Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 48 - "I thought so."

Emma

I stared at Harry, his red-brown hair falling over his face. I knew the lengths I would go to protect him, knew the extent of them. The thought was a small relief, something that smoothed my nerves, but there was something niggling at the edge of my mind. I knew, deep down that if he got hurt again, if someone hurt him, I would never let the world feel safe or feel happy again. The thought seemed random, but I had the most terrible sense of foreboding, like something truly dark, truly evil was upon us. At the time it seemed silly, melodramatic. But not anymore. Not anymore.

Harry

I looked towards Emma out of the corner of my eye. She was fiddling with her hair, clearly worried. I wanted desperately to tell her it was okay, that it would all be fine. But I knew it wouldn't. Something would go wrong , something always did. Why would the world let any of us ever be happy? I walked over to Emma.

"It's all going to be fine." I said quietly, smoothing down my jacket.

"I know, but I'm still scared." Emma whispered back. It was extremely rare to see the strong, confident Emma so vulnerable, so afraid. I was afraid too. Maybe it showed on my face, because Emma forced a brittle smile and spun around.

"How do I look?" she asked. She was wearing a silver dress, made out of what looked like shimmery scales. Her ebony hair was unbound and it curled over her shoulder. It would look formal, if not for the full skirt that paused at Emma's knees and the short sleeves. In short, she looked stunning. I ran a self-conscious hand through my hair and smiled.

"You look beautiful." I answered, and Emma smirked in return, a bit of her steady confidence returning.

"I thought so." I adjusted my own deep green jacket and offered Emma my arm. And together, we walked out of the room and walked into a nightmare.

Amy

After a tense car ride we arrived at the house, supposedly one of an Prepsworth Academy alumni. It was massive; three stories high and located on the side of a sprawling forest and near a lake. The setting was beautiful, mysterious and absolutely stunning, complete with the mist settling around the forest and the lake. But the house? It seemed ominous, despite the light spilling in from the windows and the crowds milling around. It looked strange, like something awful had happened in it. For a heartbeat, I was nervous, fear pooling in my bones. But then I blinked and took a breath and the house turned welcoming and warm.

"C'mon, let's go inside!" Rose exclaimed, smiling as she ushered us in. I gave her a small smile and stepped inside the crowded house, which was still modern and expensive on the inside. Smoothing my scarlet red dress nervously I stared around the house and hoped desperately that nothing would go wrong. But I already knew something would.

Jake

I looked around the house, trying to imagine how Rose got permission to use the house. Probably through a massive bribe. The one questions was; secrets or money? Rose had plenty of both, and liked to use them both to have maximum impact. I turned to look at Rose.

"Why are you still wearing that stupid coat?" I asked, eyeing the long black coat she was wearing with distaste. Rose raised an eyebrow, or at least as much of her eyebrow that I could see behind her massive black sunglasses. It looked like she was going for the "vampire cat burglar" look, not that I knew it was a look, with her dark coat, sunglasses and black beanie, covering her hair.

"Are you ever going to take your coat off?" I asked.

"Eventually." Rose replied, with a small smile. Oh god. She was plotting something. It was very, very difficult to believe that I had once thought that I loved Rose, at most. At that moment, I just pitied her. Nevertheless, I stepped inside and looked around the crowded room for Amy – and so the night began.

Dylan

I stumbled around the smoke-filled rooms, trying to avoid inhaling the acrid cigarette smoke. I felt like I was looking, looking for something ... or someone. I ended up sitting on a couch, staring at nothing when Jake flopped down beside me, followed by Amy. I'd hated Jake, full on despised him in that first week, but now? We were almost friends. He seemed to have mellowed in the weeks since, and by now he was like another bitter, moody teenager..

"Enjoying the party?" I asked Jake and Amy, slightly ironically. Amy wasn't a party person, at least to my knowledge, maybe that was why there was a slight tension between them. Amy looked around the room.

"It's actually kind of fun." Amy answered.

"Don't mind her. She's not feeling very well." Jake joked. Amy frowned and elbowed Jake softly in the ribs. I raised my hands in a joking gesture of placation. Pretty quickly, Lily slumped down on the couch too, alone, for once. Then, with perfect timing, Elle, Emma and Harry all walked in, looked at us for a second before taking a seat on the couch opposite. I looked at the floor, running a hand through my hair and feeling awkward. Maybe it was because of how much Elle had changed since that first night that I saw her; she now wore an all-black ensemble with a leather jacket and a dangerous smile. Maybe it was because of how much my feelings towards Elle had changed. But...Rose. I had to remember that I was after Rose now, no matter how half-heartedly it was. I had to return to being the old Dylan, who wouldn't give more than a passing glance to Elle. Well, that wasn't exactly true. I rearranged my thoughts and stared at the ground until the chattering murmur of the room was silenced. I looked up, wondering what had happened. Then I saw Rose walk over to our couches.

I grimaced and returned to frowning at the floor. Rose sat next to Elle and smiled at her.

"Why don't we do something?" Rose suggested, her eyes sparkling. I started to shake my head when I thought about it. My life was in tatters, and maybe I could get Rose by siding with her. Even that slightest victory might get me back on the right path.

"What would you suggest?" I offered, my face carefully blank. Elle looked up in surprise at my voice – much like she'd done the first night at the party, her curls falling over her face. I sucked in a shallow breath at the memory, at the memory of dancing with her, something like regret dancing through my head. My thoughts were interrupted by Rose.

"I'd say...truth or dare." Rose mused, her final words sharp. Jake didn't bother to hide his scornful laugh.

"Truth or dare. Really? Really Rose? We're not in Year Seven anymore." Jake teased, inbetween colf laughter. Harry shot Jake a glare and Amy scowled.

"You're rather judgemental for someone who behaves like a three year old most of the time." Amy snapped, her eyes narrow. I grimaced and watched Jake's expression turn slightly sad, no matter how much he tried to mask it.

"Fine, I'm in." I stared at Jake in surprise. Roe smiled at Jake before turning to Amy.

"I guess I'm in too." She said softly. Harry and Emma exchanged a quick glance.

"I have no secrets and Harry has no shame so, we'll join." Emma said, smiling. Harry gave a fake wounded expression and laughed. Lily shrugged,

"I'm game if you all are." Lily said grinning. Then a thought flashed across her face.

"All my secrets have been told to the whole school anyway so..." Lily added coolly. Amy winced at the jab but Rose seemed unperturbed. It all happened so quickly, I didn't have time to think, I looked up at Elle, wondering whether or not to join. Her dark eyes met mine, slightly amused, perhaps curious to see what I was going to do. I stared right back and smiled.

"I have nothing to lose anyway." I added, staring coolly at Elle. Elle blinked.

"I'm in too." And just like that, the future, for better or for worse, began.