It’d been a long and painful trial, but one of the sweetest convictions by far had been Mr. Prinze. He was told right there his entire life as he knew it would be taken away.
And he had to do it in front of his son.
I stood as Royal’s name was called, our valedictorian. Would you know it, he had the best grades in our class despite being hospitalized for weeks. A gunshot to the abdomen wouldn’t slow him down. He had me, Knight, Jax, and LJ and even some of my friends bring him his work every day. We stayed with him, supported him until he walked again and ultimately, out of that hospital. Even then, I didn’t leave his side. I couldn’t. I’d been so close to losing him.
My boyfriend had actually jumped in front of a bullet for me. I mean, who could actually say that? It just proved his loyalty to not just me, but Paige as well. I guess he did look out for me in the end.
I stood tall, clapping as Royal stepped to the podium to give his speech to our class. He wore the same dark robes we all did, but by far, filled it out in ways not even the average Court guy could do. His muscular shoulders framed the whole thing, fitted perfectly over his big body, and his blond hair was moussed and shaped divinely under his cap. Lena gave him a hug once he got up there, sharing a few words with him. Whatever they were, he smiled at her, so many smiles these days. It was like actual light came back into him once his dad was locked up and Principal Hastings had been shipped out to a high-security prison in bumfuck nowhere. Justice was finally served, and we all got to see it.
The crowd had calmed down, but I still clapped. I couldn’t stop. He deserved it so much.
Royal’s gaze made it out to me during my applause, his chin raised, and I didn’t care that only my applause radiated in that room. I’d still keep on, until my hands hurt. In my periphery, that applause was joined, and when I turned, Knight was there backing me up. His claps were boisterous, radiating in the room, and quickly followed by two more.
LJ, our salutatorian, applauded too from the stage. He sat with the teachers, Royal’s empty seat beside him. Well, once he clapped, there went Jax too. He was closer by, closer to me. Jax whistled loudly with his thick fingers, and the crowd laughed.
I found my second wind with my applause still going on, and my friends at my sides joined me. I spotted Kiki, Birdie, and Shakira with a few of our other friends from the basketball team. Court boys popped up from various seats after that, and once they stood, the whole audience did, a shower of applause. They knew what Royal had been through, what we’d all gone through to be here. We all deserved the applause, this whole town.
In the middle of it all, Royal spotted me, and once it concluded, he kissed two fingers, placing them out to me. He pointed right after, taking his spot behind the podium with his speech in hand. Stepping in front of the microphone, I knew this was finally it, the last part of himself he had to give to anyone else around here. After today, he was free.
After today, he’d begin his life.
*
That mindset traveled with me throughout the day, the freedom and ability to begin one’s life. I’d felt restricted and bound for so long by my own mental battles. They’d been powerful, and in the thick of it, I wasn’t sure if I’d come out the victor. It took coming here to this town to change things for me, and oddly enough, the love of a guy to only strengthen my own victory. Royal inspired me so much, how someone could go through so much pain to not only defeat his obstacles but rise above them. Mr. Prinze had been the most powerful member of the Court, the president I found out. There were some very high-ranking officials, but an emergency vote lifted the youngest president ever named in Court history up the ranks. Royal was now president of his prestigious Court, and what did that mean for the town?
Well, unity.
That could be seen at the graduation after-party, held at none other than Windsor House, and no one had been left out. Anyone and from every walk of life was allowed in, and the House was filled to the brim with Court boys, Kept girls, and the rest of the town. Those labels felt so weird now, so much had changed. Even those final weeks of school were totally blended, Court boys sitting with nerds and jocks hanging out with chess club geeks. People didn’t care about their labels. They were just being themselves, and how awesome that I could to be a part of that.
I thought about that as I mingled and chatted with some of my friends. I knew it might be a very long time before I ever saw them again. We were all going to go our separate ways after this, some college, some jobs, and other things. Today might be our last day,
