Who Killed the Homecoming Queen? Read Free

because of Keith, even though she liked him okay. But because of the guy sitting next to him.
    Jeremy, Tania’s new stepbrother.
    Tall and lanky, Jeremy leaned his elbows on his knees and stared down at the platform. His curly chestnut hair gleamed under the lights as he listened to whatever Keith was saying to him.
    The space on Jeremy’s other side was empty. Gofor it, Eva told herself. Get up there before somebody else does.
    As the band started playing again, she trotted up the steps, then edged her way across to Keith and Jeremy. “Hey, guys,” she said, interrupting Keith in mid-sentence.
    â€œHey, Eva.” Keith gave her a distracted smile.
    Jeremy smiled, too, and a cute dimple flashed on the right side of his mouth. But then he turned and stared straight ahead again.
    Sit down, Eva told herself. Get his attention. Flirt with him a little.
    Then ask him to the Homecoming Dance.
    Crossing her fingers that Jeremy didn’t already have a date, she slid next to him and propped her feet on her book bag. “Let me guess,” she declared. “Keith has been talking to you about movies. Right?”
    It was an easy guess. Keith wanted to be a film director. He
always
talked about movies.
    â€œYeah,” Jeremy nodded. “But I haven’t been listening much.”
    â€œThanks a lot,” Keith muttered.
    â€œGive him a break, Keith,” Eva said. She leaned closer to Jeremy.
    â€œI’m too tense to listen to anyone,” Jeremy confessed. He pointed to the platform. “I really hope Tania wins. Do you think she will?”
    Eva’s shoulders sagged a little. He’s too busy worrying about whether Tania wins to pay any attention to me, she thought.
    â€œI don’t know,” she replied. “I hope she does, too. But she won’t be upset if she doesn’t. Didn’t she tell you that?”
    Jeremy nodded. “Yeah, she did. But
I
still want her to win. She’s my sister, you know? Well … my stepsister, but that doesn’t matter. We’ve gotten really close since my dad and her mom got married this past summer.”
    â€œThat’s great,” Eva told him.
    â€œIt really is,” he agreed. “I guess it sounds weird. But having a real family is so awesome. I never really had one before. My mother died when I was a baby. And I hardly ever saw my father because he worked all the time. He stays home more now.”
    Why is he telling me all this? Eva wondered.
    â€œTania’s really happy about it, too,” she said.
    â€œThat’s one of the reasons she doesn’t care about being Queen. She said so many good things have happened, it just doesn’t matter.”
    Keith sighed loudly. “If this were a movie, the sappy music would start playing right now.”
    Eva reached behind Jeremy and jabbed Keith in the arm. “What’s the matter? Don’t you like happy stories?”
    â€œThey’re okay,” Keith replied with a shrug. “But movies need more drama.”
    â€œThis isn’t a movie,” Jeremy reminded him.
    â€œNo kidding. Anyway,” Keith went on, “let me tell you more about my video.”
    â€œWhat video?” Eva asked.
    â€œThe one I’m going to make,” Keith declared. “The one that’s going to get me a scholarship to film school. That’s what I was talking about before.”
    He gazed at Jeremy, his blue eyes bright and intense. “Hey. You know what would really make it a great video?”
    Jeremy shook his head.
    â€œIf Tania would act in it,” Keith exclaimed. “She’d be perfect, right? Do you think she’d do it?”
    â€œMan!” Jeremy laughed. “You’ll do anything to get close to Tania—won’t you?”
    Keith’s face grew dark. He raked his fingers through his black hair and licked his lips. “Yes,” he replied softly. “Anything.”
    Whoa!
Eva thought. What a