We The Pretty Stars (Court High 4)

I think maybe the mayor knew things would implode the way they did, though. He’d been taking Ramses away, spending so much time with him. I was so happy Ramses even came out to party tonight. He opted out of the graduation entirely, keeping more to himself these days, and no one would blame him. He’d been through just as much as all of us.

My friend had found me out on the balcony, and I hugged him, the embrace so familiar. He was so warm, big and all-encompassing. In another life, we may have been together. He really was perfect, but I guess for someone else.

Ramses didn’t let go of me at first, but not because he didn’t try. I hadn’t let go of him, knowing he was going to go away soon. He had plans to go to college on the East Coast, as far away on one side of the country as he could.

“Jesus, ’Zona. You trying to meld your way into me?” He chuckled.

If I could. I’d miss him so much. At least Birdie, Shakira, Kiki, and I had the entire summer together. He was leaving like next week.

I let go, then wrestled in his wild curls. “I’ll just miss you is all.”

“I’ll miss you too.” He held on to my hips, his smile full, genuine. It was one of the things I loved about him. If he wasn’t happy, he didn’t bullshit. He tugged my hair. “You can always come out and see me, you know? I’ll pay for the ticket.”

“Mallick, how many times do I need to tell you to keep your hands off my girl?”

Ramses rolled his eyes, but did let go of me. He threw an arm around my shoulders. “‘Your girl’ can’t keep her hands off me, bro,” he said, squeezing me. “I guess I don’t blame her. I am pretty awesome.”

From the balcony doors, Royal rushed like a juggernaut in our direction, but honestly, he didn’t have the need. Jumping, I tackled Ramses myself, jabbing him over and over again in the side even if I didn’t put much force in it.

“Take. That. Back.” I laughed, now giving him a noogie which probably looked fucking hilarious considering his size versus mine. I messed up his hair and everything, and chuckling, he grabbed my hands.

“Get her off me, Prinze,” Ramses urged, but Royal simply stood there.

He braced his arms over his chest. He’d worn a suit under that graduation cap and gown, looking fine as hell. He grinned. “I mean, if she wants to keep putting her hands on you, who am I to stop her?”

Ramses frowned, wresting my arms behind my back. “Bastard.”

The humor left Royal’s green eyes, but I worked my arms out and got between the boys. I firmly believed they’d still kill each other even after all we’d been through, but gratefully, Royal’s boys backed me up.

“All right. All right. Party’s over,” LJ stated, joining us on the balcony. The tall blond cleaned up too, and though his suit wasn’t as fancy as Royal’s or even Ramses’s, he still looked good. All the Court boys did, Jax with his buzzed hair and Knight behind him. The flurry of boys crowded this small overlook that gave views of Windsor House’s gardens and man-made lake.

Knight leaned back against the banister. “I say let them fight. My money is on Mallick.”

Royal shot him a look. “What the fuck?”

Knight raised a shoulder, grinning. “What? The motherfucker’s squirrelly. Let’s see what he’s got.”

Royal lifted blond eyebrows before easing me away from Ramses. He took Ramses’s place in the end, being all possessive and caveman-like when he snaked his arm around my waist. “Need I remind you all I kicked the dude’s ass before?”

Ramses barked a laugh. “Hardly. I gave you that black eye, bro.”

“Want to try it again?” Royal growled, but came back when I jerked him.

I placed a hand on his chest. “No one is kicking anyone’s ass unless it’s Jax’s for that tie,” I said, pointing at Jax. Dude actually had Snoopy on it.

Jax smoothed his tie down. “Okay, I sense some discrimination here, so I’m just going to bow out of here.”

But the boys didn’t let him, all of them tackling him. Even Ramses. A dude circle mock-pounded on each other with me in the middle, but I didn’t bother stopping it this time. I got too much joy seeing those who used to be enemies come together again. If only Paige could see.

Eventually, they did break it up, and eventually, I got one of my best friends and my boyfriend at opposite corners. The party wasn’t nearly as lively after that but still fun. I stayed to the end, and even my dad and Aunt Celeste stayed for most of the graduation party too.

I got a hug from them both, Rosanna as well because she came. Dad made me promise to come home at a decent time because he had a graduation present for me when I got there. He decided not to sell the house after all, since things seemed better and Aunt Celeste was even making a permanent switch to come out and live with us. We’d all be under the same roof since I decided to stay there too while going to community college in the fall.

“Any idea what my dad’s gift might be?” I asked Royal later that night. We didn’t need to stay and clean up. Obviously, Windsor House had staff for that, but the pair of us did. I think it helped us both mellow down.

Royal trashed a red Solo cup, his lips twisted in a grin. “What makes you think I’d know anything about that?”

Approaching, I snaked my arms around his waist. I shrugged. “I don’t know, because I’ve been seeing you two whispering about something.”