Vote for Cupcakes! by Sheryl Berk Read Free Book Online

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.
    â€œWait!” 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.
    â€œWell, 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.
    â€œYou 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.
    â€œFinally!” 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.
    â€œBlakely students, if I can have