Page 91 of The Forbidden Note

“They threw the first punch, coach. Wasn’t us.”

The meathead bawls and sets a hand on his face which is already starting to swell. “I think he blinded me, coach. I can’t see.”

The little prick.

My stick was nowhere near his eyes.

A vein pops in the coach’s face. “You. You. You. And You.” He stabs a finger in our direction. “Principal’s office.”

I glare at the coach.

Dutch folds his arms over his chest.

Finn doesn’t move.

The coach sees our resistance and goes red. “I don’t care who your father is, we do not allow fighting at Redwood. If my star QB is benched, I swear, I’ll take this straight to the school district board. Principal’s office.Now.”

Dutch drops his arms.

Finn looks annoyed.

The jock preens at me, sticking out his tongue.

I want to rip his spine out by the throat.

“Let’s go.” The coach motions for us to walk in front of him.

Under his breath, Sol lets out a spew of colorful curses in Spanish. I don’t need a translation to hear that he’s not in the mood for this crap.

Dutch grabs Cadence’s shoulders. “I’ll be right back.”

She nods.

Dutch, Finn, and Sol trail me down the hallway.

Everyone watches our procession with solemn eyes. We’ve done our share of crap here at Redwood, but this is the first time we’ve started a fistfight in broad daylight.

You’re reckless. Emotional. Irresponsible.

Dad’s words echo in my head.

Now, as I walk beside my brothers, watching the heaviness on their faces, I wonder if he was right.

* * *

Jinx: Do Kings Fight For Their Concubines?

They say music is a weapon and Snare King showed he’s just as dangerous as Prince Charming when he uses those sticks on something other than drums.

With rumors swirling about who’s been occupying the Snare King’s bed, tempers reached a boiling point. The battle ended swiftly and there was a clear winner, but why didn’t it feel like a victory?

Perhaps, Snare King and his royal brothers should have kept their dirty deeds from the light. Because now that the world is watching, there won’t be anywhere for their secrets to hide.

Until the next post, keep your enemies close and your secrets even closer.

- Jinx

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO