My Date From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy, #2)

Theo's Giant Surprise (Part 4)

"Just in time for the dance," Theo muttered. "Goody."

With a horrific realization, I understood our final challenge.

"He wants me to be crowned Winter Formal Queen," I said quietly, so Bethany couldn't hear me. "And I haven't even run. How am I supposed to trump Bethany and the adoring masses dying to anoint her?"

"Devious enough for you now?" Festos muttered at Kai.

"It's a start." He kept his gaze firmly on Bethany, who tossed him a flirty smile.

I could have killed her. Literally and totally. But Jack had said I couldn't take the easy way out. Funny how in this messed up world of mine, cold-blooded murder was now the easy way.

I wasn't willing to risk the potential consequences to Hannah's safety if I didn't follow his stupid rules exactly, so win that crown it was.

I stepped closer to Kai and slung an arm around his waist, very clearly marking him as my territory. Kai shot me an amused smile and returned the gesture.

Good boy.

It was icing on the cake that Bethany so clearly hated it. She stepped forward to poke me in the chest. "Back off my boyfriend, skank."

I wrapped another arm around Kai. "Nope." I glanced up at him. "Break up with her. You can't have another girlfriend on our date."

Kai struggled not to laugh. "I was never dating her, Goddess. That was your assumption. You really need to quit making those about me."

My eyes narrowed at Bethany. "It was more misinformation perfectly planted."

Bethany didn't need to respond, because a sufficient number of students had appeared for her nefarious purposes. She coyly batted her lashes and spoke to them. Nay, commanded.

"A little favor, you fabulous fans." They all gazed at her devotedly. "Get the gay, the gimp, and the fashion victim. But leave Kai for me."

On Bethany's nod, they swarmed us. Oh, look, she'd remembered she didn't need to touch them to make them do her bidding.

I lost track of my friends as I was swarmed. Hopefully, they'd gotten away.

The first hands reached out to pull me under their trampling feet.

Jack was a bastard. This was Theo's dilemma squared by infinity. Jack knew I wasn't going to use my powers on my classmates, but Bethany would absolutely use hers.

It should have seemed like I was screwed except as they closed in on me like the stinky pubescent drones they were (you could dress 'em up but you couldn't wash 'em off), I realized I could use Bethany's power too.

"Bethany!" I cried in a voice of utter concern.

A hand slapped over my mouth, making the rest of my sentence mumbled gibberish.

Fingers that had been who knows where were stuffed inside my mouth.

I shuddered. It was beyond gross.

I bit down as hard as I could, hoping that goddesses were immune to rabies.

As soon as the fingers jerked away, I yelled, "She's hurt!"

Nothing. "Bethany," I glowered at Bella, who's hand was reared up in claw mode, about to strike. "Help her."

As I predicted, those stupid kids were as keyed to Bethany's wellbeing as I was to Kai's. Word of her "condition" rippled through them and en masse, they turned to check she was okay.

"Don't listen to her," she snapped.

The distraction allowed me to shove my way through the crowd and race down a hallway. I could hear music in the gym. The dance had started off with some mild rap. Was I glad I didn't have to watch the guys pretend to be all gangsta. That was always such a treat.

I collided with Principal Doucette. Was he under Bethany's influence now, too? Bethany had obviously amped up her hold, given the student body's behavior. I'm sure at Jack's request, but willingly none-the-less. How far did her control extend? And what a timely reminder it was of how dangerous she'd be if exposed to the world at large.

"We have to stop meeting this way," I joked, both testing the waters and hoping Doucette would let me go.

He frowned as he looked me over. "Where have you been?"

Uh-oh. Had he learned I'd been missing?

I realized he was staring at my feet. I glanced down.

I'd totally forgotten that I was still in Jack's too-short tunic and bare feet. The picture of a relapsed, runaway drug addict.

Perfect.

I managed a weak smile. "It's a funny story ..." I trailed off because it wasn't funny and it also wasn't a story I could share. "I lost a bet to Theo."

Doucette's eyes narrowed and he held up a hand to cut off anything else I might try to explain. "I don't want to know. It's Winter Formal and Bethany wants everything perfect for her crowning."

Damnation! Doucette was part of the Bethany madness. I wondered if Jack had given Bethany's mojo a bit of a boost. Just enough to complicate this challenge for me, since I couldn't see Doucette mindlessly falling under her spell otherwise.

"Besides which," he continued, "you have a very important meeting to attend tonight, so I suggest you go clean up."

My eyes bugged out in shock. "Tonight? No! It's tomorrow."

He shook his head. "Felicia is leaving for Europe on a red eye. The only time she can make it is this evening during the dance. At 10pm. You've got two hours."

Seems I'd spoken too soon before.

Now things were perfect.

Perfectly screwed.