by Eden O'Neill
Honestly, I anticipated how school would be after I’d challenged no doubt one of the most popular girls in school to a drink off, basically kicked her ass, then nearly killed her all in the same night. I figured there’d be whispers, stares, and still battling the effects of my own illness, I attended class with a strong headache and an aversion to any kind of food, Pop-Tarts or otherwise. I highly considered wearing sunglasses inside, but didn’t want any more attention than I already got.
Which was a lot, by the way. I got those whispers. I got those stares, but it all also came with something else.
“Dude, that was frickin’ sweet the other night,” said basically the entire male swim team. They’d been heading to a meet while I’d been waiting in the hallway for Birdie. I’d texted her before school I was finally getting my ass up to go in, and she told me to wait by her locker. I did and received no less than half a dozen acknowledgments from the swim team, both men and women, shout-outs from members of the boys’ basketball and baseball teams, and even a few cheerleaders.
“Thank you so much for standing up to her,” a cheerleader said, patting my shoulder. By then, Birdie had found me, and when she raised her hand for a high five, I gave it to her with my jaw dropped. People were either going crazy or seriously demented in this place. I mean, I almost killed a girl.
“Are they frickin’ serious right now?” I asked, receiving another pat but from some actual Court kept girls this time. They wore the necklaces Birdie had pointed out to me at the party with their uniforms. I faced Birdie. “They do know she’s still in the hospital, right?” I knew because Birdie had been giving me a play-by-play via text during my time away. She’d failed to mention I’d somehow become a goddamn hero, though.
Birdie threw an arm around my shoulder, guiding me into second period English. “Girl, you’re going to have to get used to it, because you’re one hundred percent everyone’s she-ro right now. You know, female hero?” She nudged me, easing herself inside her desk while I took mine. “That asshole has been calling me Big Bird for as long as I remember, and you stood up to her.”
“And nearly killed her.”
She blew a raspberry. “She’ll live, and you’re going down in history.”
“Why?”
The boys of the Court came in, Royal amongst them. Jax, LJ, and Knight made up the rear, and the entire posse collectively chilled in the back of the room.
I shrank, but definitely noticed something as Royal and the others got out their books for class. They all very much didn’t take notice of me, nor did they bullshit right away in the back like they usually did. They sat quiet, waiting for Mr. Pool to start with their books and pens.
I turned, Birdie in my periphery when she leaned over.
“The Court hasn’t said a word about you,” she whispered, turning a little before facing me. “There’s a reason people don’t mess with girls like Mira. They’re basically Court property and wouldn’t want to test it and piss them off. You’re bold, girl. They’re not even messing with you.”
“All right, group. Pop quiz today. Put away your books, and I’ll hand out your exams.”
A collective groan filtered through the classroom after Mr. Pool’s announcement, but not from the back of the room. The boys put their books away, and that’s when Royal’s gaze slid in my direction, a silent exchange between us before he faced forward. Birdie said they wouldn’t mess with me, but I wasn’t so sure.
I’d been prepared for the quiz and actually did pretty well on it. Birdie couldn’t say the same but pounded my fist, exclaiming she’d see me at lunch. I waited for Royal outside the classroom. I wanted to talk to him about what happened the other night, another one of his threats amongst other things. He saw me as soon as he left, but sliding on his cross-body bag, he parted off the other way with his boys, leaving me standing there in the middle of the hallway.
Shit.
That continued on with the rest of the day, me trying to play it cool and juggling attention while Royal deliberately avoided me. Typically, that wouldn’t bother me since I did what I could not to step on his toes. Birdie was right about one thing, crossing the Court wasn’t in my best interest, and somehow I’d managed to owe one of them.
I pushed through the rest of the day, but lost every opportunity to corner Royal. He was either surrounded by friends or in classes I didn’t have or failed to have access to. By the end of the day, I balanced a headache stimulated from tension and my activities from a night that’d gone terribly wrong. I’d heard Mira was fine, but she was still in the hospital. She’d be back when she had strength enough was the rumor.
I slammed my locker, ending my day with a rush to the exit. I figured hiding at home for a few days would do me some good, but I had work tonight, not that I couldn’t miss school anyway.
I kicked a rock by the sidewalk of student pick-up and drop-off, waiting for Hubert. He was late for some reason, and checking my phone, I confirmed that.
Dialing, I called to see what was up, and when I only got voicemail, I shot him a text.
“Lindquist?”
A black Escalade with silver rims and chrome trim had its window rolled down in front of me, a guy’s hand on the wheel. The boy was none other than Knight Reed, right-hand man to Royal Prinze himself. Huge, he filled up the whole front of the cabin, staring at me over jet-black shades.
I turned, thinking he couldn’t have been talking to me despite saying my name, and when I made eye contact, his eyes lifted to the ceiling of his ride.
He pulled his sunglasses off, his hair moused blades. “Yes, I just said your name, and yeah, I’m talking to you.”
I stood, pressing my skirt down and feeling hesitant. “Okay?”
He rolled his eyes again, waving me over with two fingers. Looking around, I noticed a few eyes in our direction. People were probably watching me going to meet my maker.
Not messing with me my ass.
Braving the hell up, I approached the car, the inside smelling heavily of new car and fierce masculinity. Whoever Knight was, he had an esteemed smell about him and a ride that proclaimed expensive taste. This seemed to be the norm around here, so I wasn’t surprised.
I placed my arms on the open window, and he reached over, clicking the door open.
I stepped back. “What’s going on?”
“I’m here to pick you up.”
“What?” I really stepped back now. “Why?”
Clearly over all this, Knight dampened thick lips. “Royal said you’d know what I was talking about. How you owed him one?”
Fuck.
He really was here to help me meet my maker, and where was Hubert when I needed the guy? This really was the wrong day for him to be late, and I folded my arms, shaking my head, and Knight tilted his.
“No,” I said, just no. No, I wouldn’t be going with him, virtually a stranger, and no, I wouldn’t be giving in to whatever Royal planned for me. He thought he could just have his henchman take me someplace? The answer to that was N friggin’ O.
Knight’s dark eyes narrowed and didn’t even say anything before shrugging a shoulder and starting the car. Hand on the gearshift, he planned to pull away without another thought.
“Wait,” I said, his hand hesitating. Without another thought of my own, I opened the door and got inside.
“So that’s a yes, then?” he asked, and I nodded, confirming. I had no choice but to do this. I might lose Hershey if I didn’t.
Nodding to himself, Knight put the car into gear, pulling away from both the curb and prying eyes. I noticed two of those had been Birdie, and I studied her through the side-view mirror, her eyebrows knitted as a member of the high and prestigious Court pulled me away in his fancy ride.
Knight and I traveled for a long time in silence. In fact, the only words were exchanged by me when Hubert finally called me back. He told me his scheduled oil change had taken longer than expected. He apologized and said he was on his way to pick me up now, but I told him he didn’t have to. I explained I
found a ride home, hanging up, and after, Knight faced me.
“I’m getting you to work too, by the way,” he said. “What we’re doing won’t take long.”
“What exactly are we doing?” I asked him, putting my phone away. Though, I had texted one other person before doing so. I sent Aunt Celeste a message, mostly checking in but also alluded she should hear from me soon. If she didn’t, I knew she’d go poking around. Call it my fail-safe since I had no idea what this with Knight and Royal was about.
Knight merely moved a hand over his leather steering wheel. I’d never been near the guy this close, and he was a colossal giant, his biceps the size of most guys’ thighs. He turned. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get you to work on time. LJ will fry my ass if we don’t. He takes all the shit at the community center seriously since he works there.”
“Wait. LJ is in on this?” I asked, and Knight nodded in response. I frowned. “Will he be wherever we’re going?”
“Probably. Just sit back. This won’t take long.”
More questions most assuredly wouldn’t get me any more answers, but “sitting back” and relaxing definitely wasn’t happening either. I played on my phone for a bit but studied my environment too. I wanted to remember everything… just in case.
Birdie: Everything all right? I saw Knight take you away. What’s up with that?
Like he knew, Knight’s eyes were in the direction of my phone for a sec before returning to the road.
Me: Nothing. I work with LJ at the community center. Knight’s just taking me to meet him and get something for work later tonight.
A lie, obviously, but as I didn’t know what this was. I didn’t want to alarm her more than I already was. In any case, we’d arrived at our destination…
And it was massive.
A castle straight out of Hogwarts wrapped around at least three city blocks and was completely made out of old brick like from an ancient story. It was surrounded by iron fencing, and when Knight passed through an open gate, people were outside of it, Court boys playing soccer and ultimate Frisbee in the yard. I knew they were Court by the rings. They waved a hand in the direction of Knight’s SUV as he passed.
He gave a wave in return, flashing his own gorilla ring with bared teeth, and they couldn’t have picked a better mascot for their posse. They definitely were “kings” around here and Knight’s hands returned to the wheel as he continued up the walk and to a gate he had to type a key code into. The gate opened, and he pulled inside down a rock path, more boys socializing in what appeared to be a garden now, but there were some girls too.
Court kept.
Some couples held hands, others visually making out on the property grounds. We passed them all, more waves in our direction for Knight. He wasn’t much of a talker, at least not to me, and we stayed silent all the way up to the castle.
The SUV doors clicked open after stopping, and I unbuckled, watching as Knight came around. He let me out like a gentleman, or a dutiful bounty hunter.
I wasn’t sure which one he was at the present.
After shutting the door, he directed me down a path and to the side door of the structure. He had to press in another code, and when he opened the door this time, he didn’t go first.
He nodded me to go in, and I did, my eyes adjusting from natural light to artificial. Inside was what appeared to be some type of lounge, or a rec center of some sort, with pool tables and old-school arcade games. Nearly all had people around them, boys and all of them, absolutely all of them, stopped the minute they saw me. I mean, mid-point in pool, sticks freezing in hands and everything. They stood slow as Knight guided me through the room without even a stop or a glance, but I felt those eyes. They were on me, not him.
Where are all the girls?
There were none in this room, actual fear in my veins as I flanked close to Knight. Was this part of Royal’s deal?
“…this one will cost you.”
I didn’t like this, on the brink of turning this train right around as boys, who both outnumbered me in actual numbers as well as size and height, stopped everything they were doing. Some rested their hands on pool cues, others stopping their games of chess and conversation. I was foreign to this place, my presence foreign to them clearly; otherwise, they wouldn’t be watching so close.
“It’s about time. Let’s get this done. I have a shit ton to do.”
The appearance of LJ normally might give me a sense of security. I mean, he looked out for me at the community center but here… in this place. Standing from his seat in front of a big-ass television screen, he gave Knight one of those guy handshake and hugs, only bigger than the dude in height. His hair down, LJ panned to me. “She does too. We got to go to work.”
“Work. Work,” Jax teased, also on that couch. He stood, the only one of the guys with a buzzed haircut. “Always gotta work.”
“Well, some of us don’t have daddies and mommies that hand us everything,” LJ said, his eyes narrowing at their Court jester. “My mom needs all the money I bring in to her.”
Shocked at least one of the members of Court and Windsor Prep wasn’t affluent, I kept silent during the exchange, the two jostling each other after. Obviously, their difference of opinion on this issue didn’t mean much in the end.
LJ proved that when he tossed an arm over Jax, who was significantly smaller than him. Don’t get me wrong. Jax was still a tank like the rest of them, but closer in height more to me at five foot six.
“Ready?” LJ asked me, finally acknowledging me. “We’ll get you loaded up, then I’ll relieve Knight and take you to work.”
I frowned. “Loaded up with what?”
The boy said nothing, merely winking at me before punching a fist into Knight. He also didn’t answer me, flanking behind LJ, and Jax looked to follow, but I stood in his way. He was closer in height to me, and though I feared being bowled over by him too, I held my ground.
“What is this place?” I asked, noticing some of the boys around me had returned to their activities, but their observant gazes remained.
Jax grinned. “We’re being rude, aren’t we? Come on. Let me show you around. The guys don’t need me.”
LJ and Knight stood at the door I’d come in at, but when Jax waved them on, they shrugged, leaving the pair of us. I supposed they didn’t need him, and when Jax motioned me to follow him, let’s just say I didn’t drag my feet. Any moment I could get out of this room with all these boys wouldn’t be a moment too soon.
“Welcome to Windsor House,” Jax introduced. Out of the room with all the boys, he’d led us into a hall, expansive walls with old wooden paneling and giant light fixtures that twinkled with bright lights. With the added sun through the skylights, it made the place kind of breathtaking. Jax’s grin widened. “Consider it headquarters for the Court and all our activities. The alumni ‘officially’ use it for meetings and to host charity events and other shit for the city, but that’s only like, once a millennium. The rest of the time, it’s ours and we use it to hang out.”
The place and their organization was actually legit, a real boys’ club, but there were girls and I finally saw them when we traveled through the halls of Windsor House. They didn’t all have boys with them, socializing amongst themselves, but they all did wear necklaces that indicated their “status” here. They were all Court kept, and upon seeing me, some of their eyes widened. I completely noticed that I, amongst all these girls, didn’t wear a necklace, and I assumed that’d been the reason. They let their sights completely linger on me, but one person who didn’t notice was Jax, and catching the eye of a friend, he stopped and greeted him with a handshake. Not knowing what to do, I basically just stood there awkwardly. Especially when Jax left to go talk to the guy and abandoned my ass.
So much for showing me around. Trying to blend in, I studied the room.
“December, right?” A girl with nut-brown hair and twinkling blue eyes joined me with a friend who didn’t appear to want to be a part of this whole gree
ting. Sipping a red drink, the girl stared off to the side when her friend got my attention. I’d seen the girl who’d spoken to me around school. She placed a hand on her chest. “Demi Chandler. I think we have anatomy together…”
“Right.” I nodded at her, hoping Jax would save me soon. Being under the observation of all these girls was no better than the boys. Especially when it came to Demi’s friend. Staring off, her friend appeared to be pretty damn uncomfortable at being forced to be a part of this conversation, and she walked away, completely leaving us.
“Don’t mind Jasmine,” Demi said, frowning. “Her loyalties lie with Mira.”
“Is she okay? Have you heard anything about her?”
“Oh, she’ll be fine,” Demi stated, smiling a little. “She’s drama, and most of this room can’t stand her. Though they won’t admit it. Her family is very important to the Court.”
Though I noticed she didn’t say how. Reaching over, she squeezed my arm, and I noticed the necklace glistening over her chest. She was kept by someone like the rest of them, a part of this place, but she was talking to me. Her smile widened. “I just wanted to say go you. Standing up for yourself is rare in this place, and don’t worry about Mira. I saw her. She’ll be out of the hospital tomorrow.”
Relief flooded me. “I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“It’s really okay. I’ll see you at school, all right?”
I nodded, happy Mira was okay, and I really didn’t want anyone hurt. Demi went off to join her friend, and by then, Jax had finally finished up with his.
He bopped over. “Ready? What kind of shit do you want to look at? Girls like libraries and crap, right? We got like five. Come on.”
He showed me two, the libraries pretty badass, and I enjoyed seeing them. With the layout of this place, it would take me a millennium to get through it, but Jax kept up his tour. He pointed out the tennis and badminton courts from the window of the third floor, and I started to follow him to the next library when a voice gave me pause. We’d passed a room with large oak doors, and I peered inside.
“You called for me, Dad?”