Read Online Queen of Likes by Hillary Homzie - Free Book Online Page A

Ella and I should definitely post a lot of reminders about this to the seventh-grade Spirit Week followers. I peek at Auggie’s eighth-grade Spirit page by propping up my math book as a shield from Mr. Chase’s eyes. My heart beats quickly as the rain hammers on the roof of the school. Mr. Chase strides down the aisle toward me. I close my book shut. He stands against the back wall of the classroom where he shifts around some stacks of books on a shelf. Does he suspect something?
    No, Mr. Chase is striding past my seat again, back to his desk. He would have said something. I prop up my book and glance at my phone. Unfortunately, Auggie just told his Snappypic followers to follow his new eighth-grade Spirit Week page.
    His Spirit Week page now has 602 followers. I let out an “eep” and my math book clunks onto the floor.
    From behind his desk, Mr. Chase shoots me a stern look, and not because of the book falling.
    He has seen the phone. He slaps his big hands against the desktop. A paper drifts down onto the floor.
    Uh-oh.
    Mr. Chase waves a yellow pencil, which appears small in his massive, clumpy hands. “This is a warning, Karma Cooper. I don’t want to see you with your phone out ever again, even if you do have hundreds of followers.”
    Huge relief. Just a warning and not a detention. He glares at me, clears his throat, and then addresses the entire advisory. “Apparently, some people think the rules don’t apply to them. Some people need to hear the rules regarding cell phone usage at school. Again.”
    Then Mr. Chase stands up to his full height and reads all the rules. Again. The one that he reads the loudest is this: There’s a new policy that if you get caught with a phone in class, they lock it up in the office like it’s in prison.
    Mr. Chase thumps on his desk to get our attention. “So people, cell phones are not to be seen or heard. And if you’re carrying one, do yourself a favor and put it on silent. And do not pull it out in my presence.” He locks eyes with me. “Got it, Miss Cooper?”
    â€œGot it.”
    Why did I forget to give Ella her phone? If I had remembered, this never would have happened. Now he’s onto me.
    Weird
    During lunch, Ella sits down next to me eating her couscous salad, and I’m crunching on my chicken taco. When I give her the phone back, I don’t tell her about almost getting caught by Mr. Chase.
    We’re eating with Bailey and the Bees again. Bailey sits across from me eating a tuna sandwich. She’s flirting with a bunch of cute boys who drift by the table to annoy us. Half the cafeteria keeps on glancing our way. Ella and I can’t stop grinning at each other. After the boys leave, some girls swarm over to say hi to the Bees.
    They throw out compliments like “love your shirt.” Or “Did you do something to your hair?” But the crazy thing is, they are also doing it to Ella.
    I wink at her.
    And she winks back. It’s like we’ve finally arrived at this tropical resort vacation we’ve only just dreamed about and now we’re surfing the biggest and best wave ever.
    Then Bailey reminds us about the Spirit Week meeting after school at her house at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow. “Don’t worry,” I say. “There’s no way I’ll forget.”
    Then suddenly, Milton P. shuffles over toward the table. He’s holding his shoe box under his left arm, and in his right hand he grips a blue lunch sack. Ella’s mouth falls open. Her breath catches in her throat.
    â€œOh my gosh,” says Janel as she opens her drink and takes a sip.
    Megan taps Bailey on the shoulder. Both of them scrunch their eyebrows in confusion.
    I can’t blame them.
    My first instinct is to duck. Milton P. is waving at us as he gets closer, like we’re his long-lost sisters.
    I don’t want to be mean, so I wave back and so does Ella, but she hisses under her breath,