If Only

HOMECOMING 
With autumn in the air and football season well underway, it must be Homecoming time at South. The History club decorates and sells hundreds of colorful mums for sweethearts to wear at the game. Six senior girls receive nominations for queen while only one wins and the rest become the court. Being run like an election, each girl has a senior guy as their campaign manager who attempts to garner votes among the student body. Of course, Maddie and Sarah are in the running for queen. The principal reveals the contestants’ names during the afternoon announcements the week before homecoming. Acceding to Sarah’s wishes, her teacher allows her to leave class a couple of minutes early. Running on Mercury’s wings from her class in the opposite end of the building, she reaches Bill at the other end before the other candidates can reach him. While Bill and Sarah don’t have any classes together this semester, Bill takes three steps out of his classroom as soon as the bell rings only to find Sarah waiting there for him. Filled with excitement and anticipation, Sarah asks, “Bill, will you please be my manager for Homecoming Queen?” 
Elated to be her choice, he responds warmly, “Yes I would be honored to do it.” 
Finally, in an emotional release, Sarah exhales deeply in a huge sigh and says, “Thank you so much. I wouldn’t want anyone else to run my campaign.” Silently, she considers, “I just might be the queen with Bill as my manager.” 
Verbalizing his feelings, he replies, “There isn’t anyone else for whom I would consider doing this.” After hugging each other and starting to their next classes, three other girls including Maddie ask Bill to manage their campaigns. To each request, he answers cordially, “Thank you for asking. I’m honored that you considered me. However, I apologize that I can’t be your manager because Sarah Ormond asked me already and I accepted her offer.” 
After he denies Maddie’s request to manage her, she says to one of her friends, “Well, it is going to be very difficult to win now without Bill as my manager. Sarah is so lucky to have him manage her.” 
Dumbfounded, Bill considers silently, “Wow, I never imagined Sarah asking me let alone so many other girls. Maybe I can help Sarah win as queen.” With so many requests for him to manage queen campaigns, the guys with him start joking, “Hey, can you manage our campaign for queen? We’re a cinch to get elected. We’ll even wear dresses and wigs just for you.” “Enough already guys. I’m as surprised as you are,” Bill retorts. 
Hitting the ground running during that day, Bill begins to ask others that day to help with Sarah’s campaign. She offers to have everyone meet at her house to build a float and make campaign signs. The sign making is in her parent’s basement while others build the float in the driveway. Arriving at her house early, Bill finds an anxious Sarah sitting nervously on the porch steps near the driveway. As he walks to the steps to sit beside her, she says, “Hardly anyone has arrived and those who have are all milling around. No one knows what to do. I’m not sure myself and need some guidance from someone.” Looking deeply in her eyes, her concern and plea for help are as evident as her love. As he sits next to her on the steps, his heart swells with the love emanating from those beautiful eyes. Seeing the concern on her face and the love and trust in her eyes, he vows in his heart to do everything possible to fulfill her dreams. 
“Don’t worry Sarah,” he answers as he hugs her, “I’ll organize them into several work teams. We’ll have you elected by the end of the week. Just leave it to me. I’ll have one team make yard signs using yardsticks I obtained. Another team will make car signs. Others can work on the float. I’m excited about this. With your beauty and grace, you’ll have no problem being elected queen. Trust me on this fact.”
Relieved with his words, she hugs him again and hurries into the house while more people arrive. All the while, the sentinel trees gently wave in approval. Bill hurries to the back yard to organize the swelling crowd of helpers into the work teams he outlined to her. The sign making teams walk into Sarah’s house while her mom directs them to the basement. She comments, “Sarah dear, I’m concerned about getting the work done in time for you. I know how much being homecoming queen means to you. I’m so nervous that you might not get elected.” 
Confidently, Sarah responds, “Don’t worry mom. Bill has everything under control. He’s doing an amazing job of organizing kids to do the work. We’ll be fine now. I can see how much he loves me with his leadership and the work he’s doing.” After getting the float builders moving full bore on creation, he walks into the basement and past the full bar to check the sign work for himself. The Maestro takes the stage and orchestrates sign creation. While work develops smoothly, he plans to market “Sarah for Queen” carefully but visibly over the Indianapolis south side with as many yard signs as they can distribute. The local ice cream shop agrees to display “Vote Sarah for Homecoming Queen” on its marquee. Presenting her as a well-known name for whom any student will want to vote, he manages the campaign plan for her very well. Meanwhile, Sarah dreams of how important it is to be a model representative of the school and muses, “I really want to be the queen, but I don’t want people thinking I’m arrogant. I just want them to see me as a normal person. However, I want to represent the school and students wherever I am. After all, I’ll be the Homecoming Queen and part of its tradition for the rest of my life.” 
Friday’s pep session is the day of the vote. Each manager dresses in a white tuxedo jacket, black bow tie, and formal black pants gives a speech about their candidate and introduces her. When Bill’s turn to speak arrives, he swaggers boldly to the microphone and delivers his oratory, “The office of homecoming queen is a huge responsibility carrying with it the weight of generations of young women who proudly bore the title before this year’s queen. You as a student body want a person who is not only beautiful to the eye but who has beauty in her spirit as well. You want to elect a young woman who represents the entire student population with grace and respect. You want to elect a model student and a leader who exemplifies that tradition for another year. You want to elect a young woman who will carry that title into your hearts and make you proud you voted for her. For your careful consideration, may I present the embodiment of those characteristics, Sarah Ormond.” The crowd roars its approval as she glides into the gym wearing a floor-length, aqua-blue formal with short cap sleeves, long line white gloves, and white pumps shoes. 
After her manager announces her to the students, Maddie walks in wearing white shoes and a floor-length, low-cut, empire waist formal with thin straps and deep red bodice, while the lower portion of the dress is bright white. As her campaign plan utilizes every possibility, Maddie hopes to entice student votes by wearing a dress with colors nearly matching the school colors. To the approving student body, the other girls enter into the gym in floor-length formals individually