Promise You Will Never Leave

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day started with so much snow falling that I could see nothing from my window. But I didn’t mind as I just laid on the bed until eight in the morning, thinking about all of what happened yesterday. 

I realised, after they left, that these prefects weren’t there just for checking Archie’s personal belongings as the police would do that for the case, if case they were. 

So I deduced that they were looking for something important but what ? I couldn’t tell.   I also learnt that the boys on the picture was Archie and Sebastian but I couldn’t tell which one was which yet. 

They were so many things who seemed unsaid in that school that it brought shivers down my back. I would have loved to have a normal year with my roommate, pass my exams with excellent grades like always…

 But now that I knew how strange things happened here, I had to solve at least the death of Archie, just to calm me down and make me feel more secure. 

I didn’t believe in the accident theory. It wasn’t possible to me, deep down, I knew I was right but I had no proof of what I was thinking.  But if it was an incident, why was he on the roof instead of inside the canteen, eating like everyone else ? What would he be doing on the top of this building ? Maybe it was a sucide, maybe he felt depressed after the potential death of his roommate. But everything I was thinking was only theories and I had no solid proof. 

I didn’t even know how Archie looked like as the darkness was hiding every of his features. 

A small ‘Toc’ on the door woke we up from everything I was thinking and I appreciate the fact that someone was decent enough to knock instead of coming inside the room without being invited. 

I opened and saw a small boy who shouldn’t be more than twelve, which was surprising as the term hasn’t started yet and that there were only sixth form in the school. 

“I was wondering if you would want to come and have breakfast with me, as you are a new boy and that you know no one. ” He offered with a genuine smile. 

“ I accept but, how old are you ?” I asked, unsure if it was the right thing to say as his face went red from embarrassment. 

“I’m seventeen but I look younger, I know… By the way, I’m Clayden.”

“Ethan. Is the food good here by the way ?” I asked, curious about if those puddings my mother was talking about with sparkles in the eyes was as good as that . 

Thinking of my mother made me a little depressed. I wondered if the plane trip went okay or if she had fun in Greece.  I always asked myself if she would have gone to this boarding school if she was a man. She seemed so thrilled when I was accepted in, like if she wished to be me. 

“ It’s delicious but each week, there are the same meals. If you want to taste new food,  go to the cooking club.” He said before stopping without telling me more about this club as we arrived in front of the canteen. 

I would have loved this place as much as the other’s but the noise from the chattering of the students made me hesitate at the idea of eating there. 

But Clayden pushed me inside and I had no choice.

“ We are going to sit at my usual table. You see the boy with glasses and sandy hair ? It’s Lexan.” He told me before leaving me to go and choose my breakfast. 

After choosing, I sat at the same time with Clayden in front of the so called Lexan. And I could see one thing on this boy was that he was picky with his food. 

Suddenly, as I was starting my tea after sitting at the table, I spotted a boy sitting alone at an unused table. I immediately recognize the boy from the picture on Archie’s desk. 

But then, was this Sebastian ? I thought he was the one with blonde hair thought … 

“Who’s the boy next to the window ?” I asked, just to make sure that I was right. 

“ Who ? There’s no one Ethan.” Chucked Clayden as an answer. 

I looked again and saw no one. No lonely black haired boy looking outside the window with a sad glare in the eyes. I wondered, slightly worried, if I wasn’t getting mad. 

“ Maybe I imagined it. Anyway, I’m leaving.” I Said after five minutes of silence where we were eating our delicious breakfast.  

“So soon ? Anyway, if you ever need help, ask for Clayden McMillian. Everyone knows me here.” He said with a grin while stuffing some pancakes in his already full mouth. 

I smiled, not even surprised at that fact. Clayden seemed for the least noisy and talkative, which could maybe be a good thing if I really started to try to solve Archie little problem. 

I walked in some crowded corridor and after being pushed and yelled at in the ears which definitely made me deaf, I finally arrived in some silent and empty toilets, which was something I appreciated a lot. 

I hated doing what I had to do in toilets when there was someone else inside. 

I opened the tap and cleaned my hand before trying to decide if I should dry them or not with some suspicious paper. 

Suddenly, as if coming out of the wall, a boy appeared in front of me and I immediately knew it was the boy of the picture . Maybe in the canteen I couldn’t see well because of all the people but now, he was just in front of me and I could clearly see his wild black hair who covered half of his dark eyes.. 

“Are you gonna stare any longer ?” He asked rudely with a smirk on his face. 

Even if I was taken a little aback on the way he had talked to me, I threw to him my dirtiest look before leaving the toilet, slamming the door behind me. 

I wondered angrily if Archie would had been like him, so irritating and annoying. Maybe as they seemed close on the picture. 

Seeing with horror the time, I realised that there were no one in the corridor as the classes had already started ten minutes ago. 

Cursing, I started running towards the scientific block when the prefect of my house, Maxime Max, started walking calmly towards me, almost whistling. 

And slowly, remember what they did to me the night before I stopped, afraid of what he could hide behind his back in his hands. 

After all, it was a perfect moment to murder someone, right ?