourth, and fifth it!”
It was Kylie, Lexi, Sadie, and Jenna, who had all come to support her!
“But what about the Winter Fest setup? Won’t Principal Fontina be mad?” Delaney asked.
“She let us set up early so we could be here for you,” Kylie said.
“And Herbie drove us all over,” Sadie added. She pointed to their adviser, who was standing in the wings—just like he’d been in Delaney’s dream.
“I’m so happy to see all of you,” she said, hugging them. But she was a little nervous about what Herbie had up his sleeve.
“You didn’t let him build a Tot-o-Matic machine, did you?” she asked Kylie quietly.
“A Tot-o-What?” Kylie giggled. “No. I checked it out before we got here, and trust me, you’re gonna love your presentation, Delaney. I promise.”
Delaney took a deep breath. “Okay, if you say so.” She took her place onstage behind the podium next to Olivia.
“Hey, good luck,” her opponent said. “I think you’d make a really great president.”
Delaney was shocked that Olivia was actually being so nice.
“You too,” she answered.
“And no matter who wins, we both really want great stuff for the fifth grade, right?”
Delaney nodded. “Right.”
Mr. G called the assembly to attention. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you would kindly take your seats and settle down…” A hush fell over the auditorium, and Delaney could feel her palms sweating.
“Today, we have two very impressive candidates for fifth-grade president: Delaney Noonan and Olivia Dante.” The students cheered and both girls smiled nervously.
“The purpose of a debate is to hear where the candidates stand and learn their opinions on important subjects. Your job as voters is to listen carefully and form your own opinions. Who will do the best job for you and the school?”
He turned to Delaney. “The first question is about the annual fifth-grade fund-raiser. How would you raise money, and where would you suggest that money go?”
Olivia raised her hand first and spoke into the microphone at the podium. “I would do a walkathon. I would get all the fifth graders and their families on their feet—because exercise is so important to health and well-being. Then, I would use the money we raise to pay for new soccer team nets and uniforms. Our championship team deserves better. Thank you.”
The Weber Day soccer team stood up and cheered. “Liv leads the way to a better Weber Day!” they shouted.
Mr. G motioned for them to take their seats. “Delaney, you’re up.”
Delaney looked down at her index cards, but nothing on them answered that question. She had prepared for everything from art supplies to silverware, but fund-raising? What could she say? What could she do? She had to improvise—just like she had when she forgot to buy the cream cheese for her campaign cupcakes. She looked out at Sophie and her cupcake club sitting in the first row. Sophie gave her a thumbs-up, and Kylie smiled and crossed her fingers.
Suddenly, the answer came to her. “I would do a bake sale, a huge bake sale,” Delaney improvised. “I would create a campaign: Bake the Way to a Better Weber Day. And I would ask that our grade vote on the top five things we need to improve at school and put the money toward them. We should decide as a grade and not let one person make that decision.”
The audience applauded enthusiastically—and Jenna whistled through her teeth. “Go, Laney! Go, Laney!” Kylie and Lexi chanted.
Mr. G held up his hand once again for silence. “Question two: The school librarian is planning to expand our book collection next year. What types of books do you think we need?”
Delaney’s hand went up. There was no way Olivia was going to beat her to it this time!
“Yes, Delaney?” Mr. G said. “Your thoughts?”
Delaney froze. How was she supposed to know what books the school needed or wanted? All she could do was think of her own favorites. “I love science fiction, so I’d like to see a lot more books about aliens from outer space,” she said. “And biographies of famous pop stars like Selena Gomez. I’ve always wanted to read about how she got into show business. Oh! Also, we could use a bunch more plays by writers like Shakespeare. He’s really good!”
Mr. G smiled. “Yes, indeed he is. Olivia, your turn.”
“I feel that we should focus on the classics, the greats of literature, and any books that would support our fifth-grade curriculum,” she replied thoughtfully. “For example, Mr. G, you have been teaching us about Julius Caesar. More reference material on ancient Rome would be very helpful.”
The audience applauded and Delaney frowned. Why hadn’t she thought to say books about Caesar? Mr. G would have loved that!
“Those were both very good responses from our candidates,” he said. “Now I’d like to turn the podium over to each of you to summarize why you think your classmates should elect you fifth-grade president. Please make your presentations.”
Olivia went first. “Fifth graders, I know we like to complain a lot. We don’t like this; we don’t like that. Too much homework, not a long enough recess… It’s really easy to say what’s wrong, but it takes work and dedication to fix it. That’s why I’m asking you to make me your fifth-grade president. I will work hard to find the solutions. I will take your complaints seriously, and I will bring them to the administration. I will always be willing to listen and also to be your voice. Please vote for Liv to lead the way to a better Weber Day! Thank you.”
The audience clapped, and Delaney waited for Olivia to say or do something more. Her presentation had been so simple. No cupcakes, no fanfare, just solid promises to be the best leader she could be.
Mr. G looked at Delaney. “Okay, you’re up,” he said.
Delaney stared out at the
audience staring back at her. “Hi,” she began. “I, um, well, I…” She had nothing written out because there had been no time. So instead, she spoke from the heart.
“I don’t have a speech,” she said. A few kids laughed. “I’m just going to talk about why I want to be your president. At first, I was mad that there wasn’t enough paint or costumes for the play. So I thought, let me be president and I’ll make sure I get what I want. Then, I met Liv in the hall and she was like, ‘Hey, you don’t even know the issues!’ So, then I wanted to be president to prove her wrong.” She noticed a few students in the audience frowning or rolling their eyes.
“Wait!” she pleaded. “I know that was wrong. And I learned that being president means being responsible and taking into consideration the feelings and opinions of the people who matter the most—you guys.” She looked out at her PLC mates and smiled. “It’s easy to let it go to your head, but I promise you this: I never will again. I don’t wanna be a good president; I wanna be a great one. I want to be fair and I wanna be fun—’cause that’s me.” Herbie suddenly appeared beside her, holding a silver tray of cupcakes, each lit with a sparkler. He handed her one.
Delaney beamed. “I want to thank Herbie, my cupcake club, Sophie, and Mr. G for all your help and encouragement. I couldn’t have done this without you.” Then she addressed her classmates: “I want you to share your opinions and concerns with me, and I’ll share my cupcakes with you!” She motioned to Kylie and company in the front row. “Guys, can you help me hand these out?”
Her friends appeared carrying cupcakes and assorted toppings. “It’s really important to me that every student’s voice be heard by the Weber Day administration. You’re all unique and special—which is why I want you to decorate your cupcakes exactly how you like them: sprinkles, chips, even a cherry on top. Whatever you like, your opinion counts!”
As the crowd erupted into thunderous applause, Herbie hit a button on a remote in his pocket. Suddenly, a red, white, and blue confetti cannon exploded above the stage and showered the entire auditorium. The kids went wild, and this time Mr. G didn’t try to hush them.
“Well, that was definitely fun,” Mr. G said, grabbing a cupcake. “And honest and heartfelt. Delaney, great job. I’m proud of you.”
Olivia helped herself to a treat as well and piled on some red, white, and blue sprinkles. “Awesome,” she said. “Both the cupcake and your speech.”
Delaney felt like she was floating on air, just like the confetti. Even if she didn’t win, she had given it her all. The only thing left to do was wait till the votes came in.
The girls all hugged Delaney and congratulated Herbie for pulling off a successful presentation.
“You actually did it, Herbie,” Jenna said, patting him on the back. “Without blowing a fuse or creating una emergencia.”
Herbie blushed. “Yes, well, it was just a question of calibrating the trigger mechanism.”
Sadie chuckled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but that confetti cannon rocked. Can’t wait to see what you came up with for Winter Fest.”
Kylie suddenly looked at her watch. “OMG, it’s three thirty! We told Principal Fontina we’d be back to hand out cupcakes at three!”
She grabbed Delaney by the arm and pulled her off the stage. “Let’s go, gang. Enough politics, we’ve got some snow business to attend to!”
When they arrived in the gymnasium at Blakely, Principal Fontina was tapping her foot impatiently. Everyone was busy doing crafts, playing carnival games, and snacking on snow cones. They didn’t seem to mind at all—but a promise was a promise and PLC was late.
“Finally!” she snapped at Kylie. “I have a huge display here covered with a drape and hundreds of hungry students waiting for cupcakes.”
Herbie raced over to check the wiring one last time. “It looks good, so fingers crossed.”
Kylie took a deep breath and pulled the drape off to reveal a giant snow globe filled with candy cane cupcakes. Principal Fontina handed her a microphone.
“Blakely students, if I can have your attention, please,” Kylie said. All eyes turned to the center of the gym and PLC’s enormous display. “In honor of the Blakely Winter Fest, Peace, Love, and Cupcakes gives you a winter wonderland!”
Herbie flipped a switch on the side of the globe, and the entire dome suddenly filled with swirling powdered sugar that settled delicately on the tops of the cupcakes. The students—and Principal Fontina—oohed and aahed.
“Herbie, you’re a genius,” Kylie whispered to him. “The powdered sugar is brilliant! Now our cupcakes won’t be soggy!”
“I have my moments,” Herbie said with a wink.
“Thank goodness you ditched the whole idea of it snowing indoors,” Lexi said. “That had disaster written all over it.”
“About that,” Herbie added. “I didn’t ditch it entirely…”
He took the mic and faced the audience. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you will all turn your attention overhead…”
“Oh no, he didn’t…” Lexi said, squeezing Kylie’s hand. “I can’t watch!”
Herbie hit a switch on his remote control, but nothing happened. “That’s funny,” he said. “It must be jammed.”
“Gracias a Dios,” Jenna said. “It doesn’t work!”
“Yeah, what she said,” Sadie added. “Please give it up, Herbie. We don’t need another flood!”
But Herbie didn’t want to give up. He kept flicking the switch on his remote while the students grew restless.
“The pressurizer must have gotten clogged,” he said. “This shouldn’t be happening. I tried it out, and it worked flawlessly.”
Delaney saw how disappointed he was and took Kylie aside. “This means a lot to him. Can’t we help?”
Kylie looked over and saw how upset their adviser was. “Guys, let’s give Herbie a chance to figure it out. He didn’t let us down, and we shouldn’t let him down.”
“I have an idea,” Delaney chimed in. “We need a distraction.”
She grabbed the mic out of Herbie’s hand. “Hi, everyone! While we wait for our amazing, one-of-a-kind, awesome display to work, my friends from Peace, Love, and Cupcakes and I would like to entertain you with a song.”
“We would?” Kylie gasped. “Laney, we don’t have a song! And I don’t sing!”
Delaney grabbed Lexi, who she knew had a great voice. “You’re on harmony,” she whispered. “Kylie, Jenna, Sadie, you guys are our backup dancers.”
“What do I do?” Sadie asked in a panic.
“Sway, shimmy, bop,” Delaney suggested. “I dunno. Look like you’re having fun and not panicking!”
It felt good, Delaney thought, to take charge—practically presidential. She began to sing: “There’s no business like snow business like no business I know!”
Lexi improvised the next verse: “Everything about it is so chilly…icy, slushy, slidey, and such fun!”
Then Delaney continued: “That’s when I stay warm inside my kitchen, start baking cupcakes by the ton…”
Suddenly, something overhead sputtered and crackled. The lights in the gym went off, and everyone was left standing in the dark.
“Mr. Dubois!” Principal Fontina shouted. “Fix this immediately!”
“On it!” Herbie said, shining his flashlight and climbing a ladder to check the snow machine he’d mounted on the ceiling. “Gimme a sec.”
There was a loud bang, then a plop, then the lights came back on. A pile of snow was now sitting on top of Principal Fontina’s head and melting down her face.
“Oopsie,” Herbie said apologetically. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
But before their principal could yell, small white snowflakes began delicately dancing through the air. It was beautiful…and magical. The gym was suddenly transformed into a wonderful winter wonderland.
“I
said it got clogged up,” Herbie called down to Kylie. “I fixed it.”
“Sorry, Principal Fontina,” Kylie said, handing her a napkin to wipe her face. “Herbie meant well.”
“And he did well,” Principal Fontina replied, dabbing at her nose and cheeks. “This is truly a spectacle. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Herbie climbed down the ladder and breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Does this mean I still have a job at Blakely?” he asked her hopefully.
The principal took a cupcake from Kylie and dug in. “Try to keep the lights on,” she said with a wink and walked off to join the rest of Blakely in the fest activities.
“That was a close one!” Lexi said. “I don’t wanna know what would have happened if you hadn’t gotten the snow working.”
Herbie shrugged. “I never doubted it for a second. Well, maybe just one second.”
Monday couldn’t come soon enough for Delaney. She’d worried all weekend that no one would vote for her, even though her friends assured her she had done an amazing job at the debate.
When she got to school, there were big ballot boxes in the hallway with slips of paper next to them. Her name and Olivia’s were listed on the slip, each name with a box next to it to check off. Delaney was going to put a check next to her own name, but then she hesitated. Olivia had been so nice that it was the least she could do. She voted for her and cast her ballot.
Mr. G had promised they would have the results tallied by last period and would make an announcement over the loudspeaker. Delaney anxiously stared at the clock. It was nearly three, and school was almost over for the day.
Suddenly, the speaker sprang to life. “Students, faculty, this is Mr. Gatlin. May I please have your attention for a very important announcement.”
Delaney glanced nervously at Sophie, who was seated a row behind her in math class, nibbling her nails.
Mr. G rattled off the names of the third- and fourth-grade class presidents before saying, “And this was a very interesting race for fifth grade.”
