Maria Holland, by Black Cat 46 (A/N: I own my OCs and my plot line.)

Seventeen year old Maria woke to a loud bleeping. She groaned and turned over. "Ugh, come on! I don't want to get up yet..." She threw her strawberry blonde locks back over her shoulder and got up. She grabbed her planned outfit and rushed to the bathroom.

Phillip Holland, her younger brother or bother in Maria's opinion, yelled "Mum, Maria's going to commandeer the bathroom and make it smell all girly!"

"Phillip, shut it! I have to rush, I'm meeting Casey!" She hissed. Her brother forcefully shoved her out of the way. "Phillip! You little monster!"

"Ha ha!" Her brother gloated. Maria groaned and slammed her head into the wall. She grabbed her brother by the shoulders and shook him. "Watch it, Maria!"

"You royal pain! I hate you, you little monster!" She screamed, slamming into the bathroom. She hated her brother.

As she chomped her way through her muesli, her mother said "Listen, Maria Jane Holland, I have had it with you and this name-calling and shaking your brother. He's only a child. You're almost eighteen! You know better than this! I really thought you'd changed!"

"I have! This is a new outfit!"

"Don't get cheeky. I've decided on what I'm going to do with you. You're going to the Amun boarding school in Liverpool."

"Mum! That place is, like, one hundred and fifty miles away!"

"Well, that's where you're going!" Mrs Lynn Holland exclaimed with that air of finality.

"Fine. When am I going?"

"Monday. You'll be met by the housekeeper."

"What's this housekeeper's name?"

"Miss Trudy Rehman. Either her or Mr Victor Rodenmaar."

"Oh. OK."

Maria wasn't looking forward to telling Casey Fox, the boy she'd fancied for years, that she was leaving. At school, she announced it to the class. Her best friend, Julianna, jumped on her. "No! Maria, no! You can't!"

Everyone was horrified. Maria Holland was the cleverest and prettiest girl in the school. Everyone wanted to be her best friend, her boyfriend or her. She was sweet, kind and gentle. Everyone wanted to know her. Only Casey and Julianna were allowed near her. She was popular, the focus of everyone's attentions. She was loved by everyone. "I have to, Anna."

The rest of them called her by Julianna, Casey called her Julia but only Maria herself was allowed to get away with Jules or Anna. Casey didn't know that Maria was in love with him and vice versa. Casey sighed. "Mari, we'll all miss you. You videochat us, yeah? Email? Tell us about all your cool new mates."

"At some posh boarding school? No cool people in those places, Cas. Just a load of posh folk talking like there's cotton wool in their noses."

"OK. God, Mari, we'll miss you. You're funny and one heck of a girl."

Maria hugged her friends, feeling the electric spark between her and Casey. She wasn't allowed out of their sights. As the day went on, people said good bye as if she was dying, not moving to another school. Even people she'd never spoken to cried on her shoulder. At home, she hid up in the bathroom, hearing Phillip whine "I need the toilet, Maria-a-a-a-a!"

"Well, tough luck, Phillip-p-p-p-p-p-p!" She wailed back. By the time she was done, she had mysterious black locks, darkly outlined eyes, sparkling black diamante lip lacquer and inch long black talons. Her clothes were mainly leather and studs from her Goth phase when she was fourteen. She wore black stiletto heels, adding to her height of five feet, eight inches. She didn't sleep for the entire weekend, downloading and learning the lyrics to the old metal stuff she'd used to listen to. She snacked on her toasted Pop Tarts, things she'd toasted in her room, using her old toaster. She was everything she'd used to be. On Monday, she got on the train early. She caught the bus straight after, getting to the school gates without a hitch. She shot after a teenager, following his dark hair to the house titled "Anubis." What a stroke of luck! A resident of this place! She thought happily.

The boy turned to her. "Do I know you?" He asked.

Maria grinned. "Nope. Do you live here?"

"Yeah. Who are you?"

Maria grinned. "Maria. You?" She asked, seeming very friendly.

"Fabian. If you're expected, just go straight in. Trudy or Victor will receive you."

He walked away, unnerved by this strange teenage girl. Maria shrugged slightly, smiling. She knocked on the door. A tall, greasy haired man in a tan coat glared at her. "Who are you?" He snarled.

"Maria Holland, your new resident. Are you... Victor Rodenmaar?"

"I am. Get inside." He stepped aside to let her in. Maria was momentarily impressed. The man called "Trudy! Where is she?"

A short, plump, sweet-looking woman with a twinkle in her eye shot downstairs, her dark hair flying. "Here! Hi!" She chirped, seemingly very happy.

Maria adopted her old personality, trying to slow this bouncy human down. "Uh, who's she?"

"This is Trudy Rehman, our housekeeper."

The woman gave her a hug. "Hi, sweetie!" She cooed. "Welcome to Anubis house!"

"Thanks. Do you always hug complete strangers?" Maria asked.

"She hugs anyone. Be they strangers or not." Victor coldly informed her. "Be careful, she's not only a hugger. If you let her, she'll kiss you, too."

Trudy grinned. "Sorry. I just love all my students. And you're so pretty! I bet all the boys chase you." She complimented, stroking the girl's cheek affectionately.

"Kinda. But please stop invading my personal space. I know you're sweet and cute and all that, but I'm not."

Maria noticed the happy manner droop a little, then felt guilty. The woman picked up Maria's bags and carried them upstairs. "So, Miss Holland, how was your trip?" Victor asked her, heartlessly.

"Meh. Could have been worse."

Ever-polite, Trudy smiled. "We all just want you to be comfortable here, darling."

Victor gave her a glare that quelled her immediately. "OK, this is your room. Trudy will give you the tour."
As she dropped the heavy bags, Trudy smiled. "Come with me, love."
She led her around, telling her what everything was, when the times for food were, what the chore schedule was and who roomed with who, who was who and how things worked. There was one room she hadn't been introduced to and looked curiously down the corridor. "What's down there?"

Trudy blushed. "That's my room, dear. Now, I don't normally do this, but if you'd like a little peep, you're more than-" A loud scream cut her off. "Oh, dear."

"What was that? It sounded like a baby."

"It is. Come along, lovie. You can meet our youngest resident."

In Trudy's room, it was large, light and airy. There was a huge bed in the centre of the room. A man lay reading on the bed. The carpet was a thick, fluffy, cream coloured thing, the walls were cream and light cocoa, there was a massive balcony window with gossamer curtains blowing in the breeze. Beautiful pictures of the sea hung on one wall next to the balcony window and a brilliant white wardrobe stood opposite. On the opposite end of the room was a baby's cradle and a changing table, complete with a tiny wardrobe. "Who's baby is it?"

The man looked up. "Trudy's. Eh, gorgeous?"

Maria looked at him in shock. "Who are you?" She blurted out, before she could stop herself.

"I could ask the same of you." The man commented.

"He's my fiance, Jasper Choudhary. He's also Kamala's father. Jasper, dear, this is Maria Holland, our newest resident."

Jasper warmed up to her almost immediately. "I'm sorry, Miss Holland. I'm just wary of strangers who go near Trudy."

"I getcha. I'd be worried too." Maria smiled.

Trudy chuckled. "Well, darlings, I hate to break this up, but Maria, honey, you'll have to go wait in the living room for the others. I'll be down to start supper soon."

Jasper smiled. "Run along. Here, babe, give me the little one."

Maria walked off and led herself to the living room. She picked up a magazine and began reading. Suddenly, a girl's voice asked "Is that my magazine?"

Maria looked up, worried and saw a very tall figure in pink.