Disclaimer: I do not own House of Anubis, the characters in it, or the locations used.
A/N: Thank you to the six people who have reviewed, the six people who favorited, and the nine people who set this story on their alert list. Thank you to those of you who have just arrived. I never ask for a certain number of reviews before posting the next chapter, but your reviews make me write faster and better with a happy heart. Now then, we have another chapter set up for today, as you can see. A little calmer... but it's always calm before the storm, keep that in mind. :D We also have some FABIAN POV! It was nice to get into the mind of my favorite little dude. Alright, here we go!
Nina POV
My dreams were filled with him, shifting in and out with crazy swirls of color. When the color was replaced with black and his hand connected with my face, I began to cry.
"Good girls don't leave, Nina. You are a bad girl, and you will never be loved. Bad girls are nothing. You. Are. Nothing." Tears streamed down my face, and yet I was silent.
The next blow sent me into the waking world, blinking against the bright light of day.
I quickly surveyed my surroundings. Last night I'd fallen asleep almost immediately after getting my bags - bag - unpacked. I could hear the students eating dinner as I'd laid down in my bed. I wondered if one of the three students told the others about me and my strange reaction.
The room was empty, the bed across from mine already made. It was covered in pink and I wondered what sort of roommate I had. A quiet one, obviously, if I hadn't woken up when she'd come in.
The concealer took a few minutes to put on, and was creeping down the stairs only ten minutes after I'd first woken up. The dream lingered in the back of my mind.
I would be a good girl today.
I followed the sound of clinking silverware and chewing, leading me to the dining room. 8 students were eating stacks of pancakes and bacon, and a woman was cleaning up in the kitchen. Everyone stopped and stared when I entered.
"Oh," the woman gasped, coming over to the dining table. "I completely forgot. Kids, this is Nina Martin. She's from America and this is her first day, so I hope all of you will be very welcoming." I blushed under the intense stares, staring at the floor.
"Hey, Nina," said a familiar voice - the boy I had knocked over. My stomach dropped and I had the urge to puke. What must he think of me? "I'm sorry about yesterday. Is your knee feeling better?"
My eyebrows furrowed. My knee had barely bled, and that injury was far better than any other on my body, but that wasn't what bothered me. Yesterday was my fault. He might have been the one who had stumbled into me, but I shouldn't have been there to stumble into. He was not at fault.
"Trudy, is she… ya know, insane in the membrane?" the girl from yesterday said, the one with brown hair and eyes. The boy glared at her, as did the woman, Trudy, though hers was much softer.
"Nina doesn't speak," she responded. "She hasn't since she was very little. But she can understand everything you're saying just like every one of you, and I'm sure your comment didn't make her feel any better." Trudy reached out to pat my shoulder, but I shrunk back automatically. She realized her mistake and whispered a short apology to me.
The class was still staring.
"Nina, this is Anubis House. Fabian, Amber, Patricia, Joy, Mara, Mick, Jerome, and Alfie." So the boy I had knocked over was Fabian. Patricia had been the one taking pictures, and Joy was the third girl. From the outfit Amber was wearing - matching my roommate's space perfectly - I could assume this was my roommate. All 8 students waved.
"If you need to communicate with her, she carries around a notepad with her constantly, so don't be afraid to talk to her. She isn't comfortable with touching, either, but I've seen some of her art and it's very inspiring." She clapped her hands, making me jump a little, though she didn't notice. "Now, Nina, I'm sure you're hungry. Would you like some food?"
Food? What had I done to deserve food? I hadn't carried my weight yet; in fact I'd pretty much done the opposite. I hadn't had breakfast in years.
I wrote down as much and gave the pad of paper to Trudy, confused. She released a little gasp and looked at me strangely.
"How often do you usually eat, dear?"
Two small meals a day during the my non-school time, and only after I've picked up around the house. If I have school, then all I eat is a snack, since I have the large meal at lunch. If I'm a good girl, sometimes I'll get a midnight snack, was what I wrote. After my his activities with me, was what I didn't write. I'm sure she didn't want to know about that.
"Oh dear," she whispered, and ripped out the page, throwing it in the trash before returning the pad to me. "Come, sit down. You are eating breakfast if it's the last thing I do."
Though I was still confused, I couldn't disobey a direct order. The only empty chair was in between Fabian and Patricia, so I sat. Three pancakes were set in front of me, along with a side of bacon. Syrup was drizzled on top.
The entire table was whispering, though I couldn't hear their words. Only Fabian wasn't speaking, instead choosing to stare at me.
I was sure he was planning how he would get me back for yesterday, or maybe thinking about how weird I was. Probably both.
The meal was awkward, and I ate a few bites of the first pancake under Trudy's watch. After that and a piece of bacon, I was stuffed. The sickly sweet taste of the syrup made my stomach feel odd. Jerome and Alfie split the other two pancakes on my plate and ate them in under a minute. It was bizarre to watch.
A ringer went off, making me jump, signaling that breakfast was over and it was time for school. Everyone left the table immediately, myself included, though I made sure not to bump into anyone. When I left, Fabian was the only one still packing up.
My walk to the school was lonely and quiet, just the way I liked it.
X
Fabian POV
I knew something was up. While Trudy cared for our health and loved us as much as my family loved me, I'd never seen her so determined to make someone eat. The yellow, lined paper in the trash kept distracting me from the meal.
So when it was time for school, I purposely packed extremely slowly. Trudy left the room to do laundry, and everyone else took off down the sidewalk. Nina trailed far behind them.
Yesterday had been my fault, and it seemed she agreed. Fear flashed through her eyes every time she even saw me. Apparently I'd scared her pretty bad, and I felt guilty about it. If Trudy said no touching, then pushing her must be a big no.
When I was sure no one was going to catch me, I tiptoed over to the trash and pulled out the page.
I'm sorry, I don't understand. I haven't carried my weight yet, and either way, I haven't had breakfast in years.
Further down, there was another scribble of words.
Two small meals a day during the my non-school time, and only after I've picked up around the house. If I have school, then all I eat is a snack, since I have the large meal at lunch. If I'm a good girl, sometimes I'll get a midnight snack.
I tucked the paper into my back pocket, eyes wide as I processed what she had written. She didn't seem that poor, and the 'good girl' thing seemed a little off. She jumped at the smallest of sounds, and what would make a person refuse to talk for years?
Something was wrong, and I intended to find out what it was.
A/N: Yes, another shortish one. They get longer, I swear. Don't worry if you're missing some of the other characters - they will get their own spotlights in Nina's POV, or maybe even a piece from their own POV. So, thoughts, crtiques, questions? Drop 'em in the box below. Reviews are love, my dear readers!
