Illusions That May (Court High 2)

I waited, my breath bated, and I had to hear. I had to hear her say whatever it was she believed she knew.

“People were saying you had an abortion.”

The words were light, but I heard them, my bag falling off my lap as I folded fingers over my eyes. “Who told you?”

A soft gasp hit the phone, reality hitting for her as well. Maybe, before this call she held out that what she heard had been a rumor, not as true as I sat on this bench ready to leave the rest of the world fucking behind.

“I, we, the girls and I, heard from some Court-kept girls,” she hurried. “Who I think heard from some people at your old school.”

I buried my face in my arms, falling deeper into the depths than I already was. I knew people from my new school finding out about my abortion was a possibility, but with everything else going on yesterday…

“Does everyone know?” I retched, looking up, looking for Royal. Where the fuck was he?

“I think so. I’m so sorry, December.”

“You almost ready, little lady? Bus leaves in ten.”

The bus driver was midway down the stairs, her face in a frown as she stared at me. It was apparently time to go, and here I was without a bus ticket, without Royal and I didn’t understand.

But maybe now I did.

“I have to go, Birdie. I’m so sorry.”

“Wait, December. Can we talk—”

I cut her off, hanging up. I had to call Royal. If he heard about this, if he heard and that’s why he wasn’t here…

“Miss?” the bus driver asked.

“Just two seconds. I need just two seconds, please.” I stood, my phone to my ear. “I don’t have my ticket and the person who’s bringing it is coming too.”

Her frown deepened. “You’ve only got two seconds. Seriously, we’re leaving on time.”

I nodded, grabbing my bag as I walked into the street. The phone started to ring, but I shut if off the moment a black sedan pulled up to the curb in front of me. I recognized the person inside.

It just wasn’t Royal.

LJ got out of what appeared to be a rented car, the Hertz sticker in the window. He was very much by himself, his sunglasses on, which he took off the moment he saw me. He walked toward me, meeting me halfway, and I put my phone away.

“What’s going on?” I asked, gazing around him. No one had been in that car but him. “Why are you here? Where’s Royal? Did he tell you we were leaving?”

LJ dampened his lips, pushing sunglasses into the fluffy, blond hair that currently rested on his shoulders. He had nothing on Royal’s spun gold even with the length, not many could. LJ po

cketed his hands. “He, uh, he sent me, Lindquist.”

My insides fluttered, my jaw tight and tense. “Why?”

He couldn’t look at me after I asked that question, his eyes completely averted.

“Why, LJ?”

He scratched into his hair, then tucked his hands under his arms. “Because he’s not coming.”

I couldn’t breath, couldn’t… see. “What are you talking about?”

Maybe he thought visuals were better than words because out of his pocket suddenly came a ticket, just one. The ticket fluttering in the wind, I noticed a single name and it wasn’t Royal’s.

I stared at the ticket, my name on it and apparently headed for a town in Arizona I’d never heard of. I shook my head. “Why is he doing this?”