Geek High by Piper Banks Page B

shoulder.
    Willow was so excited that we were finally being reunited that she pushed past Hannah to greet me, sticking her long nose in my hand.
    â€œEwwww,” one of the twins said, cowering back. “That dog is so weird-looking.”
    â€œTell me about it.” Hannah sniffed.
    â€œShe’s a greyhound,” I said with dignity. “And she’s beautiful.”
    Unfortunately, Willow chose that exact moment to let loose a noisy and particularly stinky fart.
    â€œEwwww,” all of the girls said in unison, as they pushed past us to get into the house and downwind of Willow.
    I had no interest in hanging out with Hannah and the Barbie Squad—and even though it was only the first day of school, I already had a pile of homework—so rather than follow them back to the living room, I started to turn left down the corridor that led to the guest room.
    â€œI don’t recognize you. Do you go to our school?” the driver of the Jetta asked me. I had no choice but to pivot back around.
    â€œShe goes to Geek High,” Hannah said before I could answer.
    â€œWow,” one of the twins said, looking impressed. “You must be really smart.”
    At this Hannah looked annoyed.
    â€œWhat’s your name?” the driver asked, looking at me with more interest. Her heavily made-up eyes were an unusual color: hazel brown and flecked with gold. I got the feeling that she was the leader of their little group.
    â€œMiranda,” I said.
    â€œI’m Avery,” the girl said. She bobbed her head in the direction of the twins. “And they’re Tiffany and Britt.”
    â€œHey,” the twins said in unison. I had no idea which was which, and probably never would, unless they started wearing name tags.
    â€œSo you’re living here now?” Avery asked. She glanced sideways at Hannah, as though questioning why this important nugget of information had been kept from her. An inner conflict began to rise within me. I instinctively didn’t like Avery—there was a hard, almost mean glint in her eyes—and it really wasn’t any of her business why I was staying in the House of Demons. On the other hand, I was enjoying Hannah’s obvious displeasure.
    â€œI’m just staying here while my mom is out of town,” I explained.
    â€œOh-hhh,” Avery said, drawing the word out into two syllables. “So we’re going to make some popcorn and watch a movie. You want to hang out with us?”
    Hannah looked horrified at this suggestion, and I toyed with the idea of accepting Avery’s invite just to torture my stepsister. But since that would mean hanging out with the Demon Spawn all afternoon, I shook my head.
    â€œThanks, but I really should start my homework.”
    â€œYou got homework on the first day of school?” Britt—or maybe it was Tiffany—asked, her jaw dropping open.
    â€œYup,” I said, shifting my soggy knapsack up to my shoulder. “Have fun.”
    â€œWhy did you ask her to hang out with us?” I heard Hannah hissing at Avery as they headed to the kitchen.
    â€œAre you kidding? She could totally get me through chem. I’m going to need all the help I can get in that class,” Avery replied.
    I shook my head, glad I’d followed my instincts not to hang out with them. Hannah’s friends were as awful as her. Big surprise.

Chapter 7
    T o celebrate our first day of school, and my forced confinement in their home, my dad announced he was taking us all out to dinner. Hannah and Peyton didn’t seem any happier about the idea than I was, but Dad insisted.
    â€œI want to show off my girls,” he said.
    And despite everything that had happened with my dad, and that I’d hardly seen him over the past few years, I still felt a twist of jealousy. Dad considered Hannah to be one of his “girls”? But I was his daughter, his real daughter. Hannah was just a step. Didn’t