Return to Creepy Towers

Summary: Welcome back to Creepy Towers! The Anubis residents are back for a new year!

Evie's Notes: Happy Wednesday! I hope you all had a wonderful week . This the first chapter of the latest installment in my Tears of Gold verse.

If you are a new reader, welcome! I am so happy you found us! I would recommend that you start with my "Tears of Gold" fic, since this story will quickly become confusing if you are not familiar with the new lore. I hope that you enjoy this universe 💜

If you are a returning reader, welcome back! I have so many fun surprises in store for you all 🌸. I hope that you enjoy today's upload .

Poppy started bouncing as soon as Alfie turned the car down the tree lined path and rolled up to a familiar pair of gates.

"We are almost there!" cheered the girl

"What are you most looking forward to about being back on campus?" asked Jerome, turning around to look at his sister from his spot in the passenger seat.

"Seeing Missy again!" replied Poppy automatically.

"She just visited us last week" laughed Lili, tugging on the girl's braids teasingly. "What else?"

After a few more seconds of contemplation, Poppy offered "I guess I'm looking forward to seeing the others and eating Maribell's food again. Her gingersnap cookies have yours beat Lili".

"I'd be offended if I didn't agree with you," laughed the blonde girl. "You are going to have to sneak me a couple the next time she makes some"

"Deal" agreed Poppy, only to screech as the car pulled into a familiar courtyard. "I see Missy!".

The younger girl tumbled out of the car as soon as Alfie put it in park, excited to get to her best friend and roommate.

"Penelope! Come back and get your suitcase!" Jerome shouted after his little sister.

"Let her go Roe, she'll come back for it eventually" suggested Alfie.

"I wonder if anyone else is back yet?" wondered Lili, unloading her bags from the back of the car.

"Probably, I just wish that we were able to park closer to the house" grunted Jerome.

"Oh please, as if Sweetie would ever sign off on building a second parking lot. We're lucky he was forced to include this one for the off campus teachers" laughed Lili.

"Yeah my dad isn't big on making student life any easier" agreed Eddie as he and Fabian approached the trio. "Welcome back guys!"

"Thanks Eddie!" replied Alfie, loading the group's extra luggage onto their trolley.

"So Eddie, did you see Nina?" Fabian asked, after the group exchanged hugs.

"Huh?" asked the American boy.

"At the airport? Did your flights overlap?"

"Nope, sorry dude".

"Jerome!" shouted Mara from across the courtyard as she rushed towards the group.

"Mara! It's so good to see you" yelled back Jerome as he picked up the Indian girl and spun her around.

"I missed you all so much" revealed Mara, pulling the others into quick hugs as well.

"I guess we don't need to ask how your vacation was Emmy?"

"Oh it was positively awful," teased Mara. "JK, I spent hours and hours in the Oxford lab. Truly living the dream!"

"That's wonderful Mara. I can't wait to share some of the books I picked up during Nina and I's trip with you".

"Oooh! Fun".

"Guy's, Ambs just texted and said that Vera made her chocolate nightmare cake! We need to hurry up or it'll be all gone by the time we get there" gasped Alfie, horrified at the idea of missing out on their house mother's specialty.

Grabbing their luggage the group happily made their way towards the house and their friends.

* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *

"Honey, we're home!" shouted Eddie as the group entered Anubis House's atrium, causing Joy and Amber to rush out onto the balcony.

Lili heard herself letting out an ear splitting scream as she finally saw her bestie in person for the first time in months, "Amby!"

"Lils! You're finally here" screeched back Amber, swinging Lili around happily.

Settling back onto her heels, Lili watched as her housemates reunited happily.

"Welcome back children" greeted Vera. "I set up some snacks for you all in the sitting room, which Mr. Lewis has already located"

"Guilty as charged" shouted back Alfie from the other room.

"Is Nina here?" asked Fabian.

"Not yet, when is she due?" asked the housemother.

"I'm not sure, I tried messaging her but I haven't gotten a response in a couple days".

"That girlfriend of yours is really bad at staying in touch. It was nigh impossible to speak with her while you were on your trip" scolded Amber playfully.

"Sorry, Ambs. We were just super busy"

"Clearly" teased Amber, before she caught sight of her boyfriend. "ALFIE!"

"Hey Baby!" greeted Alfie, as he caught the flying blonde, spinning her around happily. "Oh I missed you Amby".

"I missed you too babes"

"Get a room you two" snickered Jerome, only to gasp as Lili's elbow nailed him in the gut.

"Oh leave them be, Roe. It's sweet that they're so excited to see each other".

"Whatever you say Lollipop" grunted Jerome ushering the blonde into the sitting room to catch up with their housemates.

* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *

"How was your competition, Amber?" asked Mara, helping herself to a piece of Vera's cake.

"It went great! Super hard and all, but lots of fun. It was nice to see my skating friends again, and I placed pretty well this year. I scored lower than I expected, but given the time I was off the ice due to my injury, it makes sense".

"Well we missed hanging out with you this summer, but we're glad you had fun" admitted Lili.

"G'day mates!" came a familiar cheerful greeting from the house's previously absent blond Jock.

"MICK!" screeched Amber, dropping her danish and sprinting across the room to pull the boy into a bone breaking hug.

"I missed you too, Amber. But you need to let go now since I am struggling to breathe here" gasped the jock.

"Sorry" apologized Amber.

"What on earth are you doing here, mate? I thought your sports academy had already started?" asked Fabian.

"Well, I talked to my Dad and Surprise! I'm back at Anubis!"

"Really?" asked Alfie.

"Yeah, I mean I enjoyed my time in Australia… but this is home. I had an honest conversation with my folks about it and they agreed that I could return as long as I fly out to see them on breaks".

"That's wonderful news Mick! Welcome back, roomie" beamed Fabian.

"Wait? What about me!?" worried Eddie.

"Mr. Campbell will be rooming with you and Mr. Rutter" replied Vera as she set down a new platter of sandwiches next to Albert the Alligator. "Victor added the third furniture set over the break".

"Haha! You're stuck in a triple too" teased Joy, tossing a carrot at Eddie.

"Yes, aside from Miss Wells, the rest of the room assignments will remain the same this semester" explained their housemother.

"Oh? Am I moving?" asked Lili.

"No, but you will have a new roommate this semester. Her name is Kara Tatiana and she should be arriving shortly".

"So much for yours being the sleepover room, Lils" bemoaned Amber.

"Oh please, I'm pretty sure we ended up crashing in your bedroom more than my single last year. Hypothetically of course" added Lili, throwing a quick glance Vera's way.

"Well any new sleepover plans should remain purely hypothetical this semester" laughed Vera as she bustled back to the kitchen.

"I know she's evil and all, but sometimes Vera can actually be cool" whispered Amber, and Lili had to silently agree.

* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *

The Anubis students had a splendid time catching up, but the absence of their original American was hanging over the group like a dark cloud. A cloud which got more and more threatening as the clock ticked on and there was no sign of Nina.

The sudden appearance of Mr. Sweet caught the group by surprise. Why on earth was their headmaster here so early in the semester? Classes hadn't started and the Sibuna Crew hadn't even been able to shake up any trouble yet!

"Hey it's Sweetie! I mean Mr. Sweet" corrected Alfie hurriedly.

"Are you ok Mr. Sweet, you don't look so good?" asked Mara.

"Is everything ok?" worried Liliana.

"Pay attention please," ordered their headmaster. "I am afraid I have an announcement to make which some of you may consider 'bad' news".

"Dad, just spit it out" ordered Eddie, looking increasingly worried from his spot between Joy and Patricia.

"It's about Nina Martin".

Evie's Notes 2: A clarification on Mara's nickname, since I don't think I explained it in TOG. Mara's full name is Mara Eeshta Jaffray. So her nickname is M.E. or "Emmy".

Thank you all so much for reading 💕! I hope you enjoyed this first update for Scent of Lavender! I hope to see you all next week 💗!

I love hearing from y'all! Let me know what you think of the chapter and the story as a whole in the comments or my Tumblr House-of-Secrets! Have a great week and stay safe! - Xo Evie🌺