Kasey Screws Up the World Read Free Page B

they are.” She waved at the boys from the photo and they changed directions to veer down the glittering hallway toward us. “Boys, you need to stop following us. Two words: restraining order.” She giggled in that flirty way of hers.
    I stepped behind her, trying to bend down out of sight, hoping this was what Lara meant by “mysterious.” I knew, without looking up, that the boy who had smiled at me was now standing next to me. A shadow on the floor in the shape of a hand waved at me.
    “You should probably arrest us then. Got any handcuffs?” The tall boy winked. If I weren’t so impressed by his guts, I’d have written off the wink as cheesy. He stepped close to Lara, so close the toes of his black Chucks touched her red heels.
    Lara encircled his wrist with her index finger and thumb. “You have the right to remain silent.” The two of them giggled. As I rolled my eyes, I caught the smiley boy matching my expression.
    “I’m Lara, by the way.” She nudged me out of her shadow with her hip, forcing both boys to stare at me.
    “Uh…” I looked to her for help. She nodded encouragingly. “Kasey,” I squeaked. I took remembering my own name as an accomplishment.
    “I don’t know, I would have gone with something more fun if I were going to lie. Like Bambi.” The smiley boy invaded my personal space to let a few people pass through the crowded hallway. My natural instinct was to step back and give him more room, but I used up a week’s worth of will power to remain in place. “I’m Finn. Or Odysseus, depending on who I’m talking to,” he whispered practically in my ear before stepping back a few inches. “And God’s gift to women over there is Hayden.”
    Hayden shrugged one shoulder in a nonchalant way that showed he agreed with his brother’s assessment. People trying to get a seat at the show pushed past us, some giving us disgusted looks for blocking the entrance.
    “We should probably get to the show.” Oh sure, now my mouth decided to participate.
    “You over eighteen?” Hayden asked and Lara nodded while I shook my head. “We’re going to check out the dance club. You in?”
    “Yes!” Lara shouted before Hayden even finished. “You just said the magic word.” She pulled my torso toward her, but my feet didn’t budge. “Kasey, come on. Let’s see if these boys can keep up with us on the floor.”
    My pulse thumped in my ears and not to a beat I could dance to. I was fine dancing on my own or in a group where no one focused on only me. But around Lara? She had sucked up all the talent genes when she was in the womb, leaving me only the half-assed leftovers. I had Finn’s attention for some weird reason, if he saw us on the dance floor, I was sure to lose it. It had happened before. There’s a reason I used to spend most of my time at parties clinging to the wall with a drink in my hand instead of grinding with cute boys like my sister.
    Finn nudged my shoulder. “I was going to try and sneak in using Hayden’s ID. You can try with your sister’s.”
    I didn’t see how a pass-back would work. Lara looked nothing like me. Taller, thinner, and with an oval face, she stretched out to perfect proportions while my body squashed like a coiled slinky. And that wasn’t even taking into account Lara’s dyed red hair. Hayden and Finn could easily pass for each other, as long as Finn perfected a smoldering look and left the smile at home.
    “Come on, Kase, please,” Lara pleaded.
    I didn’t want to ruin her night. Not when having mine ruined by a boy ditching me was a pretty standard Saturday night occurrence for me. My feet unglued from their spot and carried me down the hallway. Lara let go of my hand so she could power-walk ahead with Hayden. Even her elbows moved gracefully in sync with her steps, the lines of her body perfectly formed. I had to remind myself not to slouch.
    Finn and I hung back to separate ourselves from our siblings, checking out the moon hovering outside a