Figuring I couldn’t come for the reason she said, I decided to not take offense. I nodded, sliding back into my chair. Getting my books out, I attempted not to take notice when a certain cool scent flooded into the room like a fragrance commercial. Royal was followed by his bro family, Jax, LJ, and Knight, all four with the same English class as me.

The boys placed their bags down, bantering with each other, and they did that until the start of class. They didn’t acknowledge me too much anymore, any glances or other forms of acknowledgment fading quickly the day I’d seen them all in the hallway with Mira. I supposed it had started slow with them ghosting me, progressive, but eventually, we arrived to the place we were now. I was in the same universe as them, but outside of physically running into them, none of us even looked at each other. Let alone carried on conversation. As far as I was concerned, that was just grand. If Royal had so quickly moved on to Mira when things had been “too hot” with me, then whatever about it. He was obviously a jerk, and I picked up on that pretty early in our relationship, but had written it off. He fooled me, and he’d done it well.

Royal and crew in my periphery, I let that all go, and focused on more important things. I wasn’t about to be held back in school because of the likes of Royal Prinze and his following. I was going to graduate with the rest of our senior class, then move on to bigger and better things. Class started at the top of the hour, and Mr. Pool immediately went into talks about the neoclassical period. I actually knew this, so I stayed present during the hour, and as class started winding down, Mr. Pool paused us. He got a knock at the door, and when he called over, the door opened. A boy wearing a Windsor Preparatory uniform came in, a boy with messy brown curls and extremely extended height. He had to dip his head a little just to come inside.

No way…

“We have a new arrival today, class,” Mr. Pool said, his hands on the boy’s shoulders, his hands on Ramses’ shoulders. The boy grinned, facing the class like an audience, and I rose up in my chair, a huge “What the fuck?” on my lips. But that was Ramses clear as day, my Ramses. Well, not mine, but the boy I worked with in Arizona. Mr. Pool shook his shoulders. “Some of you may recognize Mr. Mallick from your freshman year. Well, he’s back. Recently transferred from…”

“Crestfire Hills Prep, Mr. Pool,” he stated, those same dark eyes that eyed me many times. They currently resided on Mr. Pool, the man introducing him.

“Crestfire Hills Prep,” Mr. Pool continued, seriously grinning his ass off. “He was one of my star pupils freshman year, and we’re happy to have him back. Ramses will be finishing his senior year with us, class, and I’m sure Crestfire Hills will be kicking themselves to have let you go. I’m sure you’ll be leading the class soon, just as you had four years ago.”

Ramses’ long fingers went to the back of his neck. Clearly, all of this a little too much for him, but he was here and with people bragging on him about his smarts as he did himself.

My back hit the chair, all of this wild. The odds we’d come from the same town freaked me the fuck out, and now, he was suddenly back at the end of the term. Ramses’ gaze soon flittered over the crowd, Mr. Pool advising him to take any seat he wanted. I believed his eye may stop on me, recognize me, but he never made it that far, his attention stopping toward the back of the class.

I turned and easily found out why. Royal, LJ, Knight, Jax, and the rest of their Court bros usually goofed off through most of class, but needless to stay, they weren’t now. They stared ahead, very much aware of this new arrival, and when I faced away, a tall boy with extended height passed me. Ramses flew right by me with his long strides, taking the vacant seat behind me and facing forward, and I wondered if he noticed me in his class. I mean, he hadn’t said anything, and I hadn’t seen if he saw me or not.

A tap touched my back, and I shifted only to have a note fall to my front.

I caught it, making sure Mr. Pool’s back was turned before I opened it.

What’s up, Arizona?

I nearly laughed at it. I guess he’d seen me. I started to turn, but Mr. Pool spoke, mentioning something about tonight’s homework assignment.

“Until tomorrow, friends,” Mr. Pool ended up concluding with. The bell ringing, he smiled. “We’ll get you geared up for those final exams yet.”

The groan through class radiated as students packed up. Ramses stood and passed me again before I could say anything. At the door, he pointed a finger outside it, grinning at me before going out, and I shook my head once more. I followed the flood out into the hallways, and the moment I spotted the tall-as-hell boy, I punched him in the uniform jacket.

“What the hell, Arizona?” I said, mocking him and what he said. That place was more his than mine. I shoved him a little. “What are you even doing here?”

“Trying to avoid assault. Jesus,” he stated, chuckling. He cradled his arm. “My first day, and I’m already getting my ass kicked.”

“Oh, whatever. That didn’t even hurt.”

“Totally did.”

I shoved him again, and he nearly ran into Birdie, the girl somehow dwarfed by this guy in size when she was already a head and a half taller than me. At the sight of Ramses, she lost her shit, though. He did too, and when the duo proceeded to do a fist bump handshake, I did a double take.

“Birdie Arnold,” he said, coming out of the shake with a snap. “Long time.”

“Really fucking long time.” She grinned, then nudged him herself. “What are you doing here, kid?”

“Just living life. Figured I’d transfer back since y’all clearly missed me. I mean, were you guys actually doing anything in class before I got here? Mr. Pool looked damn desperate in there.”

She got him in the arm again and he took her under his arm, the two coming up long enough to finally see me and my wide eyes. Ramses smiled. “December, Birdie and I used to hang in the same circles.”

“Wait. You guys know each other?” Birdie moved a finger between us.

I rolled my eyes. “Long story. Ramses got me a job when I was in AZ.”

“Sure did,” he stated, dropping an arm around Birdie’s shoulders. “And December promptly ran for the hills not long after. The referral sure did turn out well for me.”

“I’m sure to get away from your ass.” She mock-socked him in the stomach, making him laugh. She pushed him by the chest. “And way to downplay how we know each other.” She directed a finger right at him. “This kid was a legend when he went to school here. Seriously, an all-star.”

I twitched. “An all-star at what?”

Tags: Eden O'Neill Court High Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net