At least until he saw my face. Something visually settled there, and I didn’t understand. My lips parted. “Dad…”
“Show me the school.”
I did, angling the phone so he could see the flooded parking lot and later, the academy behind me. Seeing that, his broad shoulders relaxed too but stiffened a bit when Royal appeared into view. I knew this since I could see Royal as well on the screen with me in the background. He hadn’t gone far, just given me space for the call, but the moment he came into view on the screen, my dad’s expression changed again. Pissed the fuck off took on a new meaning, and I shifted to put Royal out of focus. I guess Dad wasn’t too keen on his baby girl running off into the night and taking time off school with her new boyfriend. I got that, but he was hella on right now.
Dad threw fingers through his hair and everything, dark like mine but obviously not as long. “Good,” he huffed. “Well, get off to it and call me when you get home.”
“Why?”
“Just do it, December,” he gritted. Pausing, he took a look around his office before focusing his attention back on me. “These are strange times, don’t you think? You should know. We lost your sister, didn’t we?”
That’s what he was worried about? Losing me? He hadn’t been concerned before.
“Okay,” I said. These definitely were strange times. I supposed Mira’s death put him over the edge, but she’d killed herself. “I will.”
“You will?”
“I will. I promise.”
“Okay.” This seemed to calm him down. He lowered the phone to stand on his desk, taking a seat. “Have a good day, then.”
“You too.”
He clicked me off, and after sliding the phone into my bag, I turned to find Royal. His arm fell around my shoulders again, and he took my book bag from me, slinging it on his shoulder with his.
“Any idea what that was about?” he asked during our strides, but since I didn’t, I could only shrug. I guess these strange times had finally made it into my house too, with my dad. Who would have thought?
Though the morning started off weird, at least first and second period settled back into some type of normalcy. The whispers had definitely been there, though, despite a little time past. Mira killing herself had justifiably set a tone, and Royal, Jax, LJ, Knight, and I weren’t spared from it. People talked. People gossiped about her, and I got to hear the whispers of it at the beginning and in between classes. The only place I was spared from it was in class and that’s because the teachers were lecturing and wouldn’t have the chatter. Any veer off of focus was quickly steered in the direction of numbers or text and continued that way until the end of second period for me that morning. Mr. Pool got a knock on his door, and he paused, beckoning in the person with a couple words. Something told me the English lit instructor didn’t expect our headmaster, Principal Hastings, to show up…
Nor the two members of campus security who accompanied him.
The presence of them stopped class entirely, Principal Hastings leading the train. He walked right up to Mr. Pool, waving to speak to him semi-privately. Well, it was as private as it could get with the two being in front of an entire classroom of senior students. I exchanged a quick glance with Birdie before gazing back at Royal, Jax, LJ, Knight and the rest of their Court crew. We had assigned seats, which was the only reason I wasn’t back there with them.
Royal’s cool green gaze grappled on to me too, his expression grim.
Especially when he was called to stand.
“Mr. Prinze?” Principal Hastings called again. He waved him this time. “Could you come with me, please?”
The trivial “oohs” of a class full of juvenile-minded individuals trickled through the room, but Royal played it off with a smirk, even smacking LJ’s hand before getting up and coming forward. LJ received the hit in good stride, but his bro’s expression was definitely tense when he let go, all the guys were. They stared at Royal in unity as their friend made his way to the front and eventually, out of the room with the security staff. They’d guided them to come with them and after a nod to Mr. Pool, Principal Hastings followed them.
What the fuck?
I shot a look toward the back of the room. Jax and LJ shrugged, but Knight’s sneer could have frightened a toddler. I raised a hand. “Mr. Pool, can I have the hall pass? You know, Aunt Flo?”
This got some snickers, and Birdie covered her mouth. A small “what the fuck?” left her lips, and as I watched the color drain from Mr. Pool’s face at clearly ladies’ troubles, I knew what I said got the job done. He reached into his desk, pulling out the pass.
Instantly, I got up, and when he handed it to me, he leaned in.
“A simple, ‘I need the hall pass’ will do for the future, December,” he said, a clear to his throat before letting me go with it. It astounded me that in this turn of the century a cis male such as himself could clearly still be bothered by a little period blood.
I shook my head a little when I got into the hallway and, after gazing around, stood there a second to figure out my next move. I had no idea where Royal would have been skirted off to, but I started in the
