Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis. I know, this is very...different. It's kinda boring, very short, and very weird. But thanks for trying it!
The seats were slick with something wet- water or blood, he didn't know. Trying to sit up, his arm came in contact with a warm body. It was Joy's. She seemed to be breathing, but her chest moved fast and her breaths came out rugged, as if she were struggling to stay alive. He reached in his pocket and took out his phone, his bloody fingers hitting the required numbers.
"911, what's your emergency?" a woman asked briskly as she answered the phone.
"I was in a car crash," Fabian coughed, trying to clear his throat. "My friend needs an ambulance." He twisted his head to look for Patricia, who had been in the back seat. She wasn't there.
"We'll get there as fast as we can, sir. Can you give us the address?"
"It's near the freeway," Fabian winced. "I don't know where."
"That's quite alright. We can track the phone call," the operator assured him. "I'll just ask you to stay where you are and try to keep your friend alive."
"Thank you," Fabian said. "But there's one more thing. I had two friends before the car crash. Now only one is in the car."
"Did you check outside?" the woman's voice was calm.
"No," Fabian admitted. "It hurts to move."
"That's alright. Stay where you are. Help is on the way. Also, keep us on the line so we can track your call."
"Thank you." Fabian repeated. He turned to gaze down at Joy even though the movement brought pain. "We'll be okay, Joy. We'll find Patricia. You'll live. I promise." He leaned back and closed his eyes, fearful it would be the last time. It wasn't.
He did, however, break his promise.
"Fabian. Fabian. Get up, buddy," Eddie Miller prodded his friend's arm. "If you don't wake up, Mick's going to devour your breakfast."
"Eddie?" Fabian yawned. "What are you doing here?"
"I came for you, duh," Eddie said. "Today's- you know..."
"I know," Fabian said quietly. "You didn't tell me you were coming today."
"I don't need to. I just do, seeing how I live across the hall and all." Eddie smirked. "Now hurry up. Alfie and Jerome are coming over too-"
"Jerome? What, why?" Mick, Fabian's roommate and oldest friend, complained. He was still upset over how Jerome had started dating his ex girlfriend, Mara.
"Mick, let it go," Eddie advised, knowing very well why Mick held a grudge. "Amber and Mara are out doing who knows what. But Nina's coming over."
"Nina? Who's that?" Fabian asked sleepily as he got up.
"My cousin. I told you about her," Eddie rolled his eyes. "I have an exciting day planned, so you'd better be ready for a fun day."
"I don't want a fun day," Fabian complained. "I shouldn't have one, either. I don't deserve a fun day when I lost my two best friends this very night."
"Two years ago," Eddie said. "I'm trying to make you forget this, Fabian."
"Maybe I don't want to forget," Fabian snapped. "Maybe I want to keep them in my heart because I loved both of them like they were my family. Maybe I don't want to have fun on the day I killed them both!"
"You didn't kill them, mate." Mick said quietly.
"I might as well have. I was the one driving," Fabian slumped down in his chair at the table.
"The other driver was drunk. You're not to blame," Eddie agreed. "I'm not saying forget them. I'm saying forget all of this. Your grief, your pain...don't. Pretend it's normal day and you're fine."
"I can't pretend," Fabian said. "They're not fine. They're dead, Eddie. Dead."
"How do you think I feel?" Eddie countered. "I lost my girlfriend."
"Do you even care?" Fabian said hotly, but he stopped. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just miss them both so much, and- I'm overreacting."
"Let's forget all this," Eddie said. "So, about that fun day..."
"I'm all for it," Fabian said reluctantly. "One one condition: we still go to the cemetery and pay our respects to Joy and Patricia."
"I was going to suggest that anyway," Eddie said. "So, up for breakfast?"
"We're not having pancakes, Eddie."
"But pancakes are the best thing to eat for breakfast!"
"Not when you douse them in mountains of whipped cream," Mick wisecracked.
"It improves the consistency," Eddie defended himself as there came a knock to the door.
"That's probably the others," Mick said, and he answered the door. Jerome and Alfie stood there. "Jerome."
"Meathead." Jerome replied.
"Did you bring coffee?" Eddie asked.
"Yup," Alfie held up the cups that were held in a portable cup holder.
"And I have those hash browns," Jerome said, gesturing to a bag in his hand.
"See, Fabian? Not so bad, right?" Eddie elbowed his friend.
"By the way, there was some broad downstairs asking where your room was," Jerome said. "Eddie, you're dating some girl so soon after-? I mean, uh- you're dating a girl?"
"No," Eddie didn't seem fazed by what Jerome had just hinted at. "That's probably my cousin, Nina. I'll call her and tell her where to go." He excused himself and left to do so.
"So, Stutter Rutter, how's life going?" Jerome turned to Fabian. He watched him with blue, sympathetic eyes, but his voice was as joking as usual.
"Just fine," Fabian answered. "Now, how about that breakfast?"
"Oh, right," Jerome said, and they distributed what they'd brought. "How's the school life going? You still taking classes at the college?"
"Not anymore." Fabian said. "I dropped out last year."
"Out of money?" Alfie asked knowingly.
"Not exactly," Fabian shrugged and looked down. "What about you two?"
"Amber and I are getting pretty serious," Alfie gave a dreamy sigh.
"Oh sure, rub it in my face," Mick said. Previously he'd dated Amber as well, but that was back in high school. Still, it was a sore subject of his to lose so many girlfriends to other people.
"Serious as if you want to marry her?" Jerome teased.
"Jerome, we started dating three years ago," Alfie blushed. "It's too early for that kind of commitment- I just mean like we've been thinking about our future."
"That's great, mate." Mick said warmly. As they started to eat, Eddie pushed open the door, trailed by a girl.
"Hi," the girl smiled, waving a hand lightly. She had wavy, almost blond hair, green eyes, and an American accent. In other words, she was like a female Eddie.
"Guys, this is Nina," Eddie said. "Her gran shipped her out over here."
"Eddie," Nina scolded, "she did not. I came to see you."
"Whatever." Eddie said, but he was grinning.
"I'm Jerome," Jerome lifted a hand in her direction.
"Lewis. Alfie Lewis." Alfie tried to nod in her direction and lean cooly against the side of his chair, but he fell off it.
"Hey, I'm Mick," Mick shook Nina's hand.
"I'm Fabian." Fabian said, giving her a quick nod of his own. She gave them all a bright smile in return.
"I'm going to unpack," Nina told Eddie. "I'll come right back."
"Sure thing," Eddie said.
"Eddie, you didn't tell me your cousin was a babe!" Mick grinned after Nina.
"You're hilarious," Eddie shoved Mick playfully.
"Can we go to the cemetery first?" Fabian asked suddenly. "Before our, uh, fun day? I'd really like to do that first."
"Of course, buddy," Eddie said warmly. "Mick, Alfie, Jerome- you guys coming?"
"Yeah." Jerome nodded solemnly. "I'll call Mara and Amber. I know they won't want to miss out."
"I'll have to take along Nina though. Do you mind, Fabian?" Eddie inquired.
"No." Fabian shrugged. He barely noticed Nina's presence at that point.
"Good. Call them up, Jerry," Eddie said.
"Jerome, can you please slow down?" Mara stared at her boyfriend, terror reflecting off her eyes. "You're going past the speed limit!"
"Mara, the speed limit is fifty-five and we're barely doing sixty-five." Jerome said, his eyes focused on the road. "Can you not criticize my driving?"
"Honey, it's against the law-"
"Please don't call me that," Jerome whined, his cheeks red. Eddie whooped from the backseat. "Close that mouth, Miller, or I'll close it for you!" Amber and Alfie had taken Alfie's car along with Mick, leaving Mara, Jerome, Nina, Eddie, and Fabian in Jerome's car.
"Hey," Nina tapped on Fabian's shoulder, as he had been staring out his window. "Are you okay? You've been like that for the whole time."
"I'm alright," Fabian said, lifting his head to gaze at her. "Thank you for your concern." Nina watched him a little while longer and noticed how his hand kept a firm grip on the seatbelt.
"You're really British," Nina mused.
"And you're quite American," Fabian said.
"Mysterious and quiet, huh? I like it. It's like you're a Sherlock Holmes book character." Nina said.
"You like Sherlock Holmes?" Fabian asked.
"I live for him," Nina grinned.
"Oh no, they're bonding over books," Eddie groaned. "Someone save me from this turn of events..."
"Here we are," Jerome called, easing the breaks. Mara gave a sigh of relief, which prompted Jerome to sigh as well, but out of slight annoyance. "But why is there police cars everywhere?"
Fabian looked away from Nina and gazed out his window again. Sure enough, several police cars were studying the cemetery.
"Sir, I'll have to ask you to head back, please," a police man went over to Jerome's car, and one went to talk to Alfie behind him. "This place is closed."
"Closed? But it's Saturday," Mara said slowly.
"There was a break in, ma'am," the police man went on. "The cemetery's always closed after dark, but the gates were bent every which way and two graves dug up."
"Which ones?" Fabian called desperately, his hand tightening on his seatbelt.
"I'm not disclosed to give that information, sir," the police man said apologetically. "I hope you all have a nice day. See you around, folks."
"It could be any two graves, Fabian," Eddie said softly. "It doesn't have to be theirs." Fabian didn't listen. Instead, as Jerome started up the car to drive away, he bolted right out of the door and broke into a run.
Police men and women all yelled and ran after him, but he went on. Eddie, Mara, and Jerome bolted after him. Nina watched Fabian go with a mixture of awe and respect.
"Hey, get back here!" a police man yelled, but he was ignored. Fabian stopped right before a roped off area. Two piles of dirt and empty coffins stared back at him. The two gravestones were next to each other and engraved from the same place.
The names on them were Joy Mercer and Patricia Williamson.
"No," Fabian said. "I-It can't be. E-Eddie, they're...gone. The last part of my friends on Earth and they're gone." The police men had also caught up to him and caught his arms roughly.
"Officers, we're so sorry," Mara said quickly. "It's just that...those graves that were robbed held two people very dear to us..."
"The owner of the cemetery called all relatives of the deceased," the police officer said. "I'll need proof to disclose any information on the events of last night."
"We're friends, actually," Jerome said.
"Nothing I can do for you, then," the police man said.
"Come on, Fabian," Mara placed a gentle hand on Fabian's arm. "Let's go."
"They can't be gone." Fabian whispered, unspilled tears hanging in his eyes. "They can't. Why do I always lose them? Why?"
"Fabian-"
"Let him be, Mara," Jerome rubbed his girlfriend's shoulders reassuringly. "He needs a minute."
"It's not fair," Fabian turned to Eddie. "Why should they have died? Why couldn't it have been me? I'd be the one dead, I'd be the one stolen from that bloody grave, I'd be gone. Like I deserve to be."
"Let's get out of here," Jerome said quietly, and Fabian's friends dragged him away.
"I don't get it," Eddie pondered. "Why them?" His fingers traced the picture he had of Patricia. The one he kept beside his bed every night. She was scowling and trying to block the camera, but Eddie loved that shot because it just reflected so much of the girl he'd loved.
"There are a lot of heartless people in the world, Eddie." Mara sighed.
"I'm so sorry you guys," Nina said. "I know this all must be hard."
"No, hard was knowing they died," Mick countered. "Knowing the last part of them is gone is just sick. Who wants a dead body?"
"Someone who has no sense," Amber cut in. "Dead bodies? Gross!"
"Looks like there's going to be a storm," Alfie said suddenly. "We'd better go, Amber, before it gets bad."
"I'd rather stay the night. Can we stay the night?" Amber turned to Fabian, a pout on her lips.
"I don't mind," Fabian sighed, and Amber smiled joyfully.
"I'll stay here, too!" Mick exclaimed jokingly.
"Can we stay with you, then, Eddie?" Mara asked her friend kindly. "In the morning we can hang out again."
"Sure," Eddie agreed. "Nina's staying over too."
"We can get to know each other better." Mara smiled at Nina.
"Hey wait, I want to get to know the new girl, too," Amber whined.
"Tomorrow, Amber." Alfie laughed. "Tonight, we'll stay with Fabian."
"Slumber party!" Amber cheered. "But our stuff..."
"One night won't hurt." Jerome shrugged. "Shall we get a move on, Miller?"
"Only if you get moving, Clarke." Eddie retorted, and they left Fabian's.
"Take the my room," Fabian said. "I'd rather have the couch tonight if you don't mind."
"Hold on just a sec, mate. Are you sure?" Mick asked, and Fabian nodded.
"Thanks, too," Fabian said. "For staying." He directed this to Amber and Alfie, but Mick feigned tears, much to Fabian's amusement.
The lights suddenly flickered off and a lightning bolt lit up the room with an eerie glow from outside. After a few seconds, the lights went back on. All around the halls were cries of shock, but it died down somewhat after they went back on.
"Damn lighting." Mick chuckled. "Well, good night."
"Wait," Amber cut in, "I don't think I've ever seen behind your apartment from this window before."
"I'm on the way back, Amber." Fabian rolled his eyes. "There's nothing out there but an empty clearing."
"No there isn't," Amber said.
"Yes there is." Fabian sighed. "Please, just go to sleep."
"There's a house there." Amber went on, and that caught Fabian's attention. Even Amber couldn't be that blind.
He went to the window and peered out of it. What he saw shocked him.
Thank you so much for your time in reading this. If you liked it, please follow and review! Even if you didn't, please tell me what I can work on. I know it's not that interesting and hardly very horror-filled, but that will change...