Welcome back! Sorry this update was so long in the making, but I had testing and it just took up so much of my time. But, my spring break is right around the corner, so that'll give me more time to catch up on my writing! Special dedication goes to Daddy Directioner for her uplifting review! It really made me feel good about both myself and this story, which I was starting to think was becoming boring. So thanks for keeping me motivated! Alright, I don't own HOA or Peddie or anything else from the TV show. Just Derrick and his cute little red Mohawk. ;) Have fun!

Chapter 6

"And so, when I opened up the email, my hand started glowing! Like, a weird neon yellow!" I explained to Derrick on the bus, who had been yawning non-stop for the past five minutes.

"Yeah, sounds cool, but don't you think that it's a little impossible for your hand to start glowing?" he questioned, sleep still laced in his voice. My shoulders dropped. I would have thought that at least someone would believe me.

"I know. That's why it was so strange!" I answered. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Well, it's not that I don't believe you, it's just that…yeah, I don't really believe you."

"It's okay. It's kind of a crazy story to really understand anyway," I accepted the fact that no one was going to think I was telling the truth. In fact, I was starting to think I had imagined it all. Derrick was right. People didn't have magical powers that made their hands suddenly glow. I was being stupid.

Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep on the back of the bus, completely forgetting the whole supernatural aspect of what had just happened.

Mr. Fredrick allowed us to visit the computer lab again to do research on England, which would be out first project in his class for the year. While he paced on the other side of the room, I opened my email to find another response from Patricia.

To: eddiesmiller

From: patriciawilliamson0323

Hi again.

You like to play football? I play on the girl's league at school as a required afterschool activity. It's okay, but I'm more of a couch potato. I'd be much happier if I was sitting around doing nothing than kicking a ball around the field.

I'm so glad you like rock and roll. Pop music these days is just too…I don't know. It doesn't have the same feel as rock and roll does. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY LIKE SICK PUPPIES! OF COURSE I KNOW THEM! Have you heard their new album? I've listened to it like ten times. I like coffee, but I'm not really a jock. I love a good joke and usually I'm the one who's telling the joke anyway. My chores usually include cleaning up after dinner on my designated day, setting the table, and keeping my room clean so my housemother can vacuum. Oh, did I mention I live at a boarding school? I bet you were confused when I said housemother. I'm pretty oblivious to things sometimes. But anyway, the housemother is the woman who cleans, cooks, and basically takes care of us while we live here. It's called Anubis House, the building that we live in.

At first, when I got this project, I thought it would be boring and useless. But you actually seem like a nice guy. I think we could be friends.

Patricia

I smiled as I leaned back on the rear legs of my chair. This girl who seemed cold and uncaring in the beginning was actually not so different from me after all.

"Mr. Miller, you'll crack your skull open if you keep leaning back in that chair," Mr. Fredrick scolded me as I quickly allowed the chair to fall forward into its original position.

"Sorry, won't happen again," I replied, clicking the reply button. Before I could type anything, a girl next to be that I hadn't noticed before turned to look at me.

"Oh, hey! I think I accidentally picked one of your papers yesterday and I was trying to find you to give it back," the girl addressed me. At first, I didn't recognize her, but then it hit me: she was Nina, the girl I had so clumsily fallen into yesterday.

"Thanks. My name's Eddie Miller, by the way. And you're Nina?" I clarified as she dug in her backpack for whatever I had left in the hallway the other day.

"Yep. Here you go. Thanks for your help yesterday, even though Ms. Reed gave us that test. 'It's a diagnostic review, children, to see how well you've retained information!'" she mimicked in a high pitched voice almost identical to the teacher's actual voice. I could help but laugh along with her.

"So, who's your pen pal?" Nina asked after she had stopped giggling.

"Her name's Patricia. She seems pretty cool. You?"

"His name's Fabian and he is the sweetest! We like almost all the same things. Maybe you can ask Patricia if she's friends with him. I'll ask Fabian if he knows Patricia," she replied with a bubbly tone.

"Sure. Doesn't hurt to ask, I guess," I consented, turning back to the screen.

"Oh, sorry for keeping you. I need to reply anyway too. See you around!" she said as way of ending our conversation. I did want to type up my email to Patricia anyway.

To: patriciawilliamson0323

From: eddiesmiller

Hey.

So you're the punter on your team? I used to be a wide receiver on my old school's team, the Harper Hawks. Lame name, I know, but what could I do? Who knows what Lansville's team is like, but I hope I'll be able to play. I totally understand if you're a couch potato because I am too. Sometimes my mom yells at me for spending too much time in front of the TV.

THE ALBUM WAS SO AWESOME MY MOM GOT FOR ME FOR MY BIRTHDAY AND I COULDN'T STOP LISTENING TO IT FOR DAYS! Did you hear that Mark got a new girlfriend? Although, it's not much of a surprise, considering the relationships he flies through.

I've always wanted to live at a boarding school, but they're not too common here in America. Living away from home must be nice, but I would feel bad leaving my mom. She's paralyzed from the waist down after she got in a horrible plane crash. She's lucky to be alive, but she only has me and my stepfather to take care of her. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty much the housemother in my own house!

I'm glad that you think I would be a good friend. I try to be as nice as possible to people I meet, and you seem like a great person.

Eddie

Remembering what I had promised Nina, I quickly added something to the end of my email.

P.S. My friend Nina got a pen pal named Fabian and was curious to see if you knew him. Just for fun, if you don't know him, it's okay.

The events of last afternoon also hit me at the same time, so I tacked on another question for Patricia.

P.P.S. Does the logo for your boarding house trigger some kind of light? It was something I saw when reading your last email.

Satisfied that at last I had finished my message, I reread it to check for any grammar or spelling mistakes. At the bottom I took an extra second to consider if I should send that last question.

Brushing off that thought until later, I minimized the email tab and began to research the history of England. I looked up some of the obvious things, such as Stonehenge and Big Ben. But an article jumped out at me while I was scrolling through some search results.

Anubis House Found to Have Connection to Egypt

The name "Anubis" caught my attention because I recalled that it was the name of the house Patricia lived in. I clicked the article and a page came up of an old couple beside a pyramid.

I glanced at the clock and realized we had about five minutes left of class and looked at the website so I could finish the article later.

Connections to Egypt

After closing the website, I opened my email up quickly. The draft of the email I was planning on sending to Patricia was still there, the risky question still at the bottom of the page. What would she say? Would she think I'm some weirdo? Would she simply brush it off as an American computer error?

I didn't get a chance to make up my mind, because Nina interrupted my thoughts.

"Don't tell me your hand lit up too."