Howdy, ya'll. I just realized that if I tried to go week by week according to the episode it would take forever. So I am going to condense the weeks or do two weeks per chapter from now on. That will make the chapters longer. I don't know I'll think of something.

Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis. House of Anubis is property of Nickelodeon and its affiliates.

Chapter Six

Week 5 continued

Alfie

The ball is tonight. Everyone is excited about the exhibition opening. No one more than Joy and Victor. I believe Victor is up to something. He is always up to something. I bought a new tux and awesome shoes to wear tonight to match Amber. This relationship is stressing me out. She is a bigger handful than I imagined.

It's a shame I'm not Jerome. Though, I'm not sure he's getting anywhere with his crush either. I saw him practicing in front of a mirror earlier. He was practicing asking Mara to dance. Not only did I get it on my voice recorder, I was able to capture a video with my mobile, which I showed to everyone in Anubis House except for Mara. I even showed Vera, Mr. Sweet, Poppy, Victor, Jasper, Trudy, the lunch ladies, a post officer, and Mrs. Andrews.

I will play a little of it for you now.

"Subject 1 appears to be standing beside a mirror talking to himself and holding a rag doll. Why does he have a rag doll?"

"Mara, would you care to dance?" Jerome says to the rag doll while looking in the mirror.

"Yes, Jerome," says Jerome back in a high pitched voice as the doll, pretending its Mara. I stifle a laugh behind my hand.

"You know, this is the song I hoped we'd dance to at our wedding," Jerome said. He smacked himself for that one. Really, Jerome? Really?

"This could be our song, Mara, if you would dance with me," Jerome said to the doll confidently. He seemed to like that one. I shook my head.

"Yes, I'd love too but I have to check with Mick first," Doll Mara replied. That does sound like something Mara would say.

"This is hopeless," said Jerome dejectedly.

I don't think he ever really came up with a way to ask her to dance. Maybe I could help him out a little? No. This is something Jerome has to do for himself. Perhaps I could give her the video of him practicing. No. I can't do that either. Not yet. Oh, buddy, hang in there.

The evening's festivities have passed. Jerome was busted when Nina, Joy, and Mrs. Andrews all discovered he had sold them all the same dress. Mara made him give their money back. I admit it was a funny prank.

The ball ended with a bang, almost literally. Victor was fuming because Eddie hired a thrash metal band instead of a classical quintet, but that was remedied when Eddie persuaded them to play classical. Jerome lost a bet and had to rap "She'll Be Coming around the Mountain" which was priceless.

He did manage to get that dance with Mara before he got upset with her and Poppy and stormed off. The orchestra played a waltz number and Jerome walked up to her, I could tell he was nervous, which is out of character of Jerome. He's hardly ever nervous.

"M-M-Mara, um…" Jerome adjusted the collar on his tux. He ran his hand through is hair and stared down into her eyes. Even from a short distance away I could see the pinkish hue of his cheeks.

"Yes, what is it, Jerome?" Mara asked.

"W-would you like to dance? You don't have to if you don't want to," Jerome said.

"I'd love to," Mara said.

A smile manifested on Jerome's face with triumph and joy. They waltzed around the room until the song ended. Jerome broke away first too embarrassed to look Mara in the eye or thank her for the dance. He walked away. I looked back at Mara when Jerome had left to her reaction. She was still smiling.

Week 6

Amber

Someone had convinced Mara to write a horrible article on Vera. She spent the entire week doing research on our house keeper when she could have been updating her wardrobe or making herself more beautiful, not that she needs to do that she has already captured the heart of one member of Anubis House.

Not only was Mara's trial this week, I had a ping pong tournament coming up. Jerome asked me to be his partner to try to win back the ugly Frobisher shield. I was under 13 county ping pong champion three years running, so it's no wonder he wanted me for it.

But now I'm not so sure about the ping pong. Alfie has us practicing day and night. It's obnoxious really. No wonder we broke up. We're so not compatible. Anyways, back to Mara. I really think Sweetie is going to expel her, either that or Victor might kill her and have her stuffed. That'd be a tragedy.

I don't even want to go to the trial. I have more important things to do. I have important Sibuna things to do.

Jerome

Alfie made me practice during the ten minute break of Mara's trial. I couldn't focus. I didn't want to practice. I wanted to be there for her. She needed me. Why couldn't I make Alfie see that? Instead he's blowing that stupid whistle in my face. I have missed every one of my serves because my head is not in the game.

"Alfie, enough already, Mara needs us to support her," I said. I slam the ball as hard as I can. When Alfie goes to retrieve it I duck out.

I walk into the trial in time to hear Mr. Sweet's verdict. My heart felt as if it was being stomped on by thousands of tiny little feet, when Mr. Sweet said the word "expelled" after Mara's name. No. He can't expel her.

My whole school experience and my universe revolve around Mara. Without her I have nothing. Mr. Sweet cannot take her away from me. I won't let him. Mara was the bright light at the end of my tunnel of darkness. She was a friend to me when I was alone, she found me when I was lost, she saw me when I was invisible. She yanked me out of the shadows. I owe her everything. I need her.

"Mara, I'm sorry," I said at the end of the trial.

"Where were you I looked for you?" said Mara crying. I wanted to touch her. I wanted to console her, but she pushed me away and it's Alfie's fault. He took me away from her and made me practice. Now she's mad at me.

He just can't expel her. He can't.

Alfie

"So I may have pissed off Jerome. Buddy, when you finally listen to this I want you to know that I am sorry." I am a terrible friend. Maybe not but I certainly feel that way. Jerome didn't want to practice, but I made him. He wanted to be there for Mara, and I was too blind to notice.

I watched his heart break when Mr. Sweet announced his decision to expel Mara. I saw him cry for the first time. I felt horrible for taking him away to practice when he where he needed to be was by Mara's side supporting and protecting her.

That night, he didn't speak to me. He didn't speak to anyone, except Mara. That was a bust. She was still mad at him for ditching her which made him madder at me. After supper, he sat on the floor in between our beds with his head resting on his knees crying. I stood in the door way and watched.

I can't be sure if he was crying because she was mad at him or if he was crying because he was going to lose her, possibly forever.

On the bright side, Mara wasn't expelled. We found out the day after the trial when classes resumed. Jerome was on edge the whole day, and when he got the news he was so happy he forgave me. He even hugged me.

It gave him the encouragement and determination he needed to win the ping pong tournament and get the shield back for his father; he had the gem and the shield. His father would have been proud.

Joy

"Hello, this is Joy Mercer again," I say into the voice recorder which I may have taken from Alfie. He's not doing his job because he's off with Nina. Actually, no one has seen Alfie in a couple of days. I plan to give the recorder back. It's not that big of deal.

We have a new teacher. Her name is Miss Valentine. Mrs. Andrews resigned after Mara's trial. I guess she felt guilty. It was her idea for Mara to write an article on Vera. I will miss her. She was one of my favorite teachers.

Miss Valentine seems awesome enough. The boys in the class seem to like her. I'm not surprised there. Miss Valentine used to teach at some school in Australia, the one Mick transferred too. She taught him before she came to us.

"Oh, you're Mara at last. I have a message for you," Miss Valentine told Mara.

"Teacher's grape vine, only you Mara," I said.

"Mick told me to tell you he's doing really well in Australia, he talks about you all the time," Miss Valentine told her.

Mara was beaming. From behind me I heard Jerome, "Does this guy ever quit ruining my life?"

Someone's jealous.

"He also said he can't wait to introduce his girl from Australia."

"He's got an Australian girlfriend?" Mara asked crestfallen.

"Way to go, Mick," Jerome said.

Don't be so happy about it. If you want to win Mara over, you're going about it the wrong way. Poor Mara.

"I'm sorry about Mick," I told Mara after class. She grabbed some books out of her locker, fixed her collar, and followed me down the hallway.

"Don't be sorry. I'm going to win him back," Mara said.

"How exactly are you going to do that?" I asked.

"With a boyfriend," Mara said.

"Mara, you don't have a boyfriend," I pointed out.

"Then I'll just have to find one. It'll have to be someone who will upset Mick, and who doesn't have a girlfriend already," Mara said. We walk past Jerome's locker. Mara grins. "I know the perfect person."

"Who? Jerome?" I asked.

Jerome will love that.

Jerome

The "fake" relationship was only fake to her. For me, it was more real than I could have possibly imagined. I was in a relationship with a girl I had been crushing on for over a year. It was as if Christmas had come early and I was a child who just received everything I ever wanted.

I kind of did just receive what I wanted, because what I wanted more than anything was to be Mara's boyfriend. She came to me a couple hours ago and told me we were in a relationship. Mara's suggestion of any type of romantic affiliation, real or fake, with me sent my hear careening across my ribcage.

She said she wanted to do it to make Mick jealous. I could care less about Mick. I hope he gets eaten by an Aborigine. Yet, even half a world away, that guy never stops ruining my life—or my chances with Mara. However, now I am silently thanking him.

Thanking him for moving, thanking him for having an Australian girlfriend and sending his ex-girlfriend running into my arms. But at the core of this relationship is Mick and I still hate him for it.

Mick Campbell has always been my rival and he was never aware of it. Now, I have her and he has kangaroos. Mick Campbell, eat your heart out. Now I have something he wants.

Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter.