The Karma Beat Read Online Free

one of those, what-have-they-done-now looks.
    “He sent an email to the RokrGirlz loop from my account. The loop has three hundred members. And they all think I emailed them that my room stinks because I fart so much in it.”
    Mom groaned.
    The corners of Dad’s lips quirked slightly before he caught himself.
    “This isn’t funny, Dad!”
    “You’re right, dear,” my dad said in his calming mediation voice. He’d ditched his suit for jeans and a t-shirt.
    “He is so going to pay for this,” I informed them with a furious glare.
    My mother shook her head. “Now, Jen. We’ll take care of the situation.”
    “Good. Take care of explaining to the doctor in the emergency room why he got a pounding.”
    “Jennifer. You know we don’t condone violence.” Dad wasn’t smiling now.
    Sean apparently couldn’t ignore his curiosity anymore. He appeared at the top of the stairs with a self-satisfied smirk.
    I started to go after him, but Mom grabbed my arm. “We’ll take care of this.”
    Sean disappeared down the hall. Probably locked in his room.
    “You’d better punish him forever. He should be grounded until he’s twenty. Or at least until he grows some facial hair.”
    “That would be a long time,” my mother joked.
    “Go email your friends about what happened,” my dad suggested. “I’m sure they’ll understand. Half of them probably have little brothers.”
    “Not all parents are that cruel,” I snapped.
    Dad gave me a warning look.
    “We’ll talk to you after we handle Sean,” Mom said.
    “I want retribution,” I said.
    “We’ll see.” My dad patted my back as they went around me and up the stairs.
    Thirty minutes later, I was still sitting cross-legged on my bed, staring at my laptop, and trying to figure out a way to explain what had happened without sounding like a total loser freak. I mean if I had sent the email because of some kind of breakdown or drug problem, I would totally claim my little brother had done it. Who wouldn’t?
    Was anybody going to believe me?
    I could really use Alex’s help about now. She was my closest friend. We ran with three other girls, but they all had boyfriends who took up all their time. Alex worked harder than I did at staying friends with all of them. I wasn’t going to share any of this with Kelsey, Briana, or Maggie.
    Here goes nothing. I typed “Guys, I’m so sorry. My little brother is such a freak. I forgot to log off last night and he sent that repulsive email just to embarrass me.”
    I hit send, not entirely satisfied with my explanation.
    Then I waited for some replies.
    Saxygirl said: OMG. That’s too funny! So glad I don’t have a brother.
    GraceonBass emailed: Ha ha! Can’t wait to hear what you do to get him back.
    I relaxed finally. They believed me. Good.
    Mom knocked on my door and pushed it open. “Got a minute?”
    “Please say you decided to follow that eye for an eye thing and let me embarrass him in front of his friends.” I was thinking of messing with a pair of his tidy whities before his friends came over to make it look like he’d pooped his pants. They’d tell the whole school, and he deserved it.
    “Not exactly. Your father and I grounded him from internet, TV, and video games for a month.” She sat in the jade green desk chair with a tired sigh.
    Excellent. He’d be miserable. “That will just give him more time to get into trouble,” I pointed out.
    “Yeah. We thought of that. That’s why he’s doing ten book reports.”
    Sean liked to read. “That isn’t so bad.”
    Mom smiled and a wicked glint reached her eyes. “Your father decided he should read some girl books. Esperanza Rising. Little Women. Nothing with a boy protagonist.”
    My lips broke into an evil grin. My brother hated reading girl books.
    “All in the interest of a well-rounded education,” Mom said with a wink.
    Yeah, right.
    Dad poked his head in. “Is the wounded party satisfied?”
    “Yes,” I answered. “I hear Princess Diaries