That was all. It was enough. The letter rested in my pocket now and, as soon as I got home, I was going to put it in the scrapbook in my closet that she had started years ago of us. The only thing, other than her money, I had left of her.
Sighing quietly, I rested further on my chair, ignoring the gazes I felt on me from the audience. When Pearl, Jack, and I had gone across the stage at our separate times there had been freaking standing ovations. Nothing like a little early sucking up from Mysticals who don’t even know me, or them. Ezra’s name was about to be called, and I cringed, ready.
“Ezra Zeller, Bachelor’s Degree of Political Science,” Mrs. Jonas stated loudly.
Boom. The applause was almost deafening as he began sauntering across the stage.
I stood, clapping right along with everyone else, mine less polite than the roar, since I also blew through my index finger and thumb, whistling loudly, just as I had for Jack and Pearl.
In due progress, the ceremony was over. In Commoner school, the graduates threw their caps in the air but, since Mysticals wore robes with hoods, that didn’t even cross anyone’s minds. Instead, we cheered with our hands in the air as the fire Elementals of our class shot sparkling fireballs above our heads from their palms, the air Elementals blowing them high into the air, and then the water Elementals putting them out, keeping us safe. Not too shabby, and pretty damn cool to witness.
Afterward, we only had a half-hour to talk with each other and celebrate.
Following that, we were to go inside and get changed into our snazzy attire, then return to the field to mingle.
I went straight to my friends where they were already standing together to the side of the stage — away from everyone — and I kicked the grass a few times, mumbling, “I’m sorry. Really. It won’t happen again.”
“Damn straight,” Pearl grumbled, arms crossed over her chest.
Ezra’s lips were thinned, but he finally nodded.
Jack took a step closer, and bent to peer straight into my eyes, hissing, “Why the hell didn’t you tell us?” His blue eyebrows were together, like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
Glancing away, I asked, “Haven’t you ever had a secret you were ashamed of?”
A quiet pause, then he softly whispered, “Yes.” Another break, then a gruff command, “Ashamed, or not, you tell us in the future so we can rip his head off. Alright?”
I nodded, glancing to the side. Nikki and Gideon were heading our way, so I quickly said, “Ezra, I’d like to have that conversation tonight that you offered before.” The one about us sticking together. Living under the same roof, or whatever his idea was. Just so we were all close. Looking away from Nikki and Gideon, I peered up into his spring green gaze. “I’m in, if you’re serious.”
Unhurriedly, he nodded, his spikes styled wildly chaotic today.
“Me too,” Pearl whispered softly, sounding nervous.
The three of us turned to Jack.
He was rubbing his chin, blue eyebrows lowered, and right before Nikki arrived at his side, he stated, “I’m in.” No nerves. Just resolute calm.
Ezra crossed his arms, saying simply since Gideon and Nikki were now with us, “We’ll discuss it tonight after the Awakenings, but before the dinner King Kincaid is holding for us and our families.” This was desirable, because I still hadn’t met Jack’s or Pearl’s relatives. After what they had witnessed this morning in Mrs. Jonas’s office, they probably thought I was a barbarian Prodigy Shifter, and I would like the opportunity to prove I wasn’t. At least, not all the time.
We nodded. Decision set.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Henry?” Pearl asked, reading the name on the tiny slip of paper.
“Toss,” I muttered, silently reading the name on the top paper I held.
“Jasper?” Jack asked, eyeing a scrap of paper.
“Toss,” I muttered, throwing down the top slip I had read.
“Love doctor?” Nikki asked with a snicker, eyebrows raised and holding up a napkin.
“Does it really say that?” Gideon asked, yanking the napkin out her hand. He nodded, chuckling. “He’s probably compensating for something.”
I agreed. “Toss.”
“Here you guys are,” Ezra griped quietly, ducking behind the tree line where we hid from the onslaught of Mysticals vying for our attention. “I’ve been looking everywhere.” He appeared haggled, his black dress shirt cockeyed, spring green eyes wide, but he asked calmly enough, “What are you doing?”
Pearl waved her wad of papers as I tossed another one of mine on the ground, and she explained, “Going through the numbers passed to Lily.”
He blinked, then reached into his pockets, pulling out fistfuls of tiny papers. “Guess I’ll go through mine, too.”
We gaped.
Gideon asked carefully, “You’re not going to keep all of them?”
Ezra glared at the polite question, waving a fistful of papers, some of them blowing away in the breeze, which he didn’t seem to notice. “I’m turning over a new leaf.” He peered down at his first slip. “Try not to be such a,” a glower at me, “man-whore.”
I shook my head, going back to my own papers. “Don’t blame that title on me. I just call them like I see them.”
He grunted, tossing a slip on the ground without further comment.
“BJ?” Jack asked, head cocked, staring at a pink paper.
“Confused or an idiot,” Pearl mumbled, answering for me. “Toss.”
He tossed.
As a pile grew around his feet, Ezra slipped a torn scrap back into his pocket before continuing to examine the rest.
Huh, perhaps he was serious.
“Tiffany?” Nikki asked nonchalantly, face almost blank. I merely glanced at her and she tossed it, mumbling, “I’m so happy I’m not single anymore. This is ridiculous.”
Jack kissed her cheek, then asked, “Ivan?”
“Oh…” I nodded, holding out my hand. “That one’s a keeper.” I smiled. “He hardly speaks any English.” I slid the paper into my purse for safekeeping.
Pearl snorted hard, shaking her head. “You’re bad.”
“And, he looks oh-so-good.” I wiggled my shoulders, winking. “Powerful. Hot. No English. Equals perfect.”
Ezra blinked at a slip. Chuckled. Tossed it. Didn’t want to know. The next one went in his pocket, which made two out of, like, twenty. Not bad.
Gideon asked, “The Twins?”