CHAPTER 2

Jerome and Noah looked to the door, at Mara. She stood there, feeling like an idiot for doing this, but she had to.

"Well…didn't know you felt that way, Mara," Jerome commented. Noah said nothing.

Mara shook her head, "What? Oh, no! No," she told them, "Of course not…"

"Well, barging into someone's bedroom in a…moment like this would make one think otherwise," Jerome told her.

She shook her head, "You know what, forget it. It's not important anymore," she said, turning and walking out.

"Well…," Jerome stepped away from Noah, "That was…interesting…"

She looked at him curiously, then moved back to his closet, "Well, if you're not going to distract me with that kiss, then I'm going back in."

"No!" Jerome told her. But she didn't listen.

"I heard you yelling earlier," Nina said to Mara as the three were in their room. Amber wasn't paying much attention right now, "What was that about?"

"What? Oh…it was nothing," Mara said.

"Are you sure?" Amber asked, having a point to raise, "It sounded like you yelled Jerome's name. What did he do to make you mad? Not that it's hard to do, I imagine."

"He was just…being him," Mara said.

"Ok then," Nina said, "But…I thought you two got along?"

"We do…it's just that there are still things he does that get on my nerves," she explained.

"I really don't see how anyone could get along with Jerome," Amber said, "You must be really tough Mara."

"He's not that bad!" she defended him, "If you get to know him!"

"There's more behind that prankster?" Amber questioned.

"Well, we know that," Nina told her, leaving it at that.

Amber sighed, "I guess we do."

"You do?" Mara asked.

"Yeah…long story," Nina said, "Kind of an inside joke. Sorry."

"A joke?" Mara asked.

"Well…that's not the right term, I guess," Nina said, "But yeah, let's leave it at that."

Mara looked at them before nodding, "Ok, fine." She wasn't going to press the issue. It wasn't like she was interested in Jerome or anything, which pressing might indicate.

And so the three went to sleep, leaving the subject finished. For now.

At breakfast the next morning the nine old students sat at the table, talking to friends. The Sibunas spoke to each other, while Patricia and Joy mostly spoke, Patricia coming and going with the others. Mick and Mara spoke, and Jerome and Alfie spoke, Alfie going back and forth between the conversations.

Mara leaned over, "How was Noah last night?" she asked Patricia and Joy.

"I like her," Joy said simply with a smile.

"Well, I don't," Patricia said.

"Why's that?" Mara asked.

"She kept talking…"

"She's new, I'm sure she's bound to talk and try to make friends," Mara said.

Joy shook her head, "No no no…not that."

"What then?" Mara asked.

Patricia just shook her head, leaving Joy to say it, "About Jerome."

Mick leaned over towards Mara, so he could get in on the conversation, "Seriously? I still don't see how she could like him at all."

"Well, stranger has happened," Joy said with a smile.

"Us?" Mara asked.

"Sure, let's go with you two," Joy said.

"Forget about it," Mick said to Mara, "Let's just forget the entire conversation about the new girl."

"What about me?" Noah asked as she walked in and looked at them all before taking the open seat, to her dismay, farther from Jerome and more towards Nina and Patricia.

"Nothing," Mick said.

"He doesn't see why you like Jerome," Joy said simply.

"Joy!" Jerome snapped.

"It's not like we all haven't heard that by now," Amber told him.

Noah shrugged, "Spread it."

"Noah!" Jerome snapped at her now.

"Do you have a problem with that?" she questioned him.

"Um…well…"

She smiled and started to take food onto her plate, leaving Alfie to laugh a little.

"Wow, you have it hard," he joked to Jerome, "An attractive girl spreading around that she likes you. Oh, the agony…"

"That's not what this is about," Jerome told him.

"Then what is it about?" Alfie asked.

Jerome shook his head and pushed his chair out, picking up his bag and just leaving, heading to school.

Amber leaned over to Alfie, "You find her attractive?"

"Um…well…I mean, yeah," he said, not expecting a hit for that. He would be wrong and would spend the next ten or so minutes rubbing his arm.

"You're strong for a girl!" he shouted in complaint.

She went back to her breakfast, "Have to be for situations like this."

"You expect these?" he asked in some shock.

She shrugged, "Yeah, sometimes."

"Ok, nice to know," he said, rubbing his arm, "I can watch my mouth now."

"I doubt that," Patricia put in.

Some of them started to laugh, but Alfie just shook his head, "Well, we'll see."

At school for the first day of the term, it was time for history class. Sitting in the room the students talked amongst each other.

"I can't wait to see Jason again, even if he was part of Victor's group," Joy mused.

"Really?" Patricia questioned her, "Wow Joy…"

"What? You can't say you wouldn't be at least thinking the same, well, if he wasn't part of the group. From what you told me," she said.

"Fine, fine, you're right," Patricia admitted, "If he hadn't been…"

Their history class was being taught in a classroom that sat two to a table. Joy and Patricia were together, as were Mick and Mara, and Fabian and Nina.

Alfie moved quickly and took the spot next to Amber, causing Jerome to stand by the table, "Alfie…"

"What?" he asked, "I'm sitting next to my girlfriend. Look at those four!" he directed to the couples sitting together.

"Um, Alfie," Amber said.

"Yes my sweet?" he asked.

"Get off this table," she said.

"What?" he questioned in shock, "Why? What did I do?"

"I like to listen," she told him, "I can't do that with you here."

"Listen?" Jerome stifled some laughter.

She glared at him, "Alfie, go."

"But!"

She looked at him until he sighed, "Fine," he got up and walked with Jerome to another table, to Noah's chagrin when she came in. Seeing the spot open, she sat by Amber, who didn't complain.

"You know, I think 'listen' means 'look at Mr. Winkler," Jerome told Alfie.

"But she's with me!" Alfie complained.

"Can't stop someone from looking," Jerome said simply.

Soon an adult walked into the room. But it wasn't Jason Winkler. This man was at least ten or fifteen years older with short black hair and a bit of a hardened face. He was dressed as one might expect a teacher to dress, with a dress shirt, tie and slacks. He went to the desk in the front of the room and put a briefcase on it, "Welcome to history class," he said.

"Where's Mr. Winkler?" Joy asked curiously.

"He left the school, or so I heard," the new teacher told her.

"Left the school?" she asked, "Why?"

"I don't know," he answered, "Now, please quiet down and we'll begin. My name is Mr. Wolf, and I'll be teaching you for the entire term."

Alfie leaned over to Jerome, "Mr. Wolf. That's so cool!"

Mr. Wolf looked up from the materials he was gathering, "You there!" he directed to Alfie, "I do not tolerate talking, and class has begun. What's your name?"

"Better tell him," Jerome whispered.

"Alfie, Sir," he said, adding the 'Sir' to try to appease him.

"Alfie," he found a document, "Mr. Lewis. Seeing as this is the first day, I will be lenient, especially since you don't know the rules yet. Write me one page about the lesson today and hand it in tomorrow."

"Oh come on! I didn't know! And that was hardly an outburst!"

"But that was," Mr. Wolf said, "Two pages."

Alfie was about to say something when he wised up and shut his mouth before he could do any more damage.

By the time class ended the students were picking up their materials as Mr. Wolf left before them. Alfie was complaining to which Mick had a comment, "Should have watched your mouth."

"It was unfair, though," Mara said.

"Thank you!" Alfie said.

"Unfair, but kind of funny," Jerome said, clasping him on the back before heading out.

Nina and Fabian came over, "You really got it hard," Fabian said.

"At least be thankful it's only two pages, and there's a decent amount he taught us."

"But two pages!" he complained.

"You want my notes?" Fabian asked.

"Notes? No! I want your help!" Alfie said.

"I think that would be cheating," Nina said, "Do you want to write more pages?"

"I won't get caught!" Alfie said, "I'm sure of that!"

"You're sure," Amber said, "And yet you opened your mouth after he said not to give an outburst?"

Alfie could only shake his head, "One time I screw up and you hold it over me!"

"To be fair, you've screwed up a decent amount of times in all the time I've known you…," Fabian said.

Mick nodded, "Yeah, no surprise there," he said, looking at the clock and heading out with Mara.

"We should probably be going too," Fabian said.

They agreed and left, leaving as the last four. Joy, Patricia and Noah had already left.

"Guess Patricia is going to be spending more time with Joy," Nina said.

"Well, that's to be expected," Fabian told her.

"At least she's not hanging onto you," Nina said with a smile.

"And it's not like we need to desperately have Patricia with us," Amber said, "It's over, after all."

"Yeah, that's right," Nina said a bit sadly.

"You miss it?" Fabian asked.

"Yeah…kind of…"

"I think we all do," Alfie said, "I mean, all the danger and stuff aside, it was cool!"

"I don't know how danger is 'cool'," Fabian said.

"Danger is dangerous," Amber said, "I don't do dangerous too well."

"But you did amazingly," Nina told her.

"Naturally."

As they walked they could see Mr. Wolf talking to Mr. Sweet by the latter's office.

"I'm still looking," Mr. Wolf said, "I'll take any lodgings you know of. I just can't find anything."

"I'm sorry," Mr. Sweet said, "I don't have anything. And you really can't find anywhere?"

"Not in my budget range," Mr. Wolf answered, "Could I stay here? I know, it's an odd request, but the drama room would work well."

"I'll have to think about it," Mr. Sweet said, "Where are you now?"

"Living out of a hotel," Mr. Wolf answered, "A cheap one. I hate moving. At this rate it'll take a while for the move and the job to be worth it, pay-wise."

"But as educators we are here for the students," Mr. Sweet said.

"We have to look after ourselves too," Mr. Wolf said.

"I know, I was just trying to give you some insight into why you're doing this," Mr. Sweet answered, "I'll have an answer for you by the end of the day, about the school."

"Thank you," Mr. Wolf said, heading off down the hall and letting Mr. Sweet get back to his office.

"Teacher living in the school," Alfie mused, "Just like when we were kids and we thought that."

"I never did…," Fabian muttered.

"What? Seriously?" Alfie was shocked, "You never thought that your teachers lived in the school? Or in their rooms?"

"No, because I made sense as a kid," Fabian said, not trying to be mean or hurtful, but being serious.

"Kids aren't supposed to have a lot of sense!" Alfie protested.

"I think Alfie's right," Nina had to admit.

"Kind of…," Fabian had to agree.

"We're not children anymore," Amber said, "Can we drop it and talk about something important? Like the lack of Jason?"

"I thought it was only Patricia…," Nina said.

"You don't see it too?" she questioned Nina, "He was so cute!"

"Amber! I'm right here!" Alfie told her.

She ignored him, "Wasn't he?"

"I…guess…?" Nina answered.

"He's a teacher! Why are the students swooning over him?" Fabian questioned.

"Forbidden fruit?" Nina guessed.

"Forbidden? He wouldn't be forbidden if it was me…," Amber muttered.

"Again, I'm right here!" Alfie said with great annoyance permeating his voice.

"I know," Amber said.

"What? That's it?" he questioned, "You don't have anything else to say?"

"Apparently not," she said.

"So you're just going to keep on saying stuff like that?" he questioned.

"Until I'm out, yeah," Amber answered.

"Come on!" he was annoyed beyond any level of annoyance he had ever figured he felt before, discounting the previous term and Sibuna-related activities. Those didn't count due to the sheer amount of stress.

As they walked they passed by Joy and Patricia at Joy's locker and kept going. The two girls were talking about class, with Joy echoing some of Amber's annoyance with Jason gone.

"Come on, he was a bad guy!" Patricia said.

"Maybe…," Joy said absently, changing books.

"Is that who you were talking about?" Patricia questioned.

"What do you mean?" Joy asked.

"Yesterday."

"Ah, that," she said, leaving it at that.

"You never said he was at Anubis House," Patricia pointed out.

"I know."

"Is it Jason?" she questioned with annoyance at Joy's little games.

"No," she said, giving Patricia relief with a straight answer this time.

"Come on," she said, walking off.

"What? You're not going to keep guessing?" she asked.

"No, because it doesn't really affect me. No offense. But romance? Not something I care about."

"I know, I know," Joy said, closing her locker and hurrying after Patricia.

"Is there something on your mind?" Mick asked as Mara waited by his locker for him to finish.

"What? No…," she said, shaking her head.

"Looks like it," he commented.

"It's…no, it's just being back," Mara said, "A bit odd, adapting again."

"You're having trouble?" Mick asked, "I fell right back into groove."

"Well, I guess I'm not so lucky this term," Mara said.

He laughed a bit, "It's me, isn't it?"

"What?" she asked, smiling a bit.

"You're distracted by me. No shame in admitting it."

"Oh yeah, that's it," she said with a little laugh, "Mick Campbell, you distract me so…"

"I know," he laughed too.

Jerome was down the other hall, watching them but remaining relatively out of view, shaking his head. He was able to hear, due to the lack of students in the hall, "Come on Mara, when will you come to your senses over him?" he muttered.

"You know spying isn't good, right?" Noah asked softly, coming up from behind him.

"Don't startle me like that!" he hissed softly, taken aback a few steps.

"Spying on Mick and Mara?" Noah asked, glancing past him to confirm.

"No," he lied, "I just like this spot. It's where I come to think."

"Think about what?" she asked him, "Me, I hope?"

He shook his head and walked away rather than try to deal with her.

She watched him go and shrugged. For now it was fine, and she had to get to class. She hurried off.

Victor sat in his office, working in the silence. He would be able to hear if anyone were in the house. The silence was beautiful to him, and the breaking of that beauty, while it was to remain intact, was a grievous sin that he would rectify instantly.

When the door opened, however, he didn't hear. Whoever was entering knew, and was being careful. But even missing that, he was always sure he would get them soon after entering. The students couldn't abandon school and hide out without him knowing. Oh no, he would hear them. He knew what silence in the house sounded like, and he knew that even the slightest noise out of place would mean someone was there.

When the floor creaked, he heard and stood up after a moment, "Whoever is down there, go back to school! Now! I'm willing to give you this one chance without punishment!"

He heard the door close. Whoever it was left.

He sat down and got back to the paperwork on his desk, reaching out and running his hand over Corbierre. He drew it back and started to look through documents when he heard another creak on the stairs.

"Oh, so you thought you could fool me?" he called out, standing up, "Well, I warned you. I guess trying to be nice doesn't work on you students!" He walked to the door, opening it the rest of the way, "Now," the person must have crouched, "Stand up and show yourself!"

He saw a figure rising, but it wasn't a student.

"You!" Victor shouted.

"Ah, miss me already?" Rufus questioned as he walked up the rest of the stairs, towards Victor, "It hasn't been that long."

"Rufus," Victor muttered, "What are you doing here? Come to gloat?"

"Gloat over what?" he questioned, now standing in front of Victor, "I'm not immortal."

"You drank it," Victor told him.

"Ah, but then I saw Alfie Lewis alive and well. Much different from the dying boy I saw in the basement. I'm guessing I'm not immortal. I could test it…but if I'm right, there's no solace in finding myself right if I'm dead, now is there, Victor?"

"You were tricked," Victor told him, "What do you want?"

"Immortality," he said, "You're the one to talk to. You're the one with the knowledge."

"I don't have any answers for you," Victor told him, "Or else I'd be working on it myself. And I wouldn't give it to you anyway."

"Give? Oh no, Victor. You think I'm that civil? To ask and be given?" he questioned, "No. No no no."

"Then what are you here for?" Victor questioned, "To take my non-existent research?"

"I know it exists somewhere," Rufus said, "Smart man like you, willing to bet it all on the Cup of Ankh? I don't think so. Because, you see…I know there's more."

"There isn't," Victor told him.

"Ah, if you're telling the truth, then Sarah kept you at more of a distance than I thought," Rufus said.

"What are you talking about?" Victor demanded.

"The Frobisher-Smythe's have many secrets," Rufus told him, "I guess Sarah never told you. Guess she was closer to me…"

"What are you talking about?" Victor shouted. If immortality could yet be his…

"So you know nothing of Sarah's stories?" he questioned, "Nothing of that book?"

"What book?" Victor demanded, "What stories?"

His anger and annoyance seemed real enough, "A pity," Rufus said, "I guess you really don't know anything…"

"But you do," Victor said, "And if it involves immortality, you will tell me!"

"Or what? How are you threatening me?" Rufus questioned, "You can't! You can't possibly!" He began to laugh for a few moments, and then grabbed Victor first before the other man could grab him. They struggled for a few moments, with Victor quickly realizing that he had no way to threaten Rufus. He had no force to use.

Rufus was younger in body. He overpowered Victor and pushed him around, keeping his hands on the other man's chest, "Well, you're useless to me," Rufus hissed.

"What are you going to do?" Victor demanded, struggling with his grip to push Rufus back.

"I'm going to show you just how much you're worth," Rufus said, pushing Victor towards the railing, his upper back trailing over the side. They struggled, Victor being panicked now.

"Bye," he said simply, pushing Victor all the way over the side, listening to his shouts until he smashed into the floor below.

As the students were arriving back, Patricia, Joy, Mick and Mara were the first four through the door, caught up in their own conversations. That stopped dead when they looked ahead, seeing Victor lying on the ground with blood running around him.

"Victor!" they were shouting, running to him and crouching down, doing what vain attempts they could. Finding the source of bleeding, applying pressure, checking for a pulse, even shaking him.

As the others came in they saw the horrific sight of Victor lying there. They were all panicking, Fabian trying to get an ambulance, all of them hoping it wasn't too late.

Even if they didn't like Victor, him dying was something they didn't want.