Page 94 of Zero Happily Ever Afters

“Ma’am, I assure you—”

“Leave now before you ruin my party.”

He nodded and stepped out of the enclosure.

Gael side-eyed the guard. “You think I can take him?”

Tara giggled, continuing her final arrangements for the party.

“Bet I could take him.” His mind shifted to wrestling moves he’d been practicing. “Pin him in under thirty seconds flat.”

“That quick, huh?” Tara asked with a grin. “Thought fast was bad.”

“Oh, you got jokes.”

“And you have a checklist you’re ignoring.” Tara pointed, channeling her stern expression again, which folded almost the second her eyes met Gael’s.

“Fine, fine, fine.” He pouted and rushed off to help with the setup.

It didn’t take long for students to start funneling inside. Kenzo arrived with Gael, who practically dragged him through the door. But once Gael turned his head for a minute to talk to someone, Kenzo had plastered himself against the furthest wall.

Katherine arrived with Caleb at her side, literally directing him as he remained with his head buried in a book while carrying a tote bag slung over his shoulder. Not the new one he had, but the kind of bag one might bring for a day spent at the beach, not at a pool party, and he’d stuffed it to max capacity.

So many students showed up, I could barely keep track. It was difficult to hear thoughts, too, given the blaring music and loud as fuck voices. Anxiety popped, and I followed.

Gael’s heart hastened, pounding so hard his rooster fluttered off the pool floatie he rode and went to check on his human companion. When Gael’s surprised expression shifted into disgust, King Clucks merely bawked with annoyance and returned to his swan floatie.

“Eeeeww, you seriously invited my ex?” Gael eyed Tara. “You dick.”

“What?” Tara waved around the last few kegs to add the final party touches. “Aren’t you and Tiff still doing that whole on-again-off-again thingy with your thingies?”

“I’m a sidepiece wonder, but I’m over that life.” Gael shrugged. “I can’t believe you’re still buddy-buddy with her.”

“I thought this was amicable. Didn’t realize I had to pick sides.” Tara sighed. “If you want me to shun her, I will. Easy. Done.”

“No, no. Your Whitlock ice-outs hold weight, and on the off-chance Tiff and I reconcile, I don’t need you turning her into a social pariah.”

“You’re making me sound like Layla.” Tara bit back her aggravation, finding Layla’s need to constantly punch down on others irritating. In fact, she noticed Layla latch onto Melanie and Amani the moment they walked into the party, circling the pool like sharks and sniffing out drama.

Some students certainly missed the angst in their day-to-day school routines.

“You’re way worse than Layla,” Gael said.

“What’d you just say?” Tara telekinetically shook a can of beer before handing it to Gael.

“I’m just saying, she works for the Queen Bee Top Bitch thing—which, good for her or whateves—but you just roll outta bed with the title.” Gael cracked his beer tab. “Like not the bitch thing, though, with a little work, we can get you there. But the queen title? That just happens every time you walk into a room, crown waiting for you to claim it.”

He tilted his can away, spraying bystanders with his beer, which Tara didn’t realize he’d immediately suspected had been tampered with.

He wasn’t wrong about Tara’s title. It was something I’d noticed in the halls, in classes, during events at school. As a Whitlock, students often deferred to her expertise in anything; as someone with mastery over her roots and new branch magics continuing to develop, she was the envy of many thoughts. It helped that Tara had this sweet, calm personality that simply drew others in. Something mysterious and distant, yet everyone believed they had a chance to be her friend. After all, shetolerated the most obnoxious boy in school. And I couldn’t even believe the number of students who outwardly expressed annoyance for Gael but secretly pined for him. That was a whole different layer of absurdity.

It didn’t take long for the party to turn into a noisy kerfuffle of chaos, with teens drinking, diving into the pool, throwing booze and water and anything else they could with telekinesis, casting their branches, and acting like utter fools for the fun of it.

I expected Gael to jump into the revelry, yet he hung close to Tara at the bar, listening to talk about upcoming events she was excited about and the very many she loathed. Turned out, as impulsive and absurd as he was when it came to talking, Gael proved quite capable of being a good listener. The entire party faded from his thoughts as he listened to his friend.

Gael and Tara did a lap around the party, checking in on guests before they joined Carter and Jennifer at another wet bar beside the pool. Seriously, who needed four bars in one room? I mean, the pool enclosure gave most public pools a run for their money in size, but then again, the Whitlock Estate certainly wasn’t lacking in funds.

Gael flaunted his new tattoo on his chest over his heart. It was, in fact, a heart tattoo shaded in with black, gray, white, and purple for the ace flag. Which seemed confusing until I realized that Gael hadn’t gotten the tattoo to parade his pride but instead his love. Beside the heart was a portrait of King Clucks forever tattooed on Gael’s chest.

---