10
The eastern trail cut through palms and black stone.
Moonlight broke across the ground.
Jamal kept several yards behind the group.
Bart led.
Chase held Lauren.
Madison carried the camera.
Cameron and Peter walked beside Jamal.
Emily remained at the villa.
“Why are you helping him?” Jamal asked.
Cameron looked ahead.
“It was not supposed to become this.”
“It became this when you agreed to frame me.”
“Bart said he only wanted the school to see you weren’t perfect.”
“And that was acceptable?”
“You had everything.”
Jamal looked at him.
“So I deserved to lose something?”
Cameron’s face tightened.
“That is not what I meant.”
“It is exactly what you meant.”
Peter spoke quietly.
“Bart paid for the trip.”
Jamal laughed in disbelief.
“Then your morality was included in the ticket.”
Peter looked away.
Ahead, Bart called out.
“Keep moving.”
The trail widened near the observation point.
Warning tape stretched between broken posts.
Beyond it, the cliff dropped into darkness.
Waves struck the rocks far below.
Lauren’s wrists remained bound.
Her face was wet with tears.
Bart took the medallion from Peter and placed it in Jamal’s hand.
“Hold it.”
Jamal dropped it.
Bart stared.
“Pick it up.”
“No.”
Madison raised the camera.
Jamal looked at her.
“Do you understand what you are filming?”
Her hands trembled.
“Bart said—”
“I am asking you.”
She lowered it slightly.
Bart grabbed the camera and pressed it back into position.
“Record.”
Jamal stepped closer.
“Let Lauren go.”
“Admit you wanted her.”
“I didn’t.”
“Admit you stole the medallion.”
“You planted it.”
“Admit you came here believing you were better than everybody.”
“I came because I thought you were my friend.”
Bart’s expression flickered.
That answer hurt more than accusation.
“You pitied me.”
“I admired you.”
“For what?”
“Your mind. Your discipline. Your courage sophomore year.”
“That was before you took everything.”
“I did not take anything from you.”
“You took the version of me that was supposed to exist.”
Jamal looked at him.
“You mean first.”
“Yes.”
“That was never promised.”
“It was in my family.”
“Then your family lied.”
Bart’s face twisted.
Lauren pulled against Chase.
“Please let me go.”
Jamal looked at her.
“I’m getting you out.”
Bart laughed.
“The hero.”
“This is not about you anymore.”
“It is always about me when you are there.”
Jamal moved toward Lauren.
Bart stepped between them.
“Tell Cleo you cheated.”
“No.”
“Tell the camera you attacked me.”
“No.”
“Tell my father you stole from us.”
“No.”
“Do one thing imperfectly.”
Jamal’s voice softened.
“I have done thousands of things imperfectly. You only notice the things people praise.”
“Then show me.”
“Let her go.”
“Show me.”
Jamal looked at the camera.
Then at Lauren.
Then at Bart.
“I was wrong to come.”
Bart smiled.
“That is not enough.”
“I was arrogant.”
Cameron looked at him.
Jamal continued.
“I thought intelligence could explain you. I thought history between us made me safe. I thought because I never wanted what you had, you would eventually understand I was not your enemy.”
Bart’s eyes filled.
“You were.”
“No. I was the witness to your insecurity.”
“You made it real.”
“It was real before me.”
The ocean roared.
Bart looked toward Madison.
“Keep recording.”
Jamal took another step.
“Let Lauren go, and I will leave this island without telling anyone about the plan.”
Lauren stared at him.
Bart laughed.
“You’d protect us?”
“I’d protect her.”
“You always get to be good.”
“No. I’m trying to keep somebody alive.”
Bart stepped closer.
“What about me?”
Jamal looked at him.
“What do you need protection from?”
“You.”
“No. You need protection from who you become around me.”
Bart’s tears finally fell.
“I hate you.”
“I know.”
“I hate how everyone sees you.”
“I know.”
“I hate how she looks at you.”
“I know.”
“I hate that my father keeps your picture.”
“I know.”
“I hate that I wanted you to choose me too.”
The cliff became silent except for the waves.
Lauren stopped struggling.
Cameron looked at Bart.
Peter stared at the ground.
Madison’s camera remained raised.
Jamal’s voice lowered.
“Choose you how?”
Bart shook his head.
“Do not make me say it.”
“You brought me to a cliff to make me say things.”
“I wanted you to need me.”
“I did.”
Bart looked up.
“You were my friend.”
“Not enough.”
“What did you want?”
“Everything.”
Jamal understood then.
Bart did not only want Jamal’s achievements.
He wanted Jamal’s attention, loyalty, admiration, identity, and light gathered around him.
Lauren had not created the jealousy.
She had revealed it.
“You could have told me,” Jamal said.
“And you would have given me a speech.”
“I would have listened.”
“You would have understood.”
“Yes.”
“That is worse.”
“Why?”
“Because you understand people without needing them.”
Jamal looked at him sadly.
“That is not true.”
“You never needed me.”
“I chose you as a friend.”
Bart laughed through tears.
“Choice changes.”
“So does need.”
“I wanted something permanent.”
“There is nothing permanent at eighteen.”
“Your excellence is.”
“No. It is not.”
“You are valedictorian forever.”
“It will be one line in my biography.”
“You’ll be a lawyer.”
“Maybe.”
“A leader.”
“I hope.”
“Famous.”
“I don’t care.”
“Everybody will remember you.”
Jamal looked toward the darkness.
“That is what this is about.”
Bart’s face changed.
“You think I want fame?”
“You are afraid of being forgotten beside me.”
Bart turned toward Lauren.
“She chose him.”
Lauren spoke through tears.
“I chose a fantasy. Jamal never chose me.”
Bart looked at Jamal.
“You rejected her.”
“Yes.”
“And she still prefers you.”
“That is not my fault.”
“Nothing is.”
“No. This is.”
Jamal pointed toward Lauren’s bound hands.
“This is your fault.”
Bart grabbed her arm.
Jamal moved immediately.
Chase tried to restrain Lauren.
She twisted.
The loose ground beneath her shifted.
Stone broke.
Lauren screamed as one leg slid beyond the barrier.
Jamal lunged and caught her wrist.
The momentum pulled him to his knees.
Madison dropped the camera.
It landed on its side but continued recording.
Cameron grabbed Lauren’s shoulder.
Peter reached for Jamal.
Bart stood frozen.
“Help!” Jamal shouted.
Chase backed away.
“Bart!”
Jamal held Lauren with both hands.
Her body hung against the cliff.
“Pull!”
Cameron tried.
The ground crumbled beneath him.
He retreated.
Peter grabbed Jamal’s belt.
Together they lifted Lauren several inches.
Bart stepped closer.
Jamal looked up.
“Take her arm.”
Bart stared.
“Help her!”
Lauren looked at him.
“Please.”
Bart reached down.
For one moment, his hand closed around her forearm.
They pulled.
Lauren rose toward the edge.
Then distant sirens sounded.
Faint.
Approaching from the villa road.
Bart released her.
Lauren dropped.
Jamal held on.
“What are you doing?” he shouted.
Bart looked toward the trail.
“Cleo called.”
“Yes.”
“They’ll see everything.”
“Help me.”
“They’ll know.”
“Help her!”
Bart looked at Jamal.
The fear in his face became decision.
He stepped on Jamal’s wrist.
Pain shot through Jamal’s arm.
His grip loosened.
Lauren screamed.
Peter grabbed her scarf.
Cameron pulled.
Bart pressed harder.
Jamal struck his ankle with his free hand.
Bart stumbled.
The ground shifted beneath both of them.
Jamal rolled sideways, still holding Lauren.
Peter and Cameron finally dragged her over the barrier.
She collapsed.
Jamal rose to one knee.
Bart stood between him and the safe trail.
Sirens grew louder.
Madison crawled toward the camera.
Bart saw it.
The red light remained on.
He kicked the camera toward the cliff.
It struck a rock and stopped inches from the edge.
Madison reached for it.
Chase grabbed her.
Jamal moved toward Bart.
“This is over.”
“No.”
“You tried to kill her.”
“No.”
“You stepped on my hand.”
“She slipped.”
“The camera recorded it.”
Bart looked toward the device.
Then toward the approaching lights.
“I cannot go home like this.”
“You created this.”
“My father will know.”
“He needs to.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand you are afraid.”
“I am not afraid of him.”
“You built your whole life around proving that.”
Bart’s face hardened.
“You always get the final answer.”
Jamal turned toward Lauren.
“Can you walk?”
She nodded weakly.
“We’re going back.”
Bart stepped into his path.
“No.”
“Move.”
“Say you attacked me.”
“No.”
“Say the medal was yours.”
“It isn’t.”
“Give me something.”
“I gave you friendship.”
“I needed your fall.”
Jamal stared.
Bart grabbed the front of his shirt.
Jamal removed his hands.
“Do not touch me.”
Bart swung.
Jamal blocked the punch.
Bart swung again.
Jamal caught his wrist.
The difference in strength became visible.
Bart struggled.
Jamal could have dropped him.
He did not.
He pushed him backward only far enough to create space.
Bart stumbled.
Cameron shouted, “Stop!”
Jamal raised both hands.
“I’m done.”
Bart looked around.
Lauren was crying.
Madison protected the camera.
Cameron and Peter stood near Jamal.
Chase looked uncertain.
For one terrible moment, Bart saw the group choosing reality over him.
Then he smiled.
“Everybody saw him attack me.”
Nobody answered.
Bart looked at Cameron.
“You saw.”
Cameron’s mouth opened.
No sound came.
“Peter?”
Peter looked down.
“Chase?”
Chase glanced toward the trail.
Sirens were close.
Bart’s smile disappeared.
He had lost them.
Not morally.
Fearfully.
But lost was lost.
He looked at Jamal.
“You did it again.”
“Did what?”
“Won.”
Jamal shook his head.
“No one won.”
“I will not be second in my own destruction.”
Bart moved toward the cliff.
Jamal followed carefully.
“Come away from the edge.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re not thinking clearly.”
“There is the voice.”
“What voice?”
“The one that makes everybody believe you care.”
“I do care.”
“You should hate me.”
“I hate what you did.”