“No.” I had tuned out their conversation. I mean, yeah, it entertained me, but I also just wanted to get the hell out of here. “What about it?”
“You’ve been nominated for Winter Queen,” Junior with a T whispered, her eyes rounding. “A-against Carmen and Ryan.”
I swallowed. Well, that hadn’t been part of the plan.
“Tray and Dash are up for Winter King,” she continued, her voice growing a little stronger. She listed the other nominations—two senior chicks who functioned as Ryan’s personal minions, and three other dudes I knew from my classes.
The typical court.
Minus me and Tray.
Did you do this? I asked him, sensing his presence in the hallway, waiting for me.
If by this, you mean the Winter Court assignment, no.
“Huh,” I said out loud. “Cool.”
Not the word I meant to use, but everyone was gaping at me.
I shrugged on my backpack and headed toward the doors. “Thanks?” I called back over my shoulder, uncertain of what else to say. The school had voted on the nominations—which meant my peers had put me into this position. Something I wasn’t sure how to feel about.
“Do you think Ryan did it?” I asked as soon as I saw Tray.
He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his side. “It’s possible, but your popularity has skyrocketed, dove. So it might be the students. We’ll know when we see her reaction.”
We had early release today, making swim class our last period of the day. That explained why they did the school announcements in the morning. I always tuned them out and hadn’t even noticed.
Tray led me down the corridor toward the exit. Several sheep watched along the way, their intrigue palpable. Ryan must be waiting near the doors.
So it would seem, he murmured, tightening his hold around me as we approached her.
One look at my stepsister’s face confirmed she had nothing to do with the nomination. Because she was not that good an actress.
“A word, please?” The demand was leveled at Tray, not me.
“I can’t imagine what we have to discuss,” he replied coolly. “I’ve already turned you down several times, and my decision hasn’t changed.”
Steam billowed from her ears as she followed us outside. “Now, Trayton.”
“Does that actually work on other people?” He glanced at me, arching a brow. “Do you find that as annoying as I do? That people buy into this shit?”
“What can I say?” I lifted a shoulder. “I mean, she’s an entitled bitch.”
Ryan sputtered, my words hitting their mark and sticking.
Meanwhile, Tray nodded sagely. “It’s true.”
“We could just ignore her,” I suggested.
He flashed me a dazzling grin. “I knew I adored you, El.”
We took two steps before she shrieked, officially losing her shit. She grabbed Trayton by his blazer and yanked him backward.
My power flickered to life, zapping her on instinct.
I’d left my power-diminishing bracelet in my bag.
Oops.