Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 25 - "What do you want?"

Elle

I sat in the corner, glancing around the dinner party. It was a warm summer night and the buzzing of cicada's provided a constant background noise over the nearly incoherent chatter. I smoothed out my slightly wrinkled white sundress and twisted my hair around my finger, a nervous habit I'd never quite been able to shake. I looked around for my parents in a last-ditch effort to save myself from isolation and saw them laughing and talking with their clients and their friends. I choked back my sigh and looked around lazily.My eyes met my sister's, Adelaide, who raised her eyebrows and gave me a knowing smile. . Adelaide, my perfect sister. Adelaide, who looked like an older version of me. She was so different from me; effortlessly charming and polished whilst I was socially awkward, witty and with razor sharp intelligence, whilst I only had book smarts, she had street smarts and a talent for knowing exactly what a person was like, or so I had thought. Adelaide, who was so strong while I was weak and timid. I stared at her, at her perfect smile, at her laughing friends, until I noticed her finger trailing the rim of her wine glass. I stiffened – something was wrong. It was a code she'd come up with for me; whenever I was feeling nervous or worried. I'd tap my finger against my glass of water or lemonade. Whenever I was feeling really uncomfortable and sick – often when I was with some of the client's cruel children I'd be relentlessly questioned, teased and bullied. That was when I'd flick the glass – softly but purposefully. And trailing my finger around the rim of the glass...that was from a movie we'd seen before we made up the code, where this woman's about to be murdered and she's trailing her finger around the rim of her wine glass just before she dies. That's the last her friends ever see of her. I remembered Adelaide joking that "If you're about to die you do that, okay?" and we both fell apart laughing. But there I was and there Adelaide was. I looked around, trying desperately to see what was wrong? That's when my stomach dropped to the floor. I saw her. She wasn't at the dinner party that night. And I knew what happened next. Oh god, what happened next. Tears filled my eyes and I got to my feet. Where was Adelaide? "Adelaide!" I called but she'd disappeared. Something was wrong, very wrong. This wasn't real; this was a memory, a dream. Because she hadn't been there, not Adelaide but her, the girl. I ran up to Mum and Dad and screamed at them "Mum, Dad Adelaide's hurt! Somethings wrong, she's disappeared!" but they both showed no signs of noticing me. I screamed and screamed until my voice was hoarse and my throat sang with pain but they ignored me – or they couldn't hear me. Then I saw Adelaide, disappearing around the corner and screamed her name. She met my eyes and ran for me, she'd just screamed my name when the darkness enveloped her and me.

Lukas

The prank on Lily was hilarious. Rose was a girl with a wicked sense of humour, that was for sure. I couldn't stop laughing, especially when all the girls exchanged looks, their eyes widened, faces tightened in expression of pious shock. Okay, sure it was a little bit mean but hey, you had to take whatever entertainment you can get in. The prank was a triumphant reminder of my success; Rose was funny, pretty and she was mine. Now that Jake was out of the picture, I could start a life with Rose. I was still smiling about it during lunchtime in my dorm, planning to skip class to go to the gym. I hummed as I grabbed a plastic bottle from the fridge, but stilled when I sensed a presence in the room. I turned around, just in time to see Jake walk slowly and purposefully to the centre of the room.

"What do you want?" My voice was low and bitter, and all my bruises hurt, ached as they'd done ever since Jake had put me in hospital. For a split second I was back in that room with blood pooling on the floor, my blood and my face hurting, hurting so badly that the pain overwhelmed me. Me screaming and Jake laughing, savouring my pain. My fingers clenched at my sides and Jake's eyes darted to them,

"I think we've had enough violence between us, don't you think?" I glared at him but my eyes caught on a purple and yellow bruise that bloomed across the left side of his face; a twin one to my own. We were as close as brother's and as loyal as them too. What had happened between us to make things this bad? Regret swirled through my head, raw and painful, doubt filling my head. But as I stared at Jake, I pushed the doubt away. Jake had always liked Rose, had always had that dark, bitter side to him. I just didn't see those things. Maybe I didn't know him as well as I thought. Maybe I didn't know him at all. The thought curdled in my head, along with the implications that came with it. I almost had to grimace to keep my lips from curling into an expression of disgust as I stared at Jake, at his haunted eyes.

Then, I told him – the plan, the secrets, the lies. All of it. When I finished. he just smiled, gave a me mocking bow and walked out, his footsteps inaudible on the carpet. I watched him as he left, my eyes trailing his figure through the windows as he walked up the hill and went up straight to Amy. He undoubtedly thought that I was stupid but, I'd learnt a thing or two from Rose about manipulation...and revenge.

Amy

"How'd it go?" I spoke the words casually, calmly, as if I were unfazed by the fact that Jake was sitting next to me. The thought unnerved me more than I would've liked, and I fought to keep my expression neutral, and any thoughts other than that of Jake's conversation with Lukas, out of my head. Jake scowled, glaring at the dorm in the distance.

"He forgave me, albeit begrudgingly but I don't think he even cares about me after what I did to him. I suspect he views it as some kind of great injustice." Jake said mockingly, before laughing unexpectedly,

"Despite the small fact he did the exact same thing to me. Liar. I could see in his eyes that something more had happened.

"There's no point in lying to me, Jake." I murmured, colder, harsher than I should've been. Or maybe not. Maybe I was sick of having people constantly using others in their constant power struggles, lying and cheating and condemning everyone else. You were the one who offered to help him a voice reminded me. I froze, contemplating what to do next. I was torn between hating Jake and liking him, and warring desperately against both. I had to remain above it all. But I couldn't.

"You okay there?" Jake asked, the bitter expression struck from his face. I gritted my teeth, my jaw tightening.

"I'm fine." I replied, sounding more snappish than I meant to. Jake must've detected the edge to my voice and shifted to face me. He surveyed my face, his eyes wide with something that might've bordered on worry.

"What's wrong?" he asked, slightly...kindly. I wrinkled my nose. The time when Jake had been kind and friendly was long gone. Now, he never smiled, and when he laughed it was a thing of horror, not joy. I stared off into the distance, deliberately avoiding his gaze.

"There's a storm coming." I said quietly, hoping to distract Jake from me. It didn't work.

"What's wrong, Amy?" Jake asked again. I looked back to Jake's face, and, upon finding real worry there, averted my gaze. I stared pointedly at my hand, past and present memories colliding in my head "Amy, are you okay?" Jake asked again, slightly desperately and took my hands in his in an attempt to draw my focus. I glared at him and pulled my hands away sharply.

"I'm fine." I answered, still caught up in memories. I pulled myself from my head an instead stared at the angry grey clouds gathering up ahead.

"Amy – please tell me what's wrong." Jake looked pleadingly into my eyes. I laughed, the sound ringing through the air and started to smile. Jake looked relieved for a second, before my laughter turned bitter, my face twisting into a cruel smile.

"Don't be horrible and cruel and lie and then just go back to pretending that you're Mr Nice Guy whenever it suits you!" I hissed, holding back angry tears. Jake looked around helplessly before sighing.

"Please tell me what's wrong. I know I've been crazy but I need to. I can't deal with it any other way.." Jake paused, before looking at me, his gaze piercing. You're not ... not who I thought you were." Jake took a deep breath, his voice grave. "I like you Amy, a lot... ". I looked at Jake, at his desperation his weakness

"Don't be an idiot. You don't even know me." I said dismissively and started to get up. Jake didn't say anything but he reached into his backpack and grabbed a very familiar diary. I took it briskly and clutched it in one hand.

"Amy, please stay." His voice was low, his eyes despairing, begging me, and pleading me to stay. I'd once dreamed of something like this. Maybe that was why I turned and walked away.