Queen Mean: Strawberry Falls, #3

By Jennifer Anderson

Beckie Clark knew winning state in cheerleading was a big deal to her and the other squad members. Little did she know the small town of Strawberry Fields, Ohio felt the same way. The sudden royal treatment catches her off guard, leaving her to wonder what has gotten into everyone.

Then Grandma throws Beckie a curve by hiring the new guy, Andrew Macom, to help around the house. Guilt stricken, Beckie makes an effort to be home more, giving her a chance to develop feelings for Andrew. Feelings she’ll never own because of a lack of judgment during a summer party.

Swearing off guys hasn’t been easy—between Andrew and Kurt Sanders, the one guy all her friends want her to be with. When she finally allows herself to go on a date, the worst happens. Her grandmother falls, landing in the hospital in a coma.

The town’s special treatment pulls into full force, conflicting Beckie. She doesn’t want the attention, and guilt weighs on her again.

Andrew never leaves Beckie or her grandmother’s side, being the constant strong shoulder she needs. Will her grandmother recover? And will Beckie open herself up to love, or will the royal treatment from everyone leave her as the cold-hearted Queen Mean?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Anderson
• Release date: Jun 6, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386786559

Book preview

Chapter One

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We did it. We actually did it.

Shouting continued around me, and I couldn’t help but join in, even with fatigue trying to pull me down into my seat.

F.C.H.S. The number one the very best. F.C.H. S., I shouted for the hundredth time since Saturday afternoon when I first clutched the trophy in my hands. I settled back against the green vinyl seat. My heart pounded inside my chest while I ran my hands against my throat. My voice was already scratchy and more shouting would result in no vocal chords for a few days. Would my teachers allow me to participate silently?

January in Ohio looked the same. White, white and more white. I liked monochromatic just as much as the next girl, but I had my limits. Except watching it from the bus window, I didn’t mind the sameness. I liked how soft, clean and plain it all looked. My mind needed plain. The past twenty-four hours had been enough excitement to last the entire winter then spill over into spring.

We’d won.

State.

The bus ride from Columbus wasn’t long. Except I couldn’t wait to get home. The hands on my watch appeared to stand still. Each passing mile marker felt like I was farther from home then when we’d started. I missed my house, my bed and my things. The hotel room we stayed in was nice, but it wasn’t home. My purple down comforter was home. My cat sitting on my bedroom windowsill was home. And Grandma was home. She’d made the trip with my dad to watch us win state, but shortly after they left, Dad needed to head back out of town for work. Again.

We bounced down the highway, and I saw the Strawberry Fields city limit sign come into view. A smile pulled at my lips. Just a few more minutes and we’d be back in the school parking lot where my red truck sat, waiting for me. Petunia was her name, and off-roading was her game. I’d only had my license since November, but she and I had history. Even before I could shift her into gear, I sat atop her brown, worn leather seats, tapping my fingers across the steering wheel to the latest country song crackling from the speakers. Next to Sarah O’Connor, Petunia was my second best friend.

Thinking about Sarah, I glanced over the back of my seat and saw the top of her brown head of hair. Another mop of brown hair was smooched up against hers. Since it seemed they threw all rules out the window when we won, school officials allowed some students to join us on the bus for the hour ride back to Strawberry Fields from Columbus. The new arrangement left me without a partner to ride back with, but I enjoyed the few moments of solitude.

My head smacked against the vinyl seat as we bounced into the parking lot at Fayette County High School. Noticing the mob of people and cars in the lot, I pulled myself upright and scanned the crowd for familiar faces. I saw Sarah’s parents, Steph’s and the recognizable black permed hair of my grandmother. Standing next to her wasn’t my father but a young guy I didn’t recognize. She smiled and touched his arm in a friendly, nurturing way. Straining against the seat, I tried to get a better look at the figure cloaked in a dark coat and hood, but the bus took a sudden turn, and I flew back against my seat.

Posters and homemade signs bounced across the sea of faces as we made our way down the steps of the bus. Whoopin’ and hollerin’ and chants of State, State, State sounded while we all stood with bright smiles and cold, sore cheeks. I was tired of smiling. In fact, I was just plain tired. I wanted to collapse in my bed, but I still needed to drive the ten minutes to my house. Duty called, and I hoped soon the hoopla from winning would wear off, which I was almost certain it would. It was state cheerleading, which was beyond cool in my world, but it wasn’t like we’d won state in football, which was highly unlikely with our team.

After several minutes of cheers and muffled glove clapping, the crowd started to disperse. Grandma hid away in her car from the chilly night air. I made my way to her but was stopped. Teachers, our principal, as well as one guy who was rather persistent blocked me from continuing.

Hey, Beckie, Kurt offered.

Oh, hey. Looks like you made it back okay from Columbus.

Yeah, I rode back with Michael and Mya. Can you believe all of these people came out? You guys are like famous.

A small laugh escaped my lips in a mist. Sure. Well, it was nice seeing you, and thanks for coming to support us, but I’m ready to get home. I’ll see you at school, okay. I began to move past Kurt, but he stopped me by stepping in my path, again.

Both hands wrapped around my body as he pulled me in for a hug. Okay, be safe going home. He pressed his lips against the top of my head. Did he kiss me? I forced a smile, stepped back and made a beeline for my grandmother’s car. Kurt and I weren’t dating even at Sarah and Adrian’s constant pushing. Sarah was my best friend and Adrian her new, as in a few hours ago, boyfriend. Recently paired up in bio to do a project, they fell in love. Kurt and I became partners, and Sarah figured the stars had aligned, meaning we needed to start dating as well. I wasn’t ready for a relationship. Or dating for that matter. Cheerleading and schoolwork took up a lot of my time, and after last summer, dating held little interest for me.

Grandma rolled down the window to her silver Buick LaCrosse. I constantly teased that her car was much too fancy for Strawberry Fields. Her response: She didn’t care. She liked the car. End of the discussion.

Hello, Grandma, I said through the small opened crack in her driver’s side window.

Hi, dear. Your father dropped me off at home and left for the airport. He said he’d call you later. Are you coming straight home?

Yes. I’m so tired, and I think I could sleep all week.

Okay, sweetie, I’ll see you in a few minutes. You can invite that nice kid over if you want. She nodded over my shoulder. I looked behind me to find Kurt lingering by his truck. After offering a short wave, I turned back to my grandmother. Great. Had Sarah gotten to her too?

Um no. That’s okay. I’ll see you in a bit.

I turned from her car and scuffed across the patchy snow parking lot to Petunia. After running a gloved hand across the back of her, knocking snow to the ground, I heaved the door open. Vanilla wafted from the enclosed cab, and a smile bloomed on my face. Home. I couldn’t wait to get there.

Once Petunia was warm, I shifted her into reverse and backed from my spot. My cell phone rang. Easing from the clutch, I shifted into first, jerked a little to start and fumbled with my phone as it slid around on my passenger seat. From outside, I probably looked like a drunk the way I moved across the parking lot. The old fashion ringer I’d assigned to my cell sounded for the third