Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 42 - "Well first, there was before."

Elle

I stared at the grey brick wall, unable to make out the intricacies in the dim lighting. It was just a blur of darkness, lit up by a yellow-ish light.

"Go on. Tell me what happened." The officer prompted.

"I was stranded, I don't know why it took what happened for me to realise it, but it did." I began haltingly. The officer frowned, confused, but I was oblivious, my gaze focus on the wall.

"But that was Before. You see, for all of us involved life, previously separated into difficult section so overlapping times had been cut into three parts. Before, During and After. Before was hurtful and confusing, yet comforting in ways. During was a wild mess, a blur of time. Even now it is difficult to remember the events that played out that night. After, the consequences, the tears and the hate. After, I remember well, as it is still playing out. After... I wish I could not remember it."

"Tell me what happened. Tell me everything."

"Well first, there was before."

Harry

I wasn't planning to go the party, I could barely walk – let alone dance. Besides, Emma wasn't too keen either. I urged her to go, to have some fun – but she wouldn't leave without me. The thought was comforting, even if it struck me with guilt. What was less comforting however, was the envelope lying on my bed when I got back from school.

Emma sat down and crossed her legs, smoothing out her blazer.

"It's the hospital bill." She said, acknowledging the envelope with a flick of her head. I paused, before shrugging.

"I thought it was a public hospital, it can't be too much." I said, tossing the envelope aside. Emma's hand stretched out and grabbed the envelope with a flick of her wrist.

"It's not the hospital money I'm worried about." Emma said, crossing her arms and dropping the envelope in her lap.

"What is it then?" I asked, smiling easily at Emma.

"The school provides free physiotherapy." I continued, laying back with my hand tucked behind my head, wanting to just go to sleep. Whatever Emma was worried about, I was fine. I was healing fairly quickly and the pain was something I could deal with, even if it was a nuisance.

"If you can do that much damage with one hour on an expensive motorbike, I'm not surprised they do." Emma grumbled and pulled me back up, by my hair.

"Ow, that hurt!" I exclaimed, resentfully rubbing my head. Emma stared at me evenly.

"Uh oh. I recognise that face. It's the lawyer face." I mumbled, more to myself than Emma.

"I think you should see a psychologist." Emma murmured, her eyes filled with pity. I gave a sudden shout of laughter.

"A psychologist? You know that Elle's been through much worse than me and she's not seeing a psychologist, neither is Lily, or Rose or Dylan, not even Lukas. They've all been through ... too much. A lot more than me anyway. And they are fine. Just like I am." I finished my speech with a smile, firected at Emma . Emma rolled her eyes.

"You know how you wanted me to tell you if you were doing that annoying bro thing where you supress your emotions and generally just be annoying? Yeah, well you're doing it now." Emma said, her lips pursed in disapproval. I shifted uncomfortably. I'd always had no problem accepting help, or knowing when I needed it. I didn't want to bother Emma, and it was my own fault. I'f thought that if I'd worked through it on my own, I'd be fine.

"I'm sorry Emma, you know I didn't used to do that, or, at least, I can tell you that I didn't used to do that. I feel like I've changed since...what happened. And I don't want to change. I still want to be who I was before, fun, light-hearted Harry. Not... whoever I am now." I started babbling, creasing the blanket in my hands.

I don't know, I guess some annoying, jerk part of me was released." I said, trying to make light of the situation and forcing I smile. The truth was, I had changed, become harder, less quick to smile or laugh. And I hated it, I really didn't want to change. But I had. Emma let out some sort of strangled laugh that turned into a sob. I hurried over to her, draping a blanket over her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, it'll all be okay!" I whispered, suitably useless at comforting Emma. Suddenly tears were streaming down my cheeks, the first time I'd cried in years. Emma felt a tear plop onto her head and laughed.

"Cry-baby!" She teased. I raised my eyebrow.

"Look who started the trend!" I said, pretending to be indignant. Emma looked up, shrugging the blanket off her shoulders.

"I wasn't crying."

"Really?" I asked skepitcially. Emma nodded resolutely.

"I don't cry. It's physically impossible for me to do so." Emma said, with utmost conviction, wiping her eyes to show her lack of tears. I smiled at her, wiping away my own tears.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that was the truth." I answered.. It was hard to believe at the start of this year that Emma had merely been some crush. Now, she was so much more. But, I didn't know how she would take to me telling her that. I laughed quietly at the thought. Not well! I thought jokingly. I hoped she would take it well. But...knowing Emma.

Rose

I was excited, to finally free myself of the weight that pressed down on me, that had pressed down on me since I grew old enough to be beautiful, since I was rich enough to be an heiress to a major fortune, since I was smart enough to hide behind sparkly dresses and gossip. I'd created a persona, to fit into – to be the vapid, beautiful, party-obsessed rich girl that everyone had expected me to be. But maybe I'd worn that persona to well, maybe it'd become a part of me. It was easier to retreat into it when everything was falling apart, to wear the persona like a second skin. But, at the party, that would all go away. It'd burn away, turning to ashes. All of the pain, gone. And my final act of revenge, revenge for everything, I'd make sure that it'd be a good one.