The Beast and the Homecoming Queen

The Beast and the Homecoming Queen

By Khelsey Jackson

This Book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Published by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing

Text Copyright 2013 by Khelsey Jackson

Cover by Rue Volley for Vivid Designs

This book is for the person who has believed in me when no one else did. When I told her I was writing a book she told me to write for me, and I do. Thank you Grandma Sharon for being all I needed I will forever love yo
u
.

Prologue

Life is Short

Quinn parks her cherry red bug behind her father’s black pickup in the driveway. “Breanna I have to ask my dad if I can stay the weekend.” Quinn smiles. She knows her dad will say yes, he never says no.

“Well hurry up! I was thinking we could go to the lake house, you know it's next to the
Keto's house.” Breanna giggles. Justin Keto is the hottest guy in school; Breanna and Quinn both have a huge crush on him.

“I thought he was in Europe or something.” Quinn know
s he is, she has him on Facepad and he updated his status when he landed in London.

“Yeah I think so,
” Breanna says. “But we'll have so much fun at the lake. We can just float in the middle of the lake all day and work on our tans.”

“You don’t need to sell me. I am alread
y in, I just have to ask my dad,” Quinn says, and wonders if Rose, her evil stepmother is around. She won't want Quinn to go she'll say something like, “Eric I don’t think Quinn should go and party.” This isn’t going to happen.

Quinn isn’t a fan of parting and she hates drinking. She doesn’t understand why people drink and either pass out or throw up. That isn’t fun to her.

“Quinny maybe you can bring Lizzy! We can have a girl’s weekend, watch a bunch of girly movies and eat a bunch of junk food,” Breanna says, and Quinn smiles.

“That sounds awesome! I will ask if I can bring Lizzy, she would love to have a girls weekend.”

Lizzy loves Breanna, and Quinn knows that they will have fun. “I'll call you back; I’m pulling into my driveway,” Quinn says, and turns off her car.

“Okay Quinny, love you,
” Breanna says, and Quinn grins. They have been best friends since the first day of preschool, and there hasn’t been a day they haven’t talked or seen each other.

“Love you too,
” Quinn says and pushes the end button on her Bluetooth. Her dad thought it was safer for her to drive with one, and she agreed. She gets out of her car and slowly walks towards the front door, something smells funny, but she couldn’t place it.

Quinn puts her keys into the door and slowly opens it. Rose was supposed to be shopping all day and away from the house. Quinn hopes she is then she knows her dad will says yes for her and Lizzy.

Quinn walks into her living room, and the TV has baseball on. That is one sport she has never liked to watch on TV, now in person is a different story. She loves to sit in the stands and eat a hotdog, with extra ketchup.

“Dad, can Lizzy and I go to Breanna's for the weekend?” Quinn ask
s her dad, and he doesn’t move from his chair. “Dad?” Quinn walks closer to his favorite chair black leather chair, and touches his shoulder. He is cold, very cold. “Dad!” She moves so she is standing in front of him, and falls to her knees. Her dad's normal tan skin is now white as snow, and his head was missing from his body. She looks around and sees her father’s head lying across the room, she screams.

She can't believe what is going on. This is what you would see on so TV show or a Hollywood
movie, not her. Quinn looks at his bare chest, and it looks like some animal clawed and bit him. She reaches in her back pocket to grab her phone to call the cops.

Less than five minutes the police are in her home, and Quinn is sitting in the kitchen staring at the wall. She can't get her dad cold dead eyes out of her head, and when she closes her eyes she sees him, bloody and dead.

Quinn stayed at Breanna's house last night, she talked to her dad at seven the night before. He told her that Rose and Lizzy were going to go shopping in the morning, and they were going to be back at about one or so. Quinn glances at the clock and its 12:30, at least her little sister didn’t see their dad like that.

“Quinn I need to ask you some questions.” Quinn looks at the Sheriff Smith. She remembers when Breanna, her and Jenna
used to be best friends. Jenna is the sheriff's daughter, and now not friends with Quinn and Breanna.

“Quinn, did you h
ear me?” he asks, and she nods.

“Yes.”
She looks back to him, and he nods.

“Where were you this morning aro
und seven?” Sheriff Smith asks.

“I was at Breanna's ho
use, and we were still sleeping,” Quinn says, and looks down at her ringing phone. Breanna's name is on her screen.

“Quinn do you know where you stepmother and sister are?” he asks.

She shakes her head. “No not really. I talked to my dad last night and he told me that Rose was going shopping. They are supposed to be home at one,” Quinn says and he writes something down.

Quinn's mind flashes to the dad's body, it loo
ked like something clawed him; maybe a bear or a wolf.

“Did an animal kill my dad?” She doesn’t realize she asked her question out loud until she sees the sheriff's face. He looks
broken; he and her father grew up together and were friends.

“I don’t know Quinn, but I will find o
ut what or who killed your dad,” he says and stands up. He walks over to her and puts his hand on her shoulder; she almost breaks down with his compassionate touch.

“What's going on here?” Rose's voice fills the room, and Quinn turns to find her stepmother and little sister. Thank god they already took her dad away.

“Rose I need to talk to you, Quinn why don’t you take Lizzy upstairs,” Robert Smith asks and she nods.

Quinn gets up and walks ove
r to her sister. “Come on Liz.”

When Quinn gets into her room she closes the door. “I have to tell you something, and know that I am
always here for you.”

“You can tell me, what's going on?” Lizzy says,
and Quinn takes a deep breath.

“Dad is dead.” Lizzy's knees give out and Q
uinn catches her little sister.

They hold on to each other as they both cry, over their broken hearts. Quinn wonders how she will make it in a world without her dad. He was her rock, and her everything.

Chapter One

Strange feelings

Three months later….

Quinn Murphy is so nervous, today is her first day of her senior year
, and she doesn’t know if she wants to deal with people. She scrunches her long curly blonde hair, and adds some more mouse. She looks at herself in the large antiques wooden mirror one last time before head out the door.

Her large house used to be always noisy, but since her father died and her stepmother left and took her sister she is alone. Quinn locks the door, and walks to her cherry red bug. This was the last thing her
father got her before he died.

Her drive to school is uneventful
, and when she parks she notices her best friend Breanna waiting for her at the black double metal doors. The front of her high school looks like it always did. The dark red from the bricks and white sidewalks never change. The courtyard’s grass is a bright green, and daises lined the walkway up to the school. Quinn gets out of her car and walks to her blonde best friend.

“Hey Breanna!” Quinn says as she wraps her arms around her best friend. She has become Quinn's rock, and is forever thankful for her. Quinn doesn’t know where she would be without her.

“Quinny! We are going to rule the school this year.” After the quick hug they walk to the school.

Quinn doesn’t miss the stares as
she walks pass people, she hears them whispering too. Maybe she should have gone to a different school, and she should have moved in with her aunt. But she didn’t want to go to a new school her last year and she didn’t want to leave Breanna.

“Ignore them,
” Breanna whispers, and Quinn nods.

They walk to the doors where she sees a boy she doesn’t know, and Mark Rite. “Hello Quinn
Webb,” Mark says and smiles at Quinn. He is fairly attractive, but her attention quickly goes to the boy standing next to him. His jet black hair is long and touches his shoulders and his dark blue eyes are piercing through her.

Quinn looks away from the new boy as her heart speeds up, and looks at Mark. He notices that she was staring at his friend and he smirks.

“Hey Mark,” she says, Quinn can hear Breanna giggling.

“This is my friend Kaden,
Kade this is Quinn and Breanna,” Mark says, but turns his attention to Breanna.

Quinn looks back at the new boy, and his eyes ar
e still on her. “Hi,” she says.

“I'm sorry about your dad,
” Kaden says, and she looks down. She knows that people will be telling her that all day, but with him something is different.

“Yeah me too.” She looks back into dark blue eyes. This boy is truly beautiful, and she feels herself smile for
the first time in a long time.

“Umm...Quinn?” Breanna's voice makes Quinn's smile fall. Her best friend is standing next to
Kaden. “We should head inside.”

Kaden smiles
at her, and she bites her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling. “I will see you later, Quinn.” He winks at her, and she walks up to Breanna.

Once they are inside of the school and away from Mark and Kaden, Breanna turns to Quinn. “I
think you should stay away from Kaden. He seems dangerous.” Breanna says, and opens her locker; she puts her green backpack into it.

Quinn looks towards where she knows the boys are. “I don’t think he is dangerous.” She truly believes that. She did
n’t get any bad vibes from him.

“
You’re crazy! He has trouble written all over his face.” Quinn puts her red and black backpack into her lock, and Breanna shakes her head. “Why do I have a feeling you aren’t going to listen to me?”

Quinn smiles,
she and Breanna have been best friends since they were born. Quinn is two months older. “There is something about him.”

“Yeah trouble!” Breanna says and laughs.