The Magical Prom Night

by Shirley Ann Burton

People's mentioning of an upcoming prom and something Ace gives to Mona for a date force Angie to deal with the horrible tragedy of her parents' deaths . . . and the timing of that terrible night. Please R & R.

1. Part 1

The Magical Prom Night

By: Shirley Ann Burton

Part 1

In the metropolitan area known as Electro City, a young woman with green eyes and light-brown hair was shopping for groceries less than two miles away from where she lived. She was collecting the necessary vegetables, ginger, and meats to make an array of different edible delicacies, since her taste in food was well noted.
"Hmm," she thought, "I need to make sure these carrots are fresh, since Cosmo loves that stew I make a lot of the time. Ace also wanted me to get some steaks for the barbecue on Saturday afternoon, so I'd better make certain the meats are okay to eat."
Just as the young lady was going over to the dairy section, a little girl came along with a pen and piece of paper. "Excuse me," she said with a sweet and innocent voice, "but can I have your autograph, Miss Jacobs?"
The young woman kneeled down to the little girl and happily replied, "Of course you can." She then took the piece of paper and signed it with the pen. "What's your name?"
"Janie," said the little lady.
After a few seconds, the young woman, training magician Angela Jacobs, gave Janie the pen and paper. "There you are, Janie. Your own autograph."
"Thanks, Miss Jacobs. You're a really nice person."
Angie smiled at Janie's compliment. "Thank you very much. I'm very flattered."
"Oh, and great show on Tuesday night, too."
"I couldn't have done that without Ace."
Just then, Janie's older sister Kylie came along. "Janie, why did you run off like that? You had me worried, and on top of that, you can't just come up to her like that. Angela is a very busy person."
"That's okay," Angie stated. "I don't mind the attention as long as it's not a mob of people. I just don't want it to go to my head, if you know what I mean."
"I understand. You be you here and then perform as the famous magician you are."
"Wait a minute. Ace Cooper is the famous Magician, and I'm just training under him, so I should be called the 'famous training magician.'"
All three ladies laughed at Angie's joke.
Kylie then took Janie's right hand. "We'd better go. Mom's going to get worried about us, and I have a prom dress to pick up before we get home, remember?"
Angie suddenly felt a chill going down her back.
"Oh, yeah," said Janie. "I can't wait to wear one when I get to your age."
"I know how you feel, sis. Thanks again, Miss Jacobs."
The younger magician was a little dazed but quickly snapped back into reality. "Oh, um, you're welcome. Tell your mother it was my fault for Janie."
After a hearty laugh, Kylie said, "Okay. Come on, Janie."
As the two sisters walked away, Angie turned her face away from the other people as pain began ebbing within her
heart. "No, I have to bury this pain away. I can't let anyone know, especially Ace. I have to shield my thoughts about this matter from him somehow. This is one thing I cannot let Ace know about."
She then shook her head to get the thoughts out of her mind and the pain out of her heart. "Okay, I'm fine, and I'm in control." She then went back to shopping for groceries to make sure her friends had enough to eat for the week.

An hour later, Angie arrived at the door of a rather unusual home, but considering this was the home of Ace Cooper, the greatest magician in the world, she never did consider the Magic Express to be as unusual as she thought when she first arrived in Electro City nearly two years earlier.
As soon as the door opened, she received a warm greeting from her two "big brothers," Ace and Cosmo.
"Hello, Angie," said Ace happily. "Need some help with the groceries?"
"If you guys don't mind."
The two gentlemen gathered the grocery bags and helped Angie get them to the kitchen.
Ace, however, began to sense something wrong. "Angie's bothered by something," he thought in worry, "but she's blocking that part away from me, like it's something she wants to keep from anyone. I felt something from her earlier, too, some kind of pain. Why is she hiding this pain?"
When all the groceries were put away, Ace looked at his younger counterpart. "Are you okay, Angie?"
She looked at him in slight confusion. "What are you talking about, Ace? I'm fine. What makes you think there's something wrong with me?"
"Nothing, but . . . you don't seem like yourself. You sure you're all right?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Really." Angie then walked over to the stove to start cooking.
Ace then left the kitchen to finish a practice run for a show to come the following week. He was still worried about her. "Angie, I'm your friend. Whatever pain you hide within your heart, please, don't deal with it alone."
When he came into the practice room, he found Cosmo ready to start the practice.
The experienced apprentice saw the concerned look on Ace's face. "Dude, what's wrong?"
"I don't know, Cosmo. Angie seems to be hiding some past pain, but she's been able to set up a block to keep me from knowing what it is."
"Why would she want to block something from you?"
"I think there's something in her past so painful she believes she has to deal with it all alone. She doesn't want us to know what's troubling her in this case because it'll become a problem in her opinion." After a sigh Ace added, "I just hope she's going to be all right. In the meantime, we've got some practice to do."
"Okay, but don't forget you gotta eat light tonight, since you are taking Mona to the DNA Club Charity Ball."
"Don't worry about that, Cosmo. Angie already knows that, but she wanted to make sure at least you and she got to eat enough."
The two seasoned partners went through with their hour-long practice, and all went very smoothly with it.

A couple of hours later, long after Angie and Cosmo enjoyed the roasted chicken, broccoli, and rice, Ace was all dressed up in a finer suit than ever before. Instead of the usual outfit this time, he wore a white tuxedo and white slacks with a purple-colored bow tie. He was awaiting the arrival of his girlfriend Mona Malone to take her to the Charity Ball, hosted by DNA Club owner Bob Raven.
Making one last adjustment to his bow tie, a 3-D pointed hologram with pinkish and purple highlights appeared in the living room.
"Yes, Angel?"
"Mona is here," stated the female-voiced AI. "She awaits entry into the Magic Express."
"Very well. Let her in, please."
In a matter of seconds, a green-eyed redhead entered the bullet train home. On this night, she wore a stunning blue gown with sparkling sequins in the ruffles. "Ace, my goodness, you look very handsome."
"And you're looking as stunning as ever, Mona." He took her right hand and gave it a gentle kiss. "Now, before we get to the ball, there is one thing I want to put on your left wrist. Hold on, it's in the refrigerator." Ace then left to go get the object.
Mona already knew what she was expecting. "Oh, Ace," she said to herself softly. "I can't believe you got a corsage for this occasion."
He returned with a white-rose corsage. "A beautiful corsage for a beautiful woman." He then placed it on her left wrist.
"Ace, it's beautiful. You really went to a lot of trouble to make this special."
"No, I just bought it at a grocery store. I remember how you described the dress, so I went all over town to find just the right one. Magic couldn't do anything for this part."
"At least you're honest," Mona added with a smile.
Just then, Angie came by the kitchen with a full glass of milk and saw both Ace and Mona. "Mona, hi. I didn't hear you come in."
"That's okay, Angie. How are you tonight?"
"I'm fine, I—" The younger magician suddenly gasped at the sight of the corsage on the singer's left wrist. Her eyes widened in fear as she dropped the glass, causing it to break.
"Angie, what's wrong?" Mona asked in worry.
"No, not that, please." Tears soon began to come from her eyes.
Ace could literally feel the fear coming from his younger counterpart. "Angie," he said calmly, "I know you've been hiding something, some pain from your past. I also know you've been blocking it from me. It's something you don't want any of us to know."
Her fear growing rapidly, she decided to run to her room. "Just stay away from me!"
Ace and Mona looked at each other in shock as the door to Angie's room closed.
"Ace, what happened? And what do you mean she's hiding pain from her past?"
"Angie somehow found a way to mentally block me from finding out what's troubling her."
"I'll go talk to her. Maybe that will break the shield, and we can help her with what's wrong."
In her room, which was completely dark, Angie held the photo of her and her parents very close to her sad heart. "Why?" she asked herself. "Why did I have to see it now?"
Just then, she heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?"
"It's Mona. Can I come in, please?"
Angie looked up and knew she could trust the singer. "Okay, come in."
Mona entered the room and turned on the lights. She then sat next to Angie and asked, "What happened? Did we do something to offend you, or—"
"No, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just . . . that corsage you're wearing. It's a very painful reminder for me."
"What was it? You were stood up for a date, a bad prom night, or—"
"Don't even say the words 'prom night.'"
"You had a bad prom night, didn't you?"
"No, I didn't have a bad prom night . . . because I never went to my high school senior prom."
"What? Why not?"
"I had to block this from Ace because I've dealt with this by myself for nearly seven years now."
Mona put a hand on the younger magician's right shoulder. "Angie, please tell me what happened, and drop the mental shield you've put up against Ace. We're your friends, and you don't have to deal with any pain alone."
Angie decided she was right. "Okay, I'll tell you what happened." Sensing Ace was standing just outside the door, she thought to him, "I'll drop my barrier, Ace. I'm sorry I blocked this from you."
"I understand. I'm not angry with you." As Angie started to tell her story to Mona, Ace closed his eyes and concentrated on Angie's thoughts to get to the root of the terrible pain lurking in her heart.

In the Jacobs family home, 17-year-old Angie and her parents had just finished their dinner in the kitchen.
Before Angie went up the stairs to do her homework, her mother stopped her.
"What is it, Mom?"
"Don't you want to try on your prom dress, since the prom is Saturday night?"
Angie blushed in embarrassment. "Oops, I was so busy worrying about my term paper I forgot the prom is just three days away."
Robert the father said, "You stand by, sweetie, while I get the prom dress from the closet."
When he took it out, the young lady could see the beautiful lavender color as it shone in the light of the living room. "Oh, Dad, it's beautiful."
"Okay, here's the dress. Go try it on. I want to take a picture of this."
A few minutes later, Angie emerged once more in the living room, this time in the prom dress.
The mother Nancy could see how beautiful her daughter looked in the dress. "Angie, you are gorgeous."
"Thanks, Mom. I just wish I had a date for the prom like everybody else."
Robert came up to her and said, "Honey, it doesn't matter if you have a date or not. The prom is the last major event before graduation, and there is no way we are going to let you miss out on it."
"Thanks, Dad." She then gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"This is worthy of a photo. I'll go get the camera."
As soon as he got the camera, he was ready to take the picture, but Angie stopped him. "Dad, wait a minute. There's something missing. Where's the corsage?"
Nancy gasped in surprise. "I don't believe it. We remembered to get the prom dress, but we concentrated on it so much we forgot to get the corsage from the store."
"Oh, dear," said Robert. "Sweetie, we're so sorry. We'll go to the store and get that corsage, okay?"
"Sure thing, Dad. I wish I could go with you and Mom. I've got too much homework to do tonight, though."
"That's okay, Angie. Concentrate on your grades for now, and besides, you're more than capable of handling yourself here."
After Angie had changed out of the prom dress, Robert and Nancy were ready to leave for the store and pick up the corsage.
"It's a good thing the store is only 20 minutes away from here," said Nancy. She turned to Angie and said, "We'll be back in about an hour. In the meantime, make sure you get the homework done."
"No problem, Mom. Just be careful."
The parents left Angie alone in the house, but the love for her parents would never allow her to feel alone.
After an hour had passed, Angie went downstairs to see if they had returned yet. She looked out the window and noticed the driveway without a car. "Hmm, maybe it's just the traffic. Most people should be getting the corsages and boutonnieres by tomorrow, so it wouldn't surprise me if they're just held up in traffic." She then went back upstairs to do more of her homework.
When another hour had passed, Angie started to grow worried. She looked through her second story window and noticed no car still. "Hmm, I wonder."
She then went to the phone to contact her best friend Ashley Brighton. "Ashley, have you heard from Mom and Dad at all tonight?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
"Well, they were picking up my corsage and should have been home a long time ago."
"Sorry, Angie. I haven't heard from them at all. If I learn anything, I'll let you know immediately."
"Thanks, Ash." Angie hung up the phone with worry filling her heart. "I sure hope they're all right."
By 9:30 p.m. she had completed all her homework. She looked through the window and still did not see the car in the driveway. "What could be taking them so long?" she asked herself, trying not to worry.
She decided to go downstairs and watch some television to hide the fear growing inside.
At 10:35 p.m. she was asleep on the sofa when she heard the telephone ringing. She quickly awakened and answered it. "Hello?"
"Is this Angela Jacobs?"
"Yes. May I ask who's calling, please?"
"This is Dr. Peter Worth at Mason City Hospital. Are you the daughter of Robert and Nancy Jacobs?"
"Yes. Why do you want to know that?"
"Miss Jacobs, I'm almost afraid to tell you this, but . . ."
"Has something happened to Mom and Dad?"
"Yes. Your parents were . . . killed in a road-rage accident."
Angie's heart sunk. "No, that's not true," she said in denial and trying to fight back tears. "You're lying."
"I'm sorry, Angela, but I am telling the truth. Two drivers were going at each other and somehow put your parents into the middle of their rage. The car they were in steered into an embankment and flipped more than 12 times. We tried to save them, but it was just too late. They were identified about 15 minutes ago."
The young woman could not control her emotions. "I don't believe you! I'll never believe you!" She yelled into the receiver. "It's not possible!"
"Miss Jacobs, I'm sorry, but the witnesses at the accident clearly identified them as your mother and father."
Angie abruptly hung up the telephone and yelled out in anguish. "NOOOOOOO!" She then fell to her knees and burst into more tears. "Mom, Dad, no, not them, please. They're all I have."
She then took the prom dress out of the closet and threw it on the floor. She then picked it up and tore it into small pieces.
Next, the distraught Angie went to the phone again to call her best friend.
At the Brighton mansion, Ashley was sound asleep when she heard her phone ringing. "Yes?" she said with a yawn.
"Ashley," said George the butler, "Angela's on the telephone, and she sounds rather distressed."
"Okay. Put her through." As soon as it was connected, she already heard Angie crying. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"It's Mom and Dad. They're . . . dead."
"WHAT!?" Ashley screamed. "Don't do anything; I'm coming over there right now!" She quickly jumped out of bed and changed her clothes.
Running downstairs, she saw George. "Get the car ready on the double. I've got to get to Angie's house fast before she does something she'll regret."
"Why? What happened?"
"Angie's parents are dead, and she's all alone right now. She needs someone there for the emotional support, and that someone's going to be me!"
Within minutes, Ashley knocked on the door of the Jacobs home. "Angie, open up, please. It's me, Ashley."
When the door opened, she could see Angie had been crying for a long period of time and then saw the torn prom dress. "Angie, why did you tear up the dress?"
"Because I don't want to be reminded about what led to my parents' deaths. All I did was tell them about forgetting the corsage. Why didn't I go with them? I could've done something to prevent this from happening if my power came around in time."
"Angie, did you tell—"
"No, I never did, and they'll never know the truth. I swear I will never again use this miserable excuse of a power. It's nothing more than a curse placed upon me!" She then shed more tears in both sadness and anger while Ashley gave her a hug to try and comfort her.

Mona was horrified with what had happened to Angie's parents. "Oh, my God. Your parents were killed in the road-rage accident just three nights before you were to attend your senior prom?"
"Yes," Angie replied in tears. "I wonder if sometimes it's my fault for their deaths. If I hadn't reminded them about the corsage, they would have never been on the road that night, and they would still be alive."
Ace entered the room with a sad look on his face. "No, Angie. Even if you were able to use your magic back then, there was no way you could have prevented this from happening."
"But I still know I'm to blame for—"
"Angie, stop." He then sat next to her and held her in a warm embrace. "Your parents would never blame you for what happened to them. The hand of fate dealt a terrible hand on you, but it's not your fault."
"I'm sorry for the way I reacted, Ace. I just can't get that painful memory out of my mind . . . or my heart."
"It's okay. Some pain is very hard to deal with, especially when coping with the loss of those you care about the most. However, I don't want you to be angry with yourself. Last thing I need is for someone to follow my footsteps about regretting events of the past."
Angie continued crying for a few moments while leaning on Ace's shoulder. She then looked up at her friends and started to wipe her face clean of the tears. "Ace, I know your past wasn't always clean, but you were able to overcome that."
"Oh, not without a lot of help from my friends around me. That's what friends do." He then sent Angie a thought. "Listen, since we do have this special bond, would you be upset with me if I checked on you by thought once in a while?"
"Of course not, Ace. I feel very comfortable when we talk this way. It always reminds me I have friends who care about me, but I also have to care about myself, too." She then spoke normally. "I think I'm holding you up from that Charity Ball, aren't I?"
"Oops," said Ace with a blush. "You're right. We'd better get going, Mona."
"Yeah." Just as they were leaving the room, she faced the young magician. "Angie, are you sure you're going to be okay?"
"I can't make any promises, but I'll try."
"That's good enough for me," said Ace. "We'll be back in a couple of hours."
As they passed by the living room, they noticed Cosmo cleaning up the mess from Angie's spilling of her milk earlier.
The experienced apprentice looked up at them. "I got this covered. How's Angie? She okay right now?"
"I think so," Ace responded calmly. "Can you check on her once in a while, though?"
"Yeah, no probs. I heard everything going on." He then had a sad face. "I can't believe she kept this hidden from all of us."
"You can't really blame her," Mona noted. "She did say her parents were killed in a road-rage related accident, but she didn't tell us exactly when it happened. The corsage retriggered her most horrifying memory, and she tried to keep that pain buried away. It's one thing if you were a criminal in the past but quite another when your past has had tragedy involved. Most doctors would say the 'grieving period' lasts about two years. For some, though, that grieving period can last a lifetime."
Ace then noticed his watch. "We'd better go before Mr. Raven gets on our case for being late."
"I just wish Friedrichs and Dobbs weren't going tonight. You know how those two are at parties."
Rolling his eyes, the Magician said, "No kidding. They'll keep bragging all night long about what they've done to improve the quality of life in Electro City."
"How about 'lack thereof'?" Cosmo stated in a jokingly manner.
"Cold, Cosmo, really cold. Shall we go, Mona?"
"Of course, Ace."
In a matter of minutes, the pair took off for the Charity Ball while Cosmo, Zina, Angie, and Angel kept the Magic Express in good working order.

Arriving at the Charity Ball, Ace and Mona stepped out of the Magic Racer and let the valet park the car for them.
At the door of the DNA Club, Bob Raven himself greeted them. "Ace Cooper and Mona Malone. It's good to see both of you."
Ace returned the warm greeting. "Great to be here, Mr. Raven. I'm glad you decided to host this Charity Ball tonight. This will really help the St. Johns Orphanage get some much needed computer equipment and improve the quality of life for those kids."
"You did cut it awfully close, though. What happened?"
"Just a minor delay at the Magic Express," Mona answered. "Had a little trouble with the corsage, but things are just fine now."
"That is good to hear. Go on in, you two, and have a wonderful time."
They proceeded into the grand ballroom and immediately found Lieutenant Derek Vega at a nearby table.
The police official spotted them. "Ace, Mona. I didn't know you were coming tonight."
"Hi, Derek," said Ace happily. "So, you're here, too?"
"Sure, under Friedrichs's orders. He insisted I come here or he would demote me, like he always tries to do. You know I don't feel comfortable being at these societal functions."
Mona then questioned, "Where's your secretary, Miss LeSage?"
"She's at home tonight. The captain said a secretary's place is not at a function like this. She and I were both upset at what he said. I'd rather be at the Scorpio with her than be here and be bored. By the way, why aren't Angie and Cosmo here? I figured at least Angie would want to be here."
Ace tried to be straightforward with the answer. "Well . . . Angie's almost like you, not feeling comfortable about being at these things. Something tonight, however, made her very uncomfortable about coming."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Angie's most painful memory came to light after she saw Mona's corsage."
"You mean the deaths of her parents? I don't get it. What does a corsage have to do with her parents?"
"Her parents," Mona started, "were trying to pick up her prom night corsage when the accident happened."
"I see. I guess for her, a function like this would only make the pain worse."
Just then, Captain Friedrichs jumped into the conversation. "Well, well. Mr. Cooper, good to see you again."
"My sentiments exactly." He was already getting annoyed.
"So, where's your little friend Angie? I figured she'd be here tonight, unless she plans on doing something."
"Captain, all she's doing is staying home. She wasn't comfortable about being here, even though it is for a good cause."
"Whatever, Cooper. Just don't cause any trouble here." The captain then left the group to join up with Senator Dobbs at the other end of the room.
Ace then turned to Vega. "I've met two police chiefs who are a lot nicer than he is."
"Wouldn't surprise me one bit. Remember, Friedrichs didn't get the job for his ability. He only got in because he knows the senator."
"Ace," started Mona, sounding so innocent, "shall we dance?"
"Of course, my dear."
They soon went on to the dance floor, waltzing away to the sounds of the orchestra.
Throughout the night, Ace did a constant check on Angie by thought to make certain she was all right. He sensed nothing happening, but he did wonder, "There must be something I can do to help Angie overcome her pain. The prom—that's it! I think I know what I can do to help Angie. I just hope I can pull this off."
After the evening came to an end, Ace and Mona returned to the Magic Express.
"She's asleep," Ace said with his eyes closed as he concentrated on Angie. "Good. Mona, listen to me. I may have an idea on how to get Angie to conquer the self-guilt of her parents' deaths."
"I'm listening, Ace. What's the idea?"
"Our only hope for Angie is to take her to the one thing she didn't do: the prom itself."
"Now, how do you propose to do that?"
"Before I do anything, I need to know where the Electro City High senior prom is being held this year."
"Unless I miss my guess, this year's prom is being held at the Sinsun Hotel."
"Hmm, one of Sonny Boy's. I guess I'll just have to find a way to get through to him about this situation."
"I'm not sure it's a good idea. You know how it is between him and my father."
"I know that, but I can't just sit by and watch Angie suffer the pain of not going to her own prom because of her parents' deaths. I have to—no, I want to do something to help her."
Mona smiled at the Magician. "Ace, I think this is a noble thing you're doing for her. She has been through so much tragedy in her life, and she needs something to get her past that pain. I just hope Sonny Boy will understand."
"So do I."
"Just one thing, though. He's not easy to break."
"I'm not so sure. Remember the 'Company of Wolves'?"
"Oh, yeah, when the former members paintballed his car. How could I forget?"
"This is a different matter, though. He may not be easy."
"Just do the best you can, Ace. We're all worried about Angie right now, and she needs a lot of love and support. If we can get her to go to the prom, maybe she'll be able to make the prom a memory of love, not one of pain."
"Okay, Mona. Thanks. Are you sure you don't mind me doing this?"
"No, but make sure Sonny Boy lets you have the chance first."
"True. Good night, Mona."
She gave him a light kiss on his left cheek. "Good night, Ace." Mona then went to her car and took off for her home.
Ace wondered if his daring plan would work. "If I don't get Sonny Boy's approval of me being there, this plan of mine could be grounded before it even starts."
He then went into his home and changed to go to sleep. Of course, he was detailing what he would do in his mind to hopefully cure Angie of her prom-related fears.

As the sun dawned for a new day in Electro City, Ace awakened to the sun shining in his face. "Hmm, it's a nice morning today, and hopefully the beginning of my plan to help Angie."
He went through his usual round of meditation and then created a little mental block himself. "Knowing Angie's abilities are not quite strong enough yet, I shouldn't have any problems blocking this plan from her."
He then went to the computer room and asked Angel to contact Sonny Boy.
In his home, the young crime lord was sleeping soundly when he heard the phone ringing. "Who would call me at this hour of the day?" he asked himself as he answered. "Hello?"
"Sonny Boy, it's Ace."
"What? Cooper? What do you want from me this early in the morning? Don't youse give me enough trouble as it is?"
"You don't understand. I'm not trying to make any trouble at all. I just need your help with something."
"Oh, yeah? What's in it for me?"
"Sonny Boy, this isn't for me. It's for Angie."
"That female magician who works with you? Why would I want to help her after what she did to my gang back at that cosmetics plant last year?"
"Because your Sinsun Hotel is hosting the Electro City High School Senior Prom this year, right?"
"What the heck does the prom have to do with her?"
"In this case, everything. Why don't we meet at the Scorpio at lunch, and I'll explain the story. Believe me, I'm not trying to play any tricks on you. What I want to do is very serious."
Although Sonny Boy never liked Ace because of his crimefighting skills and what he had done to stop him, the crime boss detected some true sincerity in his voice. "Cooper, I'll meet you at the Scorpio at 12 sharp. You'd better not be playing any tricks, period."
"Trust me, Sonny Boy. This time, it's no trick."
After hanging up the phone, Sonny Boy did not know whether to trust the Magician. "I don't know what he's tryin' to do now, but I'm going to take something with me, just in case."
When he was done changing his clothes, he took a plasma gun and put it in the inside pocket of his purple jacket.
Back at the Magic, Ace was about to leave when Angie saw him going by. "Say, you going out for lunch today?"
Ace turned around and said, "Yeah. Mona and I wanted to meet for lunch at the Scorpio. I hope you're not too upset about it."
With a smile, the younger magician stated, "Naw, I'm not upset. Go spend some time with her."
"Thanks." He then went to his Magic Racer in the garage and took off for the club. "So far, so good. Now, I just hope I can convince Sonny Boy of my intentions."

An hour later, Sonny Boy saw Ace standing outside the door of the very exclusive Scorpio Club. "Cooper?"
"I'm glad we can meet under more peaceful circumstances for a change. Of course, it would've helped if Angie were here, since we'd get a 25% discount on the meal on account of her being a Scorpio."
"Man, that would be lucky."
As soon as they entered, they sat down and ordered the meal.
Then, Sonny Boy got down to business. "Okay, Cooper, you know the Sinsun's hostin' the prom this year. Now, what's the deal with your female partner?"
"It's like this, Sonny Boy. How would you feel if your parents were killed in an automobile accident just three days before going to the prom?"
"I don't know. Why?"
"That's exactly what happened to Angie. She planned on going to her high school senior prom, but her parents died in a road-rage related accident only three days before her prom night."
Although the crime boss did not react right away, the reality of the situation soon got to him. "Oh, man," he said in surprising sadness. "Are you serious?"
"I'm very serious. The most tragic event of her life took place before one of the most important."
"It's hard enough when someone loses her parents, but three days before the prom? You're not making this up, are you?"
"No, not this time. I want to help her be able to deal with the pain, and I think the source of the pain is this very event, the prom. This may be the only chance I have to help her out with her inner struggle."
Sonny Boy agreed with Ace for a change. "You're right. Even I went to my high school prom before I became a crime boss, and I'll always remember that night. For someone not to go through prom night just isn't fair. She deserves a shot, so I'll be more than happy to help, no questions asked, no tricks. You get my permission to be at the Sinsun the night of the prom, but you may want to talk it over with the prom committee at Electro City High, too, so they'll know what's going down. They're supposed to meet after school in the gym. I could call and arrange a meeting between you and them if that would help."
"It would be a great help." After finishing his last bite, he put some money on the table. "This meal's on me. I'm glad we can agree on something for a change."
"Yeah. I may not like Angie, but I do have a lot of respect for her. When I get done here, I'll call the principal and ask her to arrange the meeting."
"Thanks. I owe you for this one."
"Nah, forget it, Magician. We'll declare a truce in this case, and for once, no stipulations, no tricks, nothing. We're doing this for Angie's sake. I hope all goes well for you with your plan."
"So do I." He then walked out of the Scorpio.
Sonny Boy then went over to the telephone to make a call to Electro City High School and explain about Ace coming over after school to explain how the students would play an integral part in Ace's daring scheme.

A couple of hours later, as the students were leaving Electro City High for the afternoon, the principal, Jerilee Ryan, went to the gym to meet the ten-member prom committee who would make sure things were going properly in their preparations for the big night a little over two weeks away.
"Hello, everyone," she said happily.
The president of the committee, senior Aaron Simons, made sure everyone was present and accounted for. "We're ready to start the meeting."
"Good, because I have a surprise for all of you." She then turned around and faced a gentleman standing in the shadows. "Come on up here, please."
When the gentleman walked forward into the light, Aaron immediately could tell who it was. "I don't believe it! Ace Cooper!"
As soon as he stepped up, he gave them a warm greeting. "Hello, you must be the prom organizing committee working on the event this year." He then shook the senior's hand.
After all greetings were completed, Ms. Ryan said, "Mr. Cooper has come to us for a little help. Why don't you explain the situation to them?"
"Thank you, Miss Ryan. I know this year's prom is being held at the Sinsun Hotel. Now, Sonny Boy has already given me permission to be there, but I need some help from you and all the students who plan on attending."
"How can we help you out?"
"It's about my friend Angie. You see, she did not go to her senior prom nearly seven years ago because her parents were killed in a car accident just three days before."
The entire committee and Ms. Ryan were appalled at the situation.
"My word, Mr. Cooper," said the principal. "That's terrible."
"Yes, and to make this even worse, she feels responsible for what happened to her parents because she reminded them about the corsage, which led to their fatal accident. Needless to say she didn't bother going to her prom at all."
"If she were my date," Aaron noted, "I wouldn't blame her one bit for not coming because of that."
"I wouldn't either, but she doesn't want to hear anything about the prom for her tragic memories. She's made the prom the source of her pain; therefore, I want to help her overcome this fear of this event and make this a memory of love and hope."
"That's what the prom's supposed to do. Besides, this year's theme is 'Cherishing Friendship and Love,' which is appropriate in this case especially. Mr. Cooper, we'll be more than honored to help you and your friend Angie. She needs a prom night, and you can bet we'll do the best we can to assist."
"Great. I know this is going to be a memorable night, hopefully for Angie."
The meeting ended with everyone agreeing Angie deserved a special night in her life.

Through the course of the next two weeks, Ace kept his cool while blocking the prom plan from Angie.
Angie never did suspect anything, so it looked like Ace's plan would go through pretty well, but not without a little magic of his own.
On the Friday night before the prom, Ace quietly snuck into Angie's room and found her sleeping soundly.
He then put his hand over her face and closed his eyes. "Angie," he said in a trance-like state, "you hear my voice and mine only. Throughout the day tomorrow, if either Cosmo, Mona, or I mention the word 'prom,' you will immediately go into a trance and do everything we tell you to do. This will not take effect until someone tomorrow says, 'prom.' The spell will wear off at exactly 8 p.m. tomorrow. Remember, you are to do everything we say when you hear the word 'prom.' Do you understand?"
Angie nodded softly with her response.
"Very well." He then opened his eyes and looked at his sleeping friend. "I'm sorry about hypnotizing you like this, but I want to make sure you go to the prom tomorrow night. This is the only way I can pull this off. I hope you'll understand when this is over."
He then walked to his room and went to sleep himself, constantly wondering, praying, and hoping his plan to help Angie face one of her deepest fears would work.