The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson Read Free Book Online Page A

better than to ask. "I'm looking at her playlist."
    Trent had this theory that you could tell everything you needed to know about a person just by looking at the music they have downloaded.
    "Nice," he muttered more to himself than to me. I attempted to take the phone back but he jerked it out of my reach. "Just a second. Let me finish."
    I folded my arms and glared. He shouldn't be going through Ella's phone, but I couldn't get worked up enough over it to stop him.
    "Look at this," he said with more excitement in his voice than I'd heard in years. "She has Saves The Day, The Smiths, and Sunny Day Real Estate on here. She's the only girl I've met whose playlist doesn't include at least ten crappy songs. Do you know how rare that is?"
    He was talking about me. "Your theory is deeply flawed."
    "Says the girl with ten Justin Bieber songs on her phone."
    "There is no need to take the name of The Biebs in vain. You leave him out of this."
    This time when I grabbed for Ella's phone I got it away from him. I put it on the coffee table. I didn't need yet another reminder of how inadequate I was.
    "So, I was planning on going to this poetry reading next week over at Pepperdine. Interested?"
    "Blech," I said. "Listening to a bunch of pretentious wannabe college beatniks reading what they think is great literature? Pass."
    "I just thought, maybe you and me and Ella could…"
    So he had invited me solely to get access to my stepsister. He was supposed to be
my
best friend. A burst of anger flared up.
    And then, weirdly enough, it went away as quickly as it had come. Would it really matter if Trent tried to pursue Ella? Despite what she said, Ella had just given Jake up in order to give me a shot with him. The least I could do was share some of Trent's attention. Obviously, nothing would come of it. He'd realize it was pointless soon enough. It might take him longer to catch on though, because Ella was so nice to everyone.
    Not to mention that I knew how much Ella would actually enjoy the reading. "You should ask Ella to go. She loves all that crap."
    He looked surprised. "Seriously?"
    "You've never noticed those books she carries around by that guy who didn't believe in capitalization?"
    "Are you talking about e.e. cummings?"
    I had no idea. "Sure."
    Ella came back into the room. "Crisis averted." She sat down on the overstuffed armchair right next to the couch.
    "Trent's going to a poetry reading next week at Pepperdine. You want to go?"
    "I'd love to," Ella said excitedly. "I'd heard about the reading and wanted to go but Jake would never…Anyway, it'll be fun. I'll just have to change my work schedule."
    "Cool. Do you want to meet me there at 7:00?"
    I smacked his shoulder. "Way to be a jerk. The least you could do is give her a ride." I leaned to the side to look at Ella. "He'll come over here at 6:30 to pick you up."
    Ella's phone rang. She looked at it with a funny expression and said, "I need to take this. Be right back."
    As soon as she left the room, I hit Trent again. "What's wrong with you?"
    "Stop doing that." He pulled his shoulder out of hitting range. "What are you talking about?"
    "You'll meet her there?"
    Trent shrugged and looked in the direction Ella had gone. "I didn't want her to think I was asking her on a date or something. She has a boyfriend."
    "Not for long," I said, ignoring his bewildered expression. "Besides, Ella's so far out of your league you're not even playing the same sport. And you're acting like you're ready to propose or something."
    "Whatever," he scowled at me.
    My dad called my name and I yelled back, "What?"
    A few moments later he came in the room, drying his hands on a dishtowel. "Dinner's done. Where's your sister?"
    Stepsister.
"Phone call."
    "Trent! You joining us tonight?" my dad asked. Trent's father was a workaholic doctor, and his mother was one of those never home socialite types, so he rarely had dinner with them. If he was over, he always ate with us.
    Except tonight, apparently.