Keep your minds relaxed.

Chapter Thirty - You can't help but feel like you are going to lose your brain. (Part One)

I stared in the eyes of Drew Millers. I never knew that he was messed up to such an extent. With a gun pointed at my head, I could only think of my father. He was an amazing cop. They didn't need to tell me that over and over again. I already knew it. I knew more than that. He was amazing at everything. Most importantly, he was an amazing father. But that didn't save him from dying.

"How are you feeling? Being held at gun point and all?" Drew's taunting voice was ringing. I heard it as if he had shouted. As for my heart, it was ready to just explode out of my chest. The beating of my heart was so loud that it echoed in my head. I clenched my fists and trained my eyes on him.

"I didn't know you would stoop this low." I spat. I hadn't really. I just thought he'd drug and put a stop to it. He had gone to really risky measures. I had to think of something. To get out of the place with Blaise with me, safe and sound. But that is highly unlikely to happen considering Blaise is in his induced dreamland. Only if someone comes here and saves us.

"It's your fault you expected something better from me." He shrugged indifferently. He was watching me with an amused glint in his eyes. He was most definitely a psychopath.

"I expected drugs from you. So nothing better there." I couldn't keep back the retort. He was a bit taken back by my words but composed himself quickly. Maybe it was my imagination but I think I saw a trace of vulnerability and regret on those grey eyes. He masked it quickly and replaced it with an inscrutable look.

"You really don't think highly of me then," he fake pouted and made a mocking sad face. I really wanted to punch him. But my hands were really shaking. If I hadn't clenched my fists, he might have noticed how panicked I really was.

"You gave me no reason to," I retorted. I needed to catch him off guard again. "You found the perfect girlfriend for you," I started. "I almost thought she was making out with you until I saw a red head boy with her." I swiftly lied. Maybe the thought of his girlfriend cheating on him would break his heart.

A frown appeared on his face and he was almost distracted. Key word-almost. He was better in controlling his emotions than me. I didn't really know what was going inside his head but it appeared like he was the least bothered by it.

"Why were you watching a couple making out?" Nick asked with a frown. I had not forgotten then he was there but I had chosen to ignore him. He was Drew's obsession not mine. If it was not for him, Blaise wouldn't have been in this trouble.

But then my mind started working. My attention was had shifted from the gun to Nick. I frowned at him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in a very rude voice. Drew made a noise in his throat when I said that. Maybe he didn't like me talking to Nick like that.

Nick cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes at me. "I'm here to kill you, of course." He replied with nonchalance and then flashed me a million dollar smile. I had to admit, it was a cute smile.

"Nick, we are threatening her here. Stop flirting." Drew reprimanded. He had an annoyed look on his face. He glared at the blue eyed boy and then looked at me.

"You know too much Beryl," Drew said in a sweet voice. I was still confused over Nick's involvement in all of this. "I should relieve you with the burden of carrying too much information."

I looked between Nick and Drew. Help me! I mouthed to Nick as Drew set his aim on my forehead. I was about to move out of his way but Nick stopped me. His strong arms held me tightly. It made it impossible for me to get away.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked looking for more time.

"For fun," Nick whispered from behind me and then laughed obnoxiously.

"Goodbye Beryl," Drew said before pulling the trigger.

My eyes squeezed shut and seconds later a jet of ice cold water hit the centre of my forehead. I gasped at the contact as water continued to hit me. The only thing I heard was Nick's laughter in the background. At that moment, I couldn't think of anything else. A big question mark weighing thousands of tones was hanging over my head.

After about a minute, the water stopped and the assaulted part of my forehead throbbed a little. The water had washed my face and was soaked in my light blue dress which had turned darker in color around the neckline and chest.

I felt a body in front of me. The scent indicated the presence of Nick. He was still chuckling as he patted my face with a soft towel. I stood there still as he continued to dry my face. Once he was done, I opened my eyes to find him staring at me, more specifically my lips. The turn of events had spun my head. I was in no mood for his games.

"Nick," I said calmly and his eyes met mine. The pupils were dilated, either due to dim light or something else. It did nothing to relax me. "Quit it." I spit out.

His face fell and he took a step back. I looked over Nick's shoulder. Drew was staring at me with amusement in his eyes. I was immensely confused. What the hell was going on? I find myself asking this question a lot in past few days. All thanks to two boys.

"You really fell for our prank," Drew suddenly laughed. Nick joined him.

"I thought you were smarter than that, Beryl." Nick shook his head. The both continued to make fun of me while I stood there silently. After a few minutes, Drew decided that it was enough.

"Hey Nick, you have to be there at your party." Drew said to Nick. He nodded his head and looked at me.

"It was just a joke Beryl," he said to me. "I'm sorry if-"

"It's okay," I gave him a tight lipped smile. He smiled back at me half heartedly and then left through the door. I watched him like a donkey. When the door shut behind him, I was still looking in that direction.

"Josh is not going to come." A voice said that didn't belong to Drew. I was startled to find Emma as she emerged from behind the bar counter and walked towards me. I had called Josh and told him about Drew and Blaise. I didn't explain everything but gave him enough idea.

The first thing my stupid brain noticed was that she was not wearing anything yellow. Instead she was dressed in leather jacket and dark blue jeans. Her blond hair were pulled in a pony tail that rested high on her head.

As she walked towards me, I could only stare. This all was way too much. I still hadn't grasped the fact that what came out of that gun wasn't a deathly bullet but ice cold water!

"Beryl, relax." Drew came to my side. He was about to touch me but I jumped away from him. My heart was beating frantically inside my chest and I was finding it hard to breathe. I didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the relief that I was not dead. Or maybe I was still very scared. I didn't even know anymore.

"Don't go near her. She is still uncomfortable to be around you." Emma spoke and I slowly walked to the couch. I sat on it and watched Blaise. He was sleeping peacefully. He looked good like that. I gently took his hand in mine. Drew and Emma were still arguing in the background.

I looked at them. They were too busy with themselves that they didn't bother to look at me. I quickly texted Jessica asking her to call 911. I myself decided to call. Before I could, my phone pinged signaling receiving a text. I opened it not noticing that it had gained attention of Drew and Emma.

Nice try, Beryl. Josh has told me what you are planning with your boyfriend. I'm not going to fall for it. -J

I stared at the words in front of my eyes. Before I could even contemplate what they meant, the phone was snatched from my hand. Emma looked at the text and then back at me. I gulped and stood up.

"Nice try, Beryl." She said in a mocking voice repeating the words from the text. "Listen, I'm not going to beat around the bush." She reached for back pocket of her jeans and pulled out something. "I'm an FBI agent and was working undercover to do something."

I didn't believe her for a second. She was probably playing me. Even Jessica had deserted me and my phone was not with me. To put it lightly, I was not feeling safe. The only thing keeping me from passing out was presence of Blaise in the room. It provided me a sense of safety, only a fraction it considering the situation. And also a sense of duty or something. Maybe it was care. I wanted him to be safe. Completely out of harm's way.

"I see you don't believe me." She said quietly watching my reaction. I tried to do something, anything, to get out of there safe. My eyes darted across the room. If I get a poker, I'd hit her with it. I didn't have it in me to kill someone but if the situation called it, I had to inflict some damage to be safe.

Only a couple of seconds later, the door burst open. I felt hope bubble inside me. Three of us looked at the door. Two figures entered and I quickly moved to Blaise's side. I searched frantically inside my brain to say something. I opened my mouth to call out for help but then my mouth snapped shut.

There were cops. Two male and one female. What startled me most was when they acknowledged Emma and then looked at me.

"Ms. Parker. I'm Agent Reynolds and Emma is really an FBI agent." He assured me. He showed me his ID. I recognized one of the cops. I've seen him before in that uniform which meant that they were not really lying. I didn't give much thought to it. I just couldn't. My brain simply accepted it.

I nodded my head and looked back at Emma.

"Drew wants to talk to you about something. He wants to clear something. Officers, can you please leave us now?" Emma said calmly. They nodded and one by one left through the door. They closed it behind them. The sense of safety they provided me was gone.

"Don't worry. They are standing by the door." She told me. It again sent relief in me.

"What about Blaise?" I looked at him. "Is he alright?" I hated to show the vulnerability but I couldn't hide it. Whatever happened was way too much to take in. Ever since Drew had shot me, with water, I've been disoriented.

"He's okay. He'll wake up soon." She said and gave me a water bottle. I uncapped it and took a few gulps of water.

Since I've come to the party, it's been a complete mess. I met my childhood friend. Then I talked to Kim. And then Drew lured me to basement where Nick was also present. They played a prank on me that almost gave me a heart attack. Emma is an undercover agent or something. And during all this, Blaise Anderson is sleeping!

After summarizing all the events in my head, I finally took a deep breath and sighed.

The first thing I wanted to make clear- "Why did you shoot me?" I glared at Drew. I wouldn't have talked to him like that if there were no officers outside. That made me wonder- was Drew also an undercover agent like Emma?

Drew rolled his eyes at my accusing tone. "I was not going to shoot you. It was only a prank. And I thought you would hear me out if your mind was cool."

Undoubtedly, that had totally opposite effect. "What was Nick doing here?"

"He came downstairs and saw me with Blaise. He questioned about Blaise and I told him that he was just passed out. He was not leaving and I knew you were coming. So I told him that I was going to play a prank on you. He played a part with me."

I nodded my head. I didn't know if he was lying or not. Something told me he was not. It all sounded plausible and not at the same time.

"So it has nothing to do with your obsession with Nick?" I asked him with a frown.

"What?!" He had a confused look on his face. This room has an air of confusion. You can't help but feel like you are going to lose your brain.

"You are gay and love Nick," I explained.

"WHAT?!" He almost shouted.

"So you don't love Nick?" I frowned.

"I. Am. Not. Gay." He said every world slowly and clearly while staring straight into my eyes to make his point clear.

He was not lying. The expression on his face said that. Suddenly, I felt stupid. I should have known better than to believe Kim. I jumped to many conclusion and past few minutes, or was it hours? I don't even know anymore.

"How did you even think of that?" He asked me as if I was a nutcase.

"Kim told me." I replied.

"And you believed her? Of all the people in the world."

"Yeah. Pretty stupid of me. But I was worried about Blaise. I couldn't just throw any fact away." I shrugged.

"It's not a fact!" He exclaimed. "I like girls. Not boys. And certainly not Nick."

"Okay. I get it." I raised my hands in surrender. "You're not a gay. And you don't love Nick."

"Right," he said satisfied. "Nick has nothing to do with it."

"Then what this mess is all about. Are you also undercover?" I inquired.

"No, that's only Emma and her friend." He replied. "Come sit. I will explain you everything."

I sat, being close to Blaise and held his hand in mine. It relaxed me. Drew and Emma also sat opposite to me. The room was eerily quiet. The beat of music of the party going above was audible but the words of singer were not clear. I realized that ever since I entered the room in the basement, I hadn't really heard the music in background.

"Where should I start this from?" He asked rhetorically.

"You can start from when you started harassing Blaise." I narrowed my eyes at him.

He stared at me blankly. "I was expecting something like 'you can always start from the beginning'. Way to ruin the mood, Beryl."

"Ha ha. Very funny." I muttered sarcastically.

"Drew," Emma said in a warning tone. She was watching Drew sharply, as if she didn't trust him. Neither did I. But he wanted to tell me something and I wanted to hear everything. The curiosity in me was drowning me.

He cleared his throat. "You already know this thing that I was envious of Blaise. The moment he stepped into this school, he snatched my place. He replaced me. Not only in football team but with our friends also. I was Nick's best friend in freshman year but by the sophomore year, they were best buddies. And no I'm not gay. I'm only talking about friendship.

"I was angry at him for replacing me just like that. I hated it so much. It is the worst feeling. When someone comes and takes you place and you can only watch that person living your perfect life. He took away everything from me. It was frustrating and it was eating me up from inside. I wanted to be friends with him. He is a nice guy. A very good friend. But this feeling was always there that wanted me to make him feel that pain I always felt."

His words started making more sense to me as he kept on telling me his side of story.

"And at one point, all dams broke when he was chosen as the captain of football team. I had always wanted that place but he just took it away from me without much effort. He didn't even like football that much. He never put much effort into the game like I did. But still he was so good at it. I was so damn jealous.

"Jealousy is a very bad thing," he chuckled bitterly. "An ugly feeling. It never brings anything good. I walked on a road that led to my destruction. I regret what I did. I will always regret it. I started harassing Blaise. He never said anything to me. He always tried to be a good friend to me. And that's what makes him special.

"I was so consumed in jealousy that the idea of drugging Blaise and destroying his image didn't even faze me at all. And Vivien was always there. I never liked her but she helped me drugging Blaise. She was the one who always did it but only because I always asked her to. I was so stupid."

His face looked defeated. Regret was clearly written on his features. I studied him properly and for the first times noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He rubbed a hand on his face. My eyes travelled to Emma who was sitting there silently. She hadn't said a word. She was sitting stiffly.

"That day, at the night of Nick's parent's anniversary, I was going to ruin Blaise. I had planned everything, to expose him as a druggie. It would have ruined his social image. So many students were there in the party that night. The news would have spread like a wildfire. At that time I was really angry at you but now I'm glad. I'm glad that you took him away." He smiled at me and looked grateful.

"Wait! You were there in the party that night?" I asked him with wide eyes.

"Yes," he confirmed. So that means he was the one redhead was talking to. He must have really hated Blaise to take such dire measures. I would have never thought of doing something like that to someone. It was really dangerous. And really stupid. Jealousy is really a bad thing.

I again looked at Emma. She was sitting like a statue. It was weird watching her like that. I didn't know if she was even moving. The girl sitting in front of me was completely different from the girl I knew. I didn't even know if her real name was Emma. Was she the one to catch Drew?

"Then you were caught?" I raised an eyebrow and glanced at Emma. He understood my implication. He laughed, rather bitterly.

"No," he shook his head. "Not so soon. I had no idea Emma was in this until past few days. And I was not caught. I surrendered."

My eyes widened. He surrendered?

"Why?" I asked stupidly. Did his conscience wake up suddenly?

He cocked his head to Blaise. I gave him an incredulous look. What does that mean?

"I was planning to do some real big damage to Blaise. Don't get angry at me. Actually I was going to drug Blaise and place some drugs in his car tonight. But then I realized he didn't deserve that. And the credit for my personality change goes to Blaise." He shrugged.

"What did he say to you?" I asked him.

"He didn't say anything. He proved to me. That good people are there on this earth." He said dramatically. I wondered what Blaise had said to him to change him. "Blaise was back in the town at the night of New Year Eve. He had gone to a club with rest of our friends. I was also there. I hadn't planned anything for that night. But the hatred I had for Blaise was still there. My plan was already set, to attack him at the night of Nick's birthday. So I didn't bother him before that." He voice broke by end. It looked like saying anything more was difficult for him. He had been speaking for a long time. Maybe he needed water.

I handed him the bottle Emma had previously given to me. He thanked me and drank water. I couldn't help but look at Emma again. I was still finding it hard to believe that she was an undercover agent. But the girl I was looking at was not even a fraction of Emma I knew. I must admit, the undercover are great actors. Emma is really good at it. How old is she?

"That night I was too busy with my friends that I didn't notice someone had spiked my sister's drink and with a date rape drug," he reveled and I inaudibly gasped. "She is only fourteen years old. I don't even know what she was doing in the party to begin with. All I knew is that when I saw my sister, she was crying. And it was not me who saved her. It was Blaise.

"Even after what I had done to me, he saved my sister. I can never thank him for that. That night I realized what a jerk I had been. That night I revaluated my actions and thought about the mistakes I had committed. You can say it was a wakeup call for me."

Blaise saved the girl who had