Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 79 - "We're here."

Emma"You lookdifferent." Harry said awkwardly, fiddling with his chin-length hair. I shothim a poisonous glare."Well I'msorry if a stint in prison hasn't exactly improved my complexion." I snapped.Harry raised his arms up in a gesture of surrender."I'm nottalking about your complexion, your complexion is, well, as perfect as always."Harry began and I raised my eyebrows slightly, acknowledging the compliment.Harry sighed, resting his head against the window."You lookdifferent: colder, more pristine, but dangerous. Wild, somehow." Harrycontinued softly. I didn't need a mirror to know it was true. My facewasn't frozen in a cold sneer, but Iwasn't exactly beaming up at the world either. Then again, I never had beenthat nice. But I still felt different.Like Harry had said; more dangerous. More inclined to punch someone and screamat someone than I had been before. Like a wild animal, ready to shred thisperfect, human body and break free. Or, at the very least; someone less happyto smile and direct people. Someone who preferred to manipulate, to harm. Isuppose the word I was looking for was ruthless.I'd been cold before, but not truly ruthless. Not inhumane. But what happenedchanged everyone. Even Harry looked edgy, with dark circles beneath his eyesand a slight frown. "Okay." Ianswered evenly and quietly."That'sit?" Harry asked incredulously. "Whatmore do you want me to say?" I demanded. I didn't know what answer I was hopingfor, but it wasn't the one I got."Nothing.Just forget about it, okay?" Harry said, a touch sullenly. "Growup." I snapped at him, turning to look out the window. For some reason, Icouldn't see the light-hearted, sweet boy in the police car when I looked atHarry. I guess that's the difference between illusions and real life. Real lifeis infinitely darker. Harry"What doyou want me to say?" I love you."Nothing.Just forget about it, okay?" Don't forgetabout it. "Growup." I have.Ireplayed the conversation a million times in my head, getting more annoyed atmyself every time. I'd fallen for Emma, only to get my heart broken. Like whatI always knew would happen. I should have seen it coming from a mile away, butI was preoccupied with following everyone else as they flounced around on somekind of investigation, for no reason other than that they were probably bored,or that there was something in it for them. Peopletend to say that they're doing things for the greater good, when they're justdoing it for a selfish reason. The worst is when it's subconscious, and peoplecontinuously claim and insist that it's not selfish, that they care abouteveryone in the world. Truthfully, people rarely do. I'd worked hard at school,studied, joined clubs and made friends. and the whole time I'd told myself that it wasall for my family, all so I could help them, and get all the younger kids intoa good university. But, honestly, the only reason I'd been doing it to provethat I was more than the funny, friendly guy everything thought I was. To provethat I could be the smartest, be the best. But I never was. I always settledfor second or third. I always thought it was okay when I never topped theclasses, because my family would be proud of me. But they always needed more.More As, more money, more studying. Because they needed someone other than thesilly, goofy boy I was. They needed someone smart, who'd work tirelessly. But Iwas never enough for them, in any way, I was always in the middle. So I workedharder. Somewhere along the way, I'd become a mixture of the class clown andthe diligent worker, but both those personas were gone because of what hadhappened. And I had no idea who I was.LilyI pickedat my fingernail, anxiously waiting for the car to arrive at Rose's beachhouse. I didn't feel awkward without Millie to talk to, I knew better than torely on just one person to talk to, but I was sitting next to Tom, and weweren't exactly the best of friends, although we'd grown closer during theplanning of the escape."Excited?"I asked Tom half-heartedly. "Morelike scared. Who knows what's in Rose's beach house? She might have like, arandom goat in every room." Tom smirked."Wow.That was an amazing joke." I said sarcastically and softly elbowed Tom in theribs."You cannever be too sure about these things!" Tom joked."Right."I said, smirking."Yeah,well, don't come running to me when a goat's eaten all of your hair while youwere sleeping." "Soundslike a horror movie. Attack of the goats."I mused."Soundsfar too traumatising to watch." Tom said, his tone dripping with sarcasm."Youwon't be the one laughing when you get attacked by a goat." I said darkly."Ah ha!You believe in the goats." Tom shouted triumphantly. Everyone turned to giveTom a weird look and I burst out laughing."That wasthe funniest thing I've ever seen." I exclaimed, in-between fits of laughter."If youlaugh any harder, you'll explode." Tom said dryly, watching me gasp for air asI dissolved into another fit of laughter."I get it– I'm the funniest thing since you watched that video of the cat." Tom said,smirking. I gasped dramatically as realisation hit before I lowered my voice."Ithought we agreed we don't talk about the time I watched the video of the cat."I whispered, mentally having flashbacks."Okay, Ipromise not to talk about it." Tom whispered back."But itwas funny how you gasped and went "It's a cat, it's a cat, it's a cat!" andfell of the chair." Tom muttered quickly."Youpromised!" I exclaimed indignantly."I didn'ttalk about it. I whispered about it. And your face was hilarious." Tom protested. "BecauseI am the best person in the entire universe , I'll let it slide for now. Butnext time, the goats will come for you. Consider yourself warned." I said,adopting a saintly expression. Tom raised his eyebrows and I glared at him."Yes,yes, I am warned." Tom said hastily."Andwhile we're all happy, I've been meaning to ask, do you want to be friendsagain? I mean, more so before. I guess like...best friends? That sounds weird,but something like it. Because it wasfun hanging out with you before you went all arrogant on me. But, and keep thisin your tiny, little mind – I will never, ever date you. So don't even thinkabout it." I said cautiously."Sure,sounds fun. And I'm not thinking about it, so – rest assured.""Andwhile we're talking about dating, what's going on with you and Natasha?" I saidcasually. Tom looked slightly sheepish as he ran a hand through his hand."Istuffed up in the clearing, you know, before we all got arrested together. So Ithink I need to apologise to a lot of people before Natasha will even look atme. And she annoys me just as much as I annoy her." Tom admitted."Yeah,well you guys kind of have a love/hate relationship going on anyway." I said,slightly sympathetically. 'Love?There is no love, or even like." Tom blurted out."Totally."I said, unconvinced. Tom rolled his eyes before looking shocked, his eyesgrowing wide."What isit?" I asked, worried."We'rehere."