*JANE'S POV*
The farther we followed Jason, the quieter the school became.
The decorations from Founders' Week slowly disappeared behind us.
I glanced at Andrew.
He hadn't said a single word ever we began to follow Jason.
Neither had Jason.
At first, we followed the paved walkway that led behind the administration building, but after a while he turned into a narrow path hidden between rows of thick hedges.
"This way," he said quietly without looking back.
The path became rougher with every step.
Loose stones covered the ground, tree roots stretched across the soil, and overgrown branches hung so low that we had to duck several times to avoid them.
"This place even has a road?" I muttered.
"It isn't exactly a road," Jason replied. "Nobody comes here."
Another few steps later my foot landed on a loose rock.
The stone rolled beneath me.
I lost my balance.
Before I could hit the ground, someone grabbed my wrist.
I looked up and saw Andrew.
His grip was firm enough to steady me without hurting.
"You should probably look where you're going."
"I was."
"No, you were looking at Jason."
"I was looking at both."
He smiled slightly.
"I don't think that's physically possible."
I rolled my eyes before pulling my hand away.
"I would've been fine."
"Obviously."
Jason suddenly stopped walking.
He turned around, folded his arms and looked at both of us one after another with his eye brow raised.
"Definitely not dating."
Andrew almost choked.
"What?"
"I said you're definitely not dating."
"We're not."
"I didn't ask. Pttfff so guilty. "
"We're still not."
Jason nodded thoughtfully.
"I believe you." He replied smiling.
The annoying smile on his face suggested otherwise.
I couldn't help laughing.
"For someone hiding from a murderer, you're surprisingly unserious."
"You'll understand why eventually."
Then his smile disappeared.
"Come."
He continued walking.
This time none of us spoke.
After another minute, a building finally appeared between the trees, It was so small that calling it a house would be generous.
The painting on the wall of the exterior looked like it had once been painted white, but years of rain had washed most of the colour away. Green vines climbed across one side of the building while patches of moss covered parts of the roof.
If someone had walked past this place a hundred times, they probably still wouldn't notice it.
Jason walked to the wooden door and pushed it open.
The hinges creaked loudly.
Inside...
It looked nothing like I expected. The room was tiny but surprisingly clean.
There was only a narrow bed pressed against one wall.
A single wooden chair stood beside an old table covered with books, handwritten notes, empty bottles of water and several folded maps of the school.
One kerosine lantern rested at the edge of the table.
The air smelled faintly of old paper.
"So..." Andrew looked around the room. "You've been living here?"
Jason shrugged.
"It beats dying." He replied.
I slowly walked farther inside.
"This whole time..."
"You thought I had been kidnapped?"
I nodded.
"Most people do."
"But…" He continued.
I looked around again.
"How did nobody find you?" I asked interrupting.
Jason laughed softly.
"They weren't looking."
"What do you mean?"
"They were looking for a victim."
He closed the door behind us.
"I became a ghost instead."
Silence filled the room.
I noticed something else.
There were no family photographs, no decorations, nothing personal.
By the way what would I say I am expecting from someone who is trying to survive.
Andrew leaned against the wall with his arms folded.
"You've kept us waiting long enough."
Jason nodded. "I know."
He pulled the only chair away from the table before sitting down.
Andrew and I remained standing.
Jason looked up at both of us.
"What I'm about to tell you..."
He paused.
"...never leaves this room."
Andrew answered first.
"It won't."
Jason turned to me.
"What about you?"
"I didn't follow you all the way here just to tell everyone." I replied with a sassy tone.
He gave a small nod.
"Fair enough."
For a few seconds he simply stared at the floor as though deciding where to begin.
Then he looked up again.
He then pointed at the small bed on the floor for us to sit.
We sat together.
"Someone helped me get this place. She is a journalist who works in the school as a lunch lady.
"How did you guys meet?" Andrew asked.
"I will explain everything from the beginning to the end. Do both of you remember Nathan?"
Andrew sighed.
"Of course I do."
Jason turned toward me.
"You didn't know him that well."
"I knew enough."
"He wasn't just our friend."
Jason smiled faintly. "He was my brother."
The room became quiet again.
"I don't mean by blood."
His fingers tightened around each other.
"I mean by choice."
He took a slow breath before continuing.
"I met Nathan years before Andrew came to this school."
"How did you guys meet Andrew?"
"Why do you wanna know?" Andrew asked.
"Ask your babe."
"Are you ever serious?"
"He wont tell me." I replied.
"Ohh so he is your…."
"Focus Jason and tell me come on."
Jason took a deep breath, looked at Andrew before continuing.
"He came here on a scholarship so barely knew anyone except from the teachers and those who brought him in. He barely knew anything about this school. So we decided to help him and from there we became friends then brothers."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"However, back to Nathan, he was the first real friend I ever had."
He chuckled softly.
"The funny thing was..."
"He annoyed me every single day."
Andrew couldn't stop himself from smiling.
Also Jason laughed.
"He couldn't sing."
Andrew interrupted.
"He definitely couldn't."
"And somehow…" Jason continued. "...he still became my best friend."
His smile slowly faded.
"When Andrew came."
I looked toward Andrew.
He remained silent while Jason continued.
"The three of us became inseparable. Attended classes together, trained together, competed together. If you saw one of us… you usually saw all three."
He looked at Andrew.
"I genuinely believed nothing could separate us."
Andrew lowered his eyes.
"But then..."
Jason's voice became quieter.
"Emma happened.
"Emma? The same Emma?"
"Are you really in this school?"
"What happened?"
"Rumour did."