x
It's been years since I stepped foot into Erik Solar's home. I just never thought I'd enter through his doorway for my older sister's birthday party on Blue Blood Island.
I caught quite a few looks as I walked through the foyer. No doubt my jeans were not a part of the dress code. The party was still in its early stages. The cake hadn't even been caught.
"Vesper?" Ella's lips rounded as she took in my appearance. Mud on my jeans from visiting my mother and brother's graves. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to visit you on your birthday," I said, as I found her upstairs in a room. She seemed shaken up. "What's wrong?"
"You need to leave," Ella snapped, completely different from what I expected. "Now."
"Are you-" I shook my head in disbelief. "-high?"
"Stop acting so noble," Ella started, pushing me towards the door. "Please, Vesper, leave right now."
"What- I don't understand. What's going on with you, Ella?"
"I know why you're here," she hissed. "Listen, I was drunk when I said I wanted to write a suicide note. I found another one."
"Another suicide note-" I was hurt and confused that she wanted me gone. "What are you saying, Ella? Are you alright?"
"Leave, Vesper," she snapped. "Don't tell anyone who you are. And never come back."
I just never knew that the suicide note she "found" was mine that she'd stolen when she visited over the holidays.
x
"Azalea?"
I stilled at the voice, jolting when I heard a fist slam into the wall between us.
"I- Fuck I'm hearing things again," Avery murmured to himself, most likely gingering touching his knuckles. "Azalea..."
I squeezed my eyes shut, carefully regulating my breathing. The letter in my fingers were crumpled because I held them tightly. If I so much made a noise, he'd figure it all out.
He'd know that I was the girl from the tunnels.
I almost gasped when I could see through the small slit movement. Avery slowly lowered himself to the stone floor to take a seat, his back against the wall. I swallowed, unsure if I should just say something. Then I could finally spill one of the biggest secrets I've kept from him.
Physically, only a wall divided us. Emotionally, secrets polarized us.
Suddenly, I felt guilty for constantly blaming him for lying to me. How many times did I lie to him? As much as he did, if not more. Yet he never blamed me for lying to him. Avery could take it because he was okay as long as I wanted to try with him. But I couldn't accept it.
It wasn't fair. I wasn't being fair to him.
"I met a girl," Avery said, and I shut my eyes at those words. "She's what I imagine you to be if we grew up." My heart squeezed. What was he going to say? Would he ever say these words to me if he knew I was here? "She's beautiful."
A long pause stretched between us. I was afraid to even breathe. Immense guilt churned in my stomach. I didn't know how he really felt.
"She's incredibly intelligent. Sarcasm and schemes are her favorites. With her help, most of the people I was targeting have been taken cared of in just a few weeks. I only have two or three more and then I can leave this academy," Avery whispered. "But I know that I'll lose her by the end of it. I don't-" he hesitated. "I don't know why I don't want her to leave."
Targets... Avery had been targeting them too.
"I used to think I'd end up with a girl like Satin Queens or Sasha Laurence, but now I can't accept it," he murmured, his voice pitching. "I'm just- I'm so confused and thrown off."
I shifted slightly backwards, unable to listen any further. It felt like an intrusion.
"I miss you Azalea and our letters, but I feel like - I feel like she filled something you left behind. I never told her because she'd never be able to take it. She's too fixated on the truth about Ella," A pause. I knew he was thinking about Grace. "In that way, we're the same."
The world was starting to sway as I moved backwards. Quickly, I pulled out Avery's phone to text Pierre for a plane. He'll find me and arrange for me to return. I just needed to leave the tunnels...
"She knew the answer to the riddle," Avery said, rationalizing it out, "She's the only one after you who knew the answer. Two side. A circle has two sides. I- Am I crazy?"
No.
"Am I insane for thinking that she's you?"
No, you're not, Avery, I thought. I quickly wiped away tears that were falling from my eyes.
"You just disappeared. You left without another letter. You never replied to my letter and to this day, I don't know if I should break down this wall between us and let the tunnels collapse. That's how it was engineered, wasn't it? You used to tell me that it was impossible to even remove a stone because then the whole tunnel system would collapse."
My fingers trailed the crack split down the center of the wall. Very soon, it would collapse, if not taken care of. I glanced at the letters strewn across the floor. Maybe it was for the better. Maybe if I left these letters here then my past would be buried, like them.
"She's so sharp that it's impossible for the average person to hide anything from her," Avery mused, quietly. "I can hardly hide the things I know from her. Once she figures it all out... she'll never speak to me again."
I stilled at his confession.
What?
"She's right to not trust me," Avery said, softly, "On that night, I was the last person in the room with Ella."
I blinked back tears. His footsteps faded as he left with nothing but his confession. No. It couldn't be. It couldn't be.
But he admitted it himself.
I don't know how long I stayed there but when Pierre sent me a message, I got up, and without thinking, I gathered every single letter into my arms. I would take these letters but let everything else destroy itself. These letters would remind me of a time when he was good and I was good.
Then, as I made my decision, I carefully pulled out the loosest stone of the wall between us. I walked out before the whole tunnel collapsed, just like my heart.
x
After I returned to my dorm to sleep for nine hours, I woke up to an administrator saying I needed to visit the dean. Apparently, the blue bloods' disappearances caused a huge commotion. Someone had spread a rumor that we left to Blue Blood Island to party, amidst midterms season. That rumor then made its way to a reporter, who lurked around the gates of the academy in hopes of scoring a juicy story to publish.
No matter how much sway the blue bloods had, they were still students at Queens Erlington Academy. None of the skipping would have mattered, if the press hadn't started getting involved. Any article that would expose the academy to the public would result in parents pulling their children out of school. The high profiled sent their children here to protect their privacy, not for unplanned reporters to dig around for secrets.
I wasn't told why I was called to the office, but after that, anyone could guess.
The door to the dean's office swung open. I stood and greeted the dean a smile that always got me out of trouble.
"Ms. Du Sang," the dean gestured towards his office, delighted at my appearance. "Thank you for taking time to make it down here."
"Of course," I reassured him, following him to the door. "It was the least I could do after adding to the commotion."
The dean wasn't very used to a blue blood being cordial to him, not to mention kind. He quickly interjected, "Oh no, Ms. Du Sang, your absence due to sick leave was completely excused."
"I'm sorry?" I said, trying to hide my surprise. The dean stopped, right before stepping into his office with me.
"Ah well after we received your private doctor's note, we excused it instantly. How are you feeling? Surgery at such a young age can't be easy, after all," the dean's eyes crinkled in worry.
I recovered quickly, running through all the possibilities through my mind. "I feel much better, thank you. I guess I was taken aback that a note was sent in-" his eyebrows creased. I added, "I collapsed and I couldn't have been the one to notify the school. Which is why I came here to apologize."
"Oh of course," the dean shook his head, "Mr. Dragomir was the one who arranged everything. I called you here for something else."
I stilled only for a moment before widening my smile. The dean entered his office and I followed, only to see a certain blonde sitting in the chair, frustrated.
"Is this really necessary Father? You haven't finished lecturing-"
"Satin?" My fake smile grew into a grin.
Horror entered Satin's eyes as she stood up abruptly, almost knocking over a mug. "What is she doing here?"
We both knew what she was thinking.
You should be locked up on Blue Blood Island.
"Satin," snapped the dean, or should I say Dr. Queens, "I brought her in so that she'll tell me the truth you won't reveal to me."
"You said she was in the hospital," Satin blurted out, her Botox-injected cheeks completely flushed. "What would she know?"
Dr. Queens stared into her, imperviously, as I stood behind him with a small, innocent smile. "I think she does because you're so nervous. I warned you not to do any more stunts."
"Father-"
The dean turned to me with an apologetic smile. "Ms. Du Sang, please have a seat."
Satin was pleading—or glaring, I have no idea—for me to not take a seat. Of course, I played oblivious and lowered myself into the cushy seat next to Satin. The dean took his place around the desk and then peered right into my eyes.
"Ms. Du Sang, as you can tell, I've brought you here to tell me why Satin has disappeared for the past few days," Dr. Queens paused. "You're one of the brightest academically at our academy. I know that you're intelligent enough to know that I care about my daughter and her future. Please, if there's anything you know, tell me.
I pretended to hesitate, like the good loyal friend I was supposed to be in Dr. Queens' eyes. Of course, I was a saint in his eyes. No nasty rumors circulating me, perfect grades, affluent family name and pedigree, no scandalous photos of me with illegal substances or boys—really, the worst thing about me was my horrible lecture attendance and the fact that I had stolen his daughter's fiancé.
But in his eyes, that didn't matter because I still scored nearly full marks on every assignment or exam I've received and, based on his healthy marriage, he was a sucker for romance. Not to mention, Satin never ceased to cause scandals that would only debase the Dragomir name, which embarrassed him endlessly. Much more than a failed secret engagement.
In other words, the dean called me here because I was good in his eyes. His daughter was rotten.
Satin shook her head and intervened, "Please you can't listen to her-"
"I'm sorry Satin," I bit my bottom lip to amplify the effect. The dean was glued to my words. "I've been telling you to stop for weeks."
"Stop what?" the Dean's expression darkened.
I hesitated again and looked away. You shouldn't have toyed with me, Satin. I've been playing nice with you but you crossed the line.
Satin knew I had her wrapped around her finger. Before anything else could happen, the dean's student assistant, Deidre, popped in and announced, "You need to take this call, sir."
An annoyed expression crossed his face. "Is it urgent?"
"Yes," Deidre emphasized before quickly going back to take another call. On her way out, when the dean wasn't looking, she winked at me. Satin caught it. "It'll take a few minutes."
"The both of you are waiting here until I resolve this," Dr. Queens rubbed his eyes before pointing his finger warningly to his daughter, frustrated. "And Satin, don't try to convince her to lie. I'll know if you do."
When he shut the door, the door clicked to be locked. Satin's plan of making a run for it was ruined and thus, she turned to me and cried, "You can't say anything."
I kept up the pretense. "Say what?"
"Vesper," she glowered, terrified and horrified. "If he hadn't taken my phone, I swear to God-"
I interrupted. "Who do you think spread that rumor? That rumor saying the blue bloods disappeared."
Satin looked annoyed at the random question. "What?"
Of course she was a little slow so I had to piece it together for her. "You've disappeared so many times. Everyone here is used to it and everyone knows to keep their mouths shut about it. So why this time? Why did it bring a reporter in?"
Realization dawned on her surgically altered face. "You."
"Yes, me." I smiled, humorlessly. I didn't want to do this to her. I was tired and honestly, I wanted to let everything go about Ella. But I couldn't. So here I was, scheming. "I had it planned in advance as insurance. If I was ever removed from campus, against my will, that rumor would spread and cause the reporter to come knocking on our gates."
"For insurance," Satin sneered, disgusted that she had eaten right out of my palm. "I bet you even gave them a list of locations as to where we would have kidnapped you. That way, you could ensure your safety and give us ramifications."
"I knew it would happen sooner or later," I said, standing up to stride around the office. "I took precautions—especially to deal with you."
"I knew you were a scheming little slut," Satin fumed, enraged that I had played her. "You arranged this deliberately to lure my father into this."
"You were right, you know. I was the reason for Gloria, Shannon, Erik, Kalina, Mason. All of them left because of me, one way or another" I whispered, stopping my strides until I was right across from her, in the dean's position behind his desk. "Surely, you didn't think I'd let you go after I listened to your confession tape."
"You know I didn't do anything to Ella that night. That was everyone else. You know I never entered that room again after I left the first time Ella took the pills-"
"Maybe. But you planned for all of it to happen because you pushed Grace Dragomir off a roof and my sister was blackmailing you with it."
"How did you-" Satin stared at me in utter fear. "Confession tape? Who gave you them?"
"It doesn't matter," I whispered. "Once I tell your father everything..."
Panic filled her eyes. "They'll be here soon. The blue bloods-"
"Maybe," I shrugged, "But they also mistakenly got on a plane I chartered to Australia. Last I heard, the plane needed to refuel for a day. They must be stuck on the other side of the world for at least another day."
I knew that everything would've been derailed if I didn't buy myself enough time. So, I handled it all myself.
"My father would never believe I'd murder someone," Satin screamed, with despair in her eyes. "You don't know why I left the island early. You have nothing to tell him. And if you do, I'll make your life at Queens Erlington a nightmare. Every person will rip you apart. You no longer have Avery to protect you and without him, you're nowhere near a blue blood. Helen may be the most popular, but I have control over all the rumors and the girls."
I pretended to be shaken up by her threat. "Do you promise that won't happen to me if I don't tell your father why you left the island earlier than everyone else?"
Satin smiled smugly, thinking she's gotten the upper hand over me. "You don't even know why I left."
I leaned forward, leaning on the Dean's desk as I confronted her. "I do. You visited the doctor."
Satin laughed. "Oh please, I don't need to go to a doctor to get pills. If I wanted to get high-"
"Not to get high," I said, watching as her smile faded. "To get tested because you have STDs."
The color drained from her face. "I-"
She was right where I wanted her. Not the other way around.
Her knuckles were turning white from fisting them. "If you tell my father or anyone that I have an STD, I swear-"
Satin's eyes followed my finger as I clicked the stop button for the announcement microphone on the dean's desk. Horror flashed through her eyes as she realized any power or reputation she painstakingly scraped up had shattered.
I looked to her sympathetically. "Through the intercom, you just announced to the whole school that you have an STD. Don't worry, they didn't hear the part where you murdered Grace Dragomir. I recorded that on my phone."
Suddenly, the door unlocked. Deidre, the girl who volunteered to help because Satin once forced her to strip naked in front of the cafeteria, apologized to the dean in front of us. "Sorry it took so long for me to unlock the door to your office, sir. Lucy accidentally took the key because she thought it was for the postal box."
Dr. Queens was enraged with his daughter, so angry that he didn't bother giving Satin any face because he didn't ask me to leave before ripping into her.
"That's it, Satin Queens," he spluttered, face almost purple. "I've let this world poison you for too long. I'm sending you away."
"What?" Satin screeched, already having her mascara smeared because she had burst into sobs and heaves. "You-you can't!"
"I can't believe you're my daughter," Dr. Queens yelled, spitefully. "God, you're as dumb as a rock and as filthy as a sewer."
"Father, please, I know I screwed up-"
"Shut your goddamn mouth. You're going to be sent to a rehabilitation center in the most rural part of Europe, Satin. You're going to be cut off and sent to an all girls school where you wake up at seven, do chores every single day to build character, and sleep at ten o-clock sharp. For the next four years of your life, that is what's going to happen to you. If you don't wise up, you're going to be there for the rest of your life or so God help me."
"No," Satin ugly cried, glaring at me with enough hatred to kill me. "You can't- this is her scheme, can't you see-"
"Schemes?" The dean scoffed coldly. "I wish she was my daughter. Now, Satin, I'm going to call security to make sure you don't run off. They're going to assist you in packing up your things."
The door slammed shut, resonating in the office. Suddenly, I felt a little bad for what I've subjected her. Then I remember Grace and I remember Ella and think she should be grateful she's not going to prison.
"Do you know why I didn't call the cops?" I whispered as I got up to leave. Satin was but a husk of who she was and it was starting to dawn on her. Satin Queens would be erased from any fame or power she held on.
"I'm going to kill you, you fucking psychotic bitch-"
"You're Avery's to deal with, Satin. Pray he thinks you've gotten what you deserved already."
Satin gripped my shoulders, lunging at me with crazy eyes. My throat was already sore and poorly covered in concealer after Cole tried choking me. I flinched at the reminder. "You took everything from me. Everything. You let everyone in this school think I spread my legs to everyone."
I slapped her across the cheek. Suddenly, clarity seemed to enter her eyes. Slowly, as I tucked one of her blond curls behind her ear, I lowered myself until my lips brushed her ears.
I whispered the same insult she used on me a few minutes ago. "Who's the scheming little slut now?"
x