Something True by Kieran Scott Read Free Book Online

voted for me? Or did they just know that I was nervous and they wanted to see me have a major breakdown when I didn’t get it?
    I would not break down. No. I would not break down. If I didn’t get it, I would not break down.
    Oh God, please let me get it.
    “The junior princes will be Orion Floros and Josh Moskowitz.”
    My heart leaped. If Orion got it, then I had such a better chance at—
    “And the junior princesses will be Darla Shayne and Veronica Vine.”
    I squealed so loud everyone laughed, and then they applauded. For me. Kenna jumped up and ran over to me, enveloping me in an awkward standing-to-sitting hug. My whole body flushed with relief, then ecstasy.
    I was on homecoming court. I was on homecoming court. Darbot the Geek had made homecoming court!
    “Back to your seat, please, Ms. Roy,” our homeroom teacher grumbled.
    Kenna air-kissed me, then went back to her chair by the window. It was so loud now I barely heard the seniors get announced, but Peter and Claudia’s names were, obviously, mentioned. Then my phone buzzed and I grabbed for it, my hands shaking. It was a text from Orion.
    CONGRATS! I KNEW YOU’D GET IT, MY PRINCESS!
    I laughed, so overcome I almost cried, then texted back.
    YOU TOO, MY PRINCE!!! XOXO
    I sent the text, then texted Veronica.
    CONGRATS, V! THREE YEARS IN A ROW! YOU ROCK!
    I watched the phone as the VP finished his announcements, my smile so wide it was starting to hurt my face.
    “I knew you’d get it,” Jenica Stalb said, leaning across the aisle. “I totally voted for you.”
    “Me too,” Rusty said, passing my homework back to me. “And thanks.”
    “Thank you !” I replied, my heart full.
    The bell rang, and everyone began to gather their stuff. I got up and glanced at my phone. No reply from Veronica. A few more people congratulated me as we shuffled up the aisles toward the front of the room, and I waited for Kenna to join me before heading for the door. She wrapped her arm around mine and held me tight.
    “So? How does it feel to be a princess?”
    “Pretty damn good,” I replied, glancing at my phone again.
    My heart sank just a touch.
    “What’s wrong?” Kenna asked.
    “Nothing. Just . . . I texted Veronica congratulations and she hasn’t texted back.”
    “Oh.” Kenna’s face went serious for a second, so I knew I wasn’t overreacting. “Well, she’s probably just busy with people congratulating her. I’m sure she’ll get to it.”
    “You’re right. I’m sure that’s it.”
    I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, but I still held on to my phone the whole way to first period, and she never texted me back. Not one word. Was she mad at me for something? Had I done something wrong? I thought it would be so cool, doing the homecoming thing together for once. Didn’t she want me there?
    By the time I sat down in honors chem, my smile was considerably less bright.
    “Hey. Congratulations.”
    I looked up to find Wallace Bracken hovering next to my lab table on the way to his.
    “Oh, um, thanks,” I said.
    I felt touched that he’d bothered, considering.
    As he moved back to his own table, my cell phone vibrated in my hand. I was so startled I almost dropped it. It was from Veronica. Finally!
    CONGRATS
    My heart sank. That was it. No smiley face. No exclamation points. But at least it was something. I wasn’t going to let a lack of punctuation get me down. I was nominated for homecoming queen. We were going to meet after school. Just us. Just the elite of the school. Veronica, Orion, Josh, and I were going to have the best time.
    I took out a notebook and started to sketch out ideas for posters. No time like the present. It felt like the first day of a brand-new life.

CHAPTER SIX
    True
    Ninth period, Monday. We’d gotten through an entire day of school and no sign of Artemis and Apollo. Please, Gods, let this Wallace and Darla thing work. Let me be right about them. I just wanted to hold Orion in my arms again. I just wanted to