Private School Kings

The Ball: Part 2

This is a double update so make sure to read Part I first!

After Tim's entrance the rest of the Lords shifted towards the walls, leaving just the girls in his sights.

Beside me, Heather stepped forward. "Come on Monroe." She said, going to join the rest of the ladies. I obeyed.

It felt almost exactly like a first party I'd attended at the ruins. The girls grouped together, leaning into each other for comfort as the boys watched. Tim, looking over all of us, regal and uncanny.

With long, careful, steps Tim took to the stairs. His footfalls thundered in the empty air as he drew near to us.

Tim's hair was waved carefully beneath his crown, his face lightly tanned, his lashes dark above bright blue eyes. He was, in a word, beautiful. He wore a white tux, but not the one he'd been in during that first party. This was an elaborate garment, pressed, perfect, and accented in gold. The exact same colors he'd dressed me in. I gasped, unable to cover it, and as the red haired girl on my right glared down at me my head swarmed. He'd wanted me to match him. That had to be a sign.

But then I took another look at Heather's dress. It was a dark, deep, black with twinkling silver accents, like the night sky. I saw now what she'd done. Instead of matching Tim like I was, she had dressed his opposite. Her eyes caught mine and she gave a small smile before looking back to the King.

"Girls," He said solemnly, pacing back and forth in front of us like a jungle cat getting ready to pounce. No one answered, but he didn't seem to mind. There was a vein in his neck I'd never noticed before, pulsing slightly as he walked. "If I'm being honest..." He paused just a few steps from where I was standing. He looked different up close. While I could see that he was still Tim, still handsome, still sort of regal, something had changed. His face was its usual pale white, but there were two dime sized pricks of rough on his cheeks. For anyone else the flush would have been normal, but on Tim it was off putting. His eyes had changed too. His pupils were enormous and dark, leaving only a sliver of his usual piercing blue irises visible. I knew what that meant from my last years with Charlie. He was high on something. "The decision of who will be Kings Girl has always been a hard one, but this year..." Tim smiled as he trailed off. It was a rueful, sharp smile. "This year it was pretty fucking easy."

Tim stopped pacing, coming to rest in front of Maggie Fortworth, who I always thought of as 'minnie Heather'. My heart skipped. There was no way in hell that Tim was choosing Maggie. I couldn't believe it.

"You," He said, looking down at her with that smile still on his face. He reached a hand out, clasping her chin between his thumb and forefinger. She looked up at him, eyes wide and hopeful. "Are a filthy fucking slut." Even I flinched at the word. He had said it so nonchalantly, but it hit Maggie like a bulldozer. She jerked away, but his grip tightened on her chin, pinning her in place. I didn't like Maggie, but what little heart I still had broke for her. "You have the fucking gall to stand in front of me like you haven't been screwing both of the goddamn Lowell twins!?" Tim was yelling now, spitting into her face as he did. "My Lords tell me what they do!"

"Shit." The sound came from Connor, who was looking at his brother with a face full of pure rage.

Tim ignored him, pushing Maggie away with such force she went stumbling backwards. Her heel caught on her dress, and her arms wheeled in a feeble attempt to stay standing. The thump of her fall echoed around the silent room. I closed my eyes. It was too much.

When I opened them Tim had returned to pacing, looking utterly composed despite all that had just happened. I looked for Maggie, but she had melted into the crowd. My hands were shaking so violently I forced them behind my bag. The last thing I needed was Tim --this Tim-- knowing I was afraid. Though he could probably smell it on me. I wouldn't put it past him.