Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 57 - "You are so dramatic."

5 Weeks Later

Rose

Strapping boxing gloves onto my hands, I stared at the punching bag, before turning towards Elle.

"Ready?" I asked her. Elle laughed and shook her head, still fumbling with her last boxing glove. I walked over and easily strapped it on.

"Okay, remember; uppercut, jab, roundhouse kick." I said, imagining the blows in my head. Elle nodded and faced her own punching bag.

"On my count, one, two, three!" I said evenly, preparing myself. We both moved in sync, bringing our right fist up to the punching bag; a difficult movement, considering the fact that the punching bag was flat, and that an uppercut was meant to go under someone's chin. We lashed out with a jab, sending our respective punching bags swinging, before finally swinging around with a powerful roundhouse kick, which created a loud thwack, that resonated around the empty gym. Spinning around, I crouched down again with my fists up and started again.

We often had a one or two hour practice every afternoon. It saved having to talk to other people about whatever shallow drama was going on and it helped me perfect whatever I was doing. Self defence, martial arts or boxing or a weird mix of the three. I used to practice with Lukas but all of a sudden, that was clearly out of the picture. I felt like ever since the fire I'd changed, been finally able to free myself of the queen bee persona, and just be able to be myself. With me gone, Eve had taken that position, and she seemed only too glad to treat me as an outcast. I was fine with it too, now I was free, I didn't need that affirmation from anyone. Except maybe Elle, whom I'd grown unexpectedly close to over the last five weeks. Elle now smiled at me, taking off her gloves and placing them on the floor. A sheen of sweat covered her face from the exercises we'd gone through.

"Did you used to do this all the time?" Elle asked incredulously. I laughed and shook my head.

"I only started around the beginning of term." I answered, stepping up to the tallest chin-up bar and pulling myself up so I was sitting on top of it. Elle laughed, looking up at me.

"I won't be able to get up there!" Elle exclaimed, eyeing the height warily.

"It's not my fault I'm taller than average but...fine." I said, rolling my eyes. Gripping the bar, I slid back off the bar and hooked the back of my knees around the bar, interlocking my ankles. I let go of the bar with my arms and tucked my shirt into my leggings before swinging my torso down so I was upside down and facing Elle, my hair touching the floor.

"Better?" I asked, smiling. Elle rolled her eyes.

"You are so dramatic." Elle exclaimed. I gripped the bar again, let go of my legs and flipped around before landing on the ground. Elle rolled her eyes again but smiled slightly. I looked around the high-tech gym, before my gaze landed on the two massive, knotted ropes, dangling down from the incredibly high ceiling from the top of the gym. It spanned almost three stories, thanks to the rock-climbing walls at the end of the gym. Elle noticed my look.

"No way are we doing that!" She said, backing away from the ropes. I gave her an evil grin.

"Oh we so are!" As I walked over to the rope, I couldn't help but remember when I'd gone to the same gym with Lukas, merely five weeks ago. We'd even done the same type of thing; boxed together, joking around and laughing. The parallels made me uneasy, if only because it made me think of Lukas, and remember him. I didn't regret what we had done but it had turned him into a monster, and thinking of him hurt. I hadn't spoken to him, hadn't looked at him in five weeks. If I brushed past him in the hallway, I recoiled. I knew it was petty and childish but I couldn't stand to be around him, not with what he'd done. I couldn't reconcile the boy who'd I boxed with, looking over at me with a smile with the same boy who'd pushed me to the ground, angry and cruel. Still, I knew they were one and the same, and I promised myself I would never, ever go back to Lukas. I intended to keep that promise, no matter what it took.

Jake

I walked across campus, glowering darkly at everyone who looked at me. In the last five weeks, I'd had to watch Amy trot along behind Lukas, following his every word. I knew if he did anything to hurt her – I'd be distraught. And I hated myself for that. For still protecting her, even if she'd done everything hurt me. Even if she'd made it clear she wanted nothing to do with me. I didn't intend to and would never chase after her, not when she'd made her feelings clear enough, but I wanted to make sure she was okay, that Lukas wasn't tearing her down. But I knew I needed to let her go and I could do that – I really could. Just not while she was with Lukas, because if she was with Lukas, she was in danger.

When I wasn't going stir-crazy, I was practicing with the soccer team. I was by no means the best on the team, that was easily Tom, but it was something to do to take my mind off things, even if I didn't really enjoy it. I'd never really had a hobby, not when all my spare time was spent hanging onto Rose and Lukas' every word and doing their bidding. It was almost funny to discover how much of a life I hadn't had, but mostly it was just sad. I'd never really existed without Lukas or Rose, and when I was apart from both of them, I had to find my own, even if it was a bitter, miserable existence. I knew I wasn't much better than either of them but it was the thought that I could be better that kept me going to school and soccer practices. Still, I felt purposeless and lost with my empty routninue. It was admittedly boring, with nothing to do and no one to talk to, but I never once found myself wishing I could be with Lukas or Rose. And that was the first step. But, as I grew, Prepsworth fell.

Elle

My arms burning, I pulled myself up to the top and gripped on for dear life. The world around me seemed incredibly small. Rose, who had looped her legs around the knot at the top of the rope and was hanging upside down began to stand up, holding onto the rope with one hand.

"You should try standing up!" Rose said lightly, spinning around the rope. I looked down at the floor and grimaced.

"I'm good thanks" I replied. Rose leaned out over the side, letting one foot dangle in the air.

"Are you crazy? We're like, three stories up." I exclaimed. Rose shrugged but begrudgingly went back to hanging upside down, her face vacant.

"So, how are you and Dylan doing?" Rose asked casually.

"We're back to being strangers. Somethings just don't work out." I said calmly. As I spoke the words, I was slightly startled to find out that they were true. I was over him, well and truly. Well, almost.

"What about Lukas? Has he done anything more?" I asked, figuring I should return the favour. Rose's expression suddenly turned sour and she sat back up.

"You mean, has he tried to hurt me anymore?" Rose said, her voice harsh and cold, echoing through the cavernous space. I flinched at the blunt words, remembering the slight bruises on Rose's cheeks. Suddenly feeling freezing cold, I reached out a hand towards her.

"You know I told you if he did that again, I'd make him pay for it." I said quietly.

"And you know I said it was okay. I'm done with revenge. Besides, I did more damage." Rose said smoothly. I smiled slightly.

"You definitely did more damage." I added. Rose's face turned happy again, but her eyes remained solemn.

"Don't smile when you don't feel like smiling." I said gently. Rose's smile dropped off her face.

"You're right. I keep on forgetting that." Rose said quietly. "I don't know how to not be me. I guess by me, I mean queen bee Rose. It's like with all of the lies, I lost myself." Rose mused. Rose looked down, her brow scrunched before looking up again.

"I'll race you to the bottom!" Rose exclaimed. I laughed and began climbing down, clambering down quickly but gripping on tight to the rope, Rose laughing with me. But somehow, I knew she was still sad and the memory of her downcast face stayed in my head, along with a simple question: What had broken Rose Miller so irreparably?