Town Rallies Around Victim of Cruel High School Homecoming Prank
Teenagers are the worst. If you need further proof, just look to Ogemaw Heights High in West Branch, Michigan.
Some of the school's sophomores decided it would be funny if they elected a homecoming queen who was unpopular. That cruel distinction fell upon Whitney Kropp who was shocked -- and initially thrilled -- that she was chosen for a position she never even had the slightest intention to seek.
However, these good feelings turned to tears when she realized it was all a hoax. The boy who had been chosen homecoming king for the class dropped out, and Kropp was whispered about and laughed at as she walked down the hall.
"I thought I wasn't worthy," Kropp told the Detroit News. "I was this big old joke."
But outside of the school, more and more of West Branch's residents were hearing about the prank and reacting in a completely different way.
35 year old resident Jamie Kline started a Facebook support page for Kropp that now has twice as many likes as West Branch has people. Local businesses began rallying around the 16 year old, donating their services for everything from her homecoming dinner to her gown to her hair and makeup. Even the boy who dropped out as homecoming king has reconsidered and will now be a part of the event.
The outpouring of support has convinced Kropp that she should remain part of the big night, too.
"Going to homecoming to show them that I'm not a joke," she wrote on Facebook. "I'm a beautiful person and you shouldn't mess with me!"
A record crowd is expected for Ogemaw Heights' homecoming game against Cadillac High. But many of the folks in the stand won't be there to cheer the football team. Instead they will be yelling out for Kropp, the prank victim who is headed for the last laugh.