The Queen B* Strikes Back Read online

  “So?”

  I opened my mouth to voice the doubts screaming in my mind, but Richard clapped his hand over it before I could speak.

  “We’d love to come, Brett. Isn’t that right, Alexis?”

  If I could shoot lasers out of my eyes, Richard would be my first victim.

  Brett gave us a smile of relief tempered by a hint of nervousness. “Great. I’ll text you the address. The party will be probably start in an hour or two, depending on how long it takes us to get back to campus,” he said before disappearing onto the bus.

  I smacked Richard’s hand away. “What was that?”

  “That was me interceding on your behalf before you screw up your chances with Mr. Hottie. You can thank me later.”

  He started off toward the street, forcing me to chase after him.

  “Then why do I have a bad feeling about the party?” I asked.

  “Lighten up. Do you realize how many people would kill to be in your shoes right now? You just got invited to a popular kids’ party.”

  “But what if it’s a trap? I mean, you’ve seen those movies before. Never Been Kissed. Clueless. Carrie. What if they’re waiting for me to arrive so they can dump a gallon of pig’s blood on me?”

  Richard halted and rolled his eyes. “First off, I can’t believe you’re admitting to watching some of those movies. Second, you are far scarier than Carrie, and if they prank you, then you’re going to get your revenge. You may not be setting them on fire, but everyone there knows they’re dealing with the Queen B.”

  “Come with me.”

  “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” He looped his arm through mine and dragged me along. “But first, since we have a few hours to kill, let’s grab a bite to eat and come up with a strategy on how to make your grand entrance.”

  I texted my mom to let her know I’d be out late tonight and listened as Richard planned the rest of our evening.

  Chapter Eleven

  I knew I shouldn’t have eaten that greasy burger and fries. They churned in my stomach like some nauseating geyser that threatened to spew forth at any second. The sensation doubled as I parked my car near Ren’s house.

  Richard, on the other hand, bounced out like a child who’d just arrived at Disneyland for the first time. He practically quivered as he said, “Oh my God, I’m so excited.”

  I wish I felt the same way. The only thing that eased my trepidation was the solitary figure waiting for us in the front yard.

  Brett approached us, but stopped a few feet away and cast a sideways glance at Richard. “Glad you two could make it.”

  “Trust me—you have no idea how glad we are to be here,” Richard replied.

  He bolted for the front door, but Brett lingered beside me and reached for my hand. “You don’t look so excited.”

  “I’m just…” I searched for the right word—one that wouldn’t reveal my fears or hesitations or even my secret delight, before settling on—“worried.”

  “Don’t be.” He threaded his fingers through mine. “You’re with me.”

  “And what if they all turn on you because of this?”

  He laughed it off. “My friends aren’t perfect, but they’re my friends. And once they see you the way I see you, then everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

  I followed him up the walkway, each step reminding me that I had no business being there. The surprised stares on everyone’s faces when we went inside only confirmed my misgivings.

  “Hel-lo,” Richard announced with an extra dose of flamboyancy at the doorway. “The party has just arrived.”

  Brett choked back a grin as Richard made his way through the room, fully engrossed in his role as the Token Gay Guy. I knew it was all an act, but it was how Richard eased people’s nerves. By pretending to be the outrageous life of the party, he shifted some of the focus away from the real him and made it easier for our classmates to accept him as the stereotype.

  I, unfortunately, couldn’t pull that off. I was the Mean Girl, the one who got her jollies by making the in-crowd cower. And I was standing in the doorway, holding hands with one of their own.

  I jerked my hand free and stepped aside so Brett could close the door.

  “Well, I’m not worried about Richard anymore,” he murmured.

  “Why were you worried to begin with? Scared he’d hurt your rep?”

  “No, more like worried a couple of guys would try to ambush him and give him a wedgie or a black eye as a greeting and I’d have to intervene.”

  Once again, Brett surprised me. I should be getting used to it by now, and yet, I still hadn’t. “You would defend him?”

  “Of course.” He took my arm and led me further into the house. “Let’s get you something to drink.”

  The house was overflowing with teenagers, and music blasted through the speakers. The faint scent of weed drifted in the air. The amount of alcohol in their hands confirmed everything I’d heard about these parties. Beer. Wine. Red plastic cups with who knows what in them. The party was still in the early stages, though, so no one appeared slobbering drunk—yet. Our classmates followed us with their gazes as we passed, but no one said anything to us.

  When we made it to the kitchen, Brett opened up a large cooler full of ice and grabbed a soda. “What do you want?”

  “You mean you’re not cracking open a beer to fit in?”

  “I don’t drink.”

  A wave of guilt washed over me for the time I offered him Chardonnay at my house. I’d assumed that he was like his peers, but he was so squeaky clean, I wondered if he was real. “Why not?”

  “Not worth the consequences. Getting arrested aside, I don’t like being off focus and out of control. It’s just not me.” He gestured to the cooler. “But if you want one…”

  “No, a soda would be fine.”

  He grabbed another can and jerked his head toward the backyard. “Let’s find some place where we don’t have to shout over the music.”

  The pot aroma was even stronger outside, and the faint glow of a lit joint being passed around reminded me of a firefly. As soon as the smokers saw me, though, the person holding it hid it behind his back.

  Brett pulled me off to the side. “Just ignore them.”

  “I’m trying, but you have to admit, I don’t belong here.”

  “Yes, you do.” He placed a hand on my shoulder and leveled his gaze with mine. “You’re with me, and that’s all that matters.”

  A repeat of the whole tunnel-vision, world-fading away thing enveloped me, and for a brief second, I believed him. I took a step forward, closing the space between us, so tempted to see if he would act the same way in front of his friends as he did when we were alone.

  He didn’t back away. No, he ran his hand along my arm until he reached my waist and pulled me closer. Anyone watching us could see that we were more than just study partners. I braced for the terror, the outrage, the What the hell are you thinking? that would come from it, but no one said anything.

  “See?” Brett asked as though he’d read my mind. “No one cares.”

  “That’s because they’re either drunk or high.”

  “I’m finding you’re the hardest one to convince.” He leaned closer, his lips inches from mine.

  I couldn’t tell if the fluttering sensation in my midsection was from my heart or the butterflies in my stomach. My pride might’ve been safe, but my heart was an entirely different matter. I held my breath, wondering if he would kiss me again.

  Instead, I ended up stumbling to the side when someone jostled me from behind.

  The familiar sound of my sister giggling snapped me out of my daze, and I looked past Brett to see her straddling some guy’s lap on a deck chair. I couldn’t tell who it was, but it didn’t matter. The moment I witnessed his hand pulling her underwear below her ridiculously short skirt, I lost it.

  Big Sister mode kicked in, and I crossed the yard in a flash. “Taylor!”

  She stiffened, and I used her s
hock to rip her away from the pervert who was taking advantage of her.

  My vision turned red when I realized it was Sanchez. I curled my hand up into a fist and drew it back, wanting to smash his face until it was black and blue.

  “Lexi!” Taylor moved between us, her eyes glazed and her steps unsteady. “What are you doing?”

  “Saving you from this walking STD.” I lunged at Sanchez, but a strong pair of arms around my waist held me back.

  “No, you’re ruining my life!” she screeched.

  “Not to mention ruining my chances of getting any action,” Sanchez added.

  “You fucking bastard!”

  Brett had all but thrown me over his shoulder to keep me from beating the crap out of that prick. “Calm down,” he whispered.

  “Don’t tell me to calm down. That’s my little sister.”

  When I looked back, the two of them were trying to sneak off into the house. I shoved Brett aside and grabbed Taylor. “Come on. We’re going home now.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” Taylor dug her heels in like a three-year-old in the middle of a temper tantrum, but whatever she’d consumed earlier this evening slowed her reflexes, and I had no trouble dragging her back through the house. She screamed and cussed and called me all sorts of names, but I didn’t care. She could hate me all she wanted. I refused to let some asshole like Sanchez take advantage of her.

  Maybe one day, she’d thank me, but the look she gave me as I forced her into my car was one of pure hatred. “What the fuck are you doing here, anyway?”

  “Taking care of you.” I fastened the seatbelt and slammed the doors before she tried to escape.

  “Lexi,” Brett called out after me, but I couldn’t afford to stop. If I did, Taylor might run back to the party, and Brett had already proven he was more interested in keeping me away from Sanchez than helping me with my little sister.

  “Later,” I said over my shoulder before jumping into the driver’s seat and starting the car. I floored it and didn’t bother to look back.

  Taylor’s fury refused to wane. “Are you stalking me or something? Trying to make sure I’m a pathetic loser like you?”

  I took a deep breath and reminded myself that she was drunk and extra mean because of the alcohol. Her words stung less that way. I kept my voice level and calm as I spoke, hoping it would soothe her. “No, I was invited to that party.”

  “Who would invite you?”

  “Brett.”

  That shut her up. She blinked in a dazed sort of way before retreating to a crossed-arm sulk. “That still doesn’t give you the right to publicly humiliate me like that.”

  “It’s Sanchez.”

  “He’s hot, and he’s popular, and he was about to ask me to Homecoming until you interrupted us.”

  “No, he’s bad news. He was trying to get laid, and he was making fun of your bra inserts just last week.”

  “He knows about them?” she asked in a small voice.

  “He was even passing along the video of you in the locker room to all his friends.” I risked casting a sideways glance at her, and my heart ached from the deflated slump of her shoulders. She’d convinced herself that Sanchez was the be-all and end-all, and now she was finally seeing him for the jerk he really was. “Aw, Taylor—”

  “Just shut up and leave me alone.”

  “Fine.”

  I drove the rest of the way home in silence. When we pulled into the garage, Taylor refused to budge. I let her have her space. If I’d been in her shoes, I’d want to have a good cry in private.

  Then afterward, I’d get my revenge, but that was just me.

  A yelp filled the house as I came inside.

  I jumped and turned on all the lights, only to wish I hadn’t.

  My mom was lying on the couch under some guy I’d never seen before, both of them naked and locked in a very intimate pose.

  Mom reached for a throw pillow to cover up and stumbled over her words. “Alexis, you’re home early.”

  Before I could answer, Taylor entered the house with a banging door and stomped all the way upstairs, oblivious to what was happening in the living room. “I hate you, Lexi!” she shouted before slamming the door to her bedroom.

  Mom tossed a pillow to her date and retrieved her date’s discarded button-down shirt before she came toward me. “Is there something we need to talk about?”

  I focused on the edge of the coffee table. It seemed safer than staring at my mom and acknowledging that I’d walked in on her having sex. “Taylor’s just drunk and pissed off because I ruined her chances of having some dipshit take advantage of her.”

  Mom looked upstairs and then back at me, her face pinched with a mother’s worry. “Alexis…”

  “It’s fine, Mom. I handled it. Go back to whatever you were doing, and I’ll pretend I didn’t catch you naked with some stranger.”

  I shielded my eyes and didn’t stop until I was safely in my room. Once there, I fell onto my bed and hugged my pillow. Today was all kinds of messed up, and I couldn’t wait for it to end.

  A few minutes later, I heard a car drive away, followed by a knock at my door.

  “Come in,” I muttered.

  “How are you doing?” my mom asked as she came in.

  She’d thankfully managed to find a bathrobe, removing some of the awkwardness. I mean, I knew adults had sex. I knew my parents had to have done it at least twice to produce me and my sister, and I knew my dad liked to hook up with his grad students. But actually seeing it was an entirely different thing. “I’m scarred for life.”

  “Alexis,” she said with a roll of her eyes before sitting down on the edge of my bed.

  “Okay, seriously, I don’t care what you do, Mom, but can you please keep it behind closed doors. And oh yeah, use a condom.”

  Her cheeks flooded with color. “I will, and I apologize for…that. One thing sort of led to another, and I wasn’t expecting either of you to come home so early…”

  “It’s fine.” God, this conversation couldn’t end soon enough.

  “Pete and I are so embarrassed, and I know I’m not setting a very good example for you and your sister.”

  “Please. We both know what Dad’s doing in Vermont.” I paused and picked up on something I’d missed. “So that was the guy who’s been giving you lessons on the laser?”

  For the past four months, my mom had been staying late after work learning how to use a laser for skin procedures in her dermatology practice. Only now, I was beginning to wonder how many of those study sessions were really study sessions.

  Jesus, my mom was nothing more than an overgrown teenager.

  But then, I was no better, based on the content of my study sessions with Brett.

  “Um, yeah.” She smoothed her robe. “But since we got along so well, we’ve been seeing each other after hours. I’ve been trying to figure out the right time to introduce him to you and Taylor.”

  “Well, now that I’ve seen his dick, we can all be one big happy family.”

  “Alexis!”

  “What do you expect me to say?” I sat up and tossed the pillow across the room. “ ‘Hi, nice to meet you. Great bod, but please don’t knock my mom up’?”

  Mom pressed her fingers against her forehead and massaged her temples. “In case you haven’t noticed, it was equally awkward for us, too.”

  “No kidding. I think I’m the only person in this family who managed to keep her panties on tonight. Maybe you should be swapping safe-sex tips with Taylor instead of trying to make nice with me.”

  Mom paled. “That bad, huh?”

  “Yeah.” I pulled my knees up to my chest. “The worst part is, I don’t know how many times she’s found herself in that position.”

  My mom swore under her breath and started pacing. “I guess—I mean, I’d never had a problem with you getting caught in those predicaments, so I never imagined Taylor would either.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, Taylor and I are about as opposite
as can be. In fact, the only reason I happened to be at the party was because Brett invited me.”

  “Brett?” She stopped and stared at my neck, a hard edge rising into her voice. “Is that the guy who gave you the hickey last week?”

  “Mom! Remember—I’m the responsible one here.”

  “But we’re getting you on the pill tomorrow, even if I have to be the one to call it in.”

  “You should be focusing on the drunk fifteen-year-old across the hall.”

  “Taylor’s already on the pill. I made sure of that the moment she started high school.” Mom resumed her pacing. “But before I go in there, I need to know how far along things were before you intervened.”

  “Pretty far along. Not as far you and Pete, but…” My words died off as soon as I realized I was blushing as hard as my mom. “Just so you know, Brett and I are not like that. I’ve managed to avoid a repeat of last week, so you don’t have to worry about me.”

  As soon as I said that, I realized I’d run out on him again. First the carwash, now the party. I’d just stomped out any hope for a friendship with him. Or, at least ruined my chances for future invites for good at this point.

  “Okay, I’ll go talk to her. And then, maybe tomorrow we can have dinner with Pete, and I can introduce you to him in a more, um, normal manner.”

  Once she left my room, I pulled out my phone and dialed Brett’s number. Thankfully, he answered on the second ring. “I’m so sorry for leaving like that.”

  “Don’t apologize. If it was one of my little sisters, I’d do the same thing.”

  The knots in my shoulders relaxed, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Brett was a lot of things, but he was also a big brother. “Thanks for understanding.”

  “No problem. By the way, I offered Richard a ride home when he’s ready.”

  I smacked my palm against my forehead. “I’m like the shittiest friend ever. I forgot all about him.”

  “Like I said, I’ve got it taken care of. Besides, he’s kind of become the hit of the party.”

  “Well, of course. He’s Richard.”