Free My Date From Hell by Tellulah Darling Page A

for a teen host.
    “I’m going to promote wisdom, fashion, and the importance of social hierarchies in schools,” she said.
    “You mean bullying.”
    “Potato, potahto.” Bethany gave me a sweet smile that, with her dark red hair and big blue eyes should have seemed like innocence personified.
    Instead I just saw it for the evil it was, masked by a magically enhanced pretty face.
    Her smile widened. “Soon there will be no place for people like you. Oh, and you specifically. I’ll have it all. And you? What have you got? Vines. That you can’t even show anyone because they’d CIA your ass into Area 51 and study you like the freak show you are.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully with her index finger. “Or maybe I’ll turn you in myself if you don’t back off Kai. Why have a prince when I can have a god?”
    Technically, he was both. And she was getting neither. Whatever relationship she may or may not have had with him? That was over. Competing with Persephone was one thing, but damned if I’d let Bethany think she got to be part of the mix any longer.
    I flicked a finger against Bethany’s sleeve under which I knew was the tattoo given to her by Delphyne the dragon. A ring of laurel leaves circling her arm, with a small dragon hidden in them, the tattoo was the source of her cranked up popularity and beauty.
    I didn’t say a word. Just smiled to remind her that I could blast her arm off any time I wanted. Well, as soon as I had fully recharged. Not that she needed to know that.
    I made a quiet zapping noise. For added emphasis.
    Bethany removed my hand from her arm and tsked me. “I’ve got protectors now.” And with that, she turned and flounced off.
    “What the hell kind of bizarro world did I come back to?” I demanded as I threw open the door to the raspberry-colored bedroom I shared with Hannah.
    How incredible to be back amidst Hannah’s meticulously organized science equipment, books, and field hockey gear, and my random clutter of mementos like postcards from Hannah and wind-up toys from Theo. Not to mention my comfy, excellently tricked out blue bedding.
    I cocked an expectant eyebrow at Theo and Hannah. They stared back at me, then started talking at once, trying to explain.
    The gist of it, as I finally understood, was that Bethany really had caught the attention of this media mogul. Snowed like everyone else, he threw a lightning-fast campaign behind her. First she’d had the magazine cover. Next, Jack had hired social media experts to up Bethany’s online presence with videos of her doing nothing more beyond hanging out and spouting Bethanyisms.
    So verrah glad I’d missed that.
    And after she was crowned Winter Formal Queen, she would be flown off to begin filming her her yoga/talk show where she’d do a few moves with celebs and then gab.
    Goddess help us all. Bethany was going to achieve the dream of far too many. To be famous for nothing. And she was pursuing it with a vengeance.
    “She has to be stopped,” I said, and flopped onto the downy comforter on my bed. It was the most heavenly feeling ever. “No way does she get to spread her vapid and dangerous ideas to the willing masses. I mean, what’s the point of saving humanity if this is what I’m saving it for? Uh-uh. Her infamy ends now.”
    A quiet knock at the door shut us all up. Pierce poked his head in. Hannah motioned for him to enter and close the door again.
    I rolled onto my stomach. “Let’s just figure out some way to contain her quickly because remembering the location is top priority.”
    “Sorted,” Pierce said, sinking into my desk chair, all sorts of dreamy and decked out in dark wash jeans and a blue sweater. Hannah did her best to ignore him.
    “No offense,” I began, wanting to be tactful then realizing there was no way, “but unless you’re suddenly able to melt the skin from her face to film and upload to counteract her evil charm, then I’m not sure what exactly you can do about it.” I rolled