Breaking Her Rules

Chapter 30

Ainsley is asleep on a tartan couch, her head in Julian's lap. He's looking lonely. Harrison and I fall onto an olive green loveseat and stare into the dying fire. It's almost two in the morning and a lot of people are still very willing to continue partying, but I got too drunk and now I'm sobering up I just feel tired and miserable. I just keep wondering whether I'm going to lose Watson – again – because he won't be able to look at me after he tried to kiss me.

Harrison tells us about the motorbike he's been taking apart in his parents' garage. Harrison, like Julian, spends a lot of his time drawing, but while Julian draws beautiful art, Harrison loves mapping, planning and designing anything mechanical or electrical.

Eventually Ainsley wakes up and we go off together to find water. The bottles of water next to the punch, so we grab one each. Ainsley struggles to open hers, so I slip mine under my arm and reach over to help her.

'Emily Maisonwood,' a snarky voice comes from behind me. I almost drop Ainsley's water bottle.

Toby's girlfriend, Scarlet, is standing behind me, flanked by her posse of Landor girls.

'Scarlet,' I say. 'Hi.'

She narrows her eyes at me. 'Your friend Julian Whitney got with Lexington Davids. Lex is a Landor girl, so I heard about it. So fucking typical of you and your disgusting friends.'

I realise that Scarlet is blind drunk, and she's decided now is the time to get mad at me. I glance at Ainsley, who has taken a step back.

'Okay, Scarlet,' I say calmly, following Ainsley's lead and walking away from the house and back towards the bonfire.

'I know something you don't,' Scarlet says smartly, and one of her friends, Fate, laughs. 'Duncan told us. He made me swear not to tell.'

Toby and Jake appear. Toby grabs onto Scarlet's hand, but she flinches out of his grip.

A crowd of students is starting to appear as everyone becomes interested by our raised voices. I see Duncan standing with his arms crossed, flanked by Prisley boys. Lucas isn't with him. Duncan is smirking at me.

'I know your secret,' Scarlet cries loudly.

I glance at Ainsley. All my wrongdoings are public knowledge, surely? What could Scarlet know?

'Toby, take her home,' a commanding voice comes through the crowd, and with a jolt I see Lucas, in his Jesus costume. The crowd parts to let him through, and I have to stifle a laugh. Then I notice the girl walking along behind him, and I feel a jolt in my stomach.

She's some girl from the Prisley house and I don't even know her name, but she's holding onto Lucas's hand. She's prettier than me. That's my initial thought, and I hate myself for that, but I can't help noticing she's gorgeous. She's wearing a dark green dress and has wrapped multi-coloured Christmas lights around herself. She's also wearing a headband that has a bright gold star on top. Her pitch black hair is pulled back into a high ponytail and it's perfectly straight. Here I am in a stupid white and blue dress, supposed to be a snowflake, and this girl is literally lit up like a Christmas tree. When Lucas reaches us he whispers something to her and she smiles at him and then drops his hand.

I turn back to Scarlet, who is now pointing at me. 'Who wants to know Emily Maisonwood's final secret?'

'Nobody,' Lucas growls, but a few students cheer.

'Em, what's this about?' Ainsley whispers to me.

'Prisleys,' Scarlet yells, and this time she spins around to address the crowd. 'I bet you all remember having to do detention because someone burnt your house name into the oval.'