Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 10 - "You couldn't tell?"

Harry

The night went by in flashes and it was hard to piece it together. Me being rejected by Emma, stumbling to the garage where the school kept our cars, the pitch black sky with the wind in my hair and suddenly - the honk of a horn and flash of headlights. That's when my head began hurting. Slowly I pieced together what happened, from my own memory and the snippets I heard of the doctor's conversations. I was upset at Emma, wanted to run, to get away from it all. I immediately thought of the school garage and climbed over the barbed wired fence. That must have been where I got all the scrapes on my legs and arms and cheek from. I broke in and saw Dylan's motorbike, grabbed it and began zooming through the fields until I reached a road. I must have been driving for half an hour when I rode out onto the motorway. I sped down it ,feeling a sense of immense freedom until I saw the glare of headlights and ear splitting roar of a horn. I swerved to the side desperately, heart pounding loudly in my chest and broke through the barrier tumbling down a long hill. Suddenly, there was an immense pain in my head and my legs, a pain that made me scream, hoping for a relief from it, any relief. And then, the world went black.

Emma

When I heard about Harry, I burst into tears. It was my fault. The next hour was a blur. The cold, wet, salty tears sliding down my cheeks, screaming, at who I do not know but screaming out my pain, my self-hatred for doing this to him. Because this was all my doing. I vaguely remember running into class yelling that I needed to see Harry, that I had too, before breaking down crying and screaming when I was refused, thrashing around and kicking when Dylan tried to calm me and eventually had to hold me back from lunging at the teacher for being so heartless, shouting that he needed to let me go and crying like I never had before. Eventually, I was exhausted and I let my body go limp and collapsed to the ground and filled with such sorrow . Harry was almost dead and it was all my fault.

Elle

When I walked into my first class, Dylan was there, sitting next to my usual spot. I froze in the doorway, my traitorous face burning bright red, before someone, Millie I think, shoved me forward, and I stumbled to my spot, still shocked. I sat down awkwardly, getting out my books and laptop before glancing over at his amused face.

"You're on time." Was all I managed to say, before staring intently at my laptop case.

"Yes. Is it really that big of a shock?" Dylan asked.

"Yes." I answered resolutely. Dylan was almost always at least half an hour late to class, strolling in with only an "I was busy." as an excuse, which earnt him the ire of many teachers.

"Did you get my text?" Dylan asked, sounding a little nervous and I fought the urge to grin.

"Yes." I said, trying my best to sound indifferent. I heard Dylan swallow and looked up as he turned to me.

"I'm sorry if I said or did something at the party, and the whole thing with the Katie was kind of misinterpreted and –" Dylan began, and I had to resist the urge to laugh. Here was Dylan Adams babbling to me. The whole thing seemed so impossible yet hilarious that I had to fight to keep a straight face.

"It's fine. I don't like you that way anyway. I'm not insulted." I reassured him, and Dylan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"It was just that I ditched you and I felt kind of bad." Dylan insisted.

"What were you saying about being charming?" I asked pointedly, earning a slight smile.

After only one hour is was like we had knew each other for ages and we were freely joking around and teasing each other. One time, we both started laughing so hard I ended up crying. I kept reminding myself of Dylan's thoroughly unimpressive reputation for bunking off, cheating on multiple girls and having wild parties. I knew about all the rumours that circulated Prepsworth about Dylan but there was something about him that made me believe they were all false, that he was just a funny, heartfelt, honest guy with an undeserved reputation. There was something about him that made me a strange mixture afraid, elated and curiously sad. I had to keep reminding myself about that moment, six years ago. But in my heart I knew, I knew that I had to give him a second chance, that after all he had been through he needed a friend. But – nothing more, I reminded myself. Nothing more.

Jake

I found myself speechless for the first two periods, still not fully accepting reality, walking in a daze through the halls. When the lunch bell rang, I headed for where Rose and her friends always hung out, under the cherry blossom trees near the soccer fields. I walked, slightly nervously up to Rose and opened my mouth to say "Hi" or something equally stupid when Rose smiled at me, green eyes glittering.

"You came." Rose remarked lightly. I nodded, unable to talk, not wanting to stuff anything up.

"I just wanted to thank you for helping me." Rose continued.

"It was nothing, really. But, you're welcome." I babbled, feeling my face start to turn red. Rose looked like she was holding back laughter and I felt my adrenaline jump as one of her friends whispered something to her. She couldn't be making fun of me, could she?

"So, have you ever had a girlfriend before?" Rose asked. I was suddenly achingly aware of Saya standing there, looking at me coolly. I took a deep breath and composed myself, offering Saya a smile.

"Yeah, but it didn't really work out." I answered, trying to be as diplomatic as possible. Saya laughed and Katie murmured something I couldn't quite hear. I gulped as Saya walked towards me, her eyes shimmering with dislike.

"It's funny how when you're suddenly around Rose, you're all quiet and bashful and shy, but when you're around any other girl, you're normal and charming." Saya exclaimed in a sarcastic voice, her lip curling on the word charming. Rose brushed past her, stalking up to me.

"I'm sorry Saya, do you have a problem?" Rose snapped, and Saya rolled her eyes, but stepped back.

"Besides, I think I know why. It's because you like me, don't you Jake?" Rose asked, her voice softening. I met her eyes, before looking past her to Saya, and looking back to Rose.

"You couldn't tell?" I asked, trying to keep a touch of bitterness from my voice.

"Was that why you were nice to me?" I felt Saya's judgemental gaze burning into me.

"Yes. But, I like you for you Rose." I answered honestly. There was a lasting silence, that seemed stretch for hours, before Rose finally spoke again.

"Would you like to go out with me?" Rose asked, and, was that a hint of embarrassment in her tone. I felt my cheeks redden further, and my head swim.

"Yes. Of course. Like you even have to ask." I replied, dizzy with euphoria.

I wanted to jump up and down and celebrate, cheer and shout for joy, after all these years of waiting Rose finally liked me. I felt that all that was right had happened and all that was wrong had collapsed. If only things were that simple.

It seemed like we were meant to be, that right now was destiny. Or fate.