The Queen B* Strikes Back

by Crista McHugh

  Taylor shrugged. “It’s all about power. You think I don’t get tired of Summer and her me, me, me attitude? And since she decided last night to go after the guy I wanted to go to Homecoming with, I figured I could play a few head games with her, too.”

  I narrowed my eyes, being reminded that my sister as something more than an airhead cheerleader. “What are you up to?”

  “I want to be head cheerleader, and I’m not above screwing over Summer to get there.” Taylor grinned.

  “And what is your master plan?”

  “I’ll spare you the details, but the only reason I put up with Summer’s bullshit is that it establishes me as a member of her inner circle and secures my place in the line of succession. I kiss her ass this year, then I kiss Jordyn’s ass next year, and poof, I’m sure to be voted head cheerleader my senior year. Hell, I might even give Jordyn a run for her money next year, and I have you to thank for it.”

  I never thought my name would be associated with the inner workings of cheerleading politics. It intrigued me enough to ask, “How so?”

  “Summer is so pissed off that Brett chose you over her that she’ll want to know every detail of your relationship with him. And since I’m your sister, I’m in an ideal position to gather that information for her.”

  “So you’re admitting to spying on me to win Summer’s approval?”

  Taylor replied with a smug nod. “Of course, I have the option to filter what she hears, and I’m going to make sure she finds me indispensable.”

  “By tattling on me?”

  “By supplying her with information I deem worthwhile.” Taylor tossed her hair over her shoulder. “You see, I’m just going to tease her with what’s going on between you two. It’ll be enough to piss her off and she’s going to demand I keep reporting back to her. And in turn, I’ll become one of her trusted confidantes and secure my place the line of succession for head cheerleader.”

  “So again, where do I fit into all this, and why are you telling me that you’ll be reporting my every move to the one person I loathe above all else?”

  “Because I can.” She gave me a simpering smile and hopped off the couch. “I think I hear Brett’s truck in the driveway.”

  She scampered up the stairs just as the doorbell rang, leaving me filled with a mixture of awe and disgust over her genius scheme to manipulate Summer.

  I made sure to look out the window before opening the door. Thankfully, I was glad to see Brett standing there this time.

  He held out a bottle of water. “I figured you could use this.”

  “Thanks.” It had to taste better than what I’d been drinking. “And thanks again for the ride.”

  “No problem.” He ran ahead and opened up the passenger door. “And in case you felt up to some food, I saved you a few pancakes from breakfast.” He held up a foil-covered plate.

  A faint citrus scent wafted from inside, and my stomach rumbled. “What kind?”

  “Lemon raspberry.” He peeled back the foil, and a cloud of lemon-scented steam billowed out. “I even kept them warm for you.”

  “You are a saint.” I paused to place a kiss on his cheek before taking the plate and climbing into the truck. “Are you okay with me eating them along the way?”

  “Why do you think I brought them?”

  I had inhaled the pancakes by the time we got to the lake road, but instead of getting on the freeway that led to the university, Brett pulled into Marymoor Park.

  “Um, U-Dub is that way,” I pointed out.

  “I know, but since I have you alone for a few minutes, I figured now would the best time to straighten out some things.”

  “So you’re kidnapping me?”

  He grinned. “In a sense.”

  I hopped out of the truck as soon as he parked and met him at the start of a trail. The sky was clear, and the sun warmed what would otherwise be a crisp early October day. I matched his stride and waited for him to say what he wanted to say, but after several minutes of silence, my nerves got the better of me.

  “Listen, I know I’ve been acting like a complete bitch lately, but—”

  He stopped and hushed me by placing his finger on my lips. “Do you ever stop talking?”

  “You’re the one who wanted to straighten things out.”

  “Yeah, about that.” He shoved his hands into his letterman jacket and kicked at a rock on the trail.

  “Would it be too late to apologize?” I asked with uncharacteristic meekness. I knew I was in the doghouse, and after what he did for me last night, I at least owed him that.

  “Depends.”

  And I thought I was guilty of holding a grudge. “What do you want? A public apology? Groveling? ’I’m an idiot‘ spray painted on the side of the school?”

  I added the last bit for shock value, and it worked. Brett coughed, and the tips of his ear grew red. “That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?”

  “At least I know where you draw the line.” I started walking toward an empty bench with a nice view of the windmill and waited for him to join me. We arrived at the same time and sat down.

  He looked straight ahead, not at me, his hands still in his jacket. “Last night was eye-opening for me.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, for starters, Summer. I mean, I really believed her story, especially after reading your blog for the last two years and how you reveal other people’s secrets.”

  A defensive streak overthrew my prior meekness, and I sat up straighter. “There’s a difference between calling out people when they’re doing something wrong like cheating and revealing someone’s personal secrets.”

  “Calm down, Lexi.” He turned to me and placed his hand over mine. “I get it. And after Taylor gave me more than enough evidence to confirm your story—”

  “Time out. My little sister—the one who has her lips permanently glued to Summer’s ass—provided evidence to confirm my version of events?”

  Brett nodded and stared at me as though I was a puzzle he was just starting to figure out. “She showed me pictures of you two as kids. I didn’t realize you’d been so close.”

  “She was my best friend. At least, until she decided I wasn’t popular enough for her.”

  “And that was a shitty thing to do, what she did. It opened my eyes to the real person she is, and I was pissed. So I went over to her house last night and confronted her.”

  “So I heard.” When Brett drew his brows together in confusion, I added, “Taylor told me. And just so you know, she has her own motives for her involvement in all this, so be careful around her, too.”

  “Noted.” He turned back to the windmill. “But everything last night got me thinking about you and me and what I wanted.”

  And here was where he’d politely tell me I was too much a drama queen and that he just wanted to be friends.

  Only the words that came out of his mouth were, “You drive me crazy, Lexi. Do you know that? And I mean that in both a good way and a bad way.”

  Not what I was expecting, but enough to earn my silence.

  Brett jumped to his feet and moved in front of me, his body jittery with nervous energy. “You’re a stubborn know-it-all who has a tendency to fly off the handle at the slightest thing and jump to the wrong conclusions.”

  “Gee, do I have any redeeming qualities?”

  “A few,” he replied with a laugh. “You’re genuine, even with all your faults. You’re honest, even if it’s brutally so. You’re intimidating, but you choose to use your rep to help out those who need it. You’re fun, even though you’re terrified to reveal that side of yourself to others.”

  I stood and closed the space between us. “So I’m not a total bitch?”

  “No, not a total one.”

  His words caressed my wounded pride, followed by his hands caressing my face.

  “You’re the one person who didn’t pretend to be my friend because of my popularity or my football stats. Instead, you’re the one person who saw me for
who I truly am and challenged me to be a better person.”

  “Hey, what goes around, comes around.” After all, he was the one who convinced me to have some compassion.

  “Exactly. We’re good for each other, which is why I’m going to ask you one more time to give us a chance.”

  He held my gaze, silently pleading with me to say yes. Fear froze my tongue. I knew what I wanted to say, what I needed to say. But the words wouldn’t come.

  So I had to rely on actions.

  I came closer until our bodies touched. Then I wound my hands around his neck and lowered his face until our lips met. And finally, I kissed him in a way I hoped conveyed what I couldn’t come out and say.

  I’d fallen for Brett Pederson.

  And I was finally ready to give our relationship a chance.

  Brett tightened his arms around me and kissed me back in a way that told me he’d understood.

  I’m sure we only kissed for a few seconds—maybe a minute, tops—but it felt like time had slowed down so I could savor everything about that moment. The warmth of his embrace. The pressure of his lips moving against mine. The sounds of shaky breaths and frantic pulses. The taste of lemon and raspberries that lingered from breakfast.

  When the kiss ended, he grinned at me. “So, should I take that as a yes?”

  “Or it could just be my way of letting you know I think you’re hot and I really enjoy kissing you,” I answered with a hint of my usual sarcasm.

  “You’re admitting that you’re attracted to me?”

  I rolled my eyes and worked my arms under his jacket. “As if there was any doubt. Every girl in school thinks you’re hot.”

  “But only one girl would give me a hard time about that.” He placed a quick kiss on my lips. “And she’s the only girl I want to be with.”

  I had another sarcastic reply poised on the tip of my tongue, but when I saw the way he was looking at me, it faded away. Brett had seen me at my worst, and yet, there was nothing but admiration in his eyes. He wanted me for me.

  And that gave me the courage to finally trust my heart to him. “But to answer your question, yeah, I’d like to give us a try.”

  “Can I go out on a limb and suggest a first real date?”

  “What about the concert or the football game?”

  He shook his head. “If I remember correctly, you were very adamant that those were not dates.”

  “Okay, fine.” I backed away, but not before he laced his fingers through mine. “I’ll go out on a date with you, but only under one condition.”

  “What?”

  “You tell me how you did on the SATs yesterday.”

  “I kicked that essay’s ass.” He beamed at me and started back toward his truck, still holding my hand as we walked. “As for our first official date, how does canoeing through the arboretum sound?”

  The thought of lazily paddling through the water lilies with Brett seemed both relaxing and a bit romantic. “It sounds lovely.”

  “Great. Then let’s get your car and meet at the canoe rental place and go from there. I might have even packed a little picnic lunch just in case you said yes.”

  “That confident?”

  “No. After all, you’ve turned me down how many times?”

  I gave him a playful shove. “You’re the one who said I was stubborn.”

  “True, but I like being prepared for the possibility. I’m glad you finally came to your senses, too, because it’s a great picnic.”

  This time, he answered my shove with one of his own and we ended up racing back to his truck, both breathless with laughter when we got there.

  He pulled me into his arms again and said, “I look forward to seeing how many more ways you can drive me crazy, Lexi.”

  I looked up at him and wondered how I’d ended up with a great guy like him. But one thing was certain—I wasn’t going to waste any more time wondering how or if or when this would blow up in my face. I couldn’t erase the past, and I couldn’t predict the future. I could only control the present and my place in it.

  I grinned at him and replied, “Same here.”

  Somehow, I’d found the perfect guy for me in the person I’d least expected. I’d lowered my walls. I’d shown him that I wasn’t as strong and resilient as I wanted everyone to believe. I’d made myself vulnerable, and now, I had to trust him with my heart and see where things went from there.

  Want to know what happens next?

  The Queen B* and the Homecoming King

  Coming December 1, 2015

  The Queen B* Strikes Back

  Copyright 2015 by Crista McHugh

  Edited by Karen Dale Harris

  Copyedited by Elizabeth MS Flynn

  Cover Art by Sweet N’ Spicy Designs

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-940559-43-8