Chapter 11
JADE
By Friday night, the campus gym looked like a sold-out arena. The kind of overblown production that only a prep school with a seven-figure booster budget could pull off.
A haze of fog machines curled over the court, tinted red and gold from strobing lights. The bass from the speakers hit deep in my chest—hip-hop remixes shaking the bleachers as cheerleaders flipped and tossed each other through clouds of glitter spray.
Confetti cannons waited, primed at the sidelines. The drumline rolled into a thunder that made the banners on the walls flutter. Students waved LED bracelets that blinked in sync to the music, and for a second, the whole place pulsed like a heartbeat.
Royal Oaks didn’t do subtle.
I stood near the top of the bleachers with Shani and Mindy, the “entourage,” as Shani proudly called us. Her lip gloss sparkled in the flashing lights. Hayden was already taking notes for an exposé on the school’s budget priorities. I just… watched.
When the lights dimmed, the scoreboard screens lit up—highlight reels flashing across the digital boards. Names boomed over the speakers.
“Number 11… co-captain… Leo Holt!”
The crowd erupted.
I didn’t want to look.
But I did.
There he was on the giant screen—smog swirling, lights slicing through haze—dribbling down the lane like the floor belonged to him.
Sweat glistened on his temples, the muscles in his arms flexing with each move.
Those same arms I used to trace with my fingertips, slow and secret, like they were the only safe place I knew.
The cheers grew louder, the beat syncing with the rhythm of his steps. Then the fireworks—tiny golden sparklers shot up at the corners of the court like a mini NBA intro, because of course they did.
He looked… untouchable.
Every girl in the stands leaned forward when he smiled. When he winked. When he lifted a hand in salute toward the crowd.
And when the cheerleaders ran out to toss white flowers—real roses—onto the court for him and Xavier, my throat went tight.
Because I couldn’t say anything. Couldn’t roll my eyes or laugh it off like I didn’t care.
Because we were over.
Because he wasn’t mine to look at anymore.
The music hit harder, lights flared white-hot, and for a moment, Leo was everything he was raised to be—the golden boy, the prince, the untouchable King of Royal Oaks.
And I was just one girl in the stands, trying to remember that queens don’t bow.
The gym smelled like smoke and sugar—burnt sparklers, body spray, and whatever overly sweet energy drink they’d passed out with the school logo on it.
The lights finally dimmed, the crowd still buzzing, and somewhere behind the bleachers a few freshman girls were crying from excitement like this was Coachella.
Shani bumped my shoulder. “Tell me he didn’t look so fine out there.”
I didn’t answer. I was too busy pretending I hadn’t just watched Leo’s highlight reel three times like my heart didn’t hiccup every time the screen flashed his name.
I was already seated—front row, center. The gym lights dimmed around us, blue and gold spotlights strobing across the floor while smoke hissed from the machines near the bleachers. The pep rally was moments away from starting, and the gym buzzed with electricity.
That’s when they showed up.
Four of them. Still walking like they owned the place, all hips, sneers, and designer perfume. No one had been expelled yet. Everything was "under investigation" and "pending review," which apparently meant “don’t touch them unless your daddy’s more powerful than theirs.”
One of them—Tiana—eyed me like I was a stain on velvet. The others hovered behind her like over-glossed backup dancers.
“You’re in our seats,” she said, all saccharine and bite.
I didn’t even blink. “Don’t think so.”
She gave a little scoff. “These have been our spots since sophomore year.”
I leaned back in the seat, crossed my legs, and looked up at her slowly. “Didn’t you get served yesterday?” My voice dropped, sharp as glass. “I have a restraining order against at least three of you. A protective order as well.”
That did it.
Shani didn’t miss a beat. Her phone was already out. Click.
“Smile,” she said sweetly. “This one’s going to the lawyers, the lead investigator, and the school board.”
They didn’t move at first.
So I stood.
My whole body straightened, spine locked tight as steel. “Move,” I said, louder this time. “You’re in violation. And I’m done playing nice.”
They rolled their eyes like they were bored, like I wasn’t worth the effort. But one by one, they turned and left—fake yawns, fake laughs, flipping their hair like the sound of their heels meant something.
It didn’t.
They were noise.
And I was done being quiet.
I sat back down. Shani bumped her shoulder into mine. Hayden offered a sour straw. The lights dimmed further, music roared to life, and the pep rally began.
But even with sparklers flaring and a sea of students rising to cheer... it felt like I’d already won.
“Nice,” a warm voice said from behind me, amused and impressed. “Queen Jade holding court.”
I turned to see Kannon Kavanaugh grinning as he slid into the seat beside me, forcing Mindy to move over—followed by a couple of his teammates—tall, broad-shouldered boys who smelled faintly of cologne and fresh sweat. The crowd made room like they always did when Royal Oaks royalty came through.
Kannon was the crown jewel of our baseball program.
Cannon for an arm. Already flirting with the MLB draft and stacked with D1 offers.
Unlike most of the attention-seekers around here, he actually earned his clout—through early-morning workouts, late-night film sessions, and a killer curveball. And he was smiling at me.
“You sure you want to be seen with me?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow. “Word is, I’m radioactive.”
He laughed, head tipped back, easy and unbothered. “Absolutely. I only sit with royalty.”
Then, before I could say anything else, he lifted his phone, leaned into me, and snapped a selfie. Just like that.
Click.
Flash.
The next second, it was on his SnapStory: Me and the Queen herself. #OpeningNightVibes
I blinked. “That’s gonna start rumors.”
“Let it,” he shrugged, lips twitching. “I like chaos.”
I couldn’t help the snort that escaped. “You sound like my lawyer.”
Kannon laughed again, nudging my shoulder. “You’re alright, Jade. Way more interesting than half the fake-around-here crowd.”
Shani leaned over, giving him a smirk. “Careful. You might make our girl here actually enjoy herself tonight.”
“I already am,” I said before I could stop myself. And it was true. He was light-hearted but grounded. The type of guy who took life seriously, but not himself. Being around him made the weight on my chest feel just a little lighter.
And then I felt it—that slow-burn tingle across my skin like a spotlight had landed on the back of my neck.
I turned just slightly and found him.
Leo.
Across the gym. Standing near the tunnel with Xavier, warm-ups pulled tight across his chest and his arms flexing as he pulled on his shooter’s sleeve. He was watching me.
No—glowering.
His jaw ticked, and his eyes narrowed into that signature stormcloud stare that once meant I was the only one he saw.
Now?
Now he looked like he wanted to throw the basketball through Kannon’s skull.
Kannon leaned in again, dropping his voice. “You feel that heat too?”
I didn’t answer.
I just smiled… and leaned a little closer.
Let Leo scowl.
I wasn’t his anymore.
And tonight, I was having fun.