Birdie: All but Ramses. He must still be sick or something. Didn’t respond. You coming tho?
I didn’t respond, putting both my phone and my head in my locker. My nerves were fucking shot, all this too much.
Don’t feel. Don’t feel.
If I did, they won, and I shut my eyes. Royal Prinze and his loyal band of cronies wouldn’t rule my life. They could have everything in life, win everything, but they wouldn’t rule me. I refused, and sucking all this shit up, I pulled my head out of my locker and got myself dressed. I didn’t know where Ramses was, but by the end of the day, I was going to know something. I’d ask whoever I needed to ask to find out something. I had to, way too fucking worried for my own good.
I slid on my flats with more than a little aggression and only stopped a bit because I heard more giggles. Her giggles. It took all I had not to punch Mira in the face daily and for so many things. It angered me I still cared that she existed and even more that every time she spun that necklace around her neck, I wanted to strangle her with it. I shouldn’t care, but for whatever reason, each and every time I saw her with it struck something in me.
I swallowed hard, putting on another shoe. I started to close my locker when the giggling sounded to inaudible levels.
“Oh my God. I totally can’t believe you guys actually made a sex tape.”
I paused, just standing there. It hadn’t been Mira’s voice but a friend.
“I know,” Mira sighed. Another fucking giggle. “He hadn’t touched me in weeks and then let his freak out.”
The band of girly cackles sounded aga
in, and I shook my head.
Hadn’t touched her in weeks?
Unusual, I listened on, more of that bragging on Mira’s end, but then another sigh.
“He’s such a tease,” she said. “He gives me all that, then totally leaves me hanging all weekend.”
“Yeah. What was up with that?” one of her friends asked.
“Apparently, he was out all weekend making some pledge’s life hell. Must have done a number on him because Royal’s not even at school today.”
My heart stopped, literally about to blast out of my chest.
“Hopefully, you can reach him today.”
“Yeah, hopefully. You can’t tease a girl like that and then—”
Screams, screams because I slammed my locker and scared the shit out of them. I hadn’t cared, grabbing my stuff and leaving. I had my phone to my ear in two seconds, the final bell ending classes for the day right after. The halls immediately filled up, and I dodged people, trying to remain present on my call.
“Yo, this is Ramses—”
“Ramses, what’s going on? Mira was saying all kinds of shit and—”
“You’ve missed me, but I’ll be sure to get back to you soon. Also, leave me a text. Who checks their voicemails anymore?”
Groaning, I hung up, sending him a text. I asked him where the fuck he was and if I should worry. I asked him if I should tell someone… I don’t know, anything about what we were doing. If he was starting to pledge, this may have come as a surprise to him. In fact, so surprising he might not have had time to tell me. Even still, whatever happened would have concluded after the weekend, right?
Dread befell me when I thought about the hazing process. I didn’t know anything about the Court, absolutely nothing, but if Ramses started it and something went wrong, he might not be able to tell me anything. He could be hurt or worse, and my phone to my ear again, I blew up his. I left him another voicemail, rerouting to my locker to get on my coat and grab my book bag. In the next seconds, I had them on and then was sprinting out front.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Lindquist.” My dad’s driver, Hubert, was out front to meet me as per usual. I still was living at Rosanna’s house, but Hubert was there to drive me to and from school. My dad insisted on him assisting me for whatever reason, and I only didn’t fight it because I could use the ride.
Today, the help would be ill-placed, though. Hubert may take me wherever I wanted to go, but he’d most assuredly take those details directly back to my father. One thing about Ramses’ plan was we weren’t supposed to report anything we were doing to anyone. We didn’t know who we could trust.
Even my own dad.
That man hadn’t given me any reasons to trust him, and I wouldn’t be starting now. I could use Hubert’s help with a ride today, but it wouldn’t be without a cost.
Faking a smile, I waved my hand. “Actually, Hubert, I’m hanging out with some friends tonight. I was going to get a ride with them.”