Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 13 - "Rose and Lukas"

Amy

I used to think of myself as a star, I was sure that everyone knew my name and admired me. It was a silly, childhood dream and now I merely watch the real stars, the popular group with their power plays and betrayals. I work harder than anyone else in the ballet studio and I get good grades but what does it matter to those who don't know me? How does it compare to cheating and lying and manipulating? I'd watched the Lukas-Eve-Rose-Jake drama unfold and couldn't help but be secretly fascinated but also disgusted. I analysed it over with Elle, and she told me all that had happened, every tiny little messed up thing. She also told me not to tell anyone what she saw ,and I promised that I would. We both couldn't get it out of our heads; the whole thing was so messed up and heartless. Everyone had done something wrong, had purposefully hurt others. Like Elle had snapped, they were selfish, just like the rest of us. Still, I pitied Jake. All that he did wrong was fall in love, but, at Prepsworth, that's mistake enough. I felt tears drip down my face, cold and sharp in my tired state. I hurriedly wiped them off on my pillow and continued our hushed conversation. But I knew what I had to do.

Elle

At first the drama that plagued Prepsworth Academy fascinated me. After all, my Dad is a psychologist and the psychology behind all the bitter feuds, rivalries and love triangles was undeniably interesting. But soon I saw how petty and bitter people acted I soon saw that the drama shouldn't be an object of interest: it should be an object of disgust. The overwhelming sense of entitlement that enveloped some students was sometimes too much to bear. That was why I worked harder, studied for longer and didn't socialise, I couldn't keep on watching people get hurt and upset and betrayed. Now I was facing more drama and sickeningly, I could be the one to start it. I could be the one to tell Jake about Lukas and Rose, the one to start a storm of hate, fury, love and betrayal. Some might have jumped at the chance, but it repulsed me more than I could say.

I poured my heart out to Amy in the hope that she might know what to do, what was the right thing to do, hoping her compassion and quiet ways would show me that this was a secret that I could keep to myself. Instead I found myself almost pouring out all of my own secrets. Amy was kind, understanding, and my friend, and I was so close to telling her everything, but I couldn't. Trusting people wasn't exactly me, and the more I relied on someone else, the more I could get hurt. I started to think about Dylan, and about what he'd do. As rebellious as he could be, I liked to think that he had some form of a moral compass, but it might've just been wishful thinking. I felt my thoughts wander, drifting hazily along, just as realisation hit me, as hard and as swift as a cold, grey stone hitting a lake, sinking down to the murky bottom. And everything became clear.

Jake

When I woke up, pain washed over me. My stomach ached and my throat stung from the blood the bitter bile tinged with deep red blood that I had vomited repeatedly during the night. Lukas's beating had broken me more than I showed, purely for the sake of Rose. Rose, the thought of her brought a soft smile to my face. Rose was mine, Rose liked me, the thought stirred me from my pain and I slowly, pain-painstakingly made my way to the bathroom.

I was just walking to my first period when a tall, slim, blonde girl tapped me on the shoulder,

"Jake?" she asked, her voice melodic.

"Yeah, that's me." I replied, unsure of,

1. Who she was

2. What she wanted

3. How she knew me, and

4. Whether or not she was here to send me some message on Rose's behalf.

She looked anxious, and her face was slightly red, so I smiled at her. She met my eyes but didn't smile back.

"I need to talk to you-", and looked around nervously before continuing.

"-it's important, really important." She finished. Anguish flashed across her face briefly before she resumed her neutral expression, her brows furrowed in a slight frown. . She quickly pulled me aside and murmured quietly,

"Rose and Lukas-" She began. St the mention of Rose's name I beamed but at the mention of Lukas's my stomach twinged and I bit my lip as guilt and a strange sort of anger consumed me. The girl saw my expression and frowned slightly before carrying on, suddenly her voice suddenly bubbly and airy, "Rose and Lukas is the new name of a new dance I've been choreographing. It's like a modern Romeo and Juliet dance but with a modern twist and a focus on self-implosion. You're so close to both of them so I was wondering if you could come see it? It's in Dance Room Two at lunch, please, please be there!" she implored me.

"Sure, I'd love to." I replied, confused but admittedly interested. That was how I knew her; she danced the lead in all of the school's dance performances. She smiled at me and walked down the hall, clutching her textbooks to her chest.

I stared at the immaculately polished hardwood floors and the floor to ceiling mirrors that graced the walls then at the blonde girl who was now wearing some black leggings, soft pink pointe shoes and a matching pink leotard and wraparound skirt. I let my mind wander off, but was suddenly pulled to reality by Rose's voice in Room One.

"Lukas we haven't got much time, Jake's expecting me and if we get caught planning this together..."

"I don't care Rose and I know you honestly don't care either. You can drop the pretence around me." Lukas said, a twinge of regret in his voice. I felt my heart freeze, and the world tilted as I sprinted into Dance Room One, just in time to hear the final nail my coffin.

"Okay." Rose answered, smiling at Lukas. She didn't care about me? A laugh escaped my throat, and behind me the blonde girl winced and looked suitably guilty. She'd known and set this up, shown me the truth knowing that I wouldn't have believed it any other way, wouldn't have wanted to believe it. A small part of me composed myself as I marched up to Lukas, gripped him by the collar and punched him before turning to Rose, fully expecting myself to yell at her but upon seeing the love in her eyes, not love for me but for Lukas, I turned back to Lukas and punched him straight once more in the face, attacking him again and again and again. I heard a scream and someone call for help but I ignored it. Instead I kicked harder, punched faster as the world blurred with red and the only sounds were horrified screams. But I did not stop, had no mercy because when Rose had finally turned her gaze to me, in those catlike green eyes there was no regret, no pity, no worry, only a strange blankness, as if she did not know me, did not recognise me, as if I didn't matter. That was why, when I saw Lukas's blood covered the floorboards I smiled bitterly and laughed as the world had become a red tinged haze and I - an inferno of hate, rage and fury.