Court Kept (Court High 3)

But that necklace around her neck told different, that shine around her neck that immediately elicited a stab in my insides. I saw no reasoning in these moments, heard no words from my friends calling me to come back. I just stalked across that hallway.

And I threw that fucker Mallick against the lockers.

“Royal!” December’s voice this time, her hand ripping me away from this piece of trash. Ramses Mallick may have height, but I had the size factor. I could crush his lanky-ass body like a toothpick.

“Prinze, what the fuck?” he seethed, pushing me off him. “What the hell’s your problem?”

“You know what the hell’s my problem.” I cut in front of December, the girl literally freaking out on me. She screamed in my ear, tugged at my jacket, but I didn’t care. I held her back. “You stay away from her.”

“Stay away?” Ramses looked me up and down. “Go ease off your fucking ’roids, dude. She’s my girlfriend.”

His… girlfriend.

No fucking away.

Ramses pushed me again, and this time, I let him, the shock rattling me or something. Clear of me, Ramses reached for December, and not only did she take his hand, but went under his arm when he pushed it around her.

Pain, extreme pain pulsed through me, and even more so when Mallick tightened his hold on her.

He rubbed her arm, jutting a chin in my direction. “What happened to your eye, bro?”

My eye…

I faced away only to come back to a smirk, Mallick.

He secured his hold around December tighter. “You run into a wall or something?”

Screams… December’s voice again, but this time, they were warranted. I knocked Mallick to the ground with a single punch, to his eye.

I guess we hit the same damn wall.

Thirteen

December

The hallway flooded in chaos, guys and girls everywhere. Windsor Prep girls were screaming while Windsor Prep guys, on the other hand, were cheering things on. Meanwhile, Ramses, Royal, and I were in the middle of it. I was trying to pull Royal off Ramses only for Ramses himself to get the upper hand, and then I had to pull him off Royal. Eventually, I had to give up on them both, literally screaming at them both to stop, and I got no help from anyone. Especially Knight, LJ, and Jax. A force, the three boys held the crowds off while the boys in front of me attempted to kick the shit out of each other. Clothes were torn, Royal at one point with his jacket completely off and his buttons pulled to the state where his chest exposed. Ramses managed to keep his clothes on, but as kempt as he looked this morning, the damage was done between the scuffle on the floor and the blood from his lip. Royal had gotten him not just in his eye, but his mouth as well and looked like he was about to go for the other eye until Mr. Pool, our English teacher, came into the hallway. The students there for the fight divided immediately, and Jax, Knight, and LJ who’d been aiding the fight by keeping the crowds back released their impenetrable hold on the other students. They stood back, allowing Mr. Pool to come in, and as soon as he did, he grabbed both Ramses and Royal by their clothing.

“Get up.” He scowled, returning both guys to their feet. After he got them grounded, he forced distance between them both. “What do you two think you’re doing?”

They said nothing, snorting like bulls at each other. Mr. Pool pushed them forward. “To the headmaster’s office. Both of you, and to the rest of you, back to class before you join them.”

That cleared out the hallway real quick, all but me, LJ, Knight, and Jax. Horror-struck, even Mira left with friends, the girl whimpering in her hands, but the three boys and I stayed. I didn’t think we knew what to do after that.

I had no idea what just happened.

*

I got Mr. Pool to give me a hall pass during second period English. I was taking his English Lit-8 class this semester and wanted to know the fallout regarding the boys, so color me surprised when Principal Hastings’s office was still occupied nearly over an hour after the scuffle in the hall. I figured they’d all be done in there by now, and not only were they not done, multiple voices beyond Royal’s and Ramses’ could be heard outside. I knew because I poked my head in on the secretary to ask if I could ask Principal Hastings a question. I made up some excuse for the reason why, and while standing there, other voices could definitely be made out. One of which I distinctly remembered as being Royal’s dad.

Christ.

This thing was getting out of control, and Ramses and I were only fake girlfriend/boyfriend for less than two hours. After my initial poke and not so subtle spying, I stayed in the hallway outside of the headmaster’s office. Waiting was the only way I’d know for sure what happened.

I didn’t have to wait long.

The door blew open just long enough for me to clear, and I stayed behind it, Royal and his dad coming out into the hall behind the door’s glass window. A coat over his arm, Mr. Prinze threw it on.

He pointed a finger at Royal. “We’re going to deal with this at home. Get out to the car.”