Read Online My Life as the Ugly Stepsister by Juli Alexander - Free Book Online

be! But not to an adult. Even your stepmonster.”
    “We have to get it right after school, before you back out.” Madison clapped her hands. “This is going to be great!”
    “Come on,” MC said. “We’ll be late.”
    I followed them through the door of the school. We were supposed to go in the gym for homeroom assignments. We didn’t have our class schedules yet, so who knew if we’d be together at all. “Are your skirts making you itch?”
    They answered a firm no, and I started to wonder if mine was infested with some kind of bug. Mom had washed it, hadn’t she? I’d be a big hit if I spent the first day of my freshmen year scratching myself. Hives would be even better. Or swarms of scary insects jumping off my skirt. Okay. I took a deep breath. No way was I giving Diane that video. I could barely cope with life now. A guilty conscience would do me in. Darn Catholic school!
    I knew a few kids in my homeroom, but they had us sit in alphabetical order so it didn’t really matter. With my schedule in hand, I headed out to the hall. I popped my lock on my assigned locker outside homeroom. If only I had made plans to meet up with MC and Madison to compare schedules. We’d signed up for most of the same classes. Maybe we’d gotten lucky.
    Geometry was my first class, which was good I guess because I’d be a little alert to do the math. I located the classroom and walked in with my fingers crossed. Well, mentally at least. I said hi to a couple of the brainy guys I knew from eighth grade. I grabbed three desks near the back, securing one with my purse and one with my backpack. I plunked my butt down in the third. Then, I waited. Several girls and guys came in who must’ve come from St. Luke.
    My three least favorite girls from St. Catherine with the latest Coach bags, matching of course. And finally, MC and Madison. I held in my squeal.
    They rushed back to me.
    “This year is going to be awesome!” MC said with her typical optimism.
    “New guys,” Madison whispered with a nod of her head.
    She was right. Two cute guys had just walked in. Actually, they practically strutted with confidence. They must have been from St. Luke’s. I thought Jonathan was probably cuter though.
    MC grinned. “Me like.”
    I knew MC could get any guy she wanted. She just hadn’t wanted anyone at our old school. The youngest of four girls, MC was just a tiny bit spoiled and had years of training in the art of flirting. Her family wasn’t rich, but they adored MC. She had this sense of entitlement that I envied.
    For now we had a mission. Find out who these guys were.
    “After nine years of the same people, we finally have fresh…” Madison trailed off.
    “Meat?” MC asked.
    “Blood?” I offered.
    “Boys,” Madison said with a big smile.
    I relaxed in the old-fashioned wooden desk. Helping them stalk these guys would keep them from noticing my real crush. So far, they’d accepted my story that I didn’t care about Jonathan.
    Overall the day went pretty well. I met a girl named Katelyn in my French class. She seemed pretty nice. I knew someone to sit with in all my other classes. I had four with Madison and three with MC. By the time school ended, they’d forgotten the insulting present for Diane.
    Soccer tryouts were next week, and I hadn’t decided what to do yet.
    Tonight I made my semi-permanent move to Dad’s. Mom was taking a flight out first thing in the morning. My nerves about the first day of school had kept my mind off my domestic issues. But as I walked to Mom’s car in the car pool lane, the doubts and fears crept back in.
    How was I going to survive four months in the den of the naked stepmonster?
     
     
    Three boxes and two large suitcases were crammed in the backseat of Mom’s car when she picked me up. “You loaded all my stuff?”
    “I hope you don’t mind. I’ll stay at your father’s for a while and help you unpack,” she said pulling away from the curb.
    “You don’t have to.”
    She