Episode 5: "House of Cheats & House of Rumors"
This edited and revised chapter was uploaded on July 10, 2020
Chapter 5: Cheaters, Screamers, and Watchers
"Are we all ready?" Mrs. Andrews asked the class. They were about to take a French test. Nina, Fabian, and Cameron rushed into the room. "You're late."
"Sorry," Fabian and Nina said together. Cameron muttered an apology as well and went to stand by Mrs. Andrews' desk.
"Get to your places," Mrs. Andrews scolded. "We are about to start." Nina and Fabian practically scurried into their seats and pulled out their materials. "Have you seen Patricia on your travels?"
"No," Fabian said.
"Right, she'll be getting an F, then," Mrs. Andrews said. Fabian and Nina then popped on their headphones. "Now, I'll have to pop out for a few moments so Cameron will be here to watch over. The test starts now." Mrs. Andrews pressed "play" on the audio, then left the classroom. Cameron sat down on the desk and watched over the class as they listened.
"Speedy?" Mick started, slipping off the headphones.
"What is it, Mick?" Cameron asked.
"I'm sorry, but it's just, I didn't catch the last bit of the first question. Can you start it again, please?"
Cameron frowned at Jerome as he silently laughed.
"Sorry, Mick," she apologized with a shake of her head. She really did feel bad, and she tried to silently convey that it wasn't personal. Mick nodded, and dejectedly pulled his headphones back on.
Cameron shifted her attention to the rest of the class. At least, until something caught her eye.
Mara. And she had not one, but two tests in front of her. Cameron frowned. What on earth was she doing?
Then Cameron saw the name at the top of the second test.
Mick Campbell.
Mara was cheating for Mick.
Cameron had to scowl. God, was she really going to cheat for Mick? Mara was either really nice, really desperate, or really stupid. Or perhaps a combination of all three, Cameron decided, though she was heavily leaning on the last two.
Especially because Cameron could never imagine someone as genuine-hearted as Mick asking Mara to cheat for him.
The bell rang. Cameron instructed everyone to stop working and turn in their tests. She pretended to be preoccupied with something else as Mara took Mick's test from the pile and replaced it with the one she'd written for him.
Mara crumpled Mick's test and discarded it in the bin. Then, she fluffed her hair, and walked out.
Cameron's scowl deepened. She marched over to the bin and fetched the test. She uncrumpled it and placed it in her bag with every intention of going straight to Mrs. Andrews. Her rule about not getting involved in other people's business had gone out the window. Mara had taken things too far.
"Is that Mick's test?"
Cameron jumped, and turned. Jerome stood right behind her in the threshold of the room.
Oh, great. Jerome knew. That was the last thing Cameron needed. As if things weren't messy enough as is, and she had no doubt Jerome would happily make it worse.
"Yes, it is, now move, Jerome."
He didn't.
Cameron glared at him, not in the mood.
"Move, Jerome."
Instead, Jerome snatched the test right out of her bag and held it above her head. Cameron made a grab for it, but her height was nothing compared to his.
"What's the matter, Caramel?" Jerome teased.
Instead of responding, Cameron lifted her boot-clad foot and stomped it down on top of Jerome's. Jerome's smile immediately fell with a sound groan. Cameron snatched the test back and rushed out of the classroom.
What she didn't know was that later that day, Jerome would still confront Mara about the cheating.
~)8(~
That night, after a long run and a longer shower, Cameron's bad mood finally dissipated. Only for her to get caught in the middle of another one of Alfie's sneak attacks on Jerome. Cameron was knocked to the floor as the two Neanderthals began wrestling.
Their housemates barely even looked at them, more than used to stuff like this. Even Mara, who was stuck doing Jerome's chores that night (to keep him from spilling about the cheating), paid them little attention.
"Jerome!" Cameron yelled. He merely laughed, abandoning his fight with Alfie in favor of rolling on top of her, pinning her to the floor.
"Something the matter, Caramel?" he asked innocently.
"Get off me!" she exclaimed. Jerome laughed, but didn't budge.
"You know, Caramel," he started, "there's something I'm dying to know about you."
"What?" Cameron snapped.
"Are you ticklish?"
Cameron's eyes widened, and with renewed vigor, struggled to get free. She managed to throw Jerome off her and took off. Only to be caught around the waist.
"No, Jerome, stop! Please, stop!" Cameron burst into uncontrollable giggles as Jerome began tickling her. She literally fell over, she was laughing so hard, and Jerome landed on top of her again. He continued his attack until Cameron was practically begging for mercy. Jerome stopped, finally, and got up, laughing. Cameron took a few deep breaths before heaving herself up.
"Jerk," she muttered. Jerome merely smiled.
"I guess that's a yes," he remarked, answering his own question. Cameron sent him a glower, but it was a half-hearted one. Jerome jokingly held up his hands again and Cameron swatted him away.
"Keep away," she warned. Jerome didn't fail to notice the suppressed smile on her face.
"Is that a smile?" he teased.
"No." The answer was immediate. But the smile was still there.
Jerome smirked and leaned in close. "I think that's a smile."
"No, it's not," she insisted.
"I think it is."
"Go away!" Jerome laughed and leaned away from Cameron. He smirked when he saw the pink tinge to her cheeks, but kept mum about it. Cameron practically ran up the stairs, but paused as Jerome called up to her.
"Hey, Shakespeare!"
She turned back.
"Did you just call me Shakespeare?"
Jerome grinned. "Yeah, because it seems every time I look at you, you're typing away on your laptop or scribbling away in a notebook." Cameron didn't deny it. "What is it you're writing anyway?"
Cameron smirked. "I'll tell you when you make an A on a French test."
Jerome's smile fell. He knew that would never happen. And judging by the widening of Cameron's smirk as she walked away, she knew it too.
Jerome mentally harrumphed, and promised himself that he wouldn't stop until he made an A on a French test. If not only to see her reaction.
~)8(~
That night, Cameron awoke with a jerk. And she soon realized why. A horrible screeching filtered through the house, blood-curdling and loud.
Cameron recognized that sound — the sound of an under-oiled and improperly handled phonograph.
Her eyes snapped to Nina's bed. It was empty. She had gone up to the attic. And Cameron had no doubt that Fabian was up there with her.
The screeching soon stopped, and Cameron was left with the sound of her heartbeat in her ears. She was just glad Amber hadn't woken up. Though the same couldn't be said for Victor. Within seconds, he was marching up into the attic. He returned within minutes, and it sounded like he was alone.
Another few minutes passed, and then, the attic door opened once more. Nina and Fabian paused outside the door, talking in low voices. Until finally, Fabian left and Nina returned. Cameron stilled, hoping that Nina thought she was asleep. It seemed to work, because Nina quickly laid down and fell asleep.
Cameron internally steamed. But she knew confronting her friends that night would get her nowhere. So eventually, Cameron fell back into an uneasy sleep.
Little did she know that Amber actually had been awake. And had drawn her own conclusion about Nina and Fabian's nightly excursions.
~)8(~
Morning came, and with it came Cameron's silent anger. Nina and Fabian had tried to talk to her at breakfast, but Cameron had ignored them, instead grabbing an apple and leaving. She walked to school on her own. And she did nothing to correct Amber's incorrect assumptions that Nina and Fabian had been on a secret date.
Betrayal was not a feeling that Cameron was unfamiliar with. But it stung far more than she remembered. And with it came an insecurity that refused to leave her alone.
Rationally, Cameron knew the two hadn't meant anything by leaving her out. But it hurt that they had. This was her mystery. Hers and Nina's. What part did Fabian have? None, as far as Sarah had been concerned. So why did Nina trust Fabian and not her? Why… Why did they leave her?
She had truly thought they were all friends. Good friends.
But then again… Cameron gripped Sarah's key. The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from strangers.
And that's how she felt. Betrayed. So much so that soon, it overpowered her anger. And sadness was all she was left with.
~)8(~
"Everyone, pairs please," Mr. Winkler instructed. Everyone was gathered in the drama studio (also called the common room). People began shuffling around, flocking for their friends in an almost comical way. Well, everyone except Cameron — the odd one out.
She ended up partnered with Mr. Winkler.
"Three little words," Mr. Winkler continued. "I love you."
The atmosphere of the room instantly changed. Many partners, like Fabian and Mick, shuffled away from each other.
"See, it's not what you say, it's how you say it. In your pairs, I want you to tell a story, but you can only do it by having a conversation using those three words. I love you. Okay?"
Everyone reluctantly got to it. Cameron awkwardly glanced at her teacher, unsure she wanted to do this with him. He may have been a dreamboat, but he was also her teacher, and that was just uncomfortable.
"Hey, we don't have to do it," Mr. Winkler said, seeing the sheer discomfort on his student's face. Cameron let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank God," she muttered. Mr. Winkler laughed, then surveyed the room.
"Mara and Jerome, great acting," he complimented. "Yeah, I can almost feel the hatred."
Cameron almost snorted. Mara and Jerome didn't need to act in order to convey that they didn't like each other.
"Jerome, come partner with Cameron, now."
Cameron's amusement dropped like a rock.
Jerome, however, swaggered right up to her, all smirks and confidence.
"I love you," he said. Cameron scowled at the playfulness of his tone.
"I love you," she practically spat. Jerome's smile only widened.
"I love you," he repeated. His tone was softer, and he took a step towards her.
"I love you," Cameron echoed. To Jerome, she sounded a little resigned, like she was admitting something she didn't want to.
"I love you, gorgeous." Jerome took another step towards Cameron. His tone was flirty this time, and Cameron shook her head fondly at him.
"I love you, handsome," she replied, donning an equally flirty tone. Jerome smiled.
"I love you, angel." The sincerity of his tone caught Cameron off guard, but she forced herself to respond with the same, gentle emotion.
"I love you, trickster."
Both of them took a step towards the other.
"I love you, Cameron," Jerome whispered. Their faces weren't but inches apart.
"I love you, Jerome." It was said in a whisper only for him, and they drew ever closer. Jerome need only tilt his head down, and they would be kissing.
"Did anyone see that?"
Just like that, the moment was broken, and Cameron and Jerome sprang away from each other. Patricia's cry broke through Cameron's haze, but could not beat down her blush. She went over to Patricia, ignoring the traitor that was her racing heart.
"What?" Mr. Winkler asked.
"That man! He was staring at me," Patricia said. Cameron felt a zing of fear go through her, and hurriedly scanned the trees outside the window. Others looked outside too, but there was no one there.
Patricia looked almost confused. "I saw him. I did!"
But no one seemed to believe her, and they all dispersed.
"I believe you," Cameron whispered. Patricia's eyes widened.
"You do?"
Cameron nodded. "The same thing happened to me a few years ago. I thought I saw a man watching me and…"
"And what?" Patricia asked. Cameron looked uncomfortable, but continued.
"No one believed me," she said, "especially not my parents or the police. He broke into our flat two weeks later."
"Hey, Cameron?" Mr. Winkler called. She looked at him and he waved her over.
"Give me a minute." Patricia nodded, and Cameron went over to her teacher.
"That was really good acting." There was a knowing look on Mr. Winkler's face. Cameron rolled her eyes. "Seriously! It looked like you and Jerome were about to kiss."
"Oh, shut up," Cameron muttered. She knew she shouldn't have said something like that to a teacher, but at the moment, she couldn't care less. Mr. Winkler merely laughed, not at all offended.
An idea lit up in Cameron's mind. She waved Patricia over.
"Mr. Winkler?" Cameron started. "Can we talk to you?"
Mr. Winkler grew worried, and immediately nodded.
~)8(~
"Everyone thinks I'm crazy!" Patricia cried. "Even I think I'm crazy."
The trio had gone back to Mr. Winkler's history classroom to talk in private. Cameron encouraged Patricia to confide in someone, to take a load off. She knew the situation with Joy was still weighing on her. And now with her seeing a man outside the school… Cameron didn't want Patricia to feel like she was totally alone.
"We tried to contact Joy, last night. And… I think we've contacted something else."
That was true. Jerome and Alfie had somehow convinced Patricia in her worried mind (she was convinced Joy might be dead) that a séance was a good idea. The whole thing had just started as a prank for Patricia, but Jerome then confessed that the scream they heard was not at all part of the plan.
Cameron knew exactly what scream he had been talking about, but she didn't bother to tell him it had been produced by a phonograph being played in the attic where none of them were supposed to be.
"Something else?" Mr. Winkler asked, not really sure how to take that.
"I think Joy's dead," Patricia confessed.
Cameron wasn't sure she agreed with that, despite what Jerome had said about Patricia overhearing Victor say, "Joy is buried." But Cameron had been doing some thinking lately, and she had to admit that Joy's disappearance was starting to look more and more suspicious. Cameron had done a little digging. And during that digging, she had come across the school photo. And in it was something rather odd. Something she was waiting for the right time to bring up.
"Before you started," Patricia explained to Mr. Winkler, "she just disappeared. They said she'd gone home, but she's not answered any of my calls. They've even erased her from the school photo and taken the Anubis House photo down."
If there ever was a good segue.
"Patricia, about the school photo," Cameron cut in, "there's something you should see."
"But, wait," Mr. Winkler said. "Who's 'they?'"
"The teachers, Victor, even the police," Patricia said. "I swear, Mr. Winkler, I swear to you I'm telling the truth."
"I believe you," Mr. Winkler said. "Now, about that school photo."
Cameron nodded, and led the two down the hall to where it hung. She pointed out the small, but undeniable oddity.
"That rather looks like a hand that belongs to no one," Cameron said.
Patricia and Mr. Winkler looked closer. Cameron was right. There was a hand on Fabian's shoulder. And it didn't seem to belong to anyone.
"Joy's hand!" Patricia cried. She turned to Mr. Winkler. "Now do you believe us?"
~)8(~
That night after dinner, Cameron was sitting on the couch with her laptop when Nina and Fabian approached her. She glanced up at them, eyes blank, and waited for them to speak.
"We're so sorry, Cam," Nina started.
"Yeah, we really shouldn't have gone up to the attic without you last night," Fabian added.
Cameron continued to stare at them blankly.
"I was mad earlier," she said, "but now I just feel betrayed. If you had woken me up, I would've taught you how to use the phonograph. The scream wouldn't have happened."
"How did you know that noise came from the phonograph?" Fabian asked.
Cameron gave him a look.
"I knew they were phonograph cylinders the minute I saw them."
Nina's jaw dropped. Now she felt betrayed.
"Why didn't you tell us?" she demanded.
"Because you didn't believe me about the translation, I gave you." Nina fell silent. "Why would you believe me about the cylinders?"
Neither Nina nor Fabian had a comeback. They knew she was right. They wouldn't have believed her.
"Just tell me why," Cameron said. She stared solely at Nina. "Tell me why, when Sarah entrusted us with this, you excluded me."
Nina's heart was in her throat. Why indeed? She wasn't even sure she had that answer.
Well, she did. She just didn't want to admit it aloud.
"Because no one can just translate hieroglyphics on top of being fluent in seven languages. Because no one can just identify antiques with a single look. Because no one just casually understands both American and British vernacular. Because no one just has a full scholarship to this school."
Cameron's eyes darkened.
"I am not obligated to share my life's story with you, Nina."
Nina winced, and looked close to tears.
"I know," she whispered. "I know. And I'm sorry. Truly, Cam. I'm sorry."
Fabian looked no better.
"We're sorry."
Cameron studied them. The darkness in her eyes lessened.
"I know."
~)8(~
That night, Nina shook Cameron awake. They were meeting up with Fabian to sneak into the attic. Cameron was silent as she got up, not wanting to wake Amber. She slipped on some flats and a hoodie. Then, she took her flashlight and bag and she and Nina slipped from the room. Fabian was waiting for them.
Cameron picked the lock of the attic door and the three of them crept up the stairs. They gathered around the phonograph. Cameron pulled her bag into her lap and opened her mouth to speak when —
"Thank goodness you're all here. I thought I was going to get eaten by a ghost."
It was Amber!
Cameron's jaw dropped in unison with Fabian's. Nina simply shushed the blonde.
"Amber… what…?" Cameron tried.
"She heard me coming in last night and caught me with the puzzle piece," Nina quickly explained. Cameron slowly nodded. If she were honest, she didn't mind Amber being here all that much. Amber may have been a diehard gossip, but she also knew the best gossips were the best secret-keepers.
She highly doubted Amber would tell anyone about what they were doing in the attic.
"What's with the heels?" Nina asked Amber. Cameron frowned upon seeing the red heels in the girl's hands. She also had a vast amount of garlic in her other hand and around her neck.
"I didn't want to miss out on anything, and these are my lucky heels," he said.
"Why aren't you wearing them?" Fabian asked.
At this, all three girls gave him incredulous looks.
"I can't actually run away in them."
Fabian simply found another thing to question. "Amber, what's with the cloves of garlic? This isn't Twilight."
Cameron rolled her eyes.
"Just let it go, Fabian." He did, and Amber joined them on the floor around the phonograph. Cameron reached for the antique player.
"What if it makes that horrible noise again?" Nina worried.
"Don't worry, we've got Cameron with us this time. And we've got this." Fabian held up a small oil can and handed it to Cameron. She got to work. Within seconds, the cylinder began to spin. There was a small crackle, then the recording started.
"Mother and Father have given the house a name. Anubis."
"It's a girl," Nina breathed.
And it was. It was the voice of a young girl.
"They're going away again soon. To Egypt, I think. Father says he has to, for his work. But when they go, I'll be on my own again… with him." It sounded like the girl was crying.
"Why is shy crying?" Amber asked. "It's so…"
"Sad," Nina said.
"I don't want to stay here. I'm frightened of what will happen to me."
"I don't want to stay here, either. Can we go, please?" Amber cried. She stood up and was about to run when Cameron stopped her.
"I agree," she said. "This is getting a little risky. We need to find a better way of listening to these."
Nina and Fabian nodded in agreement.
The phonograph was quickly put away and the four teenagers quickly snuck out of the attic. Fabian crept back downstairs and the three girls returned to bed.
Cameron was quick to fall asleep. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but something roused her later that night. Through groggy eyes and a hazy mind, Cameron saw something. Something that made her blood run cold.
A man. Standing right over her bed. Staring right at her.
Cameron screamed.
Hey all! Here's the latest update! Let me know what you all think!
Reviews
hella-sirius: I'm glad you liked that line! There have been lots of small moments between those two so far, but we've got a big one coming up in the next chapter. After that, things change between Cameron and Jerome - their relationship is going to be less about challenging each other and more about trying to understand each other. Like I said, they're not going to change for each other. They're going to grow with each other. I love those types of relationships. Let me know what you think of the update :)
Sammiemoosam
