The next few days were...quiet. It felt odd. They were all practically under house arrest, Victor fearing that Miss Lacy might be lurking, and were all psyching themselves up before the honey day arrived. It gave each student a chance to be a normal teenager – concerned about love and friends, not Egyptian relics.
One certain Anubis resident was not obeying the rules.
Beside the lake in the woods, Amber Millington was leaning against a tree, gazing out onto the water. Sunlight glimmered over the glassy pool and danced along each strand of golden hair, even adding a certain shimmer to her eyes. She knew Lacy could be around, but she didn't care. All Amber wanted was peace and quiet to dull the buzz in her brain; Mara had been awful to her, tossing dirty glares at her, and Mick hadn't been any better, unable to look at her at all. Sometimes, it felt like Jerome had been the worst. He hadn't spoken to her since their kiss. Maybe he had already discarded her.
Amber's eyes fluttered to a close as she slumped back, listening to the wind whisper in her ears. Footsteps sounded nearby, but she wasn't alarmed. How could she be alarmed when the wind was singing so softly?
"I knew you'd be here." The voice was familiar, but it wasn't melodic or silky. In fact, it was a voice that made her eyes snap open and heart beat faster. Jerome was smiling as he walked towards her, raking a hand through his hair.
"How? It's my peace place," Amber sung, giggling, eyes falling to stare at her lap.
"It's mine, too. I lied before, about knowing you'd be here. I was coming here to think," Jerome chortled, flopping down beside her.
"About us?" Amber winked jokily, but he nodded nevertheless. "Oh."
"Yesterday was...intense," Jerome murmured, staring out into the lake. The water calmed him like it had soothed Amber. "The kiss was amazing. You were amazing. But Mara..."
"I get it. She's always been the one, Jerome," Amber finished. "I'll move on. Eventually. I mean, Mick's already in love wi-"
"No!" Jerome interrupted, hand grasping hers. "I meant Mara created an unnecessary scene. I don't want us to be public, Ambs, because of that reason. All my relationships have always been fragile. This could be fragile too."
Amber blushed. "It didn't feel fragile," she smirked. "It felt strong, actually."
"That's because we're good kissers," laughed Jerome. "But you're right. It was everything I could want in a kiss. Odd, because you know it's you. I never knew I'd feel these feelings for you."
"Likewise, but it happened," shrugged Amber. "It just feels right. Weird, but right."
"I always thought that Mara was the one," Jerome uttered. "I mean, she's gorgeous, smart...perfect, right? But she wasn't. She was my dream, but that was it. She was a dream."
Amber's brows furrowed. "Like the Manic Pixie Dream Girl type. I think that's who I was, for Alfie. He liked me because of how I looked. I was his dreamy dream," she sighed. "I was just a dream."
"Not to me, Ambs," Jerome then smiled, and took her face in his hands, forcing her blue eyes to bore into his. "You're so real, I feel real. I can tell you who I am, I can confess to all my flaws, and it's fine. You're not a character in a film, or a girl in a book. You're Amber, in my life."
Amber's throat ceased and she thought she might cry, this was so intense. Real. She had always been an icon, a celebrity almost. But to Jerome, she was human, and it felt amazing.
"I don't care about your flaws," she managed to croak. "They make you a person, don't they?"
Jerome's lips slid into a smile as his eyes glazed with tears, tears that visualised how moved he was feeling. "I know I'm going to fall, Amber. I will be in love with you," he whispered.
"I will be in love with you too," Amber responded. The kiss that followed did not taste of strawberries. It did not freeze the couple in time, and it was not soaked in rain and Paris. It was just two teenagers connected at the lips, disobeying their elders, still in school uniforms.
Meanwhile, back at the house, Mick and Mara were discussing the situation.
"I can't believe it," Mara fumed. "He loves me, and they've totally snuck out together!"
Mick rolled his eyes. This was getting dull. "I guess we'll just have to deal with it," he shrugged. "I called Dad – I'm going back to sports school. I only came back for her; Dad wanted me to propose and everything. He loves her, not in the same way I do, though." Mick bit his lip. "I wish I'd kept her before. I messed it all up."
"What is it with boys loving me first then ditching me for her?" Mara stood up angrily, grabbing the boy's hand. "You loved me, too! Before I went for Jerome!"
"It was more of a mild crush-" but then Mara smashed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around him. Mick struggled, pushing the girl off.
"What the hell, Mara? That's harassment!" he yelped. (I know, I know...our beloved Mara is coming off kinda bitchy. I apologise, but Jamber is something I wanted to try!) Mick backed away, glaring at her as if she was a monster. Mara's fingers traced the lips she had stained with him, as if she had realised what had happened. "Oh God," she whispered. "I'm sorry. Mick, I'm sorry."
Mick shook his head, backing out of the room as Mara sunk onto the bed.
Stinging tears pooled in her eyes. Fabian had reminded her of her kind self, but Jerome had reverted her back to...mean Mara. How could she let him have so much control?