Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 89 - "Do you remember?"

RoseI had afeeling that something awful was going to happen. After Lukas disappeared, andalmost everyone fought, tensions were running high. Something was going to gowrong, and whether it was going to happen in the next ten minutes or the nextten hours, I needed to be prepared for it. Needing to think, I made my way outof the house quickly and quietly, before walking towards the cliff, dartingthrough the forest instead of walking along the beach. The path was familiar,and I could do it in my sleep. Even thought it was dark, the closely packedtrees obscuring the light, I moved swiftly and easily, before starting up asharp incline. I reached a hand out, feeling for a familiar set of roots thatcould act as a ladder of sorts. Once I reached the top, and looked towards thebeach, I saw Lukas, sitting in the crook of a tree, silhouetted by themoonlight. I felt a burst of confusion, followed by rage. He knew what he wasdoing, going to the one place that I'd told him was my favourite to go to. Theplace I went to think, to breathe. I walked towards him, already having decidedto shove him off his perch, when he turned to me and smiled. His smile threw meoff, and I only managed a glare as I looked at him. The crook of the tree wasfairly high off the ground, and with Lukas sitting up, his back against thetree, we were almost eye level, with Lukas being slightly taller than me."Goaway!" I snapped angrily, if more than a little childishly. Lukas ignored me,turning to look at the cliff."Do youremember?" He asked vaguely. I ignored him."I said leave." I continued, my tone venomous. "Do youremember, the party this summer? The one here. Do you even care?" Lukas askedme bitterly. I stepped back and blinked. I did remember, remembered it all invivid detail.My head was spinning,and the world with it, sending the stairs blurring in bright, dizzying lines. Thenight was warm and comforting, and the sky was a velvety black. Behind me, Icould see the bright lights of the beach house, and the mass of bodies spillingout onto the beach, laughing and dancing. I could hear the faint beat of themusic, and the bright lights dazzled me, sending me spinning around. I laughed dizzilyand felt a hand on my arm. I looked up to see Lukas smiling down at me."Careful. You almostfell off the edge." He warned me, pulling me back to the centre of the cliff.Near us, Jake rolled his eyes."You be careful Lukas.You might slip up and care about something." He murmured, unusually bitter.Lukas only smirked at him, unfazed."Jake, always theworrier." Lukas exclaimed loudly. It was a stretch, considering Jake didn'tseem to care about that many things, and almost never jabbed at Lukas, buteveryone was tired and bored and went along with it, laughing. Katie did soespecially, sidling up to Lukas and grabbing his arm."It's so dangerousout here, and I need someone to hold onto." Saya simpered, before Jake shruggedher off, directing her towards Lukas and I."I won't be muchhelp, but Lukas has another arm." Jake said, seeming amused, before Sayawandered off in the direction of us, giving me a look that clearly said "Thisidiot! Can you believe him?". Irolled my eyes at her and Lukas waved her away,towards the rest of the group, before turning back to me."That reminds me. Ihad to hide in a closet to escape Eve tonight." Lukas said, before breakinginto a fit of laughter. "And you got rid ofher by dancing with me." I finished, just as we neared the edge of the cliff."And I got rid of twopeople by dancing with you." I added truthfully, if only to see the cold flashof jealousy that crossed Lukas' face. It was bitter and ugly, turning his lipsinto a scowl, his eyes glittering with anger. I hid my smirk. It was fun,making Lukas jealous. It reminded him just how much I was to him. Made him abit less eager to chase after Eve or whatever desperate girl had newly startedfollowing him around like a sick puppy dog. It would be sad if it wasn't sofunny."You should've seentheir faces when I started to dance with you." I drawled, savouring thedarkness growing in Lukas' eyes."Who are they?" Heasked coldly, although the sharpness wasn't directed at me. His eyes grew harshand intense and I flinched. Maybe I'd gone too far."Nobodies." Ianswered with a scoff."You know how it is."I continued, brushing it off. Lukas seemed to brush it off, the intensityleaving his eyes, replaced with a jovial gleam."I know." He echoedme, before turning to see the rest of the group catching up with us. There wasabout ten of us there, the most popular and elite students from PrepsworthAcademy. Not-so-coincidentally, also our respective friends."So what do we donow?" Someone asked, leaning over to look at the drop beneath us."We jump. Obviously."I offered, smiling at everyone's surprised faces. Everyone laughed, celebratingthe idea, celebrating the entire night."Why not?" Someoneyelled out to cheers and whoops from the entire group. Bursting with excitementand adrenaline, we all lined up, our clothes splashes of colour against thedarkness. "Three, Two, One!"Lukas screamed, and everyone sprinted at the edge at the same time, ping inmid-air before hitting the dark water. I went under, my heart pounding withadrenaline and fun, kicking towards the surface. Once I surfaced, I lookedaround at all of the smiling faces and screamed with excitement, flicking my wethair out of my face. Everyone else joined me, creating a chorus of screams andcheers and happiness. I felt alive, so impossibly alive, as though I wereimmortal, invincible. I snappedback from the memory as suddenly as I'd snapped into it, blinking around at thebeach, the dark, gloomy, winter landscape looking like a ghost-town compared tothe vibrance of the summer prior. "Iremember." I said hollowly, turning back to Lukas. Lukas didn't move, his eyes,cold and hard, fixed on me."What doyou remember?" He asked emotionlessly."Iremember the fun, the party, jumping off the cliff and how impossibly happy weall were after, when we went back to the party." I said, as innocuously as Icould."Whatelse?" Lukas' demanded. I smiled sadly at Lukas."I remembertrying to make you jealous. Telling you that I'd gotten rid of two people whowere following me when you began to dance with me. I remember afterwards, whenyou disappeared, and then hearing that you'd found the boys who were followingme and beat them up half to death. I remember seeing the pictures of them,their noses smashed in, bruises blooming over their body. I said bitterly.Lukas nodded, a choked sound rising in his throat."It wasnever them, was it? You just passed the blame onto them. Passed the blame onfrom Jake." Lukas said quietly, like his heart had been broken. I stepped back,feeling the breath catch in my throat."Youshould've seen him. Always looking at me, looking hopeful. Just stolen glances.You should've seen his face when you started to dance with me. Like his heartwas breaking." I murmured. When I looked up, trying to gauge Lukas' expression,I saw that he was crying, his tears almost glowing in the moonlight."I gotsomeone to hold them down while I kicked them, and punched them, got people topin their wrists and legs and heads as I attacked them, so that they wouldnever be able to fight back, even if they were about to die. And they were justthe unfortunate victims of yet another lie by Rose Miller." Lukas whispered,crying more, bending over himself, like he was trying to disappear. I didn'tcontemplate comforting him, it was only what he deserved. "Do youever look back and wonder what kind of mess you've made of your life?" Lukasasked quietly. I didn't deign to answer, merely observing him coldly. Anythingthat had happened was only his fault. It was strange though. Recently, I'd beenthinking of Lukas as this heartless villain, hurting everyone. He seemed lessdaunting when he was a in front of me, crying his heart out. He seemedvulnerable and weak. Less of a villain and more of a victim. I didn't want tocomfort him, but I could help him."I forgiveyou. This won't change anything, but I forgive you." I said earnestly. Lukasdidn't look up, didn't react, but I could tell he'd heard it. I turned to walkaway, back through the dark forest, when Lukas spoke one more time."Youknow, we're not the only ones on this beach." He said, his voice echoingthrough the beach. I didn't falter, but already I was thinking. What did hemean, and what was his agenda by saying that? It could just be what he thoughtwas an interesting piece of information, but there was more than that behindit. There always was.