Free The Queen B* and the Homecoming King by Crista McHugh Page A

you been standing behind me?” I asked, my guard instantly raised. Itwas one thing to be nice to me this morning, but to willingly ride home with me after cheerleading practice usually meant my sister had ulterior motives.
    “A few seconds. Long enough to know Richard has a hot date this weekend.” She grabbed my keys from me. “Can I drive?”
    “You literally just got your permit.”
    “I’ve had it for five weeks.” She opened the driver door and tossed her duffel baginto the backseat. “I’m acing driver’s ed.”
    I wrestled the keys back from her. “But I’ve only had my license for a year and a half, and I’m not willing to risk it by letting you drive.”
    “Aw, come on.” She crossed her arms and gave me her trademarked pout. “It’s just a few blocks, and I never get to practice driving since Mom’s always hanging out with Pete.”
    “Tough.” I climbed into the driver’sseat and fought back a shudder. What would Taylor do when she had to have our very pregnant mother in the seat next to her? “Ready to go?”
    Taylor walked around the back of the car, but I could’ve sworn I saw her pause to signal someone before she came to the passenger side.
    Fifty bucks said it was Summer. Taylor had given me a heads up that my nemesis had asked her to spy on me and Brett. ButI also knew Taylor was warping that information to fit her own agenda, which was why I had no problem saying, “Let me guess. Summer wants more information about my relationship with Brett.”
    “Of course she does,” Taylor replied with a flip of her ponytail. “But that doesn’t mean I have to tell her everything. I just need to know one important detail to shut her up for now.”
    “Which is?”
    “Areyou going to Homecoming with him or not?”
    Geez! It was just a stupid high school dance, but the way everyone obsessed over it, you’d think it ranked right up there with the President of the United States visiting our school. But instead of telling her the truth, I decided to bend it a little just to torment Summer. “I haven’t decided.”
    “Haven’t decided in that he hasn’t asked you? Or haven’tdecided in that you’re too much of a loser and refuse to go?”
    Ouch! Even though the latter was a little closer to the truth, I wasn’t about to admit I was a loser. And with each denial, my resistance crumbled a little more. Going to the dance would make Brett happy. And it would piss Summer off to levels I could only imagine. And now I possibly had a friend I could hang out with at the dance,which gave me options that didn’t include being forced to spend the night with Brett’s friends. “It means I haven’t decided.”
    She narrowed her eyes and studied me for a solid minute before flopping back in her seat. “If it’s the dress, I can help you there. But seriously, the entire upper echelon of Eastline High is waiting to hear if you’re going with Brett or not.”
    “What difference does itmake?”
    “Because if you’re not going with him, then Summer will grab him, freeing up Sanchez for me.”
    If there was ever a reason to go to Homecoming, it would be to keep Sanchez from putting his hands on my little sis. “And if I do go with Brett?”
    “Then I’ll probably go with someone else.” She said it in a bored tone, but knowing my sister, she probably had half a dozen guys to choose from.“But just so you know, time is running out.”
    “Does Summer really think Brett would go to Homecoming with her if he’s dating me?”
    “A girlfriend hasn’t stopped her from going after guys she’s wanted before. Remember how she stole Greg Haines from Emma Lu before prom two years ago?” Taylor gave an indifferent shrug. “You know she doesn’t give up that easily.”
    “I know.” I’d been friends with herlong ago, only to be stabbed in the back. Now her tricks included twisting the truth to suit her purposes. “But if you want to go with Sanchez, then why did you offer to help me find a