"It's been a long time Ethan." A dangerous voice called out and without turning around, I knew who it was. Since when haven't we talked ? Two weeks ? Maybe more... "Izzy told me you fainted, what for ?" He asked and instinctively, I lied. Why should I trust him ?
"I wasn't feeling so good because of lack of sleep but I'm okay now. Thank you for your concern." I answered in an even voice, not letting any emotions be heard in my answer.
"Good." His eyes narrowed and the word danger came suddenly in my mind. "By the way, I was told you don't go to the lessons, don't you need help ?" He inquired.
"My old school had a superior curriculum. I already know everything I should know."
Obviously, he wanted to know my grades, he wanted to see if I was gonna be a shame to the school or a prodigy. If I needed help or not...
I was in danger being next of him, I was in danger talking to him, I was in danger being in this school.
"Sir Whitecraft told me you want to be part of the cooking club. Why so ? Do you have any skills or any talent ?" He asked in his usual tone of voice and it was almost becoming a habit to never say the thrush to him. Never.
"Well, I do cook for my parents..." I said, looking for a way to escape.
"I'm excited to see your skills Ethan..." He murmured so low that I barely heard him. And I wish I didn't. Hearing him say that sent shivers down my spine as I imagine all the things he was thinking is his mad mind.
Maxime Max wasn't like the other prefets. He was more dangerous, more discreet and he knew how to not get caught by the headmaster.
"I too. But I need to go." I told him before walking away, almost breaking into a run and locking myself inside the toilets.
Now that I knew what happened, how everyone died, how the prefects were implied in all that. Now that I knew everything, I could go, leave like a thief. Only, I didn't want. I wanted Archie to go back home, I wanted him to finally rest in a piece. And for that, I had to stop it. Stop everything. And most of all, stop tase prefects.
"Ethan ?" Archie called out, coming out from the wall in front of me. "Are you okay ?"
"How do you think I feel ?" I asked in a chuckle, laughing nervously as Archie was walking closer to me. " I'm gonna die in one week, how do you think I should feel ? Happy ?"
"You aren't going to die Ethan. I'll be here. I'll protect you just like I promised." He said, hushing me and taking my hands in his.
"But you are only a ghost..." I whispered.
"I may be a ghost but I never broke a promise. I will never leave you." He said, taking me in a hug.
"Promise it. Promise you will never leave me.l" I whispered, tears falling as slowly, I was breaking down.
"I promise. Even when I leave earth, I will always be there for you." He said while drying my tears with his thumb. "I promise..." He repeated in a lower tone of voice.
"Archie." I said, pulling out from the hug. " He asked about my grades."
"What did you answered ?"He asked
"That they were good. I don't think they would want to give me their —" I shivered at that thought, not daring to finish my sentence but I knew that Archie easily guessed what I meant to say.
"Don't worry. Just study and never get a test result under C. You will only get there attention on you." He warned and I simply nodded. What else could I do ? I didn't have anything to say and I didn't trust my mouth to open. "Ethan, I was wondering if you would want to come with me to the old building. We might find interesting things..." He asked and I understood what he wanted to say.
"Like syringes ?"
"More or less." He answered before saying that he would wait for me at the chestnut tree.
I smiled softly from jealousy as I walked towards the garden of the school, wondering how cool it would be to be a ghost like Archie. No walking, you could pass through walls, no lessons as no one could see you, the only thing that made it impossible for me to kill myself right now was the loneliness that would take you. Archie would have been alone if I wasn't there... He would have had no one to talk too, no one to joke with... The thought of becoming a ghost was slowly becoming a dark joke.
"Hey Ethan ! Are you feeling any better ?" The voice of Lexan called out and when I turned around, I saw every one of his flaws.
His skin even parler than Archie's, his shaking hands and teeth, the way he would look backwards as if he was afraid someone would be behind him. I wondered slowly why the teacher didn't say anything about, if they even notice it. Or maybe they agreed because it would only augment the reputation of this school. Maybe...
I quickly glanced at his wrist and saw that he was hiding them behind long sleeves...
"I need to go Lexan. See yah !" I said before walking away. Being next to him made me feel uncomfortable and weak... Very weak...
I joined quickly Archie to the chestnut tree and told him about Lexan, what he looked like and how strange he was today.
"I know, I saw him yesterday. But you haven't sawn Clayden yet. He is in a worse state than his you know." He informed me with a sad smile on his face.
"I really hate this school and his reputation !" I was angry about the teachers and the headmaster who were letting their students do such things... I wasn't angry actually, I was frustrated. Frustrated by all the things they could have done to prevent that. I almost wanted to send a letter to the parents, to the government, just to tell them about it. But I would never do it because I was afraid of what those prefects could do to me...
Archie sighted of annoyance before telling me we should go. We took the same way than the other way and I was still as startled at how perfect the old building was. The same gates and doors, walls made of bricks. The only thing was that the sun was hidden behind the leaves of the trees. I imagined Amanda Starks walking there, her bright smile painted on her face, her blonde hair falling on her chest.
We came inside, nothing had changed, and this time, I climbed the creaky stairs who nearly fell apart when I put a feet on the first one. I joined Archie and saw that he was reading something on a yellow paper stick to the wall.
"Archie... Is that what I think ?" I whispered, not believing what was in front of me, tears pickling my eyes.
"Yes..."
On the poster we were both looking at was written : 'Does meow-meow have whiskers ?'