Page 66 of Royal Havoc

He’s resting on the edge of his desk, watching me. “The bell.”

Quickly, stuffing my things into my bag. “Right, sorry.”

“Are you okay?” he asks, straightening as I start to walk towards the front of the room.

“Maybe I’m getting sick.” Hurrying past his desk.

“Oh, do you need to cancel our meeting?” he asks, stopping me mid-step.

“Our meeting,” I repeat, hoping to remind myself what he’s talking about without sounding like I’m an idiot.

He crosses his tone arms. “Our interview. This evening after my —”

“Oh, our interview. Right.” I nod. “What time did we say?” I question, vaguely remembering our conversation.

Letting his arms fall to his sides. “We didn’t,” he answers, glancing at his calendar. “Is six to late? You can bring your da —”

“Six is perfect,” I rush to cut him off. “See you then.”

“In the library,” he calls once I’m almost out the door, and I throw a hand up so he knows I heard him.

thirty-five

Teacher Vibes

Onyx: 2024

Simple things are the most confusing. You walk into a room, hit a switch, and the light comes on. Simplicity at its finest. Right?

You stare at a scowling jackass, wondering about some random question thrown into the universe by your sperm donor. And suddenly, nothing makes sense. Sweat gathers in places it shouldn’t, and your chest feels funny.

Where’s the switch to turn that shit off?

His name lights up the screen on my dash a second before the ringing fills the Jeep, giving me an eye twitch.

“What?” I answer tiredly.

“What part ofstay putsounds like bolt?” he growls angrily into the phone.

Rolling my twitchy eye hard enough, it feels like I burst a vessel. “I’m sure I heard play —”

“Don’t fuck with me, Onyx,” he warns. “I told you I had to meet Zeke and to stay put. Where are you going?” he grits.

“How can I fuckwith youif you keep leaving?” I question sweetly.

There’s a long pause, and the silence echoes in the Jeep, forcing me to check the display to see if I’ve lost the call.

Finally, he clears his throat, and I realize my question has thrown him sideways.

“Onyx…”

“Ugh, fine. I’ve got a stupid assignment I have to work on. I’m going to the library,” I huff, letting him off the hook I’ve stabbed him with.

“Really?” he questions disbelievingly.

“Because I couldn’t come up with something better,” I retort.

“Whatever. You’ve got until eight p.m. I’m taking you somewhere.”

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