Read Online Prom Queen of Disaster by Joseph James Hunt - Free Book Online

being threatened with a reform school.
    My phone buzzed on my lap. It was my mom. Just at the Mall, honey, let me know if you need anything . “It’s my mom,” I said, punching her phone number in.
    “Hi sweetie,” she answered. “Do you need anything?”
    “I’m in Starbucks with the girls,” I said.
    “Want me to come meet you?”
    “Oh no, I’ll come meet you,” I said with relief on my chest.
    “Okay, I’m outside Forever 21 with your sister,” she said.
    “I’ll be there in five,” I said.
    I felt eyes and ears on me as I hung up. The only sound made was a long slurp as Ava polished off her drink.
    “I’m going to meet my mom,” I said, taking my drink and clutch bag. “So, I’ll see you later.” I gave them a one-handed wave. “Text me.”
    I knew they were going to be annoyed that I’d left, especially when things were getting exciting; the discussion of their sex lives was my favorite topic, it made me appreciate a little bit more that I had a secret part of me.
    With my eyes on my phone, texting Dylan, asking him what he’d said, I bumped into Kaleb. Our shoulders collided. My Starbucks was empty. Otherwise, it would’ve been everywhere, and I didn’t have another change of clothes.
    “Zoey,” he said, standing still in shock. “I—I—I”
    “Watch it,” I said, picking my bag up and throwing the empty cup into a trash can. “Well?”
    “Why are you always getting in my way?”
    “ No , don’t start that,” I said. “What were you doing last night?”
    “Shut up,” he said.
    “You spiked the punch!”
    “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    Before he could move, I noticed my mom approaching us. She grabbed me in her arms and planted a kiss on my cheek. “Hon, you look like you’ve been rooting through Goodwill,” she said. “I told you if you want to keep your old clothes, just say.”
    “Mom,” I said, wrangling my way out of her arms.
    “And who’s this?” she tipped her head at Kaleb. Before I could speak, she squinted her left eye at him. “Wait, Delgado?”
    Kaleb grinned. “How’d you know?”
    “I knew your parents, hon,” she said, reaching out for his arm. “Sorry about your loss, it’s been what, eleven years now?”
    He nodded, smacking his lips together. “Yup.”
    If there hadn’t been enough reason not to trust Kaleb, another reason presented itself. His parents were dead, I knew he lived with his brothers, but I thought because he had the whole runaway thing going on.
    “I never knew,” I said.
    “Don’t go to school telling everyone,” he said.
    He left seconds later as my mom called Maddie over.
    “Well he’s very nice,” she said.
    I smiled. “What do you know about his family?”
    “Your dad and his dad worked together. He was your dad’s co-pilot for a few years. He died in a crash with his wife. Thought it was a hit and run. Such a tragedy.”
    “I bought that top, Mom,” Maddie said, holding up the glossy bag. She took one look at me and pressed her tongue to her teeth. “Zo, where’ve you been?”
    “A sleepover, and this was the only change of clothes I had,” I said quickly. “I know, it’s not a good look.”
    Mom tussled my hair and tssked. “Oh, honey, it has its charm,” she said. “But as soon as you get home, please for the love of all that is holy, wash the hairspray out. It’s gonna become a bird’s nest.”
    I pulled my head up. “Thanks, Mom,” I said. “Show me your top.”
    She pulled at it. A white and pink ombre top with a fringe midsection. “Do you like it?”
    I couldn’t lie; it wasn’t something I would picture my baby sister wearing. What was she becoming? “Is it really you ?”
    “You hate it?”
    “No, just didn’t think you’d wear anything like that .”
    Mom intervened before I could do any damage, not that I’d meant to—I didn’t. I never want to hurt my sister, but everything was getting to me, everyone was somehow piling inside my head and cramming