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She gives him a shaky smile as he kisses her. He walks over to where Cook stands next to Ashley and Hannah. He leans in to talk to Mike.

It’s just me and Harper standing here. I’m all that stands between her and whatever fate Zach has planned. When I draw her in close, wrapping my arms around her shoulders, she comes willingly. I rest my chin on her head as we look at the stage.

“Eli Jacobs and Ashley Kim!” Parker calls out.

Harper stiffens in my arms. I turn and see Jack and Nico working their way to be close to the stage.

“I’ve got you, princess.”

She reaches behind her and cups my jaw. “I know.”

Ashley and Eli join Emma and Caden on the stage.

“A few changes after last night.” Parker clears her throat and glances back at Principal McGrath. “Zach Gray has been disqualified from the court for his conduct.”

The basketball guys boo, but no one else makes a noise.

“Sidney Brown has stepped down off the court.” Parker barely stops from rolling her eyes. By now everyone’s heard what went down last night. No one makes a sound. Though there’s a smattering of clapping.

Harper sinks into me, and part of me wants to rush her out to the car Caden gave me the keys to. Drive her away and not have to worry about this or anything else happening to Harper.

“So, our last couple is Luke Foster and Harper Davidson.” Parker smiles and claps into the microphone.

We shift, and Harper takes my arm as I lead her toward the stage. I look around for anything obviously out of place or something that might set off internal alarms. Nothing looks out of the ordinary.

There’s no bonfire to light. No power to disrupt. No way to trap Harper in the locker room.

My muscles are tense, ready for the fight, but it’s possible there won’t be one. That all of this is to make us worried, and nothing will happen. We’ll just have to wait for Zach to strike again.

My breath rushes out. Maybe Eli is right. Maybe letting him think he’s won will make him vulnerable. Because right now he has power over us, he has power over Harper.

I make sure she doesn’t fall on the way up the steps for the stage and then lead her to stand next to Ashley.

Ashley’s date is in the front of the crowd, staring up at her. His friends on the basketball team surround him. Alex Mitchell isn’t someone you want to mess with any more than Zach, but he does Zach’s bidding, which makes him dangerous to Harper.

“Your Homecoming court!” Parker yells into the microphone, and everyone claps.

I scan the crowd for Kenz and Penny, but I don’t see either of them. When my gaze collides with Jack’s, he shakes his head, saying he doesn’t know where they are. Fuck.

We can’t deal with that this minute.

“Don’t lock your knees,” I say quietly to Harper.

Her dark eyes are wide as she looks up at me.

“You don’t want to pass out.” I wrap my hand around her fingers digging into my arm.

“Oh, yeah.” She tries to smile, but she looks terrified.

“Just breathe. We’ll get through this.”

Somehow.

Harper

Breathe. I can do that. I cling to Luke like he’s my lifeline. The lights are dim out in the crowd, but up here they’re bright and almost blinding, making the crowd of students into an eerie mass of shadows.

“We normally do this at the game, but I think this is extra special this year.” Parker’s voice is amplified by the mic and the quiet audience. “For the past three years, our class has voted on Luke Foster and Sidney Brown to represent us on our Homecoming court. But obviously our queen is up for grabs.”