DISCLAIMER: I don't own House of Anubis.

Thank you for all the wonderful reviews last chapter- in return, I have given you the longest chapter yet. It's not that long in relativity, considering how much other authors write, but it's still the longest chapter in this story, and I hope you enjoy!

"Let's hang out today," Amber declared, her voice ringing through his cellphone. Eddie sighed at the demand and rubbed his eyes. He can't remember much from yesterday, and the parts he does remember are memories he doesn't want in his head. He remembers Patricia, not the exact dialogue, but the gist of their conversation, remembers the emotions on her face, remembers the goodbye. He remembers his mother calling him down to dinner and he remembers not going; he remembers letting sleep overtaking him and not much else.

Amber's call had been a rude wake-up, but needed, since Eddie was notoriously known for sleeping until eleven AM most days.

"Um, what?" Eddie bit back a yawn and tried to listen to his girlfriend. But he was too tired and everything she said seemed faint and nothing more than a whine in the back of his head.

"I said let's hang out today," Amber repeated impatiently. "I was thinking we go shopping and then stop at my house before going to Mick's party."

"Uh, right," Eddie mumbled, vaguely remembering his mom saying something about bonding time with his father later today. Eddie knew he had protested since his meeting with his father had conflicted with Mick's party. "But my mom said, we, uh, already have something planned."

"So, sneak out," Amber stated, as if it was obvious.

"I'm on the second floor," Eddie rolled his eyes slightly at her ignorance. "And my mom's like, always in the living room."

"And the living room's by the front door," Amber finished for him- she had been to his house many times. "Hmm, where are you even going anyway?"

"Uh, visiting my grandma," Eddie lied easily, pushing himself up and tilting his head so he could look out his window. It was utterly stupid to think that Patricia's curtains would be open, but he had to check. Swallowing some guilt he wasn't aware he would feel, Eddie trained his eyes onto a picture of Mick, Jerome, and he. The popular kids. They were the cool kids. That was where he belonged now, and this was what they did. They asked people out on jokes- it was no big deal. Really, Eddie shouldn't be feeling remorse.

"You told me your grandmother died," Amber said suspiciously, and Eddie winced. He couldn't tell her the truth- that his father was the principal and for some insane reason, he had to go and bond with him tonight of all nights. "Oh my god, Eddie Miller, are you cheating on me?" Her voice was laced with accusation and before he could protest, she had already hung up.

Sometimes, he seriously hated his life.

"Trix?" Piper whispered, shaking her sister gently. "Get up, it's like ten o'clock."

Patricia groaned and turned to her side to avoid Piper, who rolled her eyes at the rejection.

"Are you feeling better?" Piper asked, and Patricia just shrugged slightly. She had never had a true headache to begin with- only an overwhelming sense of emptiness. It hadn't gone away just yet, but Patricia was feeling significantly better. At least she wouldn't have to put up with Eddie now; she doubted he would be walking with her to school anymore.

"You know, Patricia, I'm not stupid," Piper finally said, and Patricia sat up slowly, rolling her eyes. Whenever Piper used her real name, she knew something was going to happen. "I know you don't have a headache." Piper paused to gauge her reaction, but Patricia remained indifferent. "I mean, you're really cranky when you have a headache."

Patricia smiled slightly but didn't say anything as Piper continued. "The curtains are closed. I know it's about…Eddie." Patricia frowned, feeling the need to be defensive, but Piper held up her hand and kept talking. "I looked through your notepad after you fell asleep."

"You what?" Patricia fumed. "How could you? That's an invasion of privacy!"

"You have a girlfriend," Piper quoted, undeterred by Patricia's anger. She turned to her sister with a raised eyebrow, "Did he ask you out or something?"

Patricia rolled her eyes and stood up. Piper obviously wasn't going to move, and Patricia was not in the mood to talk about this. "Mind your own business, will you?"

"Why can't you accept that a guy might actually like you?" Piper stood up too. "This is great, Trix!"

"No, it's not!" Patricia practically growled. "He doesn't like me! He can't like me!"

"How can you be so sure?" And now the two sisters were face to face, Piper's cool composure slipping. She wanted her twin to be happy, but sometimes, it felt like Patricia tried so hard not to be happy.

"Because boys are scared of me! I'm a freak, Piper! I've known him for like a week, and his whole group of friends are total jerks to me, and suddenly I'm supposed to believe that he genuinely likes me? He doesn't know anything about me!"

"Because you don't let him know anything! Why can't you just open up to someone, Patricia? I'm absolutely positive he'd like you then!"

"Easy for you to say," Patricia muttered, jealousy coloring her tone. The room turned silent for a while.

Piper faltered for a minute and her voice softened, "What?"

"Oh, don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about," Patricia scowled, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

"I'm not pretending, I really don't know."

Patricia groaned in frustration at the clueless look on Piper's face. "You really don't know? Fine. Fine. I'll tell you. You're perfect! You're the one with all the friends, you're the one with the talent, and you're the one who everyone loves!"

Piper looked at her in disbelief, "That's not true; I'm not perfect."

"Could've fooled me," Patricia scoffed, making her way past Piper, who couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Patricia regarded her as perfect? Piper heard a door slam behind her while her mind whirled. Was it possible that Patricia was…jealous of her?

Patricia swung her legs to rock the porch swing back and forth. She hadn't felt comfortable going anywhere too far from the house since the town was still fairly foreign to her, even though she desperately wanted to. Wanted to get away from this stupid place with these stupid people and their stupid words that hit harder than she would normally allow.

As far as she knew, Piper was still in their room and their mum was still in the kitchen. Patricia sighed- she had never exploded like that in front of Piper. She'd kept it all inside, secretly envying her twin because Piper was the person she couldn't be no matter how hard she tried. If Patricia could play Chopsticks on the piano, Piper could play Fur Elise. If Patricia got a B on a test, Piper got an A. She was the shadow of someone who was amazing at supposedly everything without even trying, and she was sick of it.

Eddie checked the time once more- it was five o'clock, and it would still be a couple hours before Mick's party started. He was supposed to meet with Eric soon enough, and ever since Amber's phone call this morning, he had been terribly conflicted. Be a good son and live up to his mother's expectations or go to a party that would maintain his popular reputation?

"Eddie!" his mom opened his door and Eddie scowled. The two were on thin ice from last night and her not knocking angered him more than usual. "You should be going to see Eric right about now. You can take my car- you know where he lives, right? It's about ten minutes away; just take-"

"I know," Eddie cut her off, and snatched the keys out of her hand. He didn't wait for a reaction, instead slamming his bedroom door and running down the stairs. Screw this, he wasn't going to go see his father.

He reversed the car into the driveway, gravel crunching under the wheels. Mr. Sweet didn't live anywhere near Mick, but he still turned the direction of his friend's house, glancing casually out the window.

Patricia.

On the porch swing, looking straight at him. He wasn't doing anything that bad, but still, if he got home late and his mum got suspicious, Patricia could very well tell her that he didn't go in the right direction.

The atmosphere was awkward between them, but Eddie still parked the car in the Williamson's driveway, walking up to Patricia soon after.

"Hey," Eddie spoke nervously, yesterday's conversation fresh in his mind. Patricia just glared at him. "If my mom comes over here later and asks you if you've seen me, you can't tell her which way I went, okay? I'm actually supposed to be going that way." He jerked his thumb in the opposite direction of where he was heading, watching her pleadingly.

"Don't worry," she muttered as she stood up. "I don't rat people out." Eddie watched as she made her way back to her front door.

"Hey, you, uh, want to come with me?" Eddie asked. His eyes widened at his comment and he made to take it back- he didn't want to bring her to Mick's party; what would they all say? He could just imagine it; cool, carefree, wildly popular, and heavily intoxicated friends staring at him curiously.

They'd say Eddie brought someone.

They'd say Eddie brought the Freak on a date.

They'd say Eddie got the Freak to go out with him.

And Jerome would say Eddie won the bet.