Hey! Sorry, it's been a while, forgive me! It is my birthday….thanks again Becs…you're awesome.
Enjoy!
"Mick!" Mara screamed, she ran over to Jerome who was now sprawled on the floor. Amber's mouth dropped open in shock. "Why on earth did you do that?"
"Because!" Mick cried, kicking the door frame "B-because I'm always being compared to him! B-because I can never beat him! B-Because even though he's a worthless lowlife you love him instead of me!" his face was a mixture of anger and helplessness. Amber wiped her eyes harshly
"I knew it." She whispered "I knew when you were with me you liked her," she pushed past Mick, knocking Mara on the way "And you might have said something Mara."
"I didn't know!" Mara exclaimed, but Amber stropped up the steps. Jerome managed to sit up, a bruise already forming on the side of his handsome face. Mara wrapped her arm around him "Mick," she looked up at him, confused "I don't understand."
"I love you, Mars." He whispered "Don't you understand? I always have-"
"Then why did you date Amber?" her voice wasn't angry, or shocked, now it was just…judgemental and confused.
"Because I thought you might get jealous and start liking me," he whispered sadly, his blond hair flopping into his eyes.
"You thought I'd like you, because you played one of my best friends? You thought I'd like you because you made her hate me?" her voice raised an octave "You thought I'd like you, after you punched my boyfriend in the face?" Jerome couldn't help but smile
"She owned you, Mick," he whispered under his breath, Mick glared at him, but Mara continued
"I did like you Mick. I did. I truly did. But not anymore." She shook her head at him, disappointment written across the frown on her face. She helped Jerome stand up, and towards his room. Mick watched them, burying his face in his hands, not knowing what to do.
Line Break
"What are you two whispering about?" Mick grumbled, he sat down beside Fabian. Fabian and Nina stopped talking immediately
"Nothing!" Fabian said quickly. Mick frowned, turning away from them. Fabian turned to Nina with a sigh "So…what was that flash of light up there last night?"
"I have no idea," Nina admitted "I think it had something to do with the ring," she patted her pocket, to signal to him that she had it.
"Morning," Patricia strolled in happily. Nina, Fabian, Mick and Alfie all looked up in shock.
"Hey Trixie," Alfie greeted carefully "Why are you so happy?"
"Because," she plonked down in the chair at the end "I got a text from Joy,"
"You what?" Fabian and Mara whispered at the same time, Mara just walking into the room to fetch an icepack for Jerome.
"Yeah, she wants me to meet her tonight-"
"Patricia." Mara shook her head violently "You can't go-"
"Why not?"
"What if it's not Joy!" Fabian stood, and Nina followed his heel. "You can't know that it's her-"
"Caller ID," she shrugged, and Mara shook her head in confusion. But that didn't make sense, because she and Jerome had Joy's phone, it couldn't have been sent. "I'm gonna meet her in the park tonight."
"We'll come with you." Mick offered dumbly, unaware to the conspiracy theories that were running through everyone else's heads.
"Not a bad idea," Alfie suggested "I mean, the buddy system?"
"She told me to come alone," Patricia frowned "But I guess…"
Line Break
"Right." Jerome sighed "Well that is weird." He looked down at the phone in his hands "So, this isn't Joy's phone then?" Mara shrugged, massaging her temples, sat on the side of the bed while he lay down, the ice pack resting on his face.
"I guess not, and I mean…the Joy on the back could just be the actual word Joy, it doesn't have to be a name-"
"But what about the contact list?" Jerome handed her the phone and Mara checked it, it had all the right names, Alfie, Fabian, her, Jerome, Mick, Patricia, Amber. "So, how come Patricia's saying she knew the caller idea? How many Joy Mercer's are there in the world? With the same phone number? Who both know a Patricia?"
"It's a pretty big world,"
Line Break
Jerome tugged his coat tighter around him, tiptoeing to Mara's room, when the door opened, she was also dressed in warm clothes. "What are you doing?" he whispered
"All of us are going with Patricia," she reminded him
"I know. I didn't know you were going," his words contradicted themselves, but he didn't care, his eyes were wide and urgent "Mara, you can't be serious. You're not going-"
"Why not? Patricia and Joy are my best friends-"
"It could be dangerous," he insisted
"Which is why I'm going in the first place, come on Jerome, we're all going, we'll all be safe." She tiptoed and kissed him softly, tugging on his hand for them to meet the rest of the Anubis students outside. Jerome frowned, letting her drag him along, worry etched into his features.
Line Break
"You can't do this!" Joy exclaimed, staring at the computer screen in horror "You can't!"
"Shhh darling," her father rested his hand on her shoulder "We just need to find out how much they know, we're not gonna hurt them, we're just negotiating, right Daphne?"
"Of course Geff, don't worry Joy, it's gonna be alright,"
Line Break
Jerome's nostrils flared as they all walked through the night. His eyes on Mara, then scanning the surroundings, then on Mara again, she was far too relaxed, he noted. What if someone reached out from behind a tree and grabbed her- he sped up, so he was right on her heels, being careful not to stand on the back of her shoes, girls hated it when that happened. He would know.
There was a rustling up ahead and Jerome's ears sharpened and he frowned, listening, it was an owl, he sighed, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair, he wrapped an arm around Mara, who simply smiled up at him, completely clueless to the danger that surrounded them all.
Review? My Birthday gift?
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