Page 76 of Fallen Legacy

“You can do that?” I ask him and his answer is to snicker.

“We’re the Aces, Scar. There’s nothing we can’t do.”

ELIZA

The next day, Boyd calls in to see us. There are no new leads. Whoever the stalker is, they are good at remaining invisible. I’m constantly on edge. I rang Kit this morning to check he was okay, and I called Rebecca to make sure nothing else happened since the broken window. Archer has arranged for a top-notch security system by Georgie’s dads’ company to be fitted at the chip shop. He’s also insisting on footing the bill for the shop window, despite Rebecca’s protestations.

We head to school after we’ve finished with Boyd and I’m glad to have something to take my mind off everything for a few hours. Seb and Vee are eighteen in two weeks’ time, and they have an entire week of celebrations planned, ending with us all having a weekend in Ibiza. Seb’s family has a party planned, but Seb insists he wants to ‘real’ party and not a black-tie event like his parents are planning. Surprisingly, Archer agrees he can have it at the Savage Mansion, and I laugh with him when he tells me that if it’s at our house, we can sneak off to bed whenever we’ve had enough.

“I’m thinking I want two strippers and one of those sexy fire eaters that dances and does cool shit with fire,” Seb explains, as we all congregate by my locker. The bell rings and I realise I need a quick wee before class starts. Rafe is in my next class, so he assures Archer he’ll wait by the ladies for me and accompany me to class.

I leave Rafe outside and head into the toilets, but I stop still when I hear sobbing coming from a cubicle that is occupied. Whoever is in there is sobbing their heart out.

“Hello,” I say softly, walking up to the cubicle door and tapping lightly on it. “Are you okay in there?”

“Go away!” a broken voice shouts at me from the other side of the door.

“I can’t do that, I’m afraid, because it sounds like you're upset, and I need to check that you’re okay,” I insist. Whoever is in there, they aren’t in a good place and I’m not leaving them alone in the girl’s bathroom until I know they’re okay and they’re not going to do anything stupid.

“Come on, open up. I’ll stand here all day if I have to. A problem shared is a problem halved and I promise I’m a good listener.”

I wait for a response, and none comes. Sighing, I contemplate my next move when I hear the latch of the door lock lift and I take a step back. The cubicle door opens, and I stare in shock at a red eyed Georgie.

“Happy now?” she snaps, storming past me. She bends over the sink and splashes water on her face.

“Georgie, is everything okay?” I ask her tentatively. I’m worried as I’ve never seen her looked so bedraggled and unhinged.

“Oh, I’m just fucking great,” she snickers. “Why do you have it all? Why are you so fucking perfect?”

I scoff and shake my head at her. “I’m far from perfect. Trust me, I don’t have it all, believe me. I have no parents and a grandfather who’s only interest in me is how he can use me to benefit himself.”

“Everything I thought I knew about my life is a lie,” she says, looking at her own reflection in the mirror with glazed eyes. “Nothing is real.”

“Did you and Chester have a fight or something?” I ask her, completely befuddled about what is going on here.

“Chester,” she snorts. “Chester is just a distraction, nothing more. You think I’d cry over someone like him?”

When she puts it like that, no, I can’t imagine Georgie crying over him. I can’t imagine anyone crying over him.

She turns from the mirrors, hugging her arms around her waist. Her face is devoid of any makeup. She really doesn’t need all that makeup. She’s genuinely pretty without it.

“Look, Georgie, I know we haven’t exactly got on well, but this is the girls loo’s,” I say, gesturing around me. “What is said in here stays in here.”

Georgie scoffs. “Talking about it won’t make it any less true. Talking won’t take it back and let me carry on living the lie,” she says becoming more high pitch and hysterical. “Talking won’t change the truth.”

“Little red what’s taking you so…Oh, Georgie’s here too. Are you two kicking off in here?” Rafe interrupts, stopping in his stride at the doorway when he realises Georgie is in here with me.

“Oh, look, your little bodyguard’s here,” Georgie says, pushing her shoulders back and attempting, but failing, to look composed. “Go to hell, the both of you,” she snaps. She shoulder checks Rafe as she storms out into the corridor.

Both Rafe and I stare after her, feeling the aftereffects of hurricane Georgie. Rafe turns back to me and blinks. “What on earth crawled up her arse?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know, but I’ve never seen Georgie so undone before.”

Rafe snickers and holds the door open. “Chester’s probably been shagging her best friend.”

I smile and nod my head. “Probably.” I shouldn’t care. After all, she’s been nothing but horrible to me, but I recognise the look she had in her eyes. I remember it well. It’s the one you get when you feel so lost and alone.

Lunch time rolls round and as I listen to Vee chatter away about our plans for Ibiza, I spot Chester sitting at the table where the Jacks and their girls sit. I grab a bottle of water and tell Vee I’ll meet her at our table and make my way over there.

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