Life in the Fat Lane Read Online Free

much could he see?”
    “Brad Pitt is old, too, but I wouldn’t kick either of ’em out of bed,” Lisa said.
    “My butt?” Molly asked. “Just tell me if he could actually see my butt.”
    “He didn’t see anything, Mol, I promise,” I told her.
    I lifted my sweatshirt over my head and dropped it into the clothes hamper. “Y’all, do you really, truly think I have a chance? Tell me the truth.”
    Lisa sat up. She and Amber traded glances. “Look,” Amber began, “everyone knows you’re the most popular girl in the entire school. If you were still with Danny, everyone would vote for you and you’d beat Amy, but—I’m just being honest because I love you—without Danny, it’s a total long shot.”
    Lisa nodded her agreement. Molly shrugged.
    “Well, that’s okay,” I said lightly, ignoring the bubble of disappointment that welled up in my stomach. Pageant queens never show their disappointment. They are gracious losers, always.
    “Maybe I’ll win next year,” I added. “Anyway, let’sjust have a blast tonight, okay?” I went into the bathroom.
    As I turned on the shower I refused to let disappointment about homecoming queen get the best of me. After all, everything in my life was utterly, totally wonderful.
    The only thing that could possibly make it any better would be if, by some incredible miracle, my friends were wrong and I somehow actually won homecoming queen.
    Then it would be perfect.

“D id I tell you how great you look?” Jett asked me. I was in his arms, swaying to the music of a hot local alternative band, the Sex Puppets. The skinny, flat-chested lead singer had sexy, kohl-rimmed eyes, purple lipstick, and multicolored hair with two-inch black roots. Her cheeks, nose, and eyebrow were pierced. She wore a stretchy top that read ANARCHY , a tiny polyester miniskirt, and combat boots.
    In contrast, I had on a pale peach satin dress that bared my shoulders and dipped low in the back. Diamond studs sparkled in my ears. My hair was twisted off my face with a slender peach-colored ribbon.
    “Hey, did you see Amy?” Amber asked, dancing near us with her boyfriend, Blake Poole. “She keeps looking over at you. You’ve really got her nervous!”
    “She doesn’t have anything to be nervous
about
,” I replied.
    “Let’s hope she does,” Molly said loyally. She was standing near us, swaying by herself to the music. Her boyfriend, Andy, had gone off somewhere with some of his wrestling teammates awhile earlier.
    “
Love ain’t nothin’ but a hormone scream,
Love ain’t nothin’ but a hot, wet dream
 …”
    The girl with the pierced cheek screamed and moaned into the microphone.
    “I’m definitely getting my nose pierced,” Molly said, watching the girl onstage sing.
    “You would,” Amber said, rolling her eyes.
    Jett deliberately danced me away from my friends, his arms tightening around my waist. “Much better,” he murmured, gazing down at me. “God, you’re beautiful.”
    “
Love ain’t nothin’ unless it’s obscene
 …”
    Jett laughed. “Interesting lyrics for a love ballad.”
    I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder.
Love ain’t nothin’ but a hot, wet dream
. That sounded so sexy. And dangerous. Kind of like Jett. I moved closer to him.
    “Hi, Lara.”
    I opened my eyes. It was Danny Fairway.
    He might have been my ex, but he was still so handsome that he took my breath away. He looked like a younger, blonder, better-looking Andre Agassi. And like Andre, Danny was a tennis player—the number one singles on the school tennis team. He was also Mr. Everything:junior-class president, great grades, church youth-group leader. Everyone loved Danny. Even my parents. I would look at him and I would think: Our life together will be perfect, just like Mom and Dad’s.
    I never, ever thought we would break up. But at the beginning of the summer Danny had started really pressuring me to have sex. I had always known I wanted to be madly in love the first time I