Chapter 10: Tea?
"I could help you, if you wanted."
Fabian was astounded. The girl that spoke was small, probably small enough to be in middle school. She reminded him of a typical goody-two shoes that would remind the teacher about homework at the end of class. (Basically a smaller version of Mara.) Her blonde hair and blue eyes reminded him of someone he knew.
"And you are?" Amber asked.
"You can call me Poppy. Let's get out of here before Sweet catches us."
The four students stopped at the front of Isis House.
Isis House was located about 50 yards away from Anubis House. Unlike Anubis House, Isis House was built like a brick with windows. If Annabeth were there, Fabian noted, she would've called it 'colonial' style, whatever that meant. Two columns were posted at both sides of the door and a multicolored welcome mat made Fabian look twice. To him, Isis House looked much more welcoming than Anubis ever was. Or maybe it was because Victor wasn't there.
Poppy led them into the main sitting room, which had white walls and neon colored bean bag chairs. "You guys can sit down. Everyone else is out. Left early for summer break." She went towards the kitchen where a kettle was boiling on the stove, its whistle ringing in Fabian's ear.
Fabian sat down on a green bean bag. "What about the House Parents, Mr. Roberts and Ms. Chapman? Aren't they supposed to stay until the end of term?" He shot Amber and Nina concerned looks. They barely knew this girl.
"From what I heard, on a date at Spire. They've been going out since the start of term. I really think Victor and Mr. Roberts would hit it off better, though." Poppy came out of the kitchen with a tray loaded with biscuits and tea and placed it on the white coffee table. "Would you like some tea? It's all they've left in the cupboards."
Amber was the first one to get a biscuit. "I am absolutely starving! I haven't eaten anything since last night!"
Fabian was reminded of that fact with his stomach growling like an angry German Shepherd. He grabbed a couple of biscuits and downed a cup of tea while he listened to Poppy and Amber talk about gossip. He noticed that Nina was silently cringing. "You okay Nina?" He whispered. The other girls didn't hear the couple talking, too occupied with their own conversation.
She nodded in reply. "My necklace is burning hot. Like, curling iron hot."
"It'll be fine. Just run it on cold water. It's probably just because we ran out here on a hot day, that's all."
Nina agreed and went to the kitchen to run her locket under the water.
Amber laughed. "So, back to business. Tell us what you know about the Cup of Ankh."
Poppy sighed. "Well, I heard about it when I took an Egyptology class in the summer."
"They have those?"
"Yes, they do. Now, when I heard about it, I thought it was just a silly myth, like the Ancient Greeks and their gods and stuff. But then this man came up to me one day and started talking to me about it like it was real and-"
"Wait. What man?" Fabian asked, now intrigued.
"The same man who made me poison your tea."
I really enjoy the camp side of the story personally, that's probably why it's longer than the quest side.
Don't forget to review!
FFE