The Conclusion!
The next morning, as the sun shone once again on Electro City, Angie awakened
from a long sleep, feeling refreshed. She then sat up on her bed
and began her daily meditation. Deep breathing and maintaining mental
focus always helped her prepare for the day ahead, and her conversations
with her parents always kept her calm.
This morning, however, it was very difficult to stay calm.
"Good
morning, sweetie," said her father Robert. He noticed the sad look
on her face. "What's wrong?"
"This is the one day I dread so much every year: Everyone will talk about
the prom, which is why I don't intend to go anywhere today and especially
tonight. I want absolutely nothing to do with it."
Her mother Nancy tried to comfort their daughter. "Angie, you can't
let this haunt you forever. You have to overcome this nightmare.
The prom has been nothing more than a very painful memory for you, and
we were laid to rest the same day as that event. However, if you
keep letting this bother you, you will never be able to be happy with yourself."
"It's not that easy, Mom. Everyone around me talks about it so much
it drives me away from anyone. That's one of the major reasons I
don't attend that many functions when formal dress is required. I
see boutonnieres and corsages and am constantly reminded about what happened
to both of you."
Robert then stepped up to the young magician. "Angie, listen to me.
The prom is hard to deal with, but you're going to have to face this horrible
fear. If you don't, you'll live your life in constant fear.
In addition, you should never deal with your pain alone. Your friends
are there to help you, but only if you allow them to be in your heart.
"You have opened up a lot to Ace and the others, but you were still able
to hide the most painful memory from everyone for nearly seven years and
kept it from Ace for almost two. Remember, his magical powers are
far stronger than yours, which helped him catch the mental block you created
to keep the prom memory from him."
"Yeah, well, I don't sense him blocking anything from me, but then, he
probably is blocking something, and my powers aren't strong enough to know
that."
"Right, sweetie. Just remember, though, the past is in the past now.
There's nothing you can do to change that. You must be able to deal
with it and move on with your life. The pain won't go away completely,
mind you, but if you keep your heart open to your friends, you won't have
to hold the anguish in your heart like you have been for a long time now."
Nancy agreed with her husband. "You always cherish the memories you
had with us when we were alive, but you have to know some memories will
conceal pain at times. If you try to deal with it alone, all you'll
do is cause more harm to yourself. You don't have to go through this
on your own. We're here for you spiritually while your friends are
there for you physically and emotionally, period."
Angie smiled at her parents. "I understand, Mom. It's like
what Ace said to me that night when I unlocked the magic within me.
I'm going to have to face it sooner or later. If I don't, I'll end
up hurting myself even more. Thanks for being so understanding."
The two parents embraced their daughter in a loving hug.
"Unless I miss my guess," said Robert, "you should be waking up about now
to make breakfast for your friends. Either that, or they insisted
on eating cereal today."
"No, I told them they can eat cereal this morning if they want to.
They said I don't have to do anything this morning, since I cooked for
'em all week. I think I will go ahead and wake up, though.
Bye, Mom and Dad."
"Bye, dear," Nancy stated happily. "Remember what we told you."
"I will."
Angie then awakened from her meditative trance and stepped out of bed.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Ace and Cosmo were having an important conversation.
"I put Angie into a special hypnotic trance last night."
"What'd you do that for, dude?"
"Well, she's not in the trance yet. The hypnosis will trigger on
her if either you, Mona, or I say the word 'prom.' Angie saying that
herself won't put her into it. Only the three of us will trigger
it, but I don't want the word said until she's wide awake, so let's wait
till after the lunch barbecue to start the trick. Remember, don't
say 'prom' until this afternoon."
"And Mona?"
"I'll call her and let her know what's going on. I just hope this
plan of mine works."
"Ace, try not to be so nervous. It's daring and risky, but for Angie's
sake, it's gonna be worth it. Trust me."
The Magician breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I need to cool myself
down before I worry about the plan so much she'll figure it out."
Angie then came out to the living room. "Hi, guys."
"Good morning, Angie," said Cosmo. "How are ya?"
"Okay, I guess, but I don't want anyone mentioning anything about the prom
tonight. I don't want to be reminded about it." Angie then
put her face down. "I'm sorry, guys. That memory is still too
painful for me, and I'm suddenly taking it out on both of you."
Ace smiled at his counterpart. "That's okay. We won't say anything
else about it today. Fair deal?"
"Mm-hmm. Thanks, Ace. I need to take a quick trip to the grocery
store for some last minute supplies for that barbecue this afternoon."
"I'll take you after breakfast. You don't mind if we eat cereal this
morning?"
"Nah, that's fine. I'll go change into something more decent and
be ready to go in about 30 minutes."
As soon as she left the room, Ace looked at Cosmo and whispered, "So far,
the hypnosis is working. She said prom with no effect.
Now, I'll take her to the store, since we do have that barbecue at lunch
time."
Soon, Angie was in the grocery store again to pick up the last few pieces
of equipment for the lunch barbecue. "Okay, I need some skewers,
some barbecue sauce, and some sodas. I can't believe I forgot about
the soda."
Throughout the store, she kept hearing mothers talking about their children's
plans for this special evening.
One mother said, "Oh, my little Nicole is going to be gorgeous tonight.
She's getting her hair done even as we speak."
"My son's taking his date to the DNA Club for the post-prom party afterward,"
said another mother. "They'll only let him in if he has not had any
alcohol, but I think he's smart enough himself not to drink."
When Angie made it to the checkout counter, she found herself in the middle
of a conversation.
"I can still remember my prom night," said one gentleman. "That was
where I met my wife."
"I met my fiancé at mine," said the woman standing behind him.
"I'll never forget all those things he did for me, the corsage, the dinner,
the dancing. Ah, it's all coming back to me."
"What about you, Miss Jacobs?" the gentleman asked Angie. "What was
your prom like?"
Angie was slightly dazed again but quickly snapped back to reality with
a white lie. "Oh, um, I had a blast. Didn't get a boyfriend
out of it, but I had a great time."
Her physical façade could not hide the pain ebbing within her heart.
"I
can't tell this guy the truth, not after what happened to my parents before
the prom. I just wish this day would hurry up and end. In the
meantime, I need to hurry and get out of here. I can already sense
Ace approaching in the Racer."
She soon got herself out of the store and found the Magician coming up
in his car. "Boy, you got here not a moment too soon."
"Let me guess," he stated while helping her load the goods, "most people
were talking about tonight, right?"
"Yeah, then someone asked me what my own prom was like. I had to tell a
lie about it." She then put her face down.
"I know. I felt the pain in your heart. Don't worry, though,
all we're going to concentrate on is the barbecue."
"Good. At least it's something to get my mind off of tonight."
Ace double-checked his mind to make sure his mental block was still up.
"She
still doesn't know what's going on yet. Now, all that has to be done
is to place her into the hypnotic trance after we're done eating.
I just hope this all works out okay."
Back at the Magic Express, Angie had cooked up the grilled steaks and shish
kabobs and served to her guests, which included Mona, who herself had been
looking forward to this barbecue.
One taste of the steak blew her away. "Wow! This is the best
steak I have ever eaten. Not even the Scorpio could top this.
Maybe if you want a second career, you could open your own restaurant or
have your own cooking show."
"Would you believe Dad and I tried to convince Mom to really start a restaurant,
but most of the time she would say, 'It costs a lot of money, and the chefs
don't always agree on the methods the main person likes to use.'
I guess I'm kinda that way myself. Maybe I could try getting a cooking
segment or something, though, show them I don't have to use magic to cook."
Ace liked the idea. "Sure, why not? You demonstrate your culinary
skills so beautifully, yet we're the only ones who really know your cooking
ability. Why not show them what your mother taught you to do with
your own two hands and prove magic can't work on everything."
She gave the theory a thought and said, "Hmm, I guess I could think about
it, but if I do go for it, there's just one little condition."
"What?" asked Cosmo curiously.
"I'd better not have Duke Paparazzo be the host of it."
Everyone laughed heartily at her joke, but that part was true. Angie
really had a disliking for the Sensa-News star reporter, since he was willing
to do anything to get a story.
When everyone completed their lunch, Mona agreed to help Angie clean up
the area.
Going inside, though, Mona was suddenly stopped by Ace. "You remember
the plan right?"
"Of course, Ace. As soon as Angie's in the living room, one of us
will say 'prom,' and she'll go into the trance."
"Let's just hope this works."
The moment Angie finished throwing all the waste into the large trash can,
she came back into the Magic Express and noticed the three other friends
sitting leisurely. "If that's everything, I'm going to my room and
rest up a little bit."
Mona had a look of dismay on her face. "Aw, come on, Angie.
You need to get out and have some fun, especially when there is a prom
tonight."
Angie felt something suddenly overtaking her mind but was unable to resist
this mysterious power. She soon stared at them but blinked her eyes
normally.
Ace then came up to her. "Angie, can you hear me?"
"Yes, Ace," she responded in a normal tone of voice. "What do you
want me to do?"
Mona and Cosmo could not believe their eyes.
"Fantastic, dude!" Cosmo shouted. "The hypnosis really is working
on her."
"I guess it did, but at least she doesn't sound so monotonous." He
then looked at Mona. "Do you know of places that can do great makeovers?"
"Are you kidding? The best place in town is the Pyratazz, where the
best people can tell what makeup, what hairstyle, whatever can suit someone
best. Why?"
"I want you to take her there and get her a makeup and hair makeover."
He then stared into the young magician's eyes. "Angie, you will go
with Mona to Pyratazz and do everything she tells you to do. Do you
understand?"
"Of course, Ace. I'll do it. Shall we go, Mona?"
"Very well." As the two ladies started to leave, Mona turned to Ace.
"So far, so good. I just hope everything will be set for tonight."
"While you two are out there, I'll contact Sonny Boy and make sure things
are well under way for tonight."
As soon as Mona and Angie left, Ace made a call to the young crime boss.
At the Sinsun, Sonny Boy told Tiny and Glare to be careful with the banner,
as it had to be set up perfectly. "Don't mess this up, youse guys!
This prom is going to happen without a hitch tonight, and if you guys do
anything wrong, I'll make sure you get punished badly."
Shades then came along. "Boss, it's Cooper on the phone. Do
you want me to hang up on him?"
"No, don't. The Magician's got my permission to be here tonight because
he's trying to do something for someone else. I'll take it."
He then took the cell phone from his lackey. "Hello, Cooper?"
"I heard you talking to Shades. Does the gang know what's going on?"
"They will after I tell them to set up the mirror on the stage. So
far, the set-up's going pretty good. How's about you on your end,
with Angie?"
"She's been placed into a hypnotic trance and is going with Mona to Pyratazz
for a major makeover."
"Ooh, very clever. She's got absolutely no idea what's going on?"
"Nope, and she won't until exactly 8:00 tonight. I just hope things
can go without problems at my end."
"Same here. Well, guess I'll see you before eight tonight, right?"
"Yeah, about 7:45. Oh, and Sonny Boy, thanks for letting me do this."
"Hey, this is one time someone really deserves to have a special night,
and I don't mind this for once, really. Good luck with the plan."
He then turned off the phone. "Man, I have a pretty good idea this
is gonna be a fun night for everybody, and especially hopeful for Angie."
Boggles had completed with the set up of the mirror on the stage area but
was a little perplexed. "I don't understand, boss. What's the
deal with the mirror?"
"I'll tell ya. Boys, get over here; quick meeting."
As soon as his lackeys had gathered on the stage area, he began the explanation.
"Listen, Ace Cooper is going to be here tonight, and under no
circumstances are you to throw him out of the Sinsun."
All four henchmen were somewhat dumbfounded.
"I don't get it," said Glare. "Why don't you want us to boot him
tonight?"
"That's because one of his friends had an unfortunate tragedy only a few
days before her own prom. She's been carryin' the pain for a long
time, and Cooper said getting her here tonight may be his only chance to
help her face this demon. Youse understand, right?"
Shades completely understood. "Sure, boss. He's trying to help
her face the fear instead of allowing her to run away from it. I
think that's kinda cool. Question is, how's he going to get her to
come?"
"He's hypnotized her, that's how. She's currently in a trance, set
to wear off at exactly 8 p.m., which is why I wanted you to put the mirror
backstage. Now, remember, do not throw out Cooper or any
of his friends tonight. I want this to be a special night for everyone,
got
it?"
The gang nodded in agreement.
"Okay, let's put the finishing touches on the decorations. Miss Ryan
and Aaron will be here in an hour to inspect everything, so let's make
our impression count."
They soon went back to work on making sure everything was ready for the
prom later that evening.
Mona and Angie soon arrived at Pyratazz.
"Miss Malone," said Donelli, the main hairstylist of the establishment.
"What brings you here on a Saturday? Something special this evening
with Mr. Cooper?"
"Well, sort of. You see, I could use a slight makeover, but my friend
here is the one who's really in need of a makeover for tonight. We're
planning on attending the prom at the Sinsun Hotel."
"But, aren't you a little old for that?"
"No, you don't understand, this is for Angie, not me. We've planned
on her going to the prom to help her overcome her personal tragedy of the
past."
"Ah, I see."
"Yes, but knowing she wouldn't go through with it willingly, Ace put her
into a special hypnotic trance which will come to an end at exactly eight.
That's why she almost looks like she's daydreaming. She will respond
to anything right now from me." Mona then turned to Angie.
"Angie, you're going to get a makeover to prepare for tonight. I
want you to go with Donelli and do everything he says, understand?"
"Sure, Mona. I'm ready, willing, and able."
"In that case, young lady," Donelli said as he took her right hand, "I
will help with the hair while Nikki helps with the nails and makeup for
you this evening."
He then took her to start the prom makeover. "Mona, will she need
a dress as well?"
"No, I don't think so. Ace may handle that part himself."
"Ah, by magic, of course. I keep forgetting about his magic."
Throughout the course of the makeover, Mona kept looking over hairstyles
and found one that would be perfect for the evening. "I want you
to use this weave down the center. That should make her hair really
stand up and out."
"I agree with you," said Donelli. "This is exactly the type of hair
she needs. Nikki, how's the makeup?"
"I think I found the right makeup for her. A light pink/lavender
mix of blush and the right kind of foundation for her pretty face.
What do you think, Mona?"
"I like that, it's perfect. Go for it."
Within a couple of hours, Angie had her prom hairdo and makeup completed.
"Okay, Angie, that part's been accomplished. Now, we need to head
back to the Magic Express so we can figure out what to do next."
"Let's go, Mona."
They got to the singer's car and went away from the Pyratazz establishment.
At 5 p.m., Ace and Cosmo were already dressed up in their formal tuxedos
for the occasion when Mona and Angie returned.
"You two are definitely ready to rock and roll tonight," said a happy Mona.
Ace stated, "We sure are. Now for the next part of my plan."
He then closed his eyes to concentrate on Angie's thoughts. "I can
see the dress she tore the night of her parents' accident. Angie,
I want you to use your magic and change into the very dress you were to
wear to prom night, making sure it fits you well today."
"I understand, Ace." She then spun around at least four times and
ended up in the satin lavender dress she had intended on wearing.
"It's done. Now what?"
"Now we go out to eat and then we must get there at 7:45 to get the finale
ready. Shall we go?"
"Let's go, guys," Angie said. "I'm hungry."
After they had finished their meal at the DNA Club, the group was finally
on their way to the prom at the Sinsun Hotel, with the hopes things would
work out for all, above all Angie.
At exactly 7:40, the parking valet noticed the Magic Racer approaching.
"Wow! Ace Cooper's here tonight?"
When the Racer came to a stop in front of the hotel, the group came out
of the car ready for a night of prom magic.
"Park the car, please," said Ace.
"With pleasure, Mr. Cooper." He then took the car to park it.
At the door, Tiny and Glare noticed the four friends approaching.
"Hey, no way we're letting you in, Cooper," said Tiny. "You don't
have—"
Glare interrupted, "You idiot! Don't you remember what the boss said?
They're welcome in here tonight!" He turned to Ace and said, "Sorry
about that, Cooper. You and your friends can go on in."
"Thank you."
When everyone came into the hotel, Cosmo found himself impressed by the
prom decorations. "Man, this is so cool, and the theme for this year
was 'Cherishing Love and Friendship'?"
"That's right," said Mona, "according to Aaron. I hope this comes
out okay."
Sonny Boy then approached the group. "Cooper, you sure don't waste
time being prompt for somethin' like this. Angie seems to be ready,
and she looks absolutely beautiful."
"Maybe, but when her trance wears off in a couple of minutes, she'll have
no clue what's happened to her for the last six hours. That reminds
me, I need to get her to the position on the stage."
"Mirror's all set up for ya, too. Good luck."
Ace took Angie slowly up onto the stage and behind the curtain. He
then placed her at the location in front of the mirror.
At the front of the stage, Sonny Boy spoke into his microphone. "Excuse
me, folks. May I have your attention please? Now that everyone
has made it safely to the prom, I want to ask you all to be very quiet
for the next minute or two. This is not only a prom, but a big surprise
for someone behind the curtain. You get me, right?"
Everyone agreed to the plan, and soon all was so quiet a pin could be heard
hitting the ground.
Behind the curtain, Ace first looked at Angie and then his watch.
"The trance should be wearing off in five . . . four . . . three . . .
two . . . one . . ."
The younger magician suddenly awakened from her trance and shook her head
in slight confusion. "Oh, what's going on here?" She then noticed
Ace in his white tuxedo. "Wow! You look very handsome, but—"
"And you look gorgeous this evening," Ace interrupted.
"This evening? What are you talking about?" She then
looked around. "Where am I anyway?"
The Magician snapped his fingers, causing the curtain to slide away to
the sides.
Angie soon noticed a score of young people in tuxedos and beautiful dresses.
"Hi, Angie!" shouted everyone in the audience.
She then looked at her kindred brother more confused than ever. "Ace,
it's not my birthday. That's not till November."
"It's not a birthday party, I assure you. Take a look in the mirror
and see for yourself."
She soon noticed the mirror behind her and saw herself in a beautiful dress.
"What the—? Why am I wearing this dress for? This must be some
kind of surprise for me, but what kind?"
Ace then turned to the students in attendance. "Will the ladies in
the audience please put up your left wrists?"
Angie turned to see all the female students' wrists and understood what
was happening. "Corsages?" she gasped. "Oh, my God. Is
this where I think we are?"
"Let me give you a hint. You tried on that dress about seven years
ago."
She suddenly remembered about the dress. "No, it can't be. I'm
at the prom!?"
"Yes, you are." He then closed his eyes and cupped his hands together.
"And, unless I'm mistaken,—" Appearing and floating between his two
hands was a beautiful orchid corsage. "—I believe this is the corsage
your parents were supposed to pick up when they had their fatal car crash.
Am I right?"
Angie opened her mouth and eyes widely in trepidation. "No, not that,
please, not again."
The Magician could see the fear in her eyes once more. "Angie," he
stated calmly, "I know all this—the dress, the corsage, the prom itself—has
been nothing but a source of pain, grief, and anguish for you for the past
seven years. You wanted to conceal the pain and run away from it
forever, hoping you could put it behind you and forget about it.
You never wanted to go to those high-society functions because you knew
it would only bring back the sorrow again and again."
"Why? Why did you bring me here?"
"To help you face the darkest demon of your past. You've wanted to
hold yourself responsible for what happened to your parents, but I'm telling
you this: Your parents are not angry with you, and
they never will be. You had no control over that accident.
There was nothing you could have done to prevent it, even with your magic.
I want to help you overcome your fears, but it must begin within yourself.
Will you wear this corsage?"
As Ace started approaching her with the corsage, Angie began to step back.
"I don't know if I can," she said with a tremble. "I don't know if
I can ever confront this nightmare."
In her heart, she heard the voices of her loving parents again.
"Angie," said Nancy. "Ace is telling the truth. We've never
been angry with you about our accident. Physically we were laid to
rest the same day as the prom, but we are still with you now, in spirit.
Please, do not let the prom be a memory of loss and agony. Let this
night become a memory of love and hope. Let this begin to heal the
deepest wound you have within your heart."
"Are you sure?"
Robert smiled. "Yes, sweetie. We'll always love you, but remember,
you need to love yourself and forgive yourself. If you do put that
corsage on, do it not for us or for Ace, but for yourself. End this
self-nightmare you've placed upon yourself, and let your friends help you.
You know you don't have to deal with any type of pain alone."
"I think I understand. Thank you, Dad and Mom. I love you both
with all my heart."
"And we love you, Angela," said Nancy with happy tears. "You're a
very special person with a heart so true and filled with love, but don't
forget about self-love, too."
Ace looked at the younger magician with sad eyes. "If you don't want
to wear this, I'll understand."
Angie then put out her left wrist. "No, Ace." She closed her
eyes and let the corsage float to her. The elastic band soon went
over her hand and rested upon the wrist. Holding the corsage close
to her heart, she added, "I will wear the corsage . . . for me. For
the last seven years, I wanted to escape from that terrible memory.
Everything here, though, has made me realize . . . I just couldn't do it,
and the nightmares got worse for me. Ace, I'm so sorry for not telling
you the truth about my worst fears."
He came up to her and gave her a loving embrace. "Angie, I understand
completely. Overcoming adversity, especially when personal tragedy
is involved, is never easy. However, don't think this will make all
the pain disappear completely and in one night."
"I know. It's a process that just needs time . . . as well as the
love and support of those around me."
"We'll always be there for you, Angie. You'll never
be alone." He then released the hug. "There is one thing.
I had to hypnotize you into coming here tonight. I hope you're not
upset about me doing that."
"Of course not. You knew I wouldn't come willingly, so you had to
put me into a trance. In a way, I'm glad you did."
"You are?" asked the surprised Magician.
"Yes. By doing this, you helped me to open my eyes and my heart and
to face the fear I've carried for way too long. I truly appreciate
it."
"I'm certainly glad you do, little lady," said Sonny Boy as he walked up.
"Huh? Sonny Boy? What are you doing here?"
"Relax, Angie. You are at my Sinsun Hotel."
"Your hotel? You mean you were in on this plan, too?"
"Yeah. After Cooper told me the story about what had happened to
you, I really wanted to help out, so we kinda declared a truce and wanted
for you to have the prom night you never had."
"What about what I did at your cosmetics plant last year?"
"Hey, I still don't like what you did, but I had a prom night while you
didn't. I just felt it was unfair for you not to have the experience
of
prom night in your lifetime. It's a very important event in someone's
life, period, and I didn't want you to feel left out because of that tragedy
with your parents."
The young magician smiled at the crime boss. "I don't know how I
can thank you, Sonny Boy." She then put out her right hand.
"Aw, you don't have to," he stated as he shook her hand. "I just
want you to enjoy the night as much as possible." He then turned
to the crowd. "Okay, everybody, it's prom night. Let's have
some fun! Cue the music!"
DJ Mickus started the night's musical accompaniment in grand style with
a fast-paced song.
As Sonny Boy left to mingle with the crowd a little, Cosmo and Mona, dressed
in very formal attire, came along to greet Angie.
"So, dudette, ya feelin' better now?"
"I sure am, Cosmo. I assume both you and Mona were in on this as
well."
Mona laughed, "Guilty as charged. We all wanted to help you in dealing
with being afraid of the past. Remember, Ace had to deal with his
past himself. That's why we found it easy to help you out."
"Thanks, guys. Thank you so much for being there for me. My
heart is a lot warmer now than ever before."
"I know," Ace said happily. "I can feel that warmth and inner strength."
"Hey, Angie," said Cosmo as he extended his right hand outward, "May I
have this first dance, since we agreed to let Ace have the last dance with
you?"
She smiled and laughed. "Cosmo, it will be a distinguished pleasure.
Besides, I love this song!"
The two apprentices took hands and joined the other students on the dance
floor.
Ace and Mona looked at them like they were students themselves having a
good time.
"I'm happy for her, Ace."
"So am I. She's suffered so much in her life and dealt with her pain
all alone. Now she finally understands even the most trying of situations
can be overcome with love, compassion, and courage, but she had to find
that within herself, like she did the Magic Force."
"And she had to face her own worst fear of going to high society functions,
since, like you said, being in attendance would only retrigger her anxiety
about the past."
"It will take time, but at least tonight is a start for her healing process,
and we'll be there for love and support."
"Right. Now, shall we dance, or do you still have the same two left
feet?"
Ace rolled his eyes. "Oh, Mona. Give me a break. I've
been buying vid disks to get a general idea. Can I at least try?"
"Of course you can. Let's go!"
The Magician and the singer soon joined the others on the dance floor.
Ace had learned how to "cut a rug" and was able to keep up with Mona.
Later on in the evening, the prom king and queen were both announced already,
but Aaron had a little surprise up his sleeve. "Um, will Ace Cooper
and Angela Jacobs come up to the stage, please?"
The two magicians found themselves both blushing and wondering what was
happening.
"Why
do they want us up there, Ace?"
"I don't know. Let's get to the stage and find out."
As soon as they went up to the stage area, Aaron made this announcement.
"We are naming both of them honorary prom king and queen for making this
night even more memorable than we ever expected. Mr. Cooper, Miss
Jacobs, please accept the crown and tiara as a token of our gratitude."
Ace took the velvet red crown and placed it on his head. Then, he
levitated the tiara to land on Angie's head. "The tiara makes you
look even more beautiful, but in our family, you'll always be a princess
to us."
"Thank you, Ace. This has been a truly unforgettable night for me."
DJ Mickus then spoke into his microphone. "Okay, this is it, the
final dance of the prom. Make this a memorable one, everybody."
He then cued up a classic song about hope and love: "This I Promise
You" by the teenage male group known as *NSYNC.
Ace looked at Angie and softly asked, "May I have the honor of the last
dance for this evening?"
"I would be privileged to do so with you, sir."
Just as they took hands and closed their eyes, they soon floated about
10 feet over everyone else on the floor.
Sonny Boy stood with Mona and Cosmo in seeing the two magicians hovering
and smiled. "Aw, this has been a memorable prom night, especially
for a young and talented magician who really deserved the night."
"Yeah, dude. I didn't think you'd let Ace do this, considering, well
. . ."
"At first I thought it was a trick by Cooper. When he told me the
story about what happened to Angie's parents, though, I couldn't help but
feel bad for her, so I wanted to have a chance to help, too. I'm
just glad everything worked out."
"Me, too," said a happy Mona. "She's not as afraid about going to
the high society functions."
"Ya know, I always wondered why she wouldn't attend some of the charity
events I had done. Now it's all clear. This will give her a
good start in becoming an even better person and a true superstar."
"She's already a great person to us," said Cosmo. "I think this night
will help her even more in establishing herself."
In the air, as the melodic portion of the song was playing, Angie communicated
with Ace telepathically. "Ace, I don't understand why you went
to all this trouble to help me overcome my fears."
"I did it because you have had too much pain and suffering in your life.
You are my kindred sister, and I won't let you endure any more of it because
of the tragedy. We may be bonded by our magical powers, but our close
friendship is what keeps us like brother and sister. I promise,
you will never have to deal with any pain by yourself ever again."
"Thank you for making this night special for me. I will cherish this
night for the rest of my life, and I'll never forget what you've done for
me, kindred brother."
The two magicians hugged each other in kindness and happiness, both knowing
this night was truly . . . magical.
About a week later, Aaron came by the Magic Express and gave Ace the prom
photos of himself and his friends.
Ace then gave one of the smaller photos to Angie, who put it in a special
frame and placed it next to the photo of herself and her parents on the
dresser. Angie Jacobs had the most memorable night of her life, thanks
in large part to Sonny Boy Surge, Mona Malone, Cosmo, and her kindred brother,
Ace
Cooper, the Magician.