Lou stared at her in incredulity. So much time he had wasted trying to fit in, to belong, to be normal; here was Roxy, beating him on his back to urge him to embrace what made him different. It was both terrifying and exhilarating.

"Why do you want me to do this?" Lou found himself asking, his voice tinged with curiosity. "Wouldn't you rather have a calm, fun evening without any awkwardness?"

Her expression softened, and she put a hand on his arm. "Lou, the first time we ever really talked, you were awkward and nervous, but you were also really genuine and sweet. That 'lame pick-up line' Boo was way more interesting than any slick, polished version of yourself. I want to see you embrace who you really are. Besides, I think it would be hilarious."

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "You really think the cringey me is better than this?" He motioned back and forth to his sharp suit and polished appearance.

Roxy nodded, smiling warmly and sincerely. "Absolutely. So what do you say? You in?"

Lou took a deep breath, feeling the much-needed surge of determination. His powers had taken him a long way—maybe it was time to really embrace them. "Alright, Roxy. It's on. Let's really make this night one to remember."

Her grin broadened as she squeezed his arm. "That's it! Now let's do it."

Renewed with purpose, Lou stepped off the dance floor and started his way to the bathroom, where a mirror waited for him. It was time to embrace the cringe.

First, he removed his jacket and tied it at his waist. Next, he unbuttoned his shirt and buttoned it up wrong, missing buttons here and there. What resulted was a hilariously uneven appearance: one side of the shirt hung lower. After that, he intentionally left his zipper open and the edges gaped awkwardly.

He wasn't done. He reached up and ran his hands through his sowingly styled hair, mussing it until he looked like he'd just rolled out of bed. Stray strands stuck out at odd angles, and his sleek style was now a chaotic mess.

Finally, he rubbed his face with a little water and mussed up his shirt some more to really make it sloppy. He felt his Charisma points drop to 2 as he surveyed the handiwork. He took one look at the reflection in front of him and knew this was quite a distance from the suave and confident Lou who had walked into prom.

He sucked in a deep breath, clamped his shoulders back, and re-entered the gym to face whatever crap he had waiting for him. He locked eyes with Roxy across the room; she gave him an encouraging nod. It was time to begin the cringe-fest.

He wandered over to the punch bowl: three girls were having a chatty conversation. "Hey, guys," he said, mercilessly overzealous. "So, like, I was really, really hoping you gorgeous ladies could do me this one teensy favor and vote for me as Prom King? Pretty please? That just would mean so much to me!"

The girls exchanged confused glances, giggling awkwardly. "Uh, sure, Lou," one of them said, trying to suppress her laughter.

"Thanks, you're the best!" Lou exclaimed, giving them a thumbs up and moving on to the next group. He continued this routine, approaching students left and right, his requests growing more desperate and exaggerated each time.

"Please, please vote for me as Prom King!" he begged a couple by the snack table. "I'll do anything! I'll even make a fool of myself if you want!"

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As he made his rounds, he could feel the experience points accumulating rapidly. Every awkward glance, every stifled laugh, added to his cringe power. He exchanged glances with Roxy frequently, her encouraging smiles keeping him going.

Lou came across a group of jocks; their faces changed from surprise to amusement while taking in his bedraggled appearance. "Hey, fellas," Lou said, clapping one of them on the shoulder. "You guys look like you know what's up. How about throwing a vote my way for Prom King?"

One of them laughed and shook his head. "Dude, what happened to you?"

Lou grinned into the stupidity of it all. "Just trying something new. So, what do you say? A vote for me?"

The jocks looked at each other, amused, before nodding. "Sure, man. You got our vote."

"Awesome, thanks!" Lou went on down the hall with a wave, doing his best to not care how lame that just was. He felt more confident despite the cringe. He was owning it, and that made all the difference.

He continued in his cringe crusade, pleading for votes with everyone and anyone. Every interaction eclipsed the last in its absurdity, and he could feel the weight of eyes upon him from the entire gym. But he didn't feel embarrassed—he empowered himself. This was his night, and he was making it unforgettable.

Finally, he found himself again close to Roxy. "You're doing great, Boo," she said, face bright with amusement.

"Thanks, Roxy," Lou replied, a real smile spreading over his face. "I think I'm really getting the hang of this. You know what... it's time for me to step up the gear. "

So Lou swept his glance across the gym, leading him to where the music was controlled: the DJ booth. It immediately formed an idea in his mind, and he couldn't help but crack a mischievous sort of grin.

He walked to the DJ booth and motioned to the DJ to turn off the music. He tried to ignore Lou at first but gave in after Lou begged him. The DJ was kind of intrigued and mildly amused, and the gym was put into awkward silence. Lou stood at the center of the room, and all eyes turned towards him.

"Hello, everyone!" Lou called loudly across the gym, his voice echoing off the walls. "Just wanted to say a few words. .. or maybe a lot of words..."

The audience responded with a mix of confused sighs and murmurs, but Lou forged on. "You see, tonight's a special night—not because it's prom, but because it is a night where all of us can let our freak flags fly high. So, without further ado, I present to you my manifesto!"

Lou went on and made a mud of his speech, mixing up words with phrases and noises in such a way that absolutely no sense came from him. "Keys are the key to the whole universe! Do not even forget about that! And remember, the moon is only a giant cheese wheel hanging in the sky! And oh, one more thing—squirrels. squirrels are out to get us! If you don't believe me, you can ask that to my father."

The crowd started booing and laughing, clearly entertained by the display but also bewildered. Lou's cringe levels were skyrocketing, racking up experience points with every boo and laugh. He locked eyes with Roxy in the crowd, her face lit up by amusement as she cheered him on.

"And now," Lou said, "for my grand finale!" He nodded to the DJ, who launched into a pounding dance number. Lou leaped onto the stage and began trying to breakdance, not knowing how to do any of the moves. He flailed his arms and spun around sort of awkwardly before dropping down to the floor and attempting a headspin, which landed him flat on his back.

The crowd erupted into laughter, as well as applause, at his foolish performance. The boos mixed with the cheering, and Lou's cringe reached its absolute peak as he reached Level 28, his eyes glowing with a doped feeling of power.

As Lou got up from the floor, gasping for air and reveling in the afterglow of his ruination, the principal came out to the stage, microphone in hand. "Alright everybody, it's time to announce our Prom King and Queen!"

The room's surging excitement now shifted focus as the principal prepared to tell them who the winners would be. Lou felt a weird feeling of anticipation and yet, at the same time, relief. He did what he set out to do, and now it was time for the final part of the night.

"And the Prom King and Queen are. Jason and Emily!" the principal announced.

A cheer erupted from the audience as Jason and Emily proudly walked up to the stage. Lou wasn't done, though. He put his hands around his mouth and let out a melodramatic, quite loud boo: "BOOOOO! RIGGED! WE DEMAND A RECOUNT!"

For a short moment, the crowd gasped in shock, then erupted into laughter and even more boos—which this time, were aimed at Lou. The principal just looked perplexed, not knowing what to do. He kept up his melodramatic booing, gaining even more attention and laughter.

"Okay, that's enough, young man," the principal said firmly. "I think it's time for you to leave."

Lou nodded, still having that self-satisfied grin about him. He had reached Level 30 through all his antics, and now it was time to make his exit. He bowed dramatically to the crowd and began to make his way toward the exit.

Still giggling, Roxy followed him outside. "Boo, that was amazing! I have never seen anything like this. You definitely outdid yourself today!”

Lou shrugged, beaming with pride. "Well, I said I would make this a night to remember."

"You did, big time," Roxy said, her laughter softening into a warm smile. "This is definitely a night I won't ever forget. Thanks for being you, Boo."

As Roxy came in for a kiss on the cheek, Lou felt a burn rise up in his chest. For a little while longer, they just stood there off to the side, under the glittering stars, enjoying the end to a night that had gone far beyond anything ordinary.

Lou had gained a new skill when he reached level 30, but he was too happy to bother thinking about it right now.