“Mom—”
“All right, you can go—”
Angeline pumped her fist.
“On one condition.” Her mom trained the hazel eyes they all shared on Angeline.
“Anything!”
“You’re still applying to college, so you need to get an extracurricular—”
“Done, I can go back to cheer—”
“No. One with more of an academic bent.” Her mom’s eyes spanned from Angeline to Cat and back again. “Maybe Cat could use some help—”
“No!” Angeline and Cat cried in unison—well, almost in unison. Cat’s preceded Angeline’s by just enough for them all to notice. “Now, Cat . . .” her mom started.
“It’s just that the student council election’s coming up. Ms. Lute thinks it’ll be a big one, and the paper’s reporting will require total focus.”
And of course, Angeline, who pumped out three videos a week, didn’t have focus.
Whatever.
She ran through the options in her head for something respectable but that wouldn’t take too much time away from Ask an Angel. She was on the verge of moving up to the next level of influencer, which was why she’d given up all her extracurriculars last year—cheerleading and drama club and swim team.
But wait, what had Cat said? StuCo? Big? Student council was one of the most ignored activities in school. Angeline had never voted in any of the elections. Not once. Did it even meet?
All the reading, watching, and talking about this year’s tight presidential race with Gramps and their mom had made Cat delusional.
And yet . . . her mom was riveted.
“Student council, huh?” Angeline said. “My video on best apps for note-taking couldn’t be more on point.” She twirled her hand above her head. “Meet StuCo’s newest secretary.”
Her popularity meant she’d totally win, and if the council actually held any meetings, she’d pop in via video once or twice, then transition out. Done and done.
Her mom smiled. “Excellent. I like how you’re broadening your horizons. But don’t underestimate yourself, hon. You are presidential material.”
What?
“Her? President?” Cat cried. “But I’ve got all this election coverage planned! I’ll have to . . . to, like, interview her.”
“Even better,” her mom said. “Give you two a chance to spend some time together. Everything will be different next year.”
“Thankfully,” Cat said.
Angeline’s jaw clenched. “Finally something we agree on.” She spun around to head for her room when she realized their deal lacked one key element. “What if I don’t win?”
“Only way you don’t win is by trying not to. Which means . . .” Her mom winked at Cat. “I need an inside woman.”
Cat flipped back the bangs that Angeline would have cautioned against since they only accentuated the roundness of her face. But Cat hadn’t asked her advice.
“I don’t really have time to spy,” Cat said.
“Not spy, keep tabs,” their mom said. “You’ll be covering it for the paper anyway, so you let me know if your sister’s not hitting that campaign trail as hard as she might.”
“Way to enlist an impartial judge,” Angeline grumbled, to which Cat gave a smug smile, to which Angeline offered a “bite me” face. She then marched down the hall to her bedroom.
President.
Seriously?
Leo would never let her live this down.
Except Leo wasn’t speaking to her.
Just outside her bedroom, Angeline unlocked her phone. Still on the screen was her last text to Leo:
Miss you.
It hung there without a response, not a like or a thumbs-up or even a thumbs-down. Just . . . nothing. Like it hadn’t been seen. Like it didn’t even exist. She closed her messages and opened her inbox. The email from Evelyn’s Epic Everyday flowed in, and even though she’d already read it on her computer, seeing it a second time only added to her excitement.
President.
Okay then.
Let’s do this.
Because if she did this, if she killed it, she might be the next Evelyn.
“Please let me kill it,” Angeline whispered.
AskAnAngel
AskAnAngel Hey, hey, Angels! Ready to make a difference?
Start local. I’m tossing in my hat (a perfectly chic gray wool beret from Paris in Your Pocket, retail $49.99, but 20% off today only with the “AskAnAngel” code!).
Student council prez. Here I come.
Remember.
You’re not standing unless you’re standing out.
Flutter your wings, my Angels!
View comments
BakedBaker24/7 Something’s fluttering, but it ain’t my wings.
MaxineChenontheCliffs Go Ang! Oh, and suck it, Baker.
5
When Cat Becomes a Cartoon
28 DAYS TO THE ELECTION
Acedia Student Council Election Sign-Ups
DUE MONDAY! NO EXCEPTIONS!
(But if you can’t make Monday, please see Ms. Lute in Room 116 ☺)
Name
Position Sought
Grade
Angeline Quinn
President
Senior