Night School: Legacy

Something in his face told her that he understood how she felt. But he said only, ‘OK. Let’s start with an attack from the right. You need to adjust your stance slightly.’


Over the next half-hour he taught her how to handle attackers from different sides – how to pivot into position with no warning. How to fight back. By the end, they were both sweating despite the cool night air.

He was so professional and polite in his approach, she soon forgot her hang-ups about him touching her. He was teaching her how to elude a neck-hold, his arms wrapped around her from behind, her hands on his wrist, when Carter walked into a pool of moonlight and stood looking at them in disbelief.

‘Allie? What the hell is going on?’





NINE





Surprised, she stared at him wide-eyed for a long instant before she was able to react.

‘It’s just … you know … we …’ she stuttered, unable to think of an explanation.

As she spoke, Sylvain dropped his arms and stepped back. With a sick feeling, she realised how it must have looked. Carter’s eyes were fixed on Sylvain – tension crackled in the air between them like electricity.

‘Sylvain was teaching me how to flip people. It was just … practice.’ Her voice quivered before slowly fading into silence.

‘I don’t get it. Didn’t we just have an hour-long lesson from Raj?’

‘Yeah but …’ Heat rose in her cheeks. ‘I don’t know if you noticed. It didn’t go very well.’

‘I could have helped you.’ He was pale with anger.

This is bad.

‘Hang on. You don’t under— It’s not like I asked him. We sort of … I don’t know. Ran into each other.’ She avoided looking at Sylvain, but a strange mixture of panic and resentment flooded through her. He’d just spent ages helping her. And she still had the right to choose her own friends. Didn’t she?

She shot Carter a warning look. ‘It’s not like you’re the only person who can help me. We’re not chained to each other at the ankle. You and Jules seemed to have a good time working together and you don’t see me freaking out about that.’

‘You know that’s not the same thing,’ he snapped. Hectic spots of colour appeared in his cheeks, and tendons bulged on his neck like exposed wires. ‘I can’t believe you’d come out here with him after what he did to you.’

Instantly images of the summer ball flashed in Allie’s mind. Sylvain shoving her against a wall, kissing her hard. Refusing to let her go even as she fought.

It was Carter who had found them. Carter who made him stop.

Just remembering that night made her feel sick. She swallowed hard.

But Sylvain had spent months trying to make it up to her; he’d rescued her the night of the fire. She believed he was truly sorry.

Was she just being naive?

‘This is stupid, Allie.’ Carter sounded impatient, but she could see the hurt in his eyes. ‘I’m not going to stand here arguing with you in front of Sylvain. It’s after curfew. Jules was wondering where you were and she sent me to look for you. You need to get back.’ Then he turned on his heel and strode back towards the school building.

Watching him disappear through the trees, Allie stood very still but her thoughts were chaotic and confused. She was surprised by her own anger – it was as if he’d thought she’d been cheating on him with Sylvain just because she was working out with him.

As if he didn’t trust her.

Suddenly the night felt empty and quiet; she took a deep calming breath of the cool air and for the first time noticed the stars, like silver frosting on the dark sky.

She was glad Sylvain hadn’t said anything, hadn’t made things worse. For a second, she thought about saying something to him about that night. About maybe forgiving him for the bad things and remembering only the good. About being friends.

But she didn’t.

And as they walked back towards the school building in awkward silence, she thought about the things she should say. The things Carter would want her to say.

I really appreciate your help, Sylvain. But we can’t ever do it again. Carter wouldn’t understand and he really doesn’t want me hanging out with you. Or speaking to you. Or breathing the same air as you.

But, instead, all she said was, ‘Thanks for helping me.’

As he held the door for her his eyes were as blue and enigmatic as the smooth surface of a lake. And all he said was, ‘You’re welcome.’


The next morning, despite the late night, Allie woke before her alarm went off and couldn’t get back to sleep. Giving up on rest, she sat up slowly, feeling the new aches in her muscles.

Everything hurt.