House of videos

"Hey guys!" Alfie bellowed and blew his whistle sharply. All the students in the house of Anubis gathered round dutifully just in time to see Jerome, who had been standing next to Alfie angrily yank the whistle out of Alfie's hands and toss it deftly into the sink.

"Nice shot, Jerry!" exclaimed Eddie, ignoring Alfie's dismayed face.

"Why did you call us all in here anyway?" Patricia asked, never one to beat around the bush

"Well, we found some old videos…" Alfie started

"Of all of us, except the new American" Jerome continued

"And thought you'd all like to watch them!" they finished together.

"… You guys are just like the weasly twins!" Eddie exclaimed with a smile

"Fred!" Alfie called

"George!" Jerome exclaimed just after

"Whatever, let's just watch the videos shall we?" Joy intervened

"Should be interesting" Mara agreed with a grin

"I think it was Trudy taping them so they go back further than when you guys arrived" Jerome said, already up to fast forward the tv

"No way!" Mara exclaimed, snatching the remote off him "I want to see what you looked like when you came

"Fine" Jerome sighed, all he remembered from the first day was crying…

The video started playing and a younger Trudy beamed in at the camera "The first member of Anubis house in two years is here today, he's just arrived!" Trudy looked incredibly excited and the housemates sans Eddie couldn't help but smile fondly.

Trudy placed the camera down so that there was a perfect view of the doors opening to reveal a young boy with wild tufts of dirty blonde hair and wide, blue innocent eyes. He couldn't have been more than 5.

"Aww" the girls of Anubis cooed though they were wondering why Jerome was there when he was so young.

"Excuse me" the young Jerome spoke softly, barely daring to look up at Trudy with his confused eyes "Where am I?"

Mara paused the tv to gape at Jerome who was now finding the floor very interesting.

"Wait, they didn't even tell you that they were leaving you there when they…"

"Left me here to rot? Nope they just packed my things and drove me here" Jerome spat bitterly

" Sorry, mate" Alfie smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring way

"Don't worry about it, I came to terms with it years ago, my parents just don't love me, it's no big deal, I'm lucky they didn't dump me in an orphanage" Jerome replied in what he hoped was a reassuring way. It wasn't

"Jerome that's an awful thing to say!" Mara chastised

"Hey! I'm only telling you what my mum told me, the only reason that I'm not in an orphanage is that people had already found out that I was born and it would look bad if she just chucked me and Poppy away" Jerome defended and Mara felt it best to drop the subject and just hugged him and signalled for Joy, whose eyes had become suspiciously bright to press play on the video.

"Why you're at Anubis house sweetheart" Trudy smiled though she sounded worried "are you Jerome Clarke?" she asked because surely this was just some child that had wandered away from his mother but a gut instinct told her this was him. Jerome nodded mutely "My Mum just drove me here and left" he explained and tried to smile "She's… she's not coming back is she?" his eyes brimmed with tears

Trudy engulfed him in a hug and Jerome looked panicked ad slightly awkward "Erm… what are you doing?" he asked

"Hugging you silly" Trudy smiled and released the boy who then cocked his head to the side in confusion "Hugging?" he asked "what's that?"

That was it, all the Anubis girls were crying now, and Fabian looked really close. Alfie wrapped his arms around Jerome so now Mara and Alfie had him squished together.

"Okay this is getting way too depressing, I vote we skip forward" Jerome declared and everyone agreed

Alfie arrived next he was about eleven and had a short afro on his head and a wide toothy grin on his face. His parents were discussing serious matters with Victor so Alfie approached Jerome who had come in to see who his new room-mate would be

"Hello" The young Jerome said. He smirked as he looked Alfie up and down "Nice hair"

"I could say the same!" Alfie exclaimed defensively, Jerome ran a hand through his hair, it was darker and shorter than when he was five but it was still pretty fluffy "touché" Jerome looked pleased with Alfie while Alfie looked slightly confused "What does touché mean?" he wondered

"Jerome Clarke" Jerome introduced, holding his hand out for Alfie to shake.

"The famous meeting of Lewis and Clarke!" exclaimed Fabian. Jerome and Alfie grinned

"Alfie Lewis" Alfie grinned, shaking the hand offered to him "But you can call me the amazing Alfredo!" he finished with bravado that made Jerome chuckle

"We'll see" he replied and gestured for Alfie to follow him out of the frame of the camera "C'mon, we're sharing a room"

"Ah bless" Trudy commented from behind the camera and the scene cut.

"So, have I impressed you enough for you to call me the amazing Alfredo?" Alfie asked

"Hmmm" Jerome pondered "yes"

Alfie cheered

"But it's way too much of a mouthful, we'll stick with Alfie" Jerome finished and Alfie visibly deflated.

"Oh look it's Trixie!" Jerome pointed at the screen

Patricia arrived with her mother alongside her, she looked about eleven too and didn't have the streaks in her hair yet, she looked like she didn't care at all, about anything.

"Hey new kid!" Alfie greeted her happy and Jerome nodded as a greeting.

"It's Patricia" she sneered

"What's Patricia" Alfie questioned with wide eyes, causing Jerome to roll his

"Jerome" He held out his hand and she just glared at it. Jerome dropped his hand but moved closer to her and whispered something that blew her eyes wide both Jerome and Alfie looked deadly serious and Jerome even looked a little scared.

"What did you say?" Joy exclaimed, pausing the video. Jerome grinned smugly and Patricia hit him upside the head

"That they used children for child labour here and beat us when we don't work fast enough" Jerome giggled

"I can't believe you believed that!" Eddie snorted

"HEY! I was young and naïve and you haven't seen his face yet" Patricia defended and they all pondered this, Alfie and Jerome's backs had been towards the camera the whole time. Joy unpaused it.

Victor loomed behind them and barked "LEWIS, CLARKE I WANT BOTH OF YOU TO CLEAN THE TOILET WITH TOOTHBRUSHES!" Jerome and Alfie both jumped, looking terrified

"Yessir" they intoned and walked towards the camera where Jerome raised his head slightly and winked.

Everyone there gaped at the image on the screen (except Patricia, Alfie and Jerome of course) the entire left side of Jerome's face had a huge bruise on it.

"I walked into a door" Jerome explained easily before anyone had the chance to question him

"It was hysterical" Alfie laughed and Jerome thumped him on the head smiling fondly.

"I can't believe that the Jerome Clarke walked into a door" smirked a familiar someone at the doorway.

"Oh not you!" Jerome groaned putting his face in his hands

Mara on the other hand jumped up and hugged the new visitor.

REVIEW PLEASE

Part 1 of probably 3