Will the Real Prince Charming Please Stand Up by Ella Martin Read Free Book Online Page B

scepter and tried not to laugh. He looked ridiculous in his grass-stained football jersey with a velvet cape draped across his shoulders and a large crown on his head, but the grin on his face said it all. He was ecstatic.
    Mr. Hamilton announced Amy Crawford as Homecoming Queen, but she remained motionless until one of her friends nudged her and whispered something. Then Amy’s eyes grew wide, her hands flew to her mouth, and she staggered forward to accept her crown, tears of joy streaming down her face.
    There was definitely some kind of protocol for accepting a tiara that I didn’t know about.
    ****
    “It’s so cold, you guys,” I whined, pulling fuzzy socks over my still-frozen toes. “I don’t think I’ve thawed out yet.”
    Mom wasn’t too thrilled with leaving the game after the halftime parade, but my dad had insisted she take me home, though that may have been to get me to stop complaining. Not even Brady’s baseball jacket layered over my Westgate Prep hoodie had managed to cut the chill. Mom tried to argue with him but ultimately agreed when Dad said he would take care of cleaning up after the game. Once we got home, she called my grandmother to tell her all about Brady being named Homecoming King. My friends and I camped out in the family room to watch the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer .
    “You looked so pretty!” Ally gushed as her fingers flew across her laptop, drafting a new blog entry. “I did an awesome job, if I may say so myself.”
    “Did our class win the float competition?” Talia asked. “I didn’t really get most of the other themes.”
    Ally frowned. “No. The Drama Club won again. We only got second place,” she said, bitterness lacing her words. “It’s so not fair. The Drama Club shouldn’t even be allowed to enter. I mean, they’re made up of people from different classes, anyway, and they have an entire crew that does nothing but build sets and stuff, you know?”
    “I didn’t get to see anything,” I said with a pout.
    “The Drama Club float was fab,” Talia said, ignoring Ally’s sullen glare. “They did this neat Hitchcock thing with, like, four different movie scenes. Kyle Mitchell was running in front of the float, dodging this remote-controlled plane like in North by Northwest .”
    “Oh, that would have been fun to see.” I knew Kyle from Drama Club, so I could totally imagine him hitting the dirt full-on to avoid a tiny airplane as he reprised Cary Grant’s role for the evening.
    “Yeah, it was cool. And Francesca Martinez had all these birds attacking her, and she was freaking out. It was awesome. I don’t know how they did it.”
    Ally closed her laptop and set it on the coffee table. “I’ll admit it. I’m bitter we didn’t win,” she said, grabbing the giant bowl of popcorn and sinking onto the couch. “I mean, it’s not my fault you had to wear a white dress and have cheerleaders on your float. You were a perfect Audrey Hepburn.”
    “I don’t know about that,” I said, smiling, “but you’re most definitely a genius.”
    She grinned. “I am, aren’t I?”
    “So does Brady’s win as Homecoming King mean he’s out of the running now for Prom King?” Talia asked, taking a handful of popcorn and sitting beside Ally.
    “Oh no,” I groaned. “I hope so. His head is already going to be so much bigger when he gets home tonight.”
    Talia and I laughed, but Ally let out a wistful sigh.
    “I want to go to Prom this year,” she said.
    Talia grabbed a paper towel and wiped her hands. “So get a junior or a senior to take you.”
    “I’m serious, you guys,” Ally said. “I’ve been sitting in on all the Dance Committee meetings, and it sounds like this year is going to be awesome.”
    “Where are they having it?” I asked. “Not Lakeridge.” The Lakeridge Golf and Tennis Club was gorgeous, but since so many students’ parents were members, it was considered the venue of last resort.
    “No, they’re talking about