History's repeat

Disclaimer: see chapters 1 and 2

A/N: All right, this story is almost complete - all I'm left to do is to figure out the two remaining chapters and an epilogue... Hence, I'm not going to post for awhile, for I'm still writing those chapters. But please, bear with me, those who are reading it - I'm going to finish this one off - eventually

8. The Aftermath

"Where the hell have you been?"

Rojer looks askance at his two fellow Poets, who finally make an entrance to Chris's and Amy's rooms, just before the dawn. Chris looks slightly worse for wear – her dark hair mussed up and her clothes slightly dirty. A leaf is stuck in Alex's black hair, and a light smudge is on his pale skin.

"We took a – a stroll," Alex answers, seeing a look of slight fear on Chris's face.

"A stroll at midnight, huh?" George looks at both of them askance, mirroring Rojer's look. The others are sceptical and silent.

Chris leans back in Alex's embrace, slightly pale.

"They would never believe us if we do tell them the truth," she whispers softly. "Who would ever believe that ghosts exist?"

"I didn't up until tonight," Alex whispers back. "You want me to field it?"

Chris nods quietly and lets her eyes close. The past night had taken its toll on both her and Alex.

As soon as Chris fell asleep, the others exchange mildly amused looks. With a sigh, George gives a slight nod.

"Let's get out of here. We'll talk about this at the next 'meeting'. When, Alex?"

"Let's do that the day after tomorrow," Alex suggests. "At about noon. Yes, I know it's broad daylight, but I honestly don't think Chris is ready to face the dark forest again for now."

"All righty then, the day after tomorrow it is," Ana says lightly and yawns widely. "I'm off to bed, coming, Nikkie?"

Nikkie gives a silent nod and leaves with Ana. Alex gently deposits Chris on her bed, while she murmurs softly and gives a hesitant smile in her sleep. With a soft smile of his own, Alex leaves after George, returning to their room.

As the other Poets trickle away, Amy stares at her sleeping roommate with slight amazement.

'I wonder, what happened in there that she is possibly so afraid of?' she thinks silently before drifting off to sleep herself.

Next morning, Chris looks a bit jumpy, as she sits down beside Alex. George raises an eyebrow lightly at this recent development – normally Chris would sit between Amy and Ana, but today it seems things changed.

The others all noticed the change.

"Wha's up?" Rojer asks with his mouth full.

"The forest's up," Chris answers with her voice shaking slightly. "And don't talk with your mouth full."

"'ine." Rojer finishes chewing and grins at her. "Now okay to talk?"

Chris nods, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Yes, that's much better."

"So, the play?" Amy interrupts. "Have any of you guys learned your lines yet? Helena's got quite a mouthful."

Chris's mischievous smile is back. This time, it's quite real.

"I'm going to enjoy this," she whispers to Alex, as she furtively glances around.

"No jokes around here, please, Miss Puck," Alex answers her in equal whisper.

Chris's face is absolutely glowing with mischief.

"Guys, stay away from Chris for awhile," Alex says calmly. "I don't like the way she looks."

The group of Poets laugh, with Chris joining in.

"Yet but three? Come one more.

Two of both kinds make up four.

Here she comes, curst and sad.

Cupid is a knavish lad,

Thus t o make poor females mad."

Chris's boisterous voice is on the stage, as the girl waltzes over her friends, who are pretending to be 'asleep'. She is fully in control of her role, as the Puck admires her handiwork.

'Better me in control of myself than a dead poet in control of me,' she thinks with barely contained mirth. 'and to think I actually liked it – until Alex destroyed the illusion. I don't know what to think of that anymore.'

"Shit. The teacher gave us incredibly difficult test," George says after a pair which the boys and girls had apart. George, Alex, and Rojer were stuck with chemistry class, while Chris and the Co took drama.

"And what exactly was so difficult?" Chris asks with mischievous smile.

"That goddamn projector!" Rojer mumbles, the tips of his ears going extremely red. "It was showing… ah… certain… ah… chemistry…"

By the end of that sentence, the girls are dying from laughter, and the boys are sporting extremely red faces.

Ana and Chris walk in the woods. Chris is much calmer about the woods, even through her experience with the ghost is not past yet. In fact, Chris is exuberated. She waves a random stick around, reciting her lines.

"How now, fairy? Whither wanders ye?"

Ana is trying to gather her thoughts around.

"Over hills, over dale, through bush, through briar… man, I'm never going to learn these things. How can you remember them so easily?"

Chris stabs wildly into the air with that scary smile back on her face.

"Well, I DO want to act. I LIKE to act. What's wrong with it?

'But room, Fairy, here comes Oberon!"

Amy shakes her head.

"You went nuts, Chris."

Chris gives her a cheeky grin as she happily twirls in the leaves, raising a whirlwind of them around her. Her cape and hair are flying around her.

"I never said I was sane in the first place. Do you know when the person is sane?"

"Yes, when they act normally, and when they don't scare their buddies half to death," Ana retorts.

"Define 'normal' please," Chris retaliates, her grin on place.

"See ya later, I gotta study those lines."

Chris gives a final twirl and dashes towards the dorms, her whole figure full of life.

"…But room, Fairy, here comes Oberon!"

Ana shakes her head in amusement and follows Chris in more serene manner.

A presence of a long-dead seventeen-year-old boy watches the duo from the shadows with a dreamy smile to match that of Chris's lighting up his face.