“Damn right,” Carter says, his hand still at my hip.
“Damn, Ellis, you brought it tonight,” Cartwright says, openly checking me out.
“I love your dress,” Brianna tells me, flashing me a bright smile. She went with a short one that boldly flouts the “no excessive cleavage” rule of the homecoming dress code. My dress is strapless and I have some cleavage over here too, but the necklace is such an attention-stealer, I hardly expect anyone to notice my breasts. When Brianna’s eyes land on it, her eyes widen. “Holy shit, is that real?”
I nod, absently touching it again as she comes over to peer at the pearls hanging from the necklace.
“This is, like, royal wedding jewelry right here,” she informs me.
“Isn’t it? Carter’s mom let me borrow it for the night.”
She fusses over my dress, hair, and necklace for a minute while Carter visits with the guys. We got here a few minutes early, but they wait for the people who got here a few minutes late to wander in before the principal takes the stage and starts yammering about what a wonderful start we’ve had to the school year and the football season.
Carter comes over and grabs my waist, nodding toward the stage. “We should probably head over there.”
Somehow I managed to forget that—to the surprise of exactly no one—Carter was announced homecoming king at the football game last night. Cartwright is on the homecoming court, too, so he wanders up by Carter.
“Yeah, we probably should,” he agrees.
Brianna comes up beside Cartwright, glancing up at him hopefully. “You’re picking me for princess, right?”
“Eh, I don’t know. I might pick Erika.”
Carter slides a dry look his way. “Not funny.”
Cartwright grins. “Come on, it’s kinda funny.”
“If you pick anyone but me, you better be sure they’re sucking your dick tonight, because if I don’t get that damn sash, I’m sure as hell not,” Brianna informs Cartwright.
“Well, shit, I guess you get a sash then.”
Smiling victoriously, she mutters, “Damn right, I get a sash.”
It also slipped my mind that at our school, only the guys get voted to homecoming court. Then the guys pick their own counterparts. Blinking in sudden realization, I look up at Carter. “Oh, God. Does this mean I’m…?”
Carter’s attention is on the stage, not on me. The junior class court has already been called to stage, and now it must be our turn. Carter flashes the principal a smile, nods, and grabs my hand to drag me closer to the stage. He stops at the stairs, drops my hand, and heads up on stage.
My heart beats irregularly. I don’t like being the center of attention, but unless this is the long con from Hell, I don’t see Carter picking anyone else to be his queen.
Everyone on the floor claps as Carter takes the stage. Last year’s homecoming queen is up there with his crown and sash. Other than the sizeable baby bump she’s rocking, she looks like a retiring pageant queen, all smiles as she stands on her tiptoes to reach the sash over Carter’s head, then she puts the crown on him. Carter doffs the crown and winks at the crowd, causing a few chuckles and more than a few dreamy sighs.
I crack a smile at the reaction and look back up at him under the spotlight. Cartwright is called up next. He doesn’t get a crown, but he does get a sash, then the former queen hands him a tiara and the “homecoming princess” sash.
He knows what’s good for him, so when the principal asks who his princess is, Brianna is called to the stage. She grins and waves as she ascends the steps, then pleasantly thanks him and grabs the sash, putting it on herself. He tries to put the crown on her, but it gets caught in her hair and she ends up doing that herself, too. I can’t help laughing a little. Poor Cartwright.
When the focus is back on Carter, the principal can’t help praising him some more for the incredible football season we all know he’s largely responsible for. Finally, the principal is done kissing Carter’s ass.
“Well, son, don’t keep us all in suspense. Who is going to be your homecoming queen tonight?”
Carter leans in to the mic, flashes me a smile, and says lightly, “She’s my queen every day, Mr. Cousins. Zoey Ellis, get up here.”
Even though I knew it had to be me, my heart plummets. Everyone claps and I gather my dress, heading up the steps onto the stage.
After watching Cartwright fumble with the sash, the former queen decides to drape that on me herself. It’s a gold, satin sash with black font, while Carter’s is black with gold font. I’m not sure if it’s by coincidence or design, but they match our outfits like they were made specifically for us. Carter takes the crown before she can put that on my head, then he meets my gaze, smiles at me, and puts it on me himself.