I don't own HoA, obviously, but I do use some material from the script dialouge just for the sake of accuracy. The same goes for almost every other chapter. Thank you.

~Elle

Chapter 1

Genevieve POV

Beep Beep. Oh God, 6:30 already.

I lifted my arm up, limply, and swung it onto the alarm clock. I've hit some button. Let's pray it was the right one.

I got up slowly, the pillow creases stinging my face. I rubbed my eyes. The blurry morning glow still remained in the corners, but I could clearly see Joy and Patricia sound asleep even after the buzz of my alarm. After struggling in the sheets for a little while I had found my super fuzzy socks and slipped them onto my feet. I don't know why, but the floor to this house is freezing. I stood up and walked towards the bathroom.

I'm a morning showers type of person. I just don't like the idea of going to school dirty from my sleep sweat. I stripped from my pajamas and turned on the shower.

I have a French test today. Well, French assessment. It's just easier to swallow that way. That's what she said.

I also have my date with Jerome. Sneaking out to the motel in town at midnight. He sold three whole homework assignments just for this one date. Even though I don't agree with it, it is quite romantic.

Oh, and I have dishes tonight with Joy. Shit. Don't get me wrong I love dishes I just hate Joy. Not really, I'm joking.

I turn off the shower and grab my towel from off the rack. I brush my teeth whilst I air dry. I run back to my room, take my clothes from the foot of my bed, (because I forgot them, silly Gen), and sprinted back to the bathroom, holding my towel up with one hand. I pull my clothes on and pin my hair up in the towel so that it can dry a bit more before I straighten it. I moisturize my face and then apply makeup. A modest look, because a lot of makeup at this school is considered tacky, although I don't know why. Now, time for straighteners.

All ready for the day I head downstairs. Not that many people are there except for Mara, Mick, and, of course, Trudy. Mick's in his running gear. I hear all the other boys getting ready out in the hall. I walk out there to see if Jerome is amongst the crowd, well, no, at most it's like three boys. I guess it just feels like a crowd when Alfie's around.

"Good morning," I say to him as he walks to the bathroom. I catch him in the doorway.

"Good morning," he says back. "You look beautiful." He plants a kiss on my forehead.

"So do you. You excited?" I ask him. I know I positively am. It's been a long time since Jerome and I've had an intimate date, and I mean "intimate".

"What? For the French test?" he joked.

"Yeah. You studied?"

"Well, you see, no, so, I'll just have to copy off you," he goes into the bathroom slightly chuckling.

I walk back into the living room and sit down next to Mara. I would sit next to Mick, but I know what he smells like when he goes running. Mara has her nose pressed into a book, something about advanced algebra maybe, I don't know, I kinda just guess on these things. Mick is eating a banana even though breakfast is like in what, fifteen minutes, not even.

"I'll go take a shower then," he says, banana spraying from his mouth.

"Jerome's in the bathroom," I inform him. He sighs, walking out of the room. I don't know where he thinks he's going if the bathroom's occupied. Maybe Mick's a pervert and I've never noticed.

Fabian, Joy, and Patricia walk in. Giggling about something girly probably, I try to stay out of it. I wonder if Fabian's synced up yet. Joy's gone with a "tacky" look today. I can't blame her. Fabian's going to be more observant today considering it's a test. Joy's one smart cookie. Even though she doesn't exactly show it.

I stare at my fingernails when I'm interrupted by Trudy's voice. "Genevieve, could you help me set the table?" she asks me.

"Sure thing," I answer getting up from my comfy seat on the couch. I'm doing dishes tonight anyway, I might as well help with everything.

Trudy hands me a stack of plates. Jerome walks into the living, he's giving Alfie a noogie.

"Ow, ow, let me go!" Alfie pleads somewhat sincerely.

Jerome let's go and shrugs in a way saying, "what's the big deal?" and I picture a little hair flip for sass.

"Oh, let me help with that," he says as he sees me setting the table for breakfast along with Trudy, bringing steaming eggs the colour of daisies. He took two pitchers from the counter, one milk, the other orange juice, and put it onto the dining table. He pinched me on the elbow, making his way back to the kitchen to grab cups.

"Oh, Jerome, what a sweetie you are," Trudy coos.

"Anything for you, Trudes," Jerome confesses, winking at me over his shoulder. If only Trudy knew what Jerome really is. If only she knew.

The French test wasn't that hard. It was actually quite boring. However, took Joy out of class, because she had a visitor. And Alfie did his classic nosebleed, but that's routine.

Jerome, Alfie, and I know stood out in the hall. Alfie had an ape mask on and was pretending to attack Jerome.

"Get off! Alfie!" Jerome pleaded in a joking way.

"Aww, Jerome, you've found yourself a pet, can we keep him?" I pester.

"No, he's gonna shit everywhere," Jerome denies. "Get off!"

Patricia walks over to us, a semi-panic induced grimace laid over her face. "Have you guys seen Joy?" she asked us.

"Rarara Rarara," Alfie answers gesturing with his hands.

"Yeah, she's about this tall, dark hair," Jerome translates.

"Ha ha, very funny. No, I've just been to Sweetie's office and she's not there."

"Maybe she's gone back to the house?" I suggest. I would keep the joke going, but I can tell that Patricia is really worried. Her eyes are longer than they are wide. Big tell.

"Don't! Stop it!" Jerome requested as Alfie continued to scratch and claw at his chest.

Alfie complied and pulled the monkey mask off of his head. Beads of sweat cradled his ears. "Do you guys have any plans tonight? I've got Zombie Slashers on DVD back at the house. We could do a midnight raid. Yeah?" he suggested.

Jerome and I looked at each other awkwardly.

"We've got plans actually," I informed Alfie, giving Jerome a half smile.

"Oh…" Alfie looked suddenly much more disappointed. Fuck. I can't stand that face, but Jerome and I have been planning this outing for weeks.

"Another time, okay?" I attempt to console Alfie.

"Sure, I guess."

There's a new girl in Anubis House, she's American and like "totally obsessed with it", quote Patricia. And Joy is like, really gone. Her visitor wasn't just a visitor, they were a taker. Her bed sheets and things were cleared out when I had gone to put my bookbag away. The American's belongings had replaced Joy's. It was like Joy had never been here.

Patricia was really panicking now. "We were planning a box set marathon tonight," she confessed, slamming her body down on the couch and sighing. "You know Joy's rom-com obsession. How can she have gone just like that?"

"Patricia, you've disappeared more than enough times," Jerome said, squeezing my shoulder.

"She would have called me though."

Suddenly a girl appears at the doorway. She has boob length wavy, brown hair. She's also kinda hot too, like in a symmetrical face structure kinda way.

"Hi, I'm Nina. I'm from America." I see Patricia scoff out of the corner of my eye.

"Hey," we all say in response, excluding Patricia who was still sulking on the couch.

Alfie stands and greets Nina in only a way Alfie could, "Welcome Space Girl. Or blurp, bleep, blop as they say in your language." Oh, Alfie. Always the best at first impressions.

"Supper's ready!" Trudy calls from the kitchen. We all rush to the dining table.

Jerome pulls the chair out for me. What a gentleman. I sit down. "Excuse me, that was my seat. How rude," he teases, smiling and seating himself next to me.

"Well, I've taken it, so deal," I give Jerome a wink.

"That's my seat," I hear Amber say a couple feet away. However, she wasn't smiling. She was talking to Nina, who was apparently sitting in her seat, although I can count on one hand the times I remember seeing Amber in that seat. It's all about dominance for her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Nina apologizes.

I stopped paying attention after that, something about Mick, probably, again, it's all a guessing game with the people of Anubis House. Jerome squeezed my elbow again. He always likes doing that. I think it's kind of cute, but it makes me feel insecure about my saggy wenis.

"Jerome, could you pass the water?" I asked, serving my plate with a healthy amount of pasta. Jerome handed me the pitcher of water.

"Stop it, Alfie. That's disgusting, and you're probably going to choke on it," Mara complained beside me. She was staring at Alfie who had just taken a monstrous bite of pasta from off of two forks.

"But it's delicious this way," Alfie argued, spaghetti dangling from his mouth.

"Alfie, don't play with your food," Jerome said, flinging a fork full of pasta at Alfie's head. I'm dating a six year old and it's taken me two years to notice it, but let's be fair I've always known.

Alfie scooped up salad with his hands and launched it at Jerome, missing, and hitting me square in the face with a pile of greens. "Oh, God," I exclaim, picking carrot shreds out of my cleavage.

"Alfie!"

"Really guys, every meal?" Fabian questions sarcastically, wiping his face from the spray of food that was being flung across the table.

"Oops, sorry," Patricia chuckles pouring the entire water jug onto Nina's lap. I knew I should have kept that pitcher next to me when I had the chance, but Fabian just needed to be hydrated.

Nina shrieks.

"Classy, Patricia," Fabian rolls his eyes, quickly looking towards Nina to see if she needed help.

"What, it was an accident," Patricia said unconvincingly. Yeah, it was just as much of an accident as the time you cut my hair in History class. Nice try, Trixie. History is not the place for scissors and you know this.

"Are you okay?" Fabian asked.

"Yeah. Except my sweater is shrinking to my body as we speak," Nina confessed. Yes, wet tshirt contest, oh please.

"So, Nina. When are you going to tell us what you know about Joy's disappearance?" Patricia interrogated. Not right now Patricia, it's pasta night. Pasta night's sacred. Also, am I getting the sense that something's happened between Patricia and Nina before supper. I mean I know that they met earlier, but Patricia is definitely being more of a bitch than usually. And I'm only halfway into my cycle so it's not PMS.

"I guess when I actually know something," Nina retorted. I'm liking that girl more and more every second. Especially considering that wet t-shirt.

Patricia pushed further, "Oh, come on. One minute I'm sitting next to Joy in class, the next she's disappeared and you've taken her place." She is right, although slightly over exaggerating the time margins. "Bit of a coincidence, don't you think?"

"I guess it is," Nina agrees, picking the sweater from off her body and fanning it.

"Maybe she's snatched her and locked her in the cellar?" Alfie theorizes.

"Whooooooh," Alfie and I both say in unison, waving our hands spookily.

"Shut up," Patricia hisses. "Well?" Goodness Patricia, give it a rest, will you? Apparently not.