We The Pretty Stars (Court High 4)
“And when were you going to tell me?”
A single eyebrow arched. “I don’t believe I have to run anything past you before I make decisions, December. You are the child, and I’m the parent.”
Could have fooled me most of the time. I grimaced. “You don’t, but any decision you make does have to do with me. What about school? My friends?”
His arms moved over his chest. “You’re in your final weeks of school, and I checked with the academy and you’re on track to graduate. I’ll make sure you get there for classes for the remainder of the year. And far as friends, you’ll make new ones in Chicago. I looked into it, and there’s a nice community college there. Way better than the one you were trying to go to here—”
“What about Royal?” My voice wavered at that, freaking emotion, but I didn’t care. I needed to know about Royal…
I loved him.
If Dad hadn’t shown any emotion before, he did now at the sound of Royal’s name. Basically dismissing me, he ripped photos off the walls in quick time.
“You’ll meet other boys,” Dad chided, his teeth gritted. “Ones that don’t leave a body trail behind them.”
“What the hell does that mean—”
“You’ll watch your mouth when you talk to me, and what don’t I mean?” He raised a hand. “First your sister and then the sheriff’s daughter? Mira? The whole town knows what he did to her.”
“That’s a lie. Mira was—”
“I don’t care if it was. I’m not going to lose another kid!”
I stepped back, his voice never raised at me.
Nor filled with so much emotion.
Which it was, his cheeks several shades in tone higher than normal. With a huff, Dad bent, picking up the box he’d been packing. At the same moment, one of the movers asked if he was done and if they could take it.
He gave it to them. “Now, go pack something. Get together your sister’s room or your room. I don’t care. Just get something and make things goddamn easier for once and not harder.”
Why should I? Nothing had ever been easier for me, and if it was, he’d never been the cause. I shook my head. “N
o.”
“December.”
“No!” I ran upstairs, getting my phone out of my room, then shoved my hoodie on. After, I raced right back downstairs, passing my dad along the way, before shoving past outside. He followed me to the walk, calling my name, but when I shot him a look he stopped at the moving truck.
“I’m not going anywhere!” I hollered over my shoulder, and as trivial as it sounded, he couldn’t make me. I’d been on my own before, and I’d do it again.
“December!”
His voice faded as I stalked away, but I wasn’t so bold to go back for my sister’s car. My dad would probably stand in the driveway and block my path anyway. Instead, I found some stable ground and sat, immediately dialing Royal from a curb to pick me up.
“Hey, this is Royal.”
I breathed. “Royal? It’s—”
“Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”
Fuck.
I hung up before trying two more times. I sent him a few emergency texts before going down the line to people who might be with him. I started with Jax and LJ, but after no answer, I got desperate and called Knight. He didn’t pick up either and it took me all of three seconds after that to realize why.
Today was Saturday, and though I usually went to all the boys’ lacrosse games, I didn’t today. It wasn’t a home game, out of town, and though Royal had offered to get me there, I’d opted out, not wanting to get up so early since the game was over three hours away.
I was regretting that now, picking up my phone again, and on a whim, I typed Ramses’s number. He’d be with the boys.