Move over, mean girls: Homecoming queen shares crown with bullied classmate

When two seniors at Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, Texas, learned that their friend had been the victim of a cruel prank, they vowed to right the wrong — and celebrate her publicly.

Anahi Alvarez and Naomi Martinez described Lilly Skinner, 17, as “just an amazing girl.”

“She’s that person that is always happy!” Martinez told CBS 11 News. “Happy to see me! Happy to see everyone – just happy to be here.”

"She’s so sweet," said Alvarez. “We need people in this world like Lilly.”

When “mean girls" at the school lied to Skinner, telling her that she had been nominated for homecoming queen, Alvarez and Martinez vowed that if either of them were given the crown, they’d pass it on to Skinner.

"We promised each other and we were like, ‘No matter what, no backing down. If one of us wins, we’re giving Lillian the crown,’" Martinez told NBC Dallas Fort Worth.

Alvarez and Martinez let the school’s principal in on their plan.

"In all my time in school, this is probably the greatest moment I’ve ever experienced as a principal," said principal Lorimer Arendse.

Before the announcement of homecoming queen, the principal escorted Skinner onto the field under the guise of taking photos of the procession beside Alvarez.

Skinner was sitting in the front row when Alvarez was named homecoming queen.

As Alvarez walked up to accept the crown, an announcement was made:

“Anahi is honouring a very hard working senior with her crown. We would like to announce Lillian Skinner please step up and receive this honour.”

Skinner was shocked.

"When she won the queen, I took a picture and she told me to come over. And I said, ‘It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s your crown, you know? My name is not on the list,’" Skinner recalled.

Alvarez then crowned her friend.

Skinner told the news outlet that she felt like she was in a dream.

"Seeing the look on her face and the way she reacted toward it, it was priceless," Martinez said.

"Well, for me, I want to say, and I always say, ‘Lilly won. I just ran in her place, in her position,’" Alvarez told NBC Dallas Fort Worth. “When they ask me, ‘Were you homecoming queen?’ I say, ‘No, Lilly is homecoming queen.’”

“We basically ran for Lilly,” she added. “She didn’t know. She keeps on asking us, ‘My name wasn’t on the ballot. Why me?’ Because it was a surprise.”