Chapter 16

"He's dead..." I muttered, feeling the presence of Archie next to me. " He's dead and I didn't tried to save him..." I said, holding even harder the limp body of Clayden.

"Ethan, he isn't. We can still feel his pulse and he is still breathing." Explained slowly Archie as if he was speaking to a small child. " And now, he is just resting."

Clayden was unconscious in my arms, sleeping peacefully. But I could feel his bones when I put my arms around his waist, his cheekbone sticked out and he was still shaking. How could anyone do that to a living thing ? Who was this horrible ?

And instantly, the answer came in my mind. Maxime Max. The prefects. They were all the reasons why this was happening,

And why ? What were their motives ? Maybe for the reputation of the school. Or maybe for power and fame. These two things who could drive someone mad in less than a second. Something that could shatter a life for eternity, something that made you lose your mind.

"I need to go." I said in a quiet voice, laying Clayden on the floor, not wanting to have to deal with the nurse of the infirmary. What would she say if she saw him ? Or if she saw Lexan ? Or even anyone else ? She would freak out, inform the police or the principal and the wrong person would be put in jail because they had no proof that it was the prefects. I didn't have the strength to deal with that.

I walked along the corridor, just as depressing as when I went the other way, the lights off and the others at the canteen. Every one of my steps would echo in my ears.

I knocked at the door of the meeting room of prefects, the basket still in hand and handed it to Blaise who was smiling at me.

"You did a good job Ethan. Well done." He complimented me, smiling. " But I think you already know too much." He said in a gloomy voice. I walked backwards, terrified, but bumped into Izzy chest. I tried to run away but he took hold of my arms, pushing me more against him, making my heart beat even harder with fear.

Maxime, Blaise and Hamilton slowly formed a circle around me and I understood at this instant that they knew from the very beginning how much I've learnt. They knew that I didn't want to be a member of the cooking club simply by interest. They knew everything from the very beginning and I had been fooled. I who thought that I was the one winning in this game, everything was only an illusion.

" Have you truly thought we haven't seen in your little game Green ?" Inquired Maxime, his eyes glooming with danger. " Are you truly that stupid ?"

I tried to reach out of the trap, I tried to fight, I truly tried to snatch my arm from Izzy, but I was too weak. Too weak from the very beginning... Weak and stupid.

Have I truly thoughts that annihilating my emotions would make me stronger ? Have I truly thoughts that I was that strong ? Having no emotions changed nothing. I was still the same. Same little Ethan...

" Are you truly crying ? I think you are even weaker than what we thought." Snarled Maxime as wet tears started falling down my cheeks, tears of humiliation and distress. " But that isn't a problem, is it ? Our main problem is, how have you managed to know about our little secret ? I thoughts I destroyed every evidence ..."

Human evidence... People... Students... Maxime Max, the prefects of my blue house, was truly a murderer. He was the one who killed all of these people. I suppress a shudder.

"Anyway, it's time for you initiation, isn't it Blaise ?" Maxime chuckled of a cold laugh.

" This was my exact thought." Answered the other boy, laughing also.

How stupid was I ? I was going to die. I was going to die... I was going to die ! I didn't want to die... Not now... Not here... I wanted to live my life. But, even if I looked everywhere in the room I was, there was no way for me to escape. Even Archie couldn't help... He was only a ghost.

" I don't want to die !" I yelled, barely conscious on what I was saying. I didn't want to become like Clayden or Lexan... I didn't want to be like Archie... I didn't want to die !

"Oh but you aren't going to die my dear." Joked Izzy in my ear. " You are just going to be our trophy, our thing. The one we will show to the word to prove how perfect our school is. Don't worry, you will be treated as a hero." He whispered, barely audible by the others as I was fidgeting even more. His nails were deepening in my flesh, his breath was hot on my neck. I wanted to go far, far away from him. I wanted to be anywhere else instead of being with them.

And I didn't want to be a hero. " I don't want to be a dead hero." I mumbled, using my last strength.

I wanted to be seen for who I was. I wanted to be myself. I wanted to have my own intelligence. I didn't want to be a puppet under the command of four prefects. I didn't want to have a false brain given by them.

"Let's go before we are seen." Suddenly interventions Blaise. " We wouldn't want to be seen, would we ?" He stated in a smile, looking at me with his two brown eyes. Eyes who seemed to look at you into your soul...

And as they knocked me down, I thought of all the things I could have done to avoid dying now. I could have talked to an adult about everything that happened, I could have asked to Archie to stopped talking to me, I could have written a letter to someone I loved...

But who have I loved ? My parents ? And then ? Have I ever been as lonely ? Yes... I can recall my younger self eating alone at the canteen, surrounded by groups of friends who were chattering gladly. Since I entered kindergarten, I was different. No one would want to be my friend, they would say they didn't like my way of dressing, or my hair cut... My clothes were too baggy, my hair too long. Everything was wrong about me if we referred to those children...

The only girl who wouldn't judge me and who would want to be my friend without any other reasons than knowing me better and protecting me, her name was Via. I was eight when she was thirteen. a true friendship settled between use. No one could break us apart, our link was stronger than every sibling.

I still remember her round face and her green eyes...