Cordie, who was the president of the Homecoming committee clapped her hands together. “Can I have everyone's attention please?” All the chattering stopped as we focused on listening to her. “We have five minutes left before we need to head to the field. Please meet up with your escorts in the gym now so we can all leave as a group. Remember your places in line!”
Harper quickly draped my mum over my head and settled it into place. “Are you ready?” Her eyes were troubled and I longed to be able to comfort her. Yet, with Maddie's listening ears, the best I could do was give her a reassuring hug.
“I'm ready.”
I gathered up my dress so I could walk without tripping and after giving each of them one more hug, rushed out to the gym where Cam was waiting. His smile when he saw me caused shivers to skitter up and down my spine. He looked gallant dressed in his traditional black tuxedo and I noticed more than one of the girls staring at him. He winked at me with an impish grin, making me laugh softly. When I reached him, he held his arm out and I took it. Together, we walked to the end of the line where I had been placed in the procession.
“Okay, is everyone ready?” Cordie was now talking through a bullhorn and her words echoed around the large empty gym. There were murmurs of assent and some laughter as the excitement of the moment took over. “All right, here we go! Follow me.”
We left the gym and I clung to Cam's arm as I moved slowly in my heels. Right as we passed through the door and entered the crisp night, Kade popped out of the darkness, forcing a startled oath out of me.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed. I felt Cam tense up and I tried to use my body language to reassure him.
“I need to talk with you. Now, Sadie. It's urgent.”
Fed up with him, my patience snapped. “No! I'm in the middle of a ceremony! It'll have to wait. Go away, Kade.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but Cam pulled me along to catch up with the others. “What is that guy's deal?”
Wanting nothing more than to recapture the happiness I had been feeling, I glossed over it. “Nothing. He's just dramatic. Forget him.” For a second, I worried about what Kade wanted to tell me. But with a lot of effort, I pushed it from my mind. I was determined to enjoy my time with Cam.
By now, we'd made it to the visiting team's sideline. We waited as the final few seconds of the half ticked off the clock. We had a significant lead over our opponent and a huge roar went up from the crowd as the players trotted off the field. I saw Boone leading the way and knew Maddie was probably overflowing with pride.
There was so much noise I couldn’t hear Cordie’s instructions, but I saw the line start to move ahead of us. I gripped Cam’s arm tighter as my nerves skyrocketed. Each couple paused at middle field as their names were announced before moving to their designated spot. The last couple before us headed down the fifty-yard line to be introduced, and I counted slowly to ten. I heard Cam whisper, “Here we go,” as we stepped out onto the grass. We walked slowly until we were standing on the logo painted in the middle of the field. I heard the announcer say our names and a cheer rose up from the bleachers. I had to remind myself to smile before Cam led me off to the right to stand where we’d practiced.
My heart thundered in my chest and I became dizzy. Please, God, don’t let me faint. Just get me through this. I had a death grip on Cam’s arm as Ms. Stratha, acting as the Master of Ceremonies, started her speech. The winner from last year was standing next to her, the Homecoming queen’s crown nestled on a white satin pillow she held in her hands. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the sparkles it was giving off as the stadium lights hit it. The wind blew my dress around my legs and the ribbons from my mum fluttered in the breeze. Every one of my senses was engaged with the sights and sounds of the night.
“Now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for!” A hush fell over the stadium as Ms. Stratha opened the large white envelope in her hands. What seemed like ten hours passed as she took a moment to read its contents. I held my breath when she finally raised the microphone to her mouth.
“And this year’s Jefferson High School Homecoming Queen is… Miss Kitty Summers!”
A large roar erupted from the crowd. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I watched Kitty feign shock while walking toward Ms. Stratha to accept her prize. I glanced to my left and saw Angie scowling, not even trying to hide her anger, and flicked my eyes to the end of the bleachers where I knew Harper, Molly, and Maddie were sitting. I could just make them out toward the middle of the crowd, bewildered and disappointed expressions on their faces. Cam now had a hand on the small of my back and I realized I was swaying slightly.
He leaned down to say something, but I never heard what. Right as the crown was placed on Kitty’s head, a loud explosion shook the night air. Cam immediately threw his body over mine, crashing us both to the ground. A second explosion shattered the night, followed by screaming and garbled yelling. I peeked out from under Cam’s arm, but all I could see was smoke and flames at the exact section of the bleachers where my friends had been sitting. I went numb, unable to move or make noise. I simply stared, desperately trying to make sense of what was happening. By now, fire had engulfed nearly half the bleachers and I heard the screeching of metal as the end of the section teetered dangerously. Everything was moving in slow motion and I watched in horror as it fell, people scrambling and yelling while trying to move to higher ground. I screamed, my voice finally ripping its way out of my throat.
“Harper!”
Letter to the Reader
*****
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed Between Lies (Book 2 of The In-Betweens series). I’ve had such a good time writing Sadie and all the cringe-worthy situations she finds herself in. The third installment will find Sadie dealing with the Homecoming aftermath and the Firsts’ plans for her and Harper. Not to mention, her continuous struggles with high school! Book three is in the works now and I plan to release it early 2018.
I have a huge favor to ask you. You, the reader, have a powerful voice in helping a book succeed. I’d like to ask that you take a few minutes to leave a review for Between Lies. Whether you liked it or hated it, I’d love to hear your feedback. Your opinion matters to me.
Thank you for choosing to share this adventure with me!
All my best,
Alison L. Perry
About the Author
Alison L. Perry graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in Psychology, but she has always been a storyteller at heart. Born and raised in Texas, she refuses to live anywhere else, currently residing in the suburbs of Dallas/Fort Worth with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two spoiled rotten dogs. She is a football enthusiast, music lover, Starbucks addict, office supply junkie, and spends most of her time daydreaming, writing, and perfecting the art of sarcasm. After spending eighteen years surviving the corporate world, she left its security to chase her dream of writing.
Connect with Me
Author Website:
http://www.alisonlperry.com
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https://www.instagram.com/sassy_town/
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/Sassy_Town
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Between Lies Page 19