Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 58792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Sitting next to Preston in the cafeteria, I watch as Tucker outwardly cringes when everyone in the room’s cell phones chime at the same time. It’s a new blog post from The Queen. Who will she dethrone this month?
“Maybe she’s moved on from us,” Tucker says with hope in his tone, his eyes pointed down at his cell phone.
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Jamie says.
Everyone has their cell phones in their hands, while I’m busy shoving the last bite of my sandwich into my mouth. Trent skipped dinner, most likely to meet Jemma, his new girlfriend.
“Take out your phone,” Tucker says, looking across the table at me. “You need to read what she wrote about you.”
Fuck. What now?
The students at Strickland University now live for the new posts from The Queen. She’s so popular there’s even a Dethroned app that dings with new notifications. Reaching into my pocket, I prepare myself for the shit she’s spewing this month. Fuck, I hope this has nothing to do with my virginity. That’s a secret no one knows but Taylor. There’s no way in hell The Queen would know about that.
They raise phones in the air around the cafeteria, and so many eyes are on me. Some people are laughing, while others are pointing and whispering in my direction.
Dethroned
December Edition
* * *
Ahh, Christmas time, the most wonderful time of the year. And yet, at Strickland University, it’s the most scandalous. While everyone is out shopping for the holidays, the spoiled brats of Strick U are up to their usual debauchery. From the looks of the dick pics Drake Donovan has been sharing with a certain someone, he has plenty of lovin’ for his mystery woman to unwrap. But who’s the lucky girl? Or should we say girls, you nasty dick-pic-sending creep?
* * *
XO,
The Queen
Tucker laughs so loud it shakes the table. Fucking dickhead. He’s just happy it’s not about him. Jamie follows suit, his laughter piercing my eardrum. Preston looks relieved more than anything after The Queen throwing him under the bus about his once-secret relationship with Bex.
Nostrils flaring in anger, I feel my cheeks flush as I read her words once more. All eyes are on me when I look up. I’m used to unwanted attention. I couldn’t care less if The Queen attacks me. It’s Taylor I’m the most concerned about. She’s already taken so much heat because of me, and now this?
“Who’s she talking about?” Tucker asks me. “Not Bex’s friend. Right?”
“She would never go for that shit,” Preston chimes.
“Fuck.” I clutch my phone tight enough to snap it in half. “She’s never gonna talk to me again.”
Taylor’s interest is fading, though I know she still cares about me. How can I expect her to walk through fire with me only to end up in her own personal Hell?
“Oh, now that she called you out, you care?” Tucker asks. “It’s not like everyone on campus hasn’t seen your dick, anyway.”
Everyone at our table laughs.
I shrug, blowing it off like it is nothing. This is the Drake all of them know. I still have an image to maintain. “What can I say? My dick has a life of its own.”
“And Taylor knows that, stupid,” Preston says. “Which is why she wants nothing to do with you.”
“Nah,” I lie, shaking my head. “She likes the chase.”
I haven’t told them much about Taylor. It’s the first relationship I’ve had since high school that means something to me. Talking about puck bunnies is one thing, but I’ll never divulge a single detail about Taylor.
When you meet the one, you don’t want to share her with anyone. If only I can make her see she doesn’t have to share me with the world. I know that’s how she feels. She made it clear last night when she yelled at me over the phone.
“At least the semester is over on Friday,” Jamie says. “That will give me a little more time to work on tracking The Queen. She might have her guard down, thinking no one is paying attention to her during the break.”
I hope Jamie finds this blogger chick. She’s slowly trying to ruin each of our lives and for no good reason. We’ve all been wondering if we hooked up with her, though it’s doubtful we all messed with the same chick.
“Speaking of the break…” Preston says between bites of food, “… you guys coming over to my house for Christmas?”
Trent shoves a forkful of rice into his mouth. “My dad said something about doing it at our house instead.”
“You know how my mom feels about Christmas basketball,” Preston says. “We might not stay at your house for long.”
My Aunt Charlotte never misses NBA basketball on Christmas day. She lives for it. We usually spend the day at Preston’s parents’ apartment on the Philadelphia waterfront, so she can kick back and watch the games. All the kids usually take side bets while our parents place their own. Thanksgiving and Christmas with our families typically involves a lot of drinking, sports, and gambling. It’s tradition.