Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 47 - "And fall"

Rose

I went to sleep, my head filled with worries. My stomach ached relentlessly and I tossed and turned. The darkness was overwhelming, like a gaping chasm. Like the chasm between truth and lies...one only too familiar.

"Your choice; you can take a leap of faith..." Her voice turned cruel, "And risk falling."

"Or I can stay, forever straddling the edge." My own voice added, bitter and cold.

"You know, I can make anyone jump." She whispered coldly.

"And fall." I murmured under my breath. I looked up at her.

"You need to pay for your crimes." I whispered, tears streaking down my cheeks. She cocked her head to the side, a twisted smile carving it's way across her face..

"I already have."

I woke up in the middle of night, sweating and silently screaming. It had all come back to haunt me, like I knew it would. I needed to face my demons, I'd tried to avoid them, did everything I could've done to avoid them, to banish them from my life but it seemed like that wasn't enough. Like it wasn't enough punishment for what I'd done.

Lukas

I was fizzing with excitement and anticipation. I wanted to jump up and down and spin around, jumping off furniture and ripping pictures off walls. I was filled with nervous energy, buzzing under my skin. The day of the party had finally arrived and so had the end of a long, long week. I felt like a kid at Christmas. Everything about it was just so perfect; I got to spend time with Rose, go to a wild party, get revenge, and I couldn't wait to see the look on everyone's dumbstruck faces afterwards. It was all just one more thing that made me better than them.

But, I didn't know the full story. Not all of it. I knew some important elements, enough for me to fool Jake, to create the plan in the first place. But not everything. Not everything. If I'd known what would happen, what I would become, I wouldn't have done it. I couldn't have forseen the consquences it could've had for me, and for everyone else.. But it's too late now. It was already too late when the party had started.

Amy

I felt better but only a little bit better. The world still spun whenever I ran and my headache came and left in flashes.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty." Jake said lightly as he walked into the dorm. Elle gave him a warning look but returned to her book, turning herself so her back was facing us. I pulled the hairbrush from out of my hair and glared at him.

"I'm sick, remember?" I snapped half-heartedly. Jake grinned at me and brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"I thought you weren't admitting you were sick." Jake paused and looked thoughtful in such a way that made me instantly suspicious.

"Spit it out." I urged.

"But I guess you did sleep in 'till twelve." Jake concluded.

"No? I thought it was eight!" I exclaimed in shock. Jake raised his eyebrows and nodded, and I sent another scowl his way. I finished yanking my hairbrush through my matted hair and turned to look in my mirror. It was still a birds nest, but it would have to do. I had a lot more on my mind than hair.

"Your hair looks nice." Jake commented sarcastically. Elle snorted and a flash of amusement crossed her face.

"Shut up Jake." I replied and twisted my hair into a plait. Jake raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" I asked, slightly irritably.

"Don't you have to get ready for the party?" Jake asked.

"Don't I have to go eat?" I said, mocking Jake's tone. Elle walked over, her fingers finishing my plait quickly.

"I brought you some extra breakfast, it's in the fridge." Elle told me. In a flash, I was at the fridge, pulling out a ham and cheese croissant and placing it carefully in the microwave.

"So, how are you guys getting to the party?" Elle asked casually. I looked at Jake and shrugged.

"Probably by driving, why?" I replied, taking my croissants out of the microwave and putting them on a plate. Elle stared at her feet, looking nervous.

"Rose asked me to go with her, and she invited you along too." Elle murmured quickly, rushing over her words.

"You've got to be kidding!" Jake exclaimed.

"Wait, I'll go." I said. Jake stared at me, frowning.

"Rose isn't all that bad. She's attempted to be nice lately." Elle offered.

"This whole thing; I think it's her way of apologising." Elle continued. I looked pointedly at Jake.

"Yes, we'll go, and be sure to thank dear Rose for the invite." Jake said scowling.

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" He added. I frowned deeply.

"I thought you'd moved past the bitter and moody faze." I snapped. Jake's eyes dipped to the floor, then back up to my face.

"It's only gone when I'm with you." He said and walked out, leaving me staring at his back. I saw Elle's gaze dart to me and frowned further.

"That was harsh. You were harsh." Elle said softly.

"I know, but, he has this grudge against Rose and it wont do him any good to hold onto it." I said, wincing at how I sounded. Th exact same reasoning that had sounded so logical a day before suddenly seemed hypocritical and dispassionate but I firmly decided that that was the sickness talking.

"He's not going to change, is he?" I whispered. Elle looked up at me, her eyes filled with pity.

"No, not for a while yet." Elle replied slowly.

"But that's not going to be the worst thing he does, who knows what will push him over the edge?" Elle mused. Face contorting in sadness, I stormed out, all of Elle's words rushing through my head. He had to change, he had to. But he wouldn't. 

Elle

I felt bad about the situation with Amy, but I'd spent enough time at my father's clinic to know that Jake wasn't going to revert to his old self. It was clear, to everyone. Everyone except Amy. It was also clear that maybe that wasn't a bad thing. Jake could be whoever he wanted to be, even if who he wanted to be was a complete jerk. These thoughts circled my head as Rose did something with my hair.

"Perfect!" Rose trilled. I looked up and stared at the girl in the mirror. She looked like me, but wore black waist-high leather jeans and a black, backless long-sleeved shirt. My gaze turned to the black leather jacket on my shoulders, not unlike the ones Dylan often wore, then to my shoes, dark, spiked boots. I looked like female version of Dylan, if more put together.

"I didn't want a makeover." I said to Rose.

"It's not a makeover. This isn't some Danny and Sandy situation. I'm not trying to change you." Rose said quietly, helplessly. She stared at the floor, her expression flooding with emotions; hurt, regret and fear. I frowned, torn between wanting to comfort her and wanting to know what she was about to talk about. Rose seemed to be relieving her own memories, and if that helped her, I could withstand taking my hair out of a ponytail for once.

"I'm trying to show everyone that you can be strong, that you can be better than everyone else." Rose said again, her tone suddenly strong, her eyes determined. Her eyes were unfocused and I almost sighed. Rose seemed almost crazy, but what good would it do to interrupt her?

"Even if you aren't, you need to seem strong. You need to hold on." Rose continued, talking to herself more than me, her eyes struck with a fear. I slipped awkwardly out of my chair. If Rose wanted to give herself a pep-talk, so be it.

"Or else you fall." Rose finished, whispering. Her words ran a chill over my skin; or else you fall, breaking the previously humorous moment. What had happened to Rose for her to have such shadows in her past. She'd told me once that she'd been broken. I had the very dark feeling that I was about to find out the truth.