Niall’s POV

“I think I found a way that we can save Ariella, and it’s our only shot at it. But we have to hurry as we don’t have much time. Pray that Drake still has it!” Louis yelled behind his shoulder.

My pace increased as I heard all that I needed to motivate me to go faster, no matter what I was carrying, as we raced back to the school. We busted through the back doors, seeing many students eye us suspiciously as we ran back to the dorm, hoping that Drake was still there. We opened the dorm room quickly, both of us trying to go through the door at once, but my guitar on my back refused to let us in, so we both backed away.

“After you Niall.” Louis said quickly but politely.

“No, no, after you Louis.” I said the same way as Louis. He shook his head.

“Please Niall-" He starts but was cut off by laughter inside the room. We both looked in to see Carie and Drake on his bed, watching a movie on his laptop with earbuds in.

Carie was held under Drake’s left arm as she was resting on his chest, but Carie was more interested in watching us. Her laughter made Drake confused, as he did not see us at the door. He looked between her and the movie, studying her.

“What’s so funny baby girl? This isn’t even the funny part yet.” Drake cooed to her, gently touching the tip of her nose as if she was being silly.

I looked at Louis who was just as shocked as I was, since we have never seen this side of Drake. We both tried to contain our laughter behind our hands, but failed as Carie began to laugh some more, making us laugh. Drake looked like he snapped out of a trance, and looked at Louis and I at the door, laughing out arses off. Louis walked in first, holding his stomach.

“Drake... My nose feels lonely, baby boy. Tap it?” He asked, batting his eyes, causing me to laugh harder, falling to the floor in the dorm.

I did my best to close the door with everything still on my back, and succeeded. I took off my guitar and placed it on its stand, my laughter subsiding, as I remember what we are here for. I reached for her phone, unlocking it. (I knew her password. Nariella.) The home screen appeared, seeing a photo of us on the tree. My face frowned at our happiness, and eventually, salty tears was brimming my eyes.

“Shut up, Louis.” Drake nudged him, clearing his throat. They became silent as I continued to stare at the photo that captured the happiness of our past, before everything went bad.

“Niall, is that Ariella’s phone in your hand?” Carie asked me, taking me out of my thoughts. I stayed silent as her smile was fading as well. I turned to face her completely, and nodded.

“Drake, where’s the bracelet that you took from Ariella, that I gave her, back at the square when we first met?” I asked with a monotone voice.

Redness must have been building up on my eyes, since Carie got up from her spot with Drake and walked over to me, hugging me around my waist as she was too short to reach my neck. She buried her head into my chest, as I hugged her back. Drake got up and started going through some drawers, knowing already something is wrong.

“Niall, what happened? Did she say no?” She asked. I shook my head. “So she said yes?” I shook my head again. “She said that she will get back to you?” I shook my head once more. “Then what happened?” she asked me, her arms still around my waist, and placing her chin on my upper chest, looking up at me.

“She’s gone.” I said, my eyes burning with the salty tears as I spoke. Carie was shocked at my words as was Drake, since he stopped looking and faced me.

"She's dead?! How?! When?!" Carie quickly fires off, tears forming in her eyes at the though of losing Ariella.

"No, no, she isn't dead." At least I hope she isn't...

“They got her?” Drake asked quietly, right on the money.

Louis nodded his head at him. Drake ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. He gripped his hair and kicked one of the bed’s legs. Carie looked back to see her boyfriend and quickly hugged me once more before returning to him. I sat on my bed, Louis sitting down next to me, patting my back and giving my shoulder a tight squeeze. I looked at him, as he pulled me into a hug by grabbing the back of my neck. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and let it out. Louis rubbed my hair, shushing me.

“I miss her already, Louis. We were going to get back together… We were going to be happy.” I sobbed into his shoulder

“We texted the others to come by and they will be here in a minute.” Carie spoke up softly. I nodded as I released myself from Louis.

“God, I must look like one hell of a baby.” I said, trying to lighten the mood. They all chuckled as I wiped the tears away from my cheeks. I sniffled, and tried to compose myself. There were multiple knocks on the door, as Louis got up and answered it. Josh, Seth, and Nicki piled in the room, and the first thing they see is me wiping my tears away. Fantastic.

“She said no, didn’t she?” Seth said, slouching his shoulders.

I looked at Louis, and gave him a face expression that said for him to tell them what happened. He nods in understanding and tells them what happened, including his own back story. He basically told all of them everything, not leaving anything out. He concluded with why we are gathered here, and asked Drake for the bracelet. He currently has it in his hand, playing with it. The image of giving it to her invades my mind. If only I didn't do it...

“Hand it over Drake… Carie, do you have your laptop here?” He asked her. She shook her head.

“It’s back at the dorm. I can go run for it if you want. I don’t mind.” She said as she began to walk to the door, pointing outside the hallway. I nodded my head.

“Please?” I asked softly. She nodded and quickly walked out, closing the door behind her quietly.

“Drake. The bracelet.” Louis said once more as Carie comes back, out of breath with laptop in hand, soon back on Drake’s lap.

“I can’t…” He strains. Louis and I gave him a weird look. Why not?

“What are you talking about? Hand it over, do want to help her, or not?” Louis protests, extending his arm out to him.

“I just, can’t... I wish I could, but I can’t.” He says, removing Carie from his lap, and walking towards the window.

“What do you mean?” Carie asked, confusion and a hint of anger in her tone.

“What are you doing??” I shout, as he extends his arm out the window, holding the bracelet out.

Before I could rush over and take it from him, another man appears, taking grasp of the bracelet and getting out of sight. I quickly run towards the window, pushing Drake out of the way in the process and watching one of the last memories I can have of Ariella, being flown away from us. What the actual fuck... I turn back to Drake who was on the floor, Seth helping him up.

“Drake!” Louis shouted, standing up from his bed, jaw dropping.

“Don’t.” I commanded Seth. He takes in my physical appearance, and backs away from him slowly. Carie is now in shock, standing behind Seth. He had the fucking nerve to do that. The one way to get back to Ariella, he had given it to someone on a helicopter, where God knows where that is going. That was my last chance to get to her. He played us. He is a traitor.

“Drake…” I started, slowly turning to him, my fists tightening. “What the hell?!” I scream at the end as I pounce on top him, immediately swinging at him square in his jaw repeatedly. I let the emotion of hatred flow through my fists, hoping he is understanding my pain and anger right now, or at least close to it.

“Niall, Niall stop!” Louis comes from behind me, tugging at my arms as Seth moves to remove me from Drake by my waist. I’m not letting him get away with this. If he thinks he could do that, he has another thing coming.

“Niall, beating him to a pulp isn’t going to bring Ari back!! Where is your head at??” Seth tries to communicate with me as he takes hold of my wrists, and successfully pulling them away from Drake, who now has a bloody nose and broken lip thanks to me. The arse deserves it, he shouldn’t have done that.

"I could always try." He didn’t even try to fight back, just laying there and taking in the blows, which makes me want to punch him even harder. My heavy breathing didn’t stop, as I was dragged to my feet and out to the hall. My gaze burning into the closed door in front of me.

“Niall, get back to us! What the fuck was that??” Seth snaps his fingers in my face, not daring to stand between me and the door.

Louis begins to scold me, getting into my field of vision instead, but I could only hear white noise as my brain tunes him out. I look away from his baby blue eyes, knowing mine are probably just as dark, if not darker.

Anger continues to boil through my veins, not finding a way to calm myself down. Glancing down at my hands, I take in the fact that they are covered with another man’s blood with a little of my own, which was what I needed to bring me back to reality. What have I done? I almost killed a man, an old friend. You are a spy, not an assassin. I need to get out of here.

“I’m going for a walk.” I sneered as I turn on my heel, ignoring the shouts of my two best friends.

Pacing out of the hall, I study the red liquid on my hands and know I should at least wash this off. I don’t want to be reminded of what has happened to me back there. I lost my temper, after all this time of not losing control, I split. If anyone within the student body or faculty saw me like this, I would be brought in for questioning for sure. I don’t want to have to do anything with that prick again, even have his blood on my own. I didn’t want to put my hands in my pockets, as the blood would come off there, so I kept them behind me, fingers intertwined.

The halls never seem to end, and the location of a nearby bathroom was no where to be found. door after door, after being away for so long I can’t even remember where the bathrooms are. Eventually I found one, a few yards away. I quickly rush in, making sure there was no one here before I lock the door with the less bloody hand. It would be pretty awkward if someone were to walk in with me looking like this.

I walk over to the sink, letting the cool water cascade on my hands, cleansing them from the blood, coloring the sink into a tint of red as it drips off of me. The silence in the room was almost unbearable, as it gave an excuse to make my mind scream with questions and concerns.

Why the hell would he do that? Does he not want to help find Ari? Does she not matter to him? Ari… I wonder how she is doing right now… Is she okay, is she hurt? Or even…? No. I shake my head at the thought. She wouldn’t be. She’s strong enough to make sure she doesn’t die. But my heart won’t take in the fact that she could. It must be a hard time to live through Black Cove. It’s just her and her father. One day, we would see each other again. I know she is alive. I just need proof, that’s all.

Notes

This was originally the last chapter for Spies of Oak Hills, but because of popular demand of a sequel, it became a prologue :P I'm still working on the cover, so stay with me on this. Pls Comment/vote/subscribe for more :) Glad to see you all again! xx