Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 76 - "Mr Fluffykins."

ElleWe'd beendriving for around two hours when my phone dinged with a text. "Dylan,can you please read my text?" I asked. Dylan must've grabbed my phone becausehe started talking."It'sfrom Rose. She says 'Dylan; stop being creepy and reading Elle's messages andtell her to pull over so we can talk.'" Dylan read out before pausing."Rude."He exclaimed jokingly. I swerved to the side and pulled up next to a largepark. Pulling my dark green coat closer around me, I stepped out into the rain.My bootssloshed along the footpath as I walked to meet Rose, clad in a stylish dark redcoat. I opened my mouth to ask her why she wanted to talk to me but she shookher head."Nothere." She said firmly, and walked into the middle of the next park. I followedher, and walked into a rainforest. It wasn'treally, and was only fifty metres from the car, but the massive, towering treeswere dripping with rain and with the constant smash of rain against our headand the bushes hiding the car from view we could've been a million miles away.It was like we were in a different world."Elle; Ineed to tell you something." Rose said, looking nervous. I smiled uneasily ather."Go on."I prompted. Rose stared at the ground and closed her eyes."Elle; Iwas the one who started the fire. It was... just me. And I can tell you why. it'sjustifiable, it really is. But, I guess you don't want to hear it." Roseconfessed. I stood paralysed, slowly closing my eyes. I stood, awash indarkness for a moment, taking a deep breath, before opening my eyes."Youwhat?" I screamed out, my cry seeming to shake the earth. Rose looked stricken."PleaseElle, listen to me. The only reason I'm telling you is because I care aboutyou." Rose begged but I ignored her."Youstarted a fire, which somehow caused Amy to become withdrawn and basically deadinside. The Amy thing made Lily investigate the fire, which you let her goalong with, and dragged me along too. But do you know what the worst thing ofall is? You let Emma get arrested for it, after she sacrificed herself forHarry. You would've let anyone take the blame but you!" I said, quietly butdeadly, advancing upon her. I couldn't believe everything that Rose had done,the extent of her lies. She was disgusting. She made me sick."Youdon't know the full story. I wouldn't have!" Rose protested helplessly. "It'sover Rose. So over. I thought youwere this strong, smart person who'd help anyone she cared about. I thought Iwas the only person who understood you. Turns out. you had me fooled too.You're just as much of a mean girl as everyone says you are. You're worse. " Ispat. And then, I walked away."Stop."Rose called out, her voice penetrating through the storm. I paused, half of mehoping she'd tell me she was lying to protect someone. The other half hopedshe'd at least apologise. "I knowwhy you're doing this." Rose said. I stilled, wondering what she was going tosay."So whythen?" I demanded cynically. "It's because youlove to push people away. You just love to push people away! It's the easy answer, isn't it? Make sure to justpush them away, that way you don't get hurt. Because the second you let someonein, they can hurt you like Adelaide did" Rose said bitterly and cruelly, blueeyes flashing. In that moment, she looked like the wicked witch everyone saysshe was, her once beautiful face twisted into an ugly snarl, her voice harshand grating against my ears. The illusion fell away and I saw Rose for what shereally was: a sad, ugly, vengeful witch. I felt rage growing inside me, darker,crueller than the storm."DON'TEVEN SAY HER NAME!" I screamed out as I spun around, and this time my wordsreally did ring around the area, shaking the clouds. I leapt towards her, angerfuelling me, not controlling me, but releasing me from the cage of uniformsmiles and perfect grades that expectations had trapped me in. Everyoneexpectation, every unspoken disappointment fell away and I shed them as easilyas a second skin.For once, I felt like I could join the legacy of darkness thatAdelaide had left behind her. And then arms trapped me. I clawedand struggled to be free."Let mego! Let me leave!" I screamed out, half-crazy. I thrashed side to side, my eyesfocusing the the witch in the distance. I needed to stop the witch before shelied to anyone else. In the distance, I heard worried muttering. When Jake gets angry – he gets screaming,but all I get is a few "Is she okay's"? Cold anger overtook me and I drewin a deep breath."Rose is–" I began, planning to scream out everything but a hand planted firmly over mymouth. I tried to bite down on it, to escape and finally, finally get revenge but it just gripped tighter."Elle,Elle I need you to calm down. Think about forests. A deep green, dark forest.Can you hear the birds? Now imagine there's a stream..." A voice says soothingly.I close my eyes and listened to it as I drift off.I'm watching mysister in a white, padded room as she's strapped down. She's fighting againsther restraints, screaming and yelling. I run to her, but slam into a massiveglass window. I see doctors in stark white, observing her. "What are you doing?Get her out of there! Get her out!" I scream, but there's no reply. I turn andbang my fists against window, trying to crack the glass. Nothing happens, andas my sister's screaming intensifies, so does my panic. I bang against thewindow harder and blood begins to dribble down the glass. I punch harder andharder the little droplets of blood turn into cherry red streams. I screamuntil my voice is hoarse, and further. The streams of blood are turning intowaterfalls and my hands are crying out in pain, covered in blood – but if Ihave to turn this whole damn hallway red – I will. All I can think about isgetting my sister out. Getting her free. But my punching has no effect. Tearsdrip down my cheeks as I punch, and it's only once I look on the floor that Irealise I am crying blood. The tears come steadily as blood streams onto thefloor from me. All the while, I'm watching Adelaide scream. I know she's therebefore she speaks:"How unfortunate."She quips, and I can picture her smug face, but I don't give her the pleasureof watching me face her."This is exactly whatyou wanted." I say, my voice sounding weak and hollow."Now, now Elle. Notexactly. The whole crying blood thing is a touch dramatic – but otherwise, it'sperfect." I wake upwith my heart pumping furiously and I check my surroundings. I'm strapped intoa seat at the back of the car, Dylan next to me. I touch my cheeks, look at myhands, but there's no sign of blood, only faded tears on my cheeks, and thosetears were water. I breathe in, convincing myself it was just a dream, beforelooking up at Dylan. He looks at me, worried and searches my eyes for any of thedarkness that gripped me before."How longwas I out?" I ask, moving my body, testing where I'm sore."Half anhour." Dylan replied warily. "Where'sthe witch?" I asked quietly. Dylan tenses and his eyes flash with anger."No whereyou'll know about." He answered coldly. "She'sdriving." Jake called out over the back seat. "Don't even think about moving." He saidcoldly to me. You don't understand. She'slying to us all. She's planning to lure us all out and hurt us like the witchshe is. I need to kill the witch before she kills you all."I wasgoing to apologise." I protested, glaring back at him. I just need to convince him to let me go to her. Then, I can make sureno one is looking. "No need.I heard what happened." Dylan said tiredly, running a hand through his hair. When will the car stop? I can fake needingto go to the bathroom, but first, I need to lie,"Youdid?" I asked sceptically. If the witchtold the truth, maybe she changed her mind?"Yeah.You broke up with Rose and she said that you always pushed people away. andthen insulted Adelaide." Dylan said. Ofcourse. Witches always lie. They lie to everyone and then they hurt you beyondrepair. I tried not to laugh. Clearly, Rose had tried to come up with arandom story, and failed miserably. At least I could go along with it. "Shedidn't just insult Adelaide. She said that Adelaide deserved what happened toher." I said spitefully. Dylan recoiled, looking shocked. Too much? I want to hurt the witch, but I can't hurt Dylan. I felta little bad, and tried to remedy the mistake."Shedidn't mean it, obviously. We both said some pretty horrible things." I said,and Dylan seemed to look a little better. Thewitch meant it. She meant it as muchas every other mean, spiteful thing she's said in her life. "I didn'tlisten in, by the way. I just heard you scream and arrived in time to see youlaunch yourself at Rose." Dylan said, slightly sheepishly. I blinked andnodded, not fully understanding."I wasthe one to pull you back." Dylan explained after seeing my face. Ineeded to kill the witch."Oh.Okay." Dylan looked awkwardly away, before giving me a half smile.. Kill the witch. Kill the witch. Kill thewitch. Kill the witch."So, howclose are we to the house?" I asked, trying to make conversation. Kill the witch. Kill the witch. Kill thewitch."Anotherhour or forty-five minutes. But, I'm not rushing to go. This car's kind ofcozy." Dylan answered before looking pointedly at my wet hair and clothes. Huh. I hadn't noticed that before. Ifrowned and saw Dylan hand me a massive fluffy towel. "Ithought something like this might happen. We're Prepsworth students, we alwayshave some kind of dramatic confrontation or something." Dylan said, as way ofan explanation. Kill the witch. Kill thewitch. I wanted to curl up in the corner with the towel bundled against me,but I got the feeling that if I did that, Dylan might think I'd gone crazyagain, and that was the last thing I wanted.. Instead, I wrapped it around meas another layer and stared out the window."Whatabout you?" I asked."Huh?"Dylan asked, looking over at me, his eyes bright. Kill the witch."Where'syour towel/blanket/whatever?" I said, continuing my mission of trying to bepolite. I needed to keep my goal in mind, not Dylan's eyes."I don'thave one." Dylan replied, looking at me with a half smile. Okay, so if planningmy revenge on Rose wasn't going to work, I at least needed to act normal. "Oh. Ohh,were you missing your little blanky." I said sarcastically."No,Elle, stop." Dylan protested."Couldyou not get to sleep? Did you miss Mr Fluffykins as well?" I continuedgleefully in the same voice. This is whatnormal people do, right? Tease each other?"Elle – Ididn't. I don't have a bl –""Doeslittle Dylansy need a snuggle from Mr Fluffykins?""No, I donot need a snuggle from Mr Fluffykins."Did hehave a very, very bad nightmare again and lose his blanky?""Elle,what's wrong with you?" I'm being normalDylan, and you are not helping."Arghhh -I see the pain in his eyes. He's missing Mr Fluffykins and his blanky!" Iyelled out. Jake started laughing and chanting:"MrFluffy-kins. Mr Fluffy-kins. Mr Fluffy-kins. Mr Fluffy-kins." Amy quicklyjoined in, and soon, most of the car, including me, was chanting along withJake. See Dylan? Normal. I felt kindof dizzy, and faintly realised I was functioning on hysteria and euphoria. Ifelt silly and happy, like I was a little kid again. "I cantbelieve she's acting like this after almost attacking Rose." I heard Dylanmumble to himself."Hey, Ineed to know something." I asked Dylan. "Are you in love with Rose?" I asked slowly,smirking.'No."Dylan answered shortly."Yes, youlove, love, love her." I exclaimed."I do notlove, love, love her" Dylan protestedcoldly."So youdon't love her? Seems like a lie!" I giggled. "No, Idon't." Dylan said, rolling his eyes. Whatever. Annoyance is better than stupidhalf smiles anyway. Maybe I just need to annoy him further, and he'll forgetabout what happened."Yes, youdo!" I insisted."No!""Yes!""No!""Heyeveryone! Dylan's in love with Rose and he wants to marry her!" I called out,laughing hysterically."Um, no!Can you stop!" Dylan exclaimed. "Fine." Ianswered, slightly petulantly. He looksvery annoyed, and confused. Good."Dylan –tell me something." I said, leaning against the door and tucking a strand ofhair behind my ear. "When you kissed Rose –" I began, but Dylansighed and shook his head."Okay.You need to sleep. You're clearly tired, if not delusional." He said, and Iclosed my eyes, still feeling vaguely dizzy. That's right. Think I'm crazy and that it's going to pass."Did youmean it? And, do you regret it?" I asked finishing my question. I could hear Dylan sigh again."What doyou think?" He asked bitterly. I don't know.