"Hey Ethan, school start in two weeks ! Excited ?" Chatted joyful Clayden while stuffing some green beans in his already full mouth.
I nodded while cutting my fish before asking him : "And you ? You haven't been to any holiday extra lesson if I remember well."
"That's because I have the best grades in my years with a few others." He explained with no hint of prétention in his voice, before taking from his plate some eggs while swallowing what he already had in his mouth.
Sebastien, who was sitting next to me at the dinner table intervene with his usual harsh voice but who held some concern if we knew him : "He was known as being a perfect idiot. But I'm gonna tell you more later."
"Anyway, Lexan is waiting for me at the library." Suddenly said Clayden, rising on his feet and taking his tray, his desert unfinished.
I looked at him going away, seeing how nervously and slowly he was walking away, clearly uneasy at the idea to join his friend at the library. Unless he was going somewhere else much more unpleasant and that he lied to me for whatever reasons . . . Especially that we weren't that close. What reasons would he have to tell me the truth ? I was a new student here after all.
Finishing what was on my plate, I hastily went in the room, stopping several times to make way for other students going down the stairs, being closely followed by Sebastien and locked the door behind me.
We sat both on the two beds, him laying down and me sitting, my head in my hands as I thought about all the crazy things that happened this fifth day.
Earlier, when I went to the toilet, I heard Clayden vomit and crying in a cubicle and when he went out to see me waiting for him, I could still hear him cursing as he clearly didn't want anyone to knowing what happened.
The only thing was that, he didn't catch a cold and he was almost as pale as Sebastien from his living. As if he was sick but not from a disease but from something else wich I couldn't put my finger on.
"I suppose you know that the library close at seven pm and that it's eight." Sebastien said in a dull voice, knowing that I already guessed that the boy wasn't saying the whole truth.
"Then was he lying when he talked about Lexan ?" I inquire, my head fuzzy from all the informations.
" No but I should let you know that these two had the worst grades when I first arrived at that school. They were the shame of this so prestigious school and Sir Whitecraft couldn't expel them because it wouldn't sound good on the papers." He pointed out, closing slowly his eyes as he went back to his memories. " I remember my first exam here. I was the first and them they would dead last. Every teachers would come and congratulate me and then they would scowled these two because they didn't manage to show how 'great' there education system." He chuckled slightly.
"What about Archie and Amanda ?" I questions, thinking that maybe all of this had a link.
The grades, the reputation...
"Well I must say that Devenson was a really bad stupid. Luckily, he had natural facilities and didn't had to study much but the teachers were still ashamed of him. And Amanda was perfect. She had the best grades, the best written lessons in her lessons, the best handwriting. How could anyone want her death ?" He said, nostalgia and sadness present in his voice.
For a few minutes, none of us said anything until I finally decide to asked the ultimate question that would maybe solve everything : " You were talking with past tense when you said about Clayden and Lexan. What happened ?"
Sebastian opened his eyes and stared right at me, chuckling.
" They became the two best of the school with Archie. The three of them had grades so high even Amanda couldn't do anything against it. Rumours said she became depressed after that and commit sucide by falling off the roof."
I suddenly recalled what my father said and instantly, my brain fuzzed. " Did any of them went to the cooking club ?"
And the answer he gave me startled me and almost gave me a panick attack : " Yes, all of them. Archie was forced by the principal who said that he had to do at least one club, Clayden stopped after three weeks but I secretly think he is still a member, Amanda loved to learn new recipe and Lexan is still going every Sunday.
"So everything is linked to the cooking club..." I murmed, terrified. "Everything is linked to the prefects who runs it...."
I was surely going to be a victim. I was gonna be the next one who will slipped accidentally off the roof, I was going to be the next dead. Why ? Because I volunteered in being part of this club.
"It's not possible Ethan. I wasn't a member." Sebastian interven but I just shook my head like a mad man, refusing to hear any other sounds other than my thoughts. I had to think to make my head clearer, to get the fear vanish from me, to get the problems go away.
"You just don't remember... Everything is linked..." I repeated, more peep talking that actually speaking to him.
I didn't know, and didn't want to know, what was happening inside this club but it seemed absolutely terrifying. Terrifying and revolting.
It had to do something with Clayden 'sickness'. It had to do with these death.
"Ethan, looked at me." Hushed Sebastien and I just realised that he was holding me by the shoulders when I thought he was laying on Archie bed. Archie bed...
Archie who died... Dead Archie... Archie who slipped off the roof. Archie dead body...
"Ethan ! Stop panicking and inhale and exhale. Breath normally." Ordered Sebastien but I was too panicked to even hear what he had to say. And he did the sweetness thing he ever done to me, he took my hand and placed it on his heart, relating : "Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale."
And eventually, I calmed.
"Do you want to take a shower ?" He propose, concern still in his eyes as he watch over me, making sure I wasn't going to do another panick attack.
I nodded silently, still not trusting my words and slowly stood up and started undressing the top part as I was walking almost haggard to the bathroom. I was tired and terrified, two feeling who didn't went well together. I stepped inside the shower and after turning the tap, I sat on the floor, ducking my head in my folded knees, letting the cold, almost freezing water calming me.
I fell asleep and I awoke, half sleeping, when Sebastien dried me in a warm towel before putting me in my bed, kissing me goodnight on the forehead. He was truly the friend I never had, the brother I always wanted.
A brother is always there for you...