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Alfie Lewis.

Alfie Lewis.

Alfie Lewis.

Alfie Lewis.

See? It doesn't matter how many times you say the name. The same person flashes to mind, the same person nearly everyone loves, one the funniest people in the school, whether he knows it or not. Whether he does it intentionally or not. Whether he wants to be, or not.

And Alfie Lewis…well….he supposed he liked it. He wasn't found of making decisions, and so, letting everyone else make them for him, he was happy enough to follow along and do whatever they wanted, but what was weird, was that no one viewed him as a puppet, the puppet that Alfie Lewis saw himself as.

Alfie, some people knew him as the funny man, others knew him as Jerome's best friend, other people knew him as the worst admirer of Amber Millington. Jerome didn't see what Alfie saw in Amber. Jerome didn't see what Alfie saw. And Alfie saw someone beautiful. Granted, everyone saw someone beautiful when they saw Amber, but Alfie…to Alfie, Amber was so much more than that. She had potential to be someone brilliant, and on those rare second lasting occasions where Amber literally left her hair down, she could so much fun. And Alfie lived for those moments. In his mind, he would be good for Amber, he would be healthy. Better for her than Mick was, which was one of the reasons that Alfie didn't like Mick. He had an itching suspicion that Amber still liked him. But that only came to a mild dislike of the boy, but when Jerome made his hatred of Mick obvious to everyone in the house, Alfie took hold of that rope and launched himself aboard. And his hatred for Mick Campbell, doubled over night.

Alfie. He liked the way his name was easy, catchy, and everyone called him Alfie, it was a lovable name. And only Jerome, his best friend, his idol, his brother, ever called him by any other name. Alfred. And that was when they were telling jokes, it was an…affectionate name, one which Alfie liked Jerome kept especially for him.

He strummed his fingers against his stomach, he had woken up an hour early, and he couldn't get back to sleep. But he rather liked the feeling of the warm bed below him, of the nice snugly blanket on top of him. He picked up the blanket, so he could see it, it was covered in aliens and spaceships. A gift from Jerome. And he felt a string of guilt fill him. The blanket his parents had given him was in the cupboard. And he supposed he should be using that one, but this one…it felt like it had more meaning. His parents bought him blankets because they loved him. And Alfie knew they loved him, so even though it made him happy it wasn't…satisfying. But he remembered the day Jerome had got him these blankets

"Could Mr Wilson talk anymore?" Jerome sighed, he was a year 8, a 13 year old boy, still tall. He came in and threw his bag onto his bed, turning to Alfie who was sat by the desk, his homework out. "What are you doing?" Jerome frowned, stepping towards him.

"My homework." Alfie stated matter of factly. "If I finish it all now, Trudy says I can have my cake sooner,"

"Cake?" Jerome asked, eyes lighting up "We get cake?"

"It's my birthday." Alfie looked down, disappointed at the fact his roommate, and best friend in his eyes, had forgotten.

"Oh," Jerome shook his head "I'm sorry Alfie,"

"It's okay," he shrugged "You didn't mea-"

Jerome burst out laughing, bending down and pulling out the box from under his bed "Oh come on, man," Jerome laughed handing him the box "We're best friends! I'm not gonna forget your birthday!"

Alfie grinned from ear to ear, ripping open the wrapping easily

Alfie listened, he could hear Jerome's gentle snores. And that was something about Jerome that never seemed to change. Jerome got taller, his hair was always styled a different way, he got a new back, he would change his style of clothes, his love interests, the way he opened up to people. But he would always snore the same way. Ever since Alfie had known him, Jerome's snores, had never changed. And Alfie smiled slightly. He would use Jerome's steady breathing for all sorts of things.

To see how long he could stay awake, to count them so he could fall asleep, to try and quieten his breath so that he wouldn't be heard crying, to test if he could be sneaky and scare him. And to comfort him. For Jerome's snores…in Alfie's eyes, they were kind, warm snores.

Alfie closed his eyes and though, he remembered Jerome. Young Jerome, the Jerome who would confide everything in Alfie, just liking the fact he could get it all off his chest. And nowadays…well, Jerome didn't feel the need anymore. Alfie felt…used. But he knew he was wrong, Jerome just…just didn't know how Alfie would take it anymore.

"Alfie mate, I can practically hear you worrying from over here." Jerome sat up, rubbing his face, yawning. Alfie sat up too, watching Jerome carefully. Jerome was always…different when he woke up early.

"Sorry I woke you," he mumbled. Jerome frowned,

"Alfie? What's wrong? Did Amber finally admit she was drooling over Fabian?"

Alfie cracked a small smile, but it was small, and Jerome could sense it wasn't right. "Go back to sleep, we have ages till we have to be up,"

"Alf," Jerome sighed, throwing off his blankets and standing up. Shivering slightly at the sudden cold. He padded over to Alfie and stood beside his bed. Alfie smiled slightly. "Alfred." Jerome warned "Tell me I did not get up out of my bed to not here anything remotely juicy,"

Alfie sighed "I…I feel like you don't need me anymore,"

"Alfie," Jerome shook his head "I believe I've told you this before. We're not girls. We don't share feelings and…junk. We don't talk about things like that, we cover it up, and end up going to therapy and never having a healthy relationship."

"You don't share with me anymore," Alfie continued "I thought I'd fixed everything, and that we were best friends again, but now I don't know. I…I'm the closest person to you, and I still don't know anything about you,"

"Alfie," Jerome stopped him, voice hushing, he sat down beside his friend "Alfie…mate…you realise I couldn't live without you, right?" he smiled slightly, and Alfie had to stop the tears from falling, he wouldn't cry, no, he would not cry "If you weren't here, I would have been expelled about nine times, I would have no friends, no one to laugh with, no one to hang around with, no one to have just plain fun with. I would have no to trust," And Alfie did start crying.

But Jerome didn't push him away or act disgusted with him, he wrapped his arms around his best friend, and hugged him tightly. Alfie hugged back, for Jerome was not a man of physical contact, and this made Alfie feel special. "You're my best friend in the world," he whispered, squeezing Jerome tighter "I would never pick Fabian or Nina and that over you,"

"Alfie," Jerome whispered, quieting him "I know that, I know that. And you know…you know I would never pick Mara over you," Jerome didn't know if he was quite truthful about that, Mara and Alfie were about even in Jerome's mind, but Jerome could feel Mara slipping. What? But it was true, constant rejection could do that to a person. "You're the Lewis to my Clarke,"

Alfie grinned "You're the Clarke to my Lewis,"

They leaned away from each other to do their famous handshake. The one they had created on the first day here. "No more crying, okay mate? And go back to sleep,"

Alfie nodded "You know Jerome…it's okay to cry, in front of me I mean. I wouldn't tell anyone,"

Jerome paused for a moment, standing up as Alfie lay down "I know you wouldn't Alfie…I'm just…I'm not ready for that yet. But I swear to you, the first time I do properly cry, it will be in front of you,"

Line Break

"Morning Ma-" Eddie stopped, he had been about to greet Mara, he hadn't seen her all day, they never had the same classes on a Thursday. Mara looked up and smiling, hearing the beginning of her name

"It's Mara," she joked, smiling up at him. Eddie nodded dumbly

"You look…different," he managed. Mara was dressed in Amber approved clothes, a long sparkly red jumped with a black belt and black leggings, he hair hanging down, shining.

"I know," she winced at herself "But you know Amber…and wow…" she motioned to him. He rolled his eyes. He was dressed in a lime green shirt, with a green sweater vest over the top. "Why would she make you…"

"Something about it being in a golf catalogue…I don't know, I can't fight with that chick."

"Eddie?" Alfie and Jerome walked in, laughing at the same time. Eddie's cheeks filled with a rosy blush. "You look-" Jerome began

"-Simply splendid," Alfie finished. And both of them burst out laughing.

"Oh yeah!" Eddie yelled, looking at Alfie. Alfie was dressed in a blue shirt with a purple cardigan over the top, and light jeans. "How come you look alright?"

"Because I don't argue with, Amber," he stated. Jerome was still laughing.

"Gosh Sweetie Junior, I don't think I've ever seen you look so spiffing." Eddie turned to glare at the boy with a green apple in his hand over the counter in the kitchen.

"Well you-" Eddie stopped short, realising two things. One of which, Amber didn't pick Jerome's clothes, and two, Jerome was dressed pretty well. He was wearing a light grey jumper, with a darker grey blazer, and dark, almost blue grey jeans. He looked…well he looked like someone straight out of a magazine.

"Something to say, Eddison?" Jerome asked, taking a bite and laughing.

"Yes actually," Eddie held his head up high, dragging Mara out from behind the pillar where Jerome and Alfie hadn't seen her "Look at Mara! Doesn't she look…something,"

Jerome and Alfie's eyes widened once they saw her. Mara who was smiling at their argument instantly became serious, and she blushed "I know, it's not great, but Amber sai-"

"Mara," Jerome cut her off, shaking his head "You look-"

"Hot." Alfie finished, nodding "If I wasn't a taken man you would so be mine."

"You're a taken man?" Eddie asked, they all turned to see Alfie, he shrugged

"We all know Amfie is going to happen," he nodded at them all, patting Jerome on the shoulder and leaving. Eddie smirked to himself, walking out, leaving Jerome staring at Mara.

"Jaffray," Jerome whispered "This isn't helping me get over you," Mara blushed

"Why don't we play chess to get your mind off things?"

Jerome nodded dumbly.

Line Break

Eddie walked out of the room, planning on finding Patricia and finally sorting out everything that had gone wrong between, none of which, in Eddie's mind where his fault. He was about to go up the stairs when the Anubis House door opened, he turned, and instantly felt himself burning up again. "Poppy," he nodded

Poppy looked him up and down, her expression contorting into one of horror. "Um…"

"Wait wait wait," he stopped her "Before you judge me," he walked down towards her, desperately pointing a finger at her face "You have not lived with an Amber,"

Poppy laughed, and Eddie grinned.

Jerome who had told Mara he had to get the chess game they'd left in his room from last time, stopped short, seeing his sister and the American looking very cosy. "Well…how come no one invited me to the premier of 'dating Jerome's sister without his permission'? Everyone knows it's my favourite movie!"

They both spun to see him "Jerry," Eddie started "I was just-"

"And it's none of your concern who I date!" Poppy cried "You don't need to watch everything I do!"

"I realise that Poopster, but don't you think you could do a little better than Harry Potter over here?"

"Jerome." Poppy glared at him. And Jerome relented, leaning back on his heels and stuffing his hands into his pockets as he examined both of them.

"Fine," he nodded, jaw obviously clenched "Fine, fine, fine." He sighed once more "If you two want to be…Peddie?"

"Not Peddie!" Alfie called from the dining room "That's Patricia and Eddie!"

"Thanks!" Jerome called back "Well, if you two want to me….want to be…."

Alfie walked into the hallway to join the three of them "I'll come up with it mate, you're not great at the whole nickname thing," Jerome nodded, beckoning for Alfie to continue, Eddie who had remained silent throughout the whole thing still looked shocked "How about Poddie?"

"Poddie?" Jerome repeated, in perfect sibling unison with Poppy. "Then I hope you're very happy together," Jerome continued "Although Poppy, are you sure you want to bring an American into the family?"

Poppy nodded, although she wasn't with Eddie, and whatever apparent reason she had for coming into the house was out shadowed and she walked out. Alfie went back to the room, until only Eddie and Jerome stood in the hallway. "Jerry," Eddie started "I think it's really sweet you letting your sister do what she likes and everything, but me and her aren't-"

"Shut up." Jerome growled, stepping closer to Eddie, eyes flickering "You hurt her, you do one thing to make her unhappy, you'll be out of this house faster than you can say 'I'm from America', understand?"

Eddie nodded, eyes wide. Jerome stepped back, smiling at him. "Glad we've sorted everything out Eddison. But I have a game of chess to attend, so if you don't mind," and he sauntered down to his room to get the chess game to bring to a waiting Mara.

Eddie stood frozen in the door way "What?" he whispered to himself. Forgetting about walking up to Patricia. Which was good, because at that moment, Patricia wasn't up in her room, or up in the attic, or down in the cellar, or eating food from the fridge, she was in New York, visiting an old boyfriend. For reasons not discovered yet.

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