Cash’s POV
Even though we hated each other Royal and I basically grew up together. Always living next door, always in the same schools, the same clubs, the same small town. In all the years I’ve known him I have never seen the… the fear in his eyes like I do now.
Within seconds of the crash and screams Royal was running upstairs to find his sisters and I followed him handing Chicago to Natalie and telling her to stay where she is. I didn’t think she would move though. Unlike Royal her reaction to her sisters’ screaming was to be frozen in place.
“Please, please tell me your ok!” Royal was stuck outside a locked door when I caught up with him banging on it.
“NO! NO! YOU CANT COME IN YOULL BE MAD!” I think that was Emma… honestly at this point there’s to many of them.
“I won’t be mad just let me in,” Royal’s eyes hadn’t let the fear in them go and it’s probably the most negative emotion, other than anger, that I’ve seen from him since we were kids.
“No!” As Haley screamed another crash sounded which made both girls start crying harder.
“HALEY! EMMA! Open the door or I swear I will kick it down,” his sisters were in trouble and he was done playing soft.
“NO!”
As Royal was preparing to actually kick the door down another little girl approached from the next room over. “Role? Wha ron?”
Royal looked between his other sister and the door. “Paris…”
“Paris, sweetheart, do you wanna play a game?” Royal looked at me with a confused look.
“Yeah!” I knelt down to look her in the eye.
“Ok, what do you say you go and entertain Chicago with Natalie and if you do an excellent job I will personally take you to the store and buy you whatever candy you want.”
“Yeah! Yeah!” She ran off as I watched her and when I stood back up Royal was still looking at me. He’d calm down so his eyes are of there usual coolness, but at the same time there was something there.
“Hailey and Emma can you please come out. I don’t have to come in, please,” his sisters could probably tell that he’s calmed down a little cause they walked out and stood in front of their older brother.
“Emma!” He slightly raised his voice had his eyes widened, “what happened to your hand?”
“She cut it on the shards,” Emma was holding back tears.
“Shards?”
Both girls stepped aside and Royal walked in with a audible, sharp inhale. I walked in behind and looked past his head. Something glass and probably expensive was in shards on the ground with what I could only assume a real sapphire, the Hawkson never had any problems flaunting their money around, laying on the pile.
Royal slowly walked forward and picked up the sapphire, “my mom is going to kill me.”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
“Nope, mom loves this stupid sapphire dolphin more than she loves me.”
I looked at him for a second, “sorry,” I turned and walked out before a ran back in. “Let’s put it back together they’ll never know.”
He looked me confused for the 100th time since I walked in his house. “Why would you help me?”
“Why not? It’s not your fault and you’re just protecting your sisters by taking the blame so why not help you.”
“Thank you,” he brushed my shoulder walking past and I felt something, “for everything.”
Later that night
Royal and I had worked for hours together repairing the dolphin. It wasn’t perfect, but it’ll hold long enough for him to get a new one. I know my parents aren’t poor that’s how we live in such a nice neighborhood, but the Hawkson family are stupidly rich.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
“Natalie, you are squeezing the life out of me I just repaired a dolphin not saved the world.”
“You saved mine and Royal’s lives,” I just laughed. Both of them looked at me like I was crazy, “I’m not kidding Royal would get and take the brunt of everything since he’s Royal. But we would both be in major trouble. So thank you. Royal do you want to add something.”
He was too busy looking at the one place a piece was missing to say anything.
“Royal.”
“Thank him tomorrow we still might die.”
“Debby downer.”
“Anyways,” I interrupted when Royal actually looked up at his sister, “I gotta get home, but I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”
“Bye,” what was with this girl and trying to squeeze me to death. Of course Royal had probably used all the kindness he could spare me and just grunted at me before I walked back to my house.
Next Day Home Ec Class
When I walked into Home Ec there was no teacher to be seen, but there was a huge fight happening. At least that’s what I think is happening.
“I don’t like people screaming in my face. What the fuck are you even on about this early?”
“I DONT GIVE A SHIT IF YOU DONT LIKE ME YELLING AT YOU! YOU DATED MY SISTER JUST TO USE HER!”
Royal had a problem of always smiling at the wrong moments. He mostly shows this when we get into one of our fights, but it’s not exclusively for me as he was showing with Ava’s other sibling Alexa.
I have a problem with fighting with Royal, yes, however, Royal has a problem with fighting with almost every person at this school. I’m pretty sure he made the Spanish teacher quit after he corrected her way to many times and then got into an argument about who’s right. That was how most the school found out their town’s best doctor was an immigrant from Spain and took his wife’s last name instead of the other way around. That’s beside the point though. I need to focus on why they are fighting at 7 AM, especially when Royal wasn’t going to lose an argument that wasn’t against me.
“Will both of you shut up, please,” I was standing between the two trying to break them up. By break them up I mean get Alexa away before Royal annoys her enough to do something she’ll regret.
“Fuck off, Hugh.”
“Can we please wait to argue.”
“I have nothing to say to your bitch-ass…”
“Mr. Hawkson and Mr. Hugh sit your asses down so class can begin,” of course neither of us had heard Mrs. Black walk in, “and Mr. Hawkson I suggest you watch that mouth of yours before your mother finds out what is coming out of it.”
“She probably already knows.”
“Mr. Hawkson callate y escucha.”
This got Royal to put down his phone and look directly at her. Royal is probably more fluent in Spanish than he is in English at this point, however, he mainly speaks English because not even his sisters or mom speaks Spanish that well. Not that I care or pay much attention to him… the point is when someone takes time to speak Spanish to him it’s in his blood to listen.
“Good, now watch that mouth of yours and listen to the lessons of the day,” no response, which could be a good or bad thing, “today we’re talking about the semester ‘Making Connections’ project. I will split you into groups of two and than explain what the project consists of….”
I stopped paying attention to her and looked over to Royal. He was actually paying attention and keeping his mouth closed which wasn’t normal. If it was good I didn’t know. I really needed to pay more attention in Spanish class so I can try to figure out what Mrs. Black had said to him.
“… Royal and Cash…”
“Oh FUCK NO!”
There goes the peace.
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