Page 118 of American Royalty

Dudes go sky high

When I say jump—

Was somebody shouting the lyrics to her song?

Eyes wide, she turned and spied a group of four teen girls on thefar end of the crowd, leaning over the barricades. Two security officers stood in front of them, their arms outstretched.

When Dani stopped, the girls began jumping excitedly. “Duchess!”

“I told you it was her!” one of the girls said.

“Yo, it’s really her,” a boy said, running up to join the group.

“Move back now!” the security guard said.

Lips tightening, Dani touched Liam’s arm. “Go ahead. I’ll be there in a minute.”

She hurried down the steps and across the street to the area where the security forces were trying to contain the growing group of kids. As she got closer the teens got even more frenzied.

“Duchess! Duchess! Duchess!”

While one girl continued rapping the lyrics to “Sky High,” a couple of the kids provided a stripped-down beatbox to accompany her, and Dani couldn’t help bopping her head and grooving her shoulders to the impromptu flow.

“That’s all they see of me / My femininity / They think they have the key / Silly little guy...”

Dani jumped in. “You could never see / What I’m meant to be / I belong to me—”

The entire crowd finished with her. “D to the A to the N I!”

“Yeah!” The group of kids clapped and whistled.

Dani laughed, joy filling her at their love. Ironically, although they were calling her Duchess, it was the first time since the events began that she’d felt more like herself in public. Like Dani. To see their brown faces, bright shining eyes, and wide grins took her back to who she’d been before all of this happened. To when she would’ve been on that side of the barricade with them.

“Hey, guys! What’s good?” she asked, reaching out to take the hands being waved in her direction.

“Yo! Watch yourself,” Antoine said, when one of the boys tugged on her hand. He moved to stand between her and the kids.

She smiled. “It’s okay.”

He gave her the look that told her he wasn’t budging.

“He got a little excited. I promise to keep my distance, but I don’t want to stand apart like I’m better than them. Like I’ve forgotten where I’m from. Please.”

After a long moment, Antoine nodded and stepped from in front of her. But not before he aimed a look at the group to indicate he wouldn’t tolerate any shit. Several wide eyes and low murmurs signaled his message had been received.

She refocused on the kids. “How are you guys doing?”

“Great, now that we got to see you,” one girl said.

“What are you doing here?” a boy asked.

Dani gestured behind her. “Right now, I’m about to take a tour of this building.”

“She’s here for the Prince John tribute concert, idiot,” another teen said.

“Wait, you are?”

“Yeah,” Dani said.