Elite

2.20

"They have arrested someone." I heard a voice say. I turned around seeing Guzman surrounded by police officers, the inspector in front of them. I pushed my way through the crowd of students.

"You won't mind accompanying us while we search your grandparents' country house, right?" I widened my eyes at the woman's words. "That way if by any chance, we find something, we will have you close by."

I ran the other way, taking my phone out of my pocket and immediately dialling Samuel's number.

"Pick up," I muttered nervously at the phone but each time I called, no response arrived. I walked back and forth, the phone pressed against my ear, as I gripped my hair tightly. The police had already arrived for sure. I stopped calling, figuring that he would have answered by that time if he could.

More or less fifteen minutes later I got a call from Guzman. Everything was fine.

I sighed in relief as I saw Guzman walking back into the school, I ran to him and hugged him close, his strong arms embracing me almost immediately. I don't know how much time we stayed like that, probably seconds or minutes, just enjoying the fact that we were both safe and sound. The last thing I knew was observing, as we pulled away, a bunch of cops making their way into the hallway guided by the inspector, she looked determined as if she knew who the responsible was. They walked past all of us until they reached their objective: Polo.

He stood with watery eyes in the middle of the hallway, he knew what was coming. The inspector pronounced the so famous words as two other cops uncuffed him. They walked past us, Polo looked at us and for the first time in my life, I wasn't sure about what he was feeling. Guilt for what he did? Sadness for being arrested?

I covered my mouth with my hand, not surprised since I had known for a while, but just now everything had become real. Polo had killed Marina.

I leaned into the embrace of the person next to me, Valerio. I could see he was as shocked and sad as everyone was, Lu's expression was practically the same. I hid my face in his chest as everything became concrete in front of my eyes.

***

I knocked faintly on the wooden door. "Hey," I muttered. "I... I heard what happened yesterday, just wanted to make sure you're okay." I affirmed as I entered the bright room.

Ander turned to me, a weak smile on his face. "Yeah, I just drank too much." He said referring to the episode of the night before in which he had collapsed at the nightclub. The tension was evident so I did what seemed like the best thing, I turned around and started leaving.

"I broke up with Omar." Were the words that stopped me in my tracks. I didn't turn around, not trusting myself.

"He left the house." He continued. "It was the right thing to do. I told him everything and he understood, partly." I chuckled bitterly.

"You're still with Samuel?" I turned to him confused, how did he know? He chuckled seeming to read my mind. "I know you, Bella. Better than anyone."

"I'm not with him, not anymore. I guess, we never were together." I leaned on the door frame. "We both have other people in mind."

He looked down at his hands, as he sat on the bed. "You were very brave, you know? You have always been." He looked up with teary eyes. "While I'm just a piece of shit, I'm even worse than Polo. No wonder why you left me." He sniffed. "I lied to everyone, I deceived the people I care about most. I don't deserve Guzman and I certainly don't deserve you. I deserve to have no one."

I wiped a tear that had escaped and squatted down so that I was eye level with him. "Please stop, Ander. That's not true, you're not a piece of shit or a coward, you just made a mistake. And that's okay, you're not perfect, no one is. You don't have to carry this burden anymore, okay? The mystery is solved, we can rest now." I pressed my forehead against his, sobs leaving his body. "The only reason why I was able to do something is because I wasn't alone, I had Guzman and Samuel. But you were alone, threatened by fear and by Polo. It's over now, I swear baby." I grabbed his face, forcing him to look at me. "You need to forgive yourself." I pressed a chaste kiss on his forehead before he dropped his head on my shoulder, crying all the tears that he had in his body.

"I love you." He muttered in between sobs. I grabbed his face, looking at him in the eyes. I placed a strand of his curly hair behind his ear as he stared at me.

"I forgive you, Ander. I forgave you a long time ago." I confessed to him. His face lighted up like a Christmas tree.

"You're too good for me, Izzy. You've always been." He hugged me once again, pressing his body as close as possible to mine, trying to find comfort into that embrace.

"I love you too," I whispered in his ear.

***

Two weeks had passed since the day in which the police had escorted Polo out of our school. Two peaceful weeks.

"Hey boys." I greeted Guzman and Samuel as I saw them hugging in the middle of the hallway, a smile on their faces.

"Good morning." I hugged Guzman before turning to Samuel. We smiled after seeing each other for the first time after the Christmas holidays. I hugged him, placing my head on his shoulder, his hands lovingly gripped my waist. Despite everything, it was still clear we cared very much about each other, too much to let the other go. I pressed a sweet kiss on his cheek as we pulled away. I looked at Ander as he approached us, a smile on his face too, finally I might say. He wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed my forehead kindly. However, our smiles were soon to be faded. Our attention and eyes turned immediately to the stairs of the school, as everyone sensed a strange feeling, something was not right. We all froze, no words were spoken, no movements made, just shock in our eyes at what we were witnessing. He was there, in our school. He was wearing his school uniform and the same backpack he had since the beginning of the year: Polo was back. 

And this, my dears, is the end of the second season of Elite. Like last time, I've decided to write and publish a 'bonus chapter' in which you can see the story from the perspective of the real actors including the one I invented to portray Isabella. See you soon and Happy holidays everyone!