Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 12 - "Idiot!"

Rose

I smiled as I walked into class, flanked by Saya and Katie. I thought about the plan, imagining what would happen. I wasn't going to tell Jake, obviously and it was fun having Lukas wrapped around my little finger, desperate to see me again. Some people may think me heartless for leading Jake on, especially since he was so devoted to me, but it was like a fun game. He didn't really like me like he thought he did, whether he knew it or not. Besides, I wasn't popular because I was pretty and fun, I was popular because I knew how to manipulate people to get what I wanted. With teachers and Jake I was innocent and sweet. With my clique I was fun and gossip-fuelled. With most boys I was mysterious and exclusive but with Lukas I could be myself. That's why I loved him. Because he loved me too, even with my flaws. Such flaws as, as Lukas once put it, rejoicing in other's pain. It wasn't exactly that, but it was fun seeing the pieces of a puzzle fall together and being able to influence people's emotions.

The plan wasn't exactly thought out yet, but I was sure I was going to go through with it. The second I saw Lukas in the dance room, I knew that I couldn't stay with Jake. I'd probably known since the cherry blossom trees, when he'd been so obviously in love with me. I didn't care about him, just like I didn't care about anyone but Lukas. Why should I? I needed to get Lukas, back, and I didn't owe anyone else anything. Especially not Jake. And, if I broke his and Eve's heart along the way, well, he'd just have to deal. It would be an unfortunate side effect, unfortunate, but nothing more.

Tom

When I walked into fifth period, I had a possibly foolproof plan; to get a girlfriend, perhaps even two. I was hurt and annoyed at Lily's abrupt and admittedly brutal dumping, but I hoped I could move on quickly. I strolled in and sat next to Katie, a knowing smirk on my face.

"What happened to your face?" Katie asked me, frowning slightly. Maybe that face wasn't the right one to win girls over. I tried a laid-back grin and watched Dylan's relaxed posture. I tried to slump and rest my legs on the back of the chair in front of me. I didn't nail it exactly but I was sure I had Katie interested, if slightly confused. But didn't mysterious guys attract girls? For the next half hour I moved around, lowering my eyelids slightly to give the impression that I was half asleep but then opening them really wide to appear perky. First I propped myself up on my elbows, then it was on one elbow then crossed my arms. I was sure to get Katie's attention soon. But as every minute passed and Katie didn't flip her hair or bat her eyelashes at me, I got more and more annoyed. What was I doing wrong? Was I not as cool as Dylan or as popular as Lukas? As I got more and more agitated I moved more and more. Finally, finally Katie noticed me. But not in the way I had hoped. Katie's hand flew up after forty five minutes of wriggling uncomfortable

"I think Tom's having a seizure." Katie called out, a cruel smirk on her face as she looked at me dispassionately. I stopped moving in shock but my momentum carried me off my chair and onto the cold, hard floor.

I could hear the laughter around me, loud and hysterical, and I felt bile rise in my throat. I lay there on the floor, my cheeks burning, my forehead twisted into a frown. I could practically feel my reputation dying, shrinking and withering away. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and looked up to see Katie smirking down at me.

"Oh look. He's dead. Too bad." Katie said, purposefully unemotional, before flinging a hand to her forward whilst rolling her eyes.

"Idiot!" I mumbled. I wasn't sure whether I was talking about myself or Katie, probably both of us. I stood up and stormed out of there, slamming the door closed so hard that the classroom shook. I didn't care. I didn't care about anything.

Harry

The world was blurry and vague and waves of blackness and pain cascaded through my head with every slight movement. My body felt stiff, clumsy and sore. Seconds blurred into minutes and into hours. I was vaguely aware of people in stark white suits standing over me, murmuring softly, I tried to sit up and a wave of pain sliced through my head and I vomited, my chin thrusting forward and sending daggers of pain through my entire body before I blacked out.

Emma

The world seemed cold and grey, without hope or love. After I'd sufficiently made a fool of myself in front of everyone, I'd run to my room and buried my head under my doona, letting silent tears slide down my face. For once in my life. I wasn't able to concentrate on anything. I'd gone to the party to just have fun and escape consequences for one night, and it had all gone so wrong. I'd planned this year since I was little and now it was all falling down in front of my eyes.

"Times are changing Emma." I told myself and it was true. Everyone was different. I was desperately worrying over someone that I hadn't cared about the year before and everyone else seemed to have gone out of their minds as well. I let out a bitter laugh; the one year everything matters is the year everyone messes up. Ironic, isn't it. I'd dreamed of this year for so long, planned everything down to the smallest detail. Everything had come down to this and I had messed up. I felt like screaming, crying and laughing and the same time. For all my poise I was secretly as vulnerable as anyone else, secretly as human as anyone else. My stomach tore itself into knots when I thought about Harry being hurt, when I thought about having to face the real world. I wanted to tell everyone I didn't mean what I said to Harry, if I could do everything again, I'd do it differently. I cursed myself and hugged myself at the same time.

"It'll all turn out okay." I told myself again but I knew that wasn't true. This wasn't some stupid romance movie- ahem...movie. Not romance, obviously not romance. Did I love Harry? I might have had a tiny crush, at most, on him but love? Love was foolish, and only served to get you hurt. He probably didn't still like me anyway. I pushed that to the forefront of my mind and tried to focus on something else. Tried to but ultimately failed.