Elite (Empire High, #2)(82)

“Me?” Matt said. “I’m trying to fix it.” He grabbed his wrist like it had hurt to take so many swings at his friend’s face.

“Like you were fixed on having your dick in my brother’s girlfriend?” Rob said.

Matt lunged at Rob, knocking him to the floor too. “Why the hell won’t either of you listen to me?!” yelled Matt.

“Stop it!” I screamed. “All of you, stop it!” God, where were all the grown-ups? For the first time in my life I actually wanted Mr. Hill to appear. I needed someone, anyone to help me break this up. I reached out again, this time to grab Matt’s arm, hoping I could pull him away. But he was as solid as rock.

“James, if you’d just…” Matt started.

Rob slammed his elbow into Matt’s throat like he was literally trying to silence him. Matt’s arm fell out of my grip. James seemed to finally be able to breathe again after being hit in the nuts and he had the audacity to wink at me like he thought everything was going according to plan.

And then Mason came out of nowhere and rammed into Rob’s side, knocking him to the floor. They rolled over, running into James who fell back down on the ground too.

Mason punched Rob. Rob hit Matt. James kicked Mason. And Matt kneed James.

Rachel was sobbing uncontrollably. Someone screamed at the top of their lungs. I would have sworn it was Justin from how high-pitched it was, but I was pretty sure he wasn’t here.

“Stop it!” I yelled. I tried to step in to pull Rob away and had to dodge an elbow. “All of you stop it!”

The music came to an abrupt stop, as if the DJ thought I was begging him to stop. Someone started chanting “fight.” Soon everyone was chanting it. And all I could see were fists flying and blood. There was so much freaking blood.

What the hell had I done?

“I didn’t sleep with Rachel!” Matt yelled. “She kissed me and I pushed her…”

His words were drowned out when James punched him in the side of the mouth.

“You pushed her right onto your lap?” James said. He somehow got free of Mason’s grip on his legs, stood up, and did what I could only describe as a body slam on top of Matt.

Matt grunted like all the wind had left his lungs.

“Brooklyn’s a great kisser,” James said with a smile, blood dribbling down the side of his mouth. “I bet the rest of her tastes just as sweet.”

Mason grabbed the back of James’ tux, tearing the fancy fabric as he shoved him off of Matt.

“That’s enough,” Mr. Hill said as he walked in between the flying fists. I was wrong before, it wasn’t James with a death wish. It was Mr. Hill.

But all four of them froze.

“Rob, James…why don’t you cool off outside for a minute. Matt and Mason, go get a drink and clear your heads. This is a dance not a street fight.”

“James, I’m sorry, I…” Matt started.

“Don’t even try to explain it again,” Mason said and helped his younger brother up. “Clearly the Hunters’ ears are too clogged to hear.”

“Fuck off, Mason,” James said. “Don’t you have some stupid blonde you need to give an STD to?”

“I don’t have any STDs.” It looked like that was the most insulting thing Mason had ever heard in his life. Mason took a step forward, but Matt grabbed his arm.

Rob laughed and elbowed James in the side like that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

“We’re done,” Mason said. “With both of you.”

“Great,” Rob said. “Because we’re done with both of you. Why’d the music stop?” he yelled and turned to the DJ. “Turn it the fuck up. This is a party.” He threw his hands into the air.

“Rob,” Mr. Hill said. “Language.” As if that was the worst thing that had happened here tonight.

The DJ was standing there completely stunned. But it was like Rob’s words had pulled him out of a trance. He turned the volume up even louder than before so I couldn’t hear what else Mr. Hill yelled at the Hunters and Caldwells.

Rachel was sobbing harder, making it even more impossible to hear Mr. Hill. I would have tried to console her…but I didn’t know who was telling the truth and who was lying.

So I just stood there completely stunned.

The Untouchables slowly separated. James and Rob went for the doors. And Mason and Matt made their way to the bar.

I didn’t understand why they weren’t being kicked out of the dance. But then I remembered how Isabella hadn’t gotten detention even though I had. They were all allowed to do whatever they wanted, including beating each other up in the middle of homecoming. They could get away with anything.

Kennedy appeared at my side. “I think you just broke the Untouchables,” she said.

But I barely heard her because Isabella had just stepped into the circle where the Untouchables had been fighting. She leaned down and lifted James’ crown off the floor. She wiped off some of the blood that had splattered on the crown. Her eyes locked with mine and I felt more hatred than the Hunters had for the Caldwells. Or visa versa. I wasn’t sure who hated who more right now. But none of it compared to how much Isabella hated me.

James had kissed me. If all those rumors were true about her being betrothed to James, I’d just touched what was hers. I’d crossed the line.