AMBER EYES (rewrite)

25 | the cammy thing

Nights at Redville are quiet and peaceful but there's something unsettling about them as well. It's the time when people think the most. Think about themselves, think about their past, think about their future, their lives, their friendships, their breakups and everything that even the person closest to them can never imagine.

It all ends up in secrets. We all have secrets, don't we? Secrets we can go as far as losing our moral values just so no one can ever know them. I have some too. Some that would ruin me and my plans in just a split second.

"Why did you call me here?" An unsure, confused voice speaks up from behind me. Turning around, I see her. She looks like shit with her broken nose but then again, when does she not? I'm not saying that she's ugly — I'm just saying that whatever she's thinking, it usually shows on her face. I have no idea how she's a drama student.

"Can't I call you to meet me?" I ask her. "Aren't we friends?"

"No, we aren't." She shifts, putting her weight on her other feet. "What do you want from me?"

"You want to stand here and talk or take a walk?"

She rolls her eyes as if she's doing me a favour standing here. Technically she is but she doesn't have to know it yet. She doesn't reply, giving me the answer I need.

"I heard you're a cheater," I begin. "Interesting rumour, that was, but it would be better if I knew the details."

Her face drops for a moment before she regains her composure. "I heard one about you too. That you create scandals."

I scoff. "I never said that I don't. With the kind of accusation I have up my sleeve right now, I can create one right now. All it will take is one message on the forum and you will be right in the middle of one. Maybe you'll be on the news considering how big of an accusation it is but either way — you'll pay for what you did back then, Cammy, and trust me when I say it's not going to be pleasant."

"Empty threats," she deadpans. "You know nothing. You're making a wild guess. I can see it in your eyes."

"Well, Cammy, you're not exactly good at reading people." I walk closer to her, keeping one of my hands on her shoulder and leaning into her ear, my lips curving. I can hear her breath hitch with nervousness and I can feel how tense she is with me standing so close to her but she doesn't say a thing or push me away. "Two words, Cammy, and I can make you break. Ask for it."

"Try it," she whispers immediately, looking anywhere but at me.

"Redville leak, Cammy. Redville leak."

It happens so fast. She pushes me away, her eyes wide as I stumble about three steps backwards, a small laugh escaping my lips. I'm aware how maniacal and sick it sounds but I can't help it. The moment — no matter how serious this is — is making me feel so calm, so happy that it's almost unbelievable.

"How the fuck do you know that?" She must have realised how loud she sounds because she looked around her and then back at me, cursing under her breath and running a hand through her hair. "Who the hell told you that?"

I just smile.

"Say something, you bitch," she snarls, grabbing me by my collar. She looks furious and I can see how much her anger increases when she sees that the smile on my face hasn't faltered at all. Bet she wants to break my face to wipe it off my face. "How the hell do you know about it? What do you know about it? How much? Harley Kingsley, you—"

"Relax," I laugh, "it's not like I'm announcing this in the middle of the street, am I?"

She doesn't let me go.

"I mean, I probably will. Unless you tell me all of it. From the beginning."

"I have nothing to talk about with you."

I let out a sigh and take a step back, forcing her to loosen her grip on my shirt. "Really? Then you're okay with me telling everyone that you were involved?"

"No one is going to believe you."

I shake my head. "Actually, they are. They will because this kind of shit? It's illegal and you know it too. Someone's gonna get some evidence sooner and later and your career will come crashing down before it's even begun."

"What do you want from me?" Her voice is like a whisper, her eyes holding back the tears.

"The truth, Cammy. Yes or no? Were you involved in it?"

She takes a deep breath but doesn't utter a single word. I raise my eyebrows, eyeing her. Waiting for her to say what I want her to. Few seconds later, her lips finally part. She exhales and takes a step back, looking away and shaking her head.

"Yes," she finally says. "I was."

"You were," I repeat. "Good to know. Are you going to elaborate?" She shakes her head, giving me the answer I need. It's not a bad thing — I can wait for the explanation. "So, is it safe to assume that if it wasn't for you getting the question papers beforehand, you wouldn't have made it into the school?"

She bites her lip, slowly shaking her head.

A small laugh escapes my lips before I even realise it. "God, you're even more undeserving than Iris to stay in this school."

She doesn't have any answer to that either, just like I had expected. I shake my head, not bothering to hide my smile at all.

"Don't worry," I tell her, holding her by both her shoulders and making her look at me, "your secret is safe with me. But there's something I need you to do for me. If you tell anyone about it at all, Cammy, then you're going to pay for it."

She swallows, then nods. "What do you want?"

I sigh. "You were Lily's roommate, I heard. Unofficial one, atleast. There's something I want you to do related to that. You're going to do it for me. No matter what. I'm not giving you a time limit but preferably, finish the job before summer. The later it is, the higher the stakes. Do you get me?"

She sniffs once, the panic apparent behind her eyes. "You promise you aren't going to tell this to anyone?"

I smile. She's in this with me — just for a little while, but she is. And considering the stakes, I'm damn sure she isn't going to mess this up. With my eyes on her, I let go of her and put my hands back in my pocket. She looks at me with the same intensity, expecting an answer.

"I promise."

She folds her arms, a small, reluctant smile tugging at her lips.

"I'm listening," she says, and I tell her everything she needs to do at that moment, no matter how risky it is for me.

Risks are a part of this game, after all. Anything I win does not have any meaning unless I take one, and meaningless victories? Who needs that?

I'm going to make mine so memorable that they remember it in their darkest nightmares.

I'm going to make mine worth the risks and trouble I've put in.

I'm going to win this time, and I'm going to win over and over again until I stop breathing for once and all.

END OF PART THREE