"Amber have you seen Mick anywhere?"

"Nope."

"Oh...well thanks anyway."

I left Anubis house determined to find my boyfriend. He'd only been home two weeks and I already felt abandoned.

"Oh Mara, could you return this to Mr. Campbell?"

Mr. Sweet handed me Mick's cell phone.

"I'd be happy to...as soon as I find him."

I pocketed the phone and continued towards to school.

"Miss Jaffray? I'd try the library. He was heading that way with Miss Mercer." He smiled and continued to his car.

I caught Mick as he was coming out the library wearing his blue jacket and scarf.

"Hey babe. Sorry, I was out for a jog."

"Funny...Mr. Sweet said you were at the library with Joy."

"Oh, well he was- I mean I was- I was jogging and took a break at the library and Joy was there."

"Oh? You stopped at the library? Well at least the jog explains why you're all sweaty." I laughed nervously.

"Mick look, I need to tell you something."

His phone went off from my pocket.

"Oh yeah Mr. Sweet asked me to return your phone. Dunno where he got it though."

I handed it to him and he opened it, read a text, and dropped it with shaky hands.

"Oh I've got it."

"No Mara don't!"

"That was fun. Same time/place tomorrow?

-Joy

P.S. Make sure that hickey stays hidden. We don't want the pathetic, know-it-all finding out."

"Pathetic? Is that what I am?"

I stood up and ripped the scarf from his neck and sobbed when I saw the fresh hickey on his neck.

"Mara let me explain!"

"Save it!"

I threw his scarf down and fled. I ran the whole way crying.
When I got home I ran straight into Jerome full force and knocked us both to the ground.

"Damn it Mara! What the hell?"

"Sorry Jerome, excuse me!"

"No wait! Why are you crying?"

Before I could answer Mick stormed in screaming, "Mara I swear I was thinking of you the whole time!"

Everyone aside from Victor who was "out" came out to see what the commotion was all about.

"I'm crying because Mick and Joy have been going behind my back. The hickey on his neck proves it."

Mick cringed away but everyone had already seen it.

"Mara I'm sorry but if you had kept your man happy in the first place he wouldn't have come running to me."

"One, you can have Mick. He's a pig and I've developed feelings for someone else anyway. Two, you went running to him. Ever since Fabian froze you out you've run after every boy in the house. Maybe I'm pathetic and a know-it-all but you're nothing but a whore without a pole!"

Everyone recoiled from my outburst and Trudy steered Joy into the kitchen and Mick followed.
Nina, Fabian, Alfie, Patricia, and Amber smiled at me and offered their ears but went to Nina's room. Eddie gave me an awkward hug and went to his room.

"Mara...?"

Only when I was alone with Jerome did I break down.
He pulled me into his room and we sat on his bed while I cried.
"Are you okay to tell me what happened?" He whispered.
I told him what happened and he continued to rub my back comfortingly.

"...That's why I ran into you."

"That kind of hurt..." He joked.

"I'm sorry." I laughed.

"Ah mission accomplished. I got you to smile. So Jaffray, movie marathon? To get your mind of things?"

"Alright...What'd you have in mind?"

"Your favorite of course. A Very Potter Musical?"

"But you said you didn't' want to watch that. Because it sounded dumb."

"Well it's a special occasion."

He put it in and I instantly started singing along with "Goin' back to Hogwarts."

"You're completely obsessed!" He said laughing, sitting down next to me. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to Snape who was announcing that Harry was the Gryffindor champion.
We continued to watch in silence, aside from a few comments from Jerome comparing Ron's eating habits to Mick's.

The movie ended and I got up and started putting the spare blanket on Alfie's bed.

"Hey mouse...are you crying?"

I laughed and wiped the tears away.

"Sorry, I always tear up at the end. The bromance between Voldemort and Quirrell is just too sweet."

"Only you..." He shook his head. "And you don't have to worry about Alfie he's staying up in Amber's room with Fabian and Nina.

I nodded and got under the covers.

"Good night mouse."

"Sweet dreams gerbil."

Jerome's breathing got deeper and the sound of it had me drifting off sooner than ever but it didn't last long.

I woke from a nightmare and crept out of bed to Jerome's sleeping figure.

"Hey...Jerome are you wake?"

"Nope! But just in case...what do you want?"

"I had a nightmare, can I sleep with you?"

"Maybe tomorrow, I don't have enough energy right now."

"What? No I meant- Oh never mind!"

His hand flashed out and grabbed my wrist.

"I was kidding, it's fine as long as you don't hog the bed."

I shook my head and crawled into bed with him.

"Mara? What were you gonna tell Mick earlier...before, ya know?"

"To be honest...I was going to break up with him."

"Because you had developed feelings for someone else?"

I nodded.

"So...who? I mean who do you like now."

"Too soon."

"Ah right, sorry...Bet he's a meat head anyway."

I turned and snuggled into his chest and smiled as his arm instantly went around my waist.

"Yes, the biggest."

Got another one coming! Hope you all like. Sorry if you don't get the AVPM refrences, AVPM and House of Anubis are my two favorite things in the world and I guess AVPM kinda snuck in here. Review! (: