Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 45 - "Can you hear me?"

Jake

I'd sauntered to the dance rooms, hoping to see Amy practice. I was already imagining her leaping and spinning across the room, impossibly graceful and light. Instead, I found her slumped on the floor, her hair splayed out behind her. I raced to her and shook her.

"Amy? Amy? Can you hear me? Amy?" I whispered, panicking. Amy groaned and flung a hapless hand out to shield her eyes from the lights, catching my face in the process. Amy's hand stopped and pinched my nose, her fingernails digging into my nose.

"Mghfhhh." I cried out, wincing. Amy gave a muffled laugh. I frowned.

"Glad to see you're feeling better." I said flatly. Amy made to sit up and groaned, reaching for my shoulder. I pulled her up and Amy grimaced, her face twisting to one side.

"What happened?" I asked. Amy shrugged helplessly.

"I just remember feeling sick and falling." Amy gestured around the room, before sitting back down.

"Maybe you exerted yourself?" I suggested. The thought seemed impossible. Amy did hours of fitness training and even more hours of dancing. She seemed to have infinite stamina. Amy seemed to find the thought as doubtful as I did.

"I exerted myself choreographing a cheer routine? I don't think so." Amy said, a confused frown flashing across her features.

"You were doing dance before that." I pointed out, trying to find a reason for Amy's sudden weakness. Amy frowned again and shook her head.

"I wasn't dancing." Amy said slowly. I frowned.

"Then what were you doing?" I asked.

"I was tired. I just was sitting on the couch in the dorm and I zoned out." She admitted. I gave a sudden shout of laughter.

"Amy...you're sick!" I said, laughing. Amy frowned, annoyed.

"I don't think so. I don't get sick." Amy replied.

"Everyone get's sick Amy." Amy scowled and fiddled with her hair, looking like a petulant child, a fact I resisted speaking aloud. There was a moment of silence before Amy spoke up again.

"How long until I get back to normal?" She asked. I laughed again.

"Have you never been sick?" I asked, slightly incredulously. Amy smirked.

"Maybe I had a cold once or twice, but... not much. Besides, everyone has different immune systems" Amy replied. I sighed, shaking my head.

"C'mon Amy, let's go get you back to your dorm." I said and scooped her up into my arms. Amy stiffened.

"Put me down. Please." Amy said. I looked pointedly at the floor.

"Are you sure?" I asked, doubting her ability to be able to walk straight for more than one second. Amy stared at the floor doubtfully.

"Okay, you're right." Amy said before grimacing.

"If only the world would stop spinning" Amy grumbled.

"Is it because of the fact you're sick or is it me?" I asked, teasing her. Amy's scowl grew.

"The sickness." She snapped.

I was still smiling when I got back to my dorm.

Elle

I tapped the pen against my lip, scowling over the survey. It was part of the student well-being survey that the school took every year. It was extremely difficult to take seriously.

"What does love mean to you?". The letters appeared on the screen in a bland font and I rolled my eyes.

"Um, blind stupidity?" I murmured before looking around, seeing if anyone had heard. No one. Good. Suddenly, the door swung open. I looked towards it quickly, hating the fact that I hoped it would be Dylan, still wanting it be Dylan.

"Blind stupidity, huh?" I growled at myself, already annoyed. Instead Jake walked into the room, carrying Amy, who was tucked into his arms.

"You're not allowed in here." I said quietly and unconvincingly, more of a reflex than anything. Jake didn't seem to hear me as he looked around the dorm, presumably for somewhere to put Amy down. Amy murmured, sounding worried yet only half-awake.

"It's okay Amy, go back to sleep." Soothed Jake, stroking her head. It was surprising to see Jake so, calm and caring, and to see Amy so vulnerable. Even last year, Amy was strong and kept herself guarded. At least, I thought so. I'd been friends with Amy for a while, but no one really talked about their feelings or families much at Prepsworth. To do so was almost to invite pain. Still feeling slightly shocked, I pointed at Amy's bed and Jake set her down.

"Thanks." Jake said, not really paying attention to me. I smiled slightly at him as he pulled Amy's hair out from behind her head. How he'd changed. Maybe love, or at least, falling in love didn't make people so stupidly blind after all. Then I remembered what had happened in that first week and I stiffened. Well, maybe not some people.

Emma

The party was highly anticipated, by younger and older years alike. You could tell by the way everyone whispered about it, by the excitement hanging in the air.

"The party was planned by Rose and Lukas!"

"Do you think that Jake will be there? And with his new girlfriend Amy?"

"They're dating? Talk about a weird couple.'

"That's what you're thinking about right now? We need to get invites to the party I heard it's off-campus."

"And that it's in the house of a uni student!"

"I hope I get to go!"

I almost laughed as I walked across the campus to go to dinner. I'd received an invitation, in the form of a text from Rose. Harry had received an invite too. All the people that had been involved in the dramas of the first week had. It was strange, but I thought that Rose had been trying to turn over a new leaf. So, I didn't question as much as I should've. Besides, I needed to catch up on the homework and the schoolwork I'd missed.

I slid into a seat at a table with Elle, Rose, Lukas, Lily and Tom. It was a weird mix of people, but I guess it worked. We'd all grown a little closer in the aftermath of the first week. A little. Elle handed me a tray of beef vindaloo curry with rice.

"I got one for you, the line's stupidly long." Elle said.

"Thanks!" I exclaimed, looking over at the line, which stretched almost to the end of the dining hall.. I tucked into my food but, in between bites, noticed a tense silence.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Me." Said Lukas, laughing. Oh. Lukas and Rose were sitting at the end of our table. I stared at my plate as Jake and Dylan wandered over, seemingly casual. They'd probably seen what was going and wanted to stop what was about to happen.

"So, why are you guys sitting with us?" Elle asked, ever the peace-keeper. Except when she was going crazy because of "Rose's" diary, of course. Then, she was just broken. Lily frowned at Rose.

"Okay, we get it, you already put a bunch of us on the cheer team. You can leave now." Lily spat, frowning. Rose recoiled, an expression of hurt flashing across her face.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you." Rose said quietly, looking remorseful.

"For what you did in Year Seven, or what you did in Year Twelve?" Lily asked venomously. I blinked.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, scrunching up my face in confusion. Lily glared at Rose.

"Oh, didn't dear Rose tell you? Rose and I used to be best friends."