Anubis
"Mum, Daddy, don't leave me here! I don't wanna go!" I scream.
"Joy, please stop screaming. Daddy and I have to go somewhere."
"Hello, is something wrong?"
A raven haired woman walks out of the house. She looks youngish, but nice.
"Hi, are you Joy? I'm Trudy, your house mother."
"I'm Joy."
"How old is she?"
"She's almost six. Is she the only kid at Anubis?"
"Actually no, there's a little boy her age. Jerome Clark."
"Bye Mummy! Bye Daddy!"
I waved as they drove away, and then let Judy? Ruby? take me inside to meet Jerome. I never thought I was short until I met him. He is at least a head taller than me.
"You're Jer-Jere-Jero-"
"Jerome Clark and you're…?"
"Joy Merther."
"I guess you're one of those quiet people. Dang, I hoped to get a feisty, loudmouth, bubbly one. Guess that won't happen. And why do you talk like that?"
"I am too feithty and bubbly. I'm not really loud, but I can be feithty! And I talk like thith becauthe I lotht my two front teeth."
"That's better Joyous. Can I call you Joyous?"
No, I don't like Joyouth."
"What about Joyful, or Joyless! I'm gonna call you Joyless. How about that, you got a nickname now!"
"I don't like it, it'th thtupid. Don't call me Joyleth."
He ignores me and I walk away. But Trudy directs me into his room.
"We haven't had time to fix up another room, so for the next few days, you will be here."
"WHAT!" We both scream.
I found an old camera and snuck outside the door and peek in. Jerome is playing with action figures, flying them around.
"Clathy Jerome. I didn't know you thtill play with dollth." I laugh and run away. I run outside and climb up one of the trees.
I climb down the tree slowly. When I turn around, Jerome is towering over me.
"Hey Ryanna."
"How do you know my real name?"
"I've known you since we were little. I know your real name is Ryanna Joy Mercer, I know that your parents used to fight all the time, you cry whenever people start to fight because of that, you're scared of the dark, you didn't lose your two front teeth naturally, they got knocked out when you tripped over a loose step and hit the railing. I know that you're afraid of your older brother, because he would tease you because he thought you cried too much. I know you're allergic to peaches and coconuts. I know that you still sleep with your bunny, Bunsie-Bun. And that you hate Barbies, but you love your stuffed animals. Your favorite Disney princess is Ariel because you want to learn how to swim. Your favorite movie is Lady and the Tramp. Your favorite colors are pink and blue, and you least favorite is orange. You're a very messy person. Anything I missed?"
"Nope, you know more about me than anyone elthe hath ever."
"You are thilly. When are thome new kidth coming?"
"Not for a while, Joyless."
"I want a girl to hang with. Sorry."
"Don't be. I need some guys that will pull tricks on the girls."
"I'll help. We can prank Vector."
"It's Victor, but sure."
"We can take is stuffed bird and hide it where Trudy will find it!"
"You're actually not too bad, Joyless."
"And that's how Jerome and I first met. And how I got in trouble for the first time." I finish.
"And that was the first time I fell in love."
"Jerome, don't you da-"
He kissed me for the first time, in front of the others. It was like the whole world was going in slow motion, and like I was flying through fireworks. It was everything and nothing at the same time.
"You and Jerome shared a room?"
"Yeah, he was six and I was five, so it didn't really matter."
"You had a lisp?" Mara laughs.
"Yeah, I had a small speech problem but it's pretty much gone. It really only happens when I get nervous or when I talk fast."
"I remember that. You were hard to understand sometimes, but we had fun.
"Jerome, do you remember that prank we pulled on Victor?"
"Of course, that was best prank ever!"
"Jerome, don't forget the net!" I whisper.
"I won't. Don't forget the notes either."
I pass the bird to Jerome, putting down a note where the bird was.
"Let's go!"
We take off and hide the next note I the bushes, then the kitchen, and finally the laundry room. Then we hide the bird in the box in the hall.
"You guys must have driven the others insane!"
"Oh, we did. The only kid that really listened was Halley Cole. She was about six or seven years older. Her and Joy were really close. I liked Jason Ross better; he was the one who taught me my pranks."
"Yeah, Hal was like the big sister I never had. I miss her sometimes."
"So who came here when?"
"I came when I was five, Joy came a year later, then Alfie came about three years later, Patricia came right after him, Amber, Mick, and Fabian when we were 10 and 11, and Mara came when we were 12 and 13."
"Then Nina came when we were 15 and 16, Eddie came a year after, then KT came and Willow moved in."
"And now we're all together."
Amber pulls out a scrapbook and hand it to me.
"This is for everyone."
I flip it open and it starts with Jerome wearing a cowboy hat, underwear, and nothing else.
Then it's me in a princess dress twirling.
Jerome and I playing in the kitchen covered in flour and chocolate sauce.
Jerome sliding down the railing.
I'm decorating the tree.
Alfie from the day he came, looking terrified.
Next is Patricia, Jerome, Alfie, and I on Christmas.
Patricia and I painting.
The four of us racing, Jerome and me against Alfie and Patricia. Patricia sitting in a tree.
Amber, Fabian, Jerome, Patricia, and I playing tag.
Mick bouncing a ball.
Fabian reading.
Amber picking flowers.
Fabian, Patricia, and I having a picnic.
Mick and Jerome arguing.
Everyone playing soccer.
Mara and Fabian reading together.
Everyone having a food fight.
Nina talking to Gram.
Patricia and Nina arguing.
Patricia in the play.
Jerome, Alfie, and Amber's improvisation.
Patricia and I running.
The dance.
Everyone back at Anubis.
Mick leaving.
Eddie arriving.
Patricia and Eddie's meeting.
The second dance.
Patricia and Eddie dancing.
Jerome singing.
The mask of Anubis.
The tears of gold saving me.
Us leaving again.
The arrival.
KT coming.
Willow coming.
Mara and Jerome kissing.
Nina's letter.
Miss Denby coming.
Alfie and Jerome pranking.
The gatehouse.
Then came the baby pictures-
Nina sitting in a crib, green eyes glowing.
Patricia and Piper curled up together.
Jerome sucking his thumb.
KT sleeping.
Alfie crawling.
Fabian holding a toy
Mara laughing.
Amber bouncing.
Willow and I playing in a garden.
Eddie wearing a little biker jacket.
