They The Pretty Stars (Court High 1)

July 14th

9:05 p.m.

December: I read over your last text with me. You said to give you space. Well, I’ve given you that, so please stop with this. I need you…

August 28th

8:19 a.m.

December: I’m coming to Maywood Heights, already talked to Dad, Aunt Celeste, and everything. Aunt Celeste doesn’t think anything is wrong because you’ve done this before. Neither does Dad, but I don’t care. I’m coming there. I’m coming for you. Be ready.

Sixteen

Second period English held a study hall, and it’d been the first time I saw Royal since this morning. It’d also been the first time I had really been around Birdie since the fiasco with the dog toys, and I texted her after Mr. Pool left the room for a second.

Me: Wanna hang out tonight?

She looked at her phone on her desk, gazing around, and with the room sans teacher, she reached for it.

Birdie: Sure. What do you want to do?

I knew that right away, but was I brave enough?

Me: I was thinking about going out to Route 80.

Nothing, not even a text message bubble, and I gazed up at her. She had her lip lodged between her teeth, frowning at me before picking up her phone.

Birdie: Nuh-uh. No way. That’s Court territory.

Me: Court territory?

Birdie: Yeah, only Court go up there.

Me: Why?

Birdie: I don’t know, but it’s off-limits. Want to do something else, I’m game, but going over there… sorry, you’re on your own.

She was actually serious, pushed her phone away and everything when she went back to her textbook. What the hell?

Royal: Want to hang out tonight? We can go by my place. Watch a movie?

I gazed back at the beautiful boy, his chin rested on his hand as he waited out my response. Everyone else around him was studying, but he was watching me. He flicked up his brow to my phone, and I turned.

Fuck.

Me: I can’t. Sorry, I have other plans.

I turned for his response, but he didn’t give much of one. He simply tipped his chin before pulling his book over and studying with everyone else.

What are you doing?

I had no idea, but when the bell rang for next classes, I hadn’t changed my mind about hanging out with either party, Royal or Birdie. Birdie put her backpack over her shoulder, touching mine, before leaving the classroom. I had no idea what the fuck that meant, so I grabbed my stuff and headed out into the sea after her. I didn’t make it far before a heavy arm tossed around my shoulder and a hard body braced me to him.

“I hear we’re all hanging out tonight, December,” Jax crooned, squeezing me with entirely too much muscle. Soon, I was squished between the likes of him and LJ, Knight bringing up the rear when I turned. I swear he was like the bodyguard, the biggest anyway, and didn’t talk much. Jax hugged me. “What are we eating? I’m a fan of pizza. Hey—”

Royal pulled him off me. “She’s not hanging out,” he said, hitting him with a notebook over the head before easing me into him by the arm. It was a nice warm place to be by his side, and though I had no idea what that meant in regards to us, needless to say I didn’t fight him. He leaned in. “And I didn’t invite him, by the way, or any of them.”

Jax grumbled, the other two grinning before Jax pushed himself between Royal and me. He threw arms around us both. “What’s up? You two talking or something?”