Episode 12: "House of Identity & House of Emergency"

This edited and revised chapter was uploaded on November 13, 2020


Chapter 12: Finding Friends and Finding Resolve

"Sarah definitely recognized Victor," Nina told the Sibunas the next morning at breakfast. After their visit with Sarah, she and Cameron had planned to corral their friends and tell them everything, but Victor had been in a mood. He'd sent everyone straight to their rooms after dinner. And with all of them having to catch up on their assignments, the update had to wait until morning.

"She was literally terrified when she saw the photo," Cameron said.

"She…" Nina looked around and lowered her voice to a whisper. "She said he killed them."

The other three gasped.

"Her parents?" Fabian asked.

"Well, we think that's who she meant," Nina replied. "Because after that she started singing this lullaby and it all got very weird."

"It's just too creepy to even think." Fabian shuddered. "Victor alive, when Sarah was a little girl."

"Yeah, like it's not bad enough he's alive now," Nina agreed.

"And," Cameron said, "she seemed convinced that she and Rufus had known each other as children. She said they used to play together."

Everyone's eyes widened at this, but before they could say anything, there was a loud scream.

Cameron smirked.

The other Sibunas jumped up from their seats, startled, and not a second later, Jerome came barreling into the dining room.

The Sibunas took one look at him and cracked up.

Jerome's hair was a ghastly, bright electric purple.

His eyes zeroed in on Cameron.

"What did you do?"

Cameron raised her eyebrows. "I think it's pretty obvious what I did."

The Sibunas cracked up again. Jerome was practically seething — narrowed, flashing eyes. Hunched shoulders. Balled up fists. Taunt mouth. Cameron could only imagine how much he was cursing her in his mind right now, but Cameron simply smiled sweetly.

"I told you." She stood and shouldered her bag. Cameron stood before him and eyed his hair. The color had taken to his light brown locks even better than she'd predicted. "Revenge is sweeter."

Jerome's eyes flashed with something other than anger this time — Cameron couldn't tell if it was amusement, annoyance, or something else. Something flirtier.

He leaned in close. "This means war, Zack."

Cameron raised an eyebrow, almost invitingly. "Do your worst, Clarke."

And she knew damn well that he couldn't. Because he was already on probation. Cameron was going to win this prank war and she knew it.

Jerome opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Instead, he hoisted his bag onto his shoulder and stalked away.

"What did you do?" Patricia asked once he was gone. She was laughing harder than any of them.

Cameron's eyes flickered with mischief. "Again, I thought that was fairly obvious, but I put hair dye in his shampoo."

"Permanent?" Patricia asked hopefully.

Cameron shook her head. Morally, she wouldn't allow herself to go that far, but she also didn't use it because permanent hair dye took too long to soak into hair.

"Nah, not permanent. But he'll have purple hair for a good week, that's for sure."

The Sibunas continued to snicker.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side, Cam," Fabian joked.

Cameron grinned and winked in reply.

"But wait, are you and Jerome in a prank war now, because I totally want you to win," Amber said.

"Don't worry, Amber," Cameron said. "I know I'll win."

Everyone laughed again. And the other four Sibunas silently mulled over this new side of Cameron. Mischievous. Competitive. Openly flirting with Jerome. It was a far cry from the calm, collected, emotionally distant Cameron they had grown to know. But this new side of her fit her just as well as her usual self. And seeing Cameron finally begin to come out of her shell warmed her friends.

It was a good sign. The best of signs.

~)8(~

Cameron met up with Kate at the school, and they walked to her first class together. Kate spent the walk telling Cameron all about her amazingly tasty breakfast. Or more accurately, about the man who had cooked the amazingly tasty breakfast. His name was Pete, and he was the owner of the inn Kate was staying in.

There was a little sparkle in Kate's eye as she spoke of Pete that Cameron had never seen before. Well, that was a lie. Cameron had seen it when Kate was talking about the dreamboat that was Hugh Jackman. But now… Cameron smiled to herself. She couldn't wait to see how this would play out. Especially because Kate had already decided to extend her trip another week.

The two women sat up front beside Nina and Fabian. After some brief hellos, Fabian pulled out The Time Machine and began to whisper with Nina. From the looks on their faces, Cameron inferred that it had not panned out riddle-wise.

"What's with Jerome's hair?" Kate gasped quietly as he sulked into the room. He was in an obvious bad mood, but upon seeing the equally somber expression on Alfie's face, Cameron realized he was thinking about something other than his hair. Hair color could fade and be washed out. They were most likely thinking about all the money they'd been forced to return after their little prank on the younger years.

Fabian had also mentioned that the two had been more than a little loud when complaining about Mr. Winkler and the younger years — so loud he could hear them from his room.

Cameron shrugged in response to Kate. "Just a little payback."

Kate narrowed her eyes, both amused and confused. "I thought you swore off pranking."

Cameron's lips tugged into a half-smile, and she shrugged again. "Yeah, well… It was fun." Her smile widened with anticipation. "I can't wait to see what pathetic attempt he conjures in retaliation."

Kate paused, then slowly smiled. She had known Cameron when she was in seventh grade. Jill, too. In school, they had been thought of as the vigilante version of the Weasley twins. Never pranking to be mean, just as a good dose of comeuppance. Or harmless fun. Post-It noting cars, saran-wrapping desks, flooding the halls with ping-pong balls, booby-trapping lockers with confetti cannons, ballooning offices. They even once stole all the staplers in the school and stuck them in the vending machine. But after Jill was killed, Cameron had sworn off pranking. It hadn't been the same without her twin. Her partner in crime. George was not complete without Fred.

But now, that familiar spark had returned to Cameron. She no longer seemed so weighed down. So burdened. Kate had noted it before, but Cameron looked healthier than she had in a long time. Jill's death had haunted her for three years, and it hadn't helped to be at home with those parents of hers constantly belittling her choices or reminding her that Jill's death was her fault (BS in Kate's opinion, it was not Cameron's fault). But now, after months away from home and that awful, toxic environment, Cameron was healing. Cameron was opening up. Cameron was changing.

And it probably had everything to do with the people she had here in England. Nina, Fabian, Amber, Patricia, Mick.

Jerome.

Kate had known from the second she saw them together that they had feelings for each other. It had been plain as day. But admittedly, Kate had not been impressed with Jerome's behavior from yesterday — swindling younger kids into fake auditions and stealing their money. But beyond the childish, immature behavior, Kate could see that Jerome genuinely cared about Cameron. And Cameron genuinely cared about him. Maybe a mellower, logical, blunt girl like Cameron was exactly what Jerome needed. She could help him mature, something he sorely needed. She could help him focus. Kate doubted Jerome had ever thought about a career path, and pranking was most decidedly not a career. Cameron could help him grow up, grow into himself, grow as a person.

Plus, they looked adorable together.

Kate quickly glanced at the purple-haired boy. Though he was speaking with Alfie, his gaze always seemed to unconsciously find its way back to Cameron. The girl herself never noticed. Nor did she notice the way her body angled in her chair — towards Jerome.

Kate smiled to herself and crossed her fingers in her lap.

Heels clicked in the hall and everyone looked up, expecting Mrs. Andrews. The person in the threshold was not Mrs. Andrews.

It was Mara.

And she looked different.

Mara, like all of them, wore her school uniform. Only where before Mara had been a stickler for the pressed skirt, blouse, sweater, blazer, tie, socks, flats, natural hair, and minimal makeup, now she had changed it up. Mara's natural curls were ironed out to her shoulders, and it looked like she had her entire makeup collection had been pounded onto her face — lipstick, smokey eyeshadow, big, blown, mascara-swiped lashes. Her uniform was awry — her tie was skewed and loose around her neck, she wore no sweater, her blazer was undone, and her skirt fell to only the top of her thighs. She wore fish netted tights and heeled boots. And a very un-Mara-ish, haughty smirk.

The look was stark and shocking and daunting. Fabian dropped his book. Cameron's jaw dropped. Nina straightened with shock. Mick went absolutely still. And Alfie nearly drooled. Amber seemed unimpressed, and Patricia just about scoffed.

Mara took in their expressions, and the smirk widened. She lightly smacked her gum and strutted into the chair beside Patricia.

"Didn't you used to be Mara?" Jerome asked.

She smirked.

"I did not see that coming," Nina muttered.

Cameron certainly hadn't either. There must've been a reason for this big and obvious change. Cameron's eyes narrowed when she noticed Mick gaping at Mara — confused and hurt.

Cameron pulled out her phone.

Please tell me this new style of Mara's

has nothing to do with Mick?

Patricia responded instantly.

That's exactly what this is about.

Cameron quietly groaned and planted her face in her arms. When she and Patricia had said Mick and Mara weren't right for each other, neither of them had meant that Mara needed to change herself.

Cameron felt dread pool in her stomach. This would not end well.

And based off the stares coming from the rest of the class, she was not the only one who felt that way.

Mrs. Andrews came into the classroom and everyone fell silent. Mrs. Andrews looked up to greet them, but paused.

"Mara, are you chewing gum?" The teacher's brows furrowed as she took in the girl's new appearance. Mara simply tilted her head and smacked the gum challengingly. "You of all people should know that chewing gum is not allowed in class. Get rid of it, please."

Mara rolled her eyes and stuffed the gum behind her ear. Everyone watching cringed.

"Right, collecting homework assignments, please," Mrs. Andrews continued. She went around and collected the assignments. Cameron noticed Mick whispering fiercely to Mara, but the girl merely ignored him.

Cameron was confused. That was new.

"Mara?" Mrs. Andrews held out her hand for Mara's assignment.

"I haven't done it."

A hush fell over the class and everyone stared. Mara Jaffrey hadn't done her homework?

"What is going on here?" Mrs. Andrews demanded, shocked at Mara's behavior.

"Don't know what you mean. I just like, don't have it, or whatever," Mara sassed.

Cameron hurriedly looked around the room. This was a hallucination, right? She was hallucinating? Or maybe dreaming. Yeah, that's it, this was a dream!

But the sheer shock radiating through the classroom told Cameron that this was real. And that this was going to get ugly if Mara didn't knock it off.

"Mara, are you all right?" Mrs. Andrews narrowed her eyes with confusion. "You don't seem quite yourself."

Understatement.

"Good! Success," came Mara's impertinent reply.

Patricia could only sit beside the girl and silently laugh.

"Okay, see me at lunchtime, please."

Then, the class started.

~)8(~

Later in the day, drama class rolled around. Copies of Cameron's script were passed out and everyone was assigned roles and scenes together. While these weren't formal auditions, Mr. Winkler thought the read-through was a good opportunity for a little sneak peek. Plus, it would be a good brainstorming and review session for the class.

Jerome and Fabian were on stage acting through one of the first act scenes — the discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb. Cameron had managed to write the whole play, and while she was generally confident with it, the script had a long way to go before it was performance ready.

Jerome and Fabian soon finished, and Mr. Winkler decided that was a good place to stop and ask the class what they thought. As he did, Kate leaned over and whispered to Cameron.

"You're writing the school play?"

"Amber volunteered me."

"Does she know?"

"No, she just thinks I like to write."

"This is actually a very accurate account of how Howard Carter and his team first broke into Tutankhamen's burial chamber." Fabian's praise brought Cameron's attention back to the class, and she flushed lightly. That research had not been easy to do.

"And I like how it's not boring," Amber said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, there's romance, and danger, and a curse," Alfie said. "But I think there should definitely be a kiss, or death!"

"I've already written that stuff in," Cameron said. "It's just later in the play."

Alfie beamed and everyone stirred with excitement. If the rest of the play was as good as it already was, they were really looking forward to the final product.

"Okay, this is really good," Mr. Winkler said. He, too, was smiling.

"But does anyone have any ideas of what they want or think should be in the play?" Cameron asked. "I want your opinions and ideas so I'm not the only one writing and working to create the story."

Everyone thought for a moment.

"Girls in bikinis," Jerome said. He was looking right at Cameron.

There was a pause.

"Right," Mr. Winkler said, a bit awkward. "We're just going to put that down as a general wardrobe note."

"I think there should be an imaginary friend for Sally," Amber said. "I mean, she's so lonely and the stuff that Sarah told us is so sad. Sally should have an imaginary friend."

Cameron's eyes widened as Sarah was mentioned and the rest of Sibuna began to panic.

"Uh, who's Sarah?" Mr. Winkler asked.

"Oh, basically —"

"She's, uh, a woman who works part time for the museum," Fabian said quickly, cutting Amber off before she could spill all their secrets.

"Yeah, she got us all really curious about Howard Carter and his expedition," Cameron said, adding to the lie. Amber glared at them both while Patricia deflated with relief.

Only Nina nearly ruined it by overselling the fib.

"Yeah, she's a research assistant. A tour guide. Red hair. Gemini, I think."

Cameron ground her jaw in irritation and Fabian mouthed "Gemini" with disbelief.

Jerome sent them all looks of suspicion. Kate also looked between Cameron and her friends, curious.

"Okay, Cameron, that sounds fun. This imaginary friend could help make the story a little less serious," Mr. Winkler said. "But what did this Sarah woman say that was so sad?"

"Oh, just that so many kids were left behind when their parents went to Egypt with Howard Carter," Cameron said quickly. "Apparently one of the couples died and left their only daughter an orphan."

"All right, yeah, I agree. Add in the new character, will you, Cameron?"

Cameron, having no choice, agreed.

~)8(~

"Amber, I don't know what goes on inside your head," Patricia groused to her after class.

"What did I do this time?" the blonde cried. "I thought we'd agreed we were going to use Sarah's story to get a reaction from Victor. But it's just so sad, I want her to have a friend."

"We are," Nina said, "but we don't want people to know she's still alive and living a mile down the road from here. Especially people who might be suspected murderers."

"Oh, sorry," Amber said, realizing her mistake. "I'll do better."

"But I actually like the idea of Sarah having an imaginary friend," Fabian said. "Someone she can talk to. It's kind of like Sarah's phonograph."

Sibuna nodded.

"I was thinking the play was too short anyway," Cameron said. "I was just at a loss at how to make it two hours with intermission rather than an hour fifteen with intermission. I can add two or three scenes of Sally and her imaginary friend."

"I think we have more pressing issues than sorting out the school play," Patricia cut in.

"Oh, the riddle! I haven't been to the library yet!" Fabian realized. The Time Machine indeed hadn't been the book they were looking for and he wanted to do some research.

"I was thinking more about the elixir," Patricia said.

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that, too," Nina admitted.

"And yet we have no answers," Amber pointed out. "Maybe I'm going to have to start thinking also."

Everyone rolled their eyes fondly at the blonde and started back towards the house. What they didn't know, was that a certain someone had overheard everything they said.

~)8(~

Cameron came down the stairs dressed in her running gear. She didn't have much homework, so she was planning an extra-long run through the woods. She was just about to stick her earphones in when a conversation in the entry hall made her stop.

"Hey, coach, when are we starting? In ten?" Mick asked Mara, who was briskly walking past him.

"Or never! Is never good for you?" Mara snapped. Cameron's jaw dropped.

"Have I done something wrong?" Mick asked, his tone treading lightly.

Mara seemed to consider ignoring him, but she turned back, her face set into a glare. "Actually, yes. If you must know."

"Sorry?"

"I overheard you laughing about me with tweedle-dumb and tweedle-dumber."

"What?"

"You told Jerome and Alfie that I'm way too sensible and serious," Mara said, finally outing with it. Cameron kept her gasp silent. She couldn't look away from the confrontation.

"Oh, that was just guy talk," Mick said nervously. He tried to laugh it off, but Mara wasn't having it.

"You love training with me," Mara said. "You kiss me, then I'm sensible and boring. I'm sick of it!"

Mick stared at her, his face falling. "So that's why you've been acting all strange today."

Mara shrugged carelessly. "I thought it was time to stop being sensible, boring, predictable Mara."

"I like the old Mara."

Mick's confession did not sway her.

"Because she can sort out your training program for you. Cameron and Miss Robinson can both do that."

"No! I like you a lot, Mara."

Her eyes were hard, but her tone was knowing and tired. "But not enough to go out with?"

Mick didn't answer.

Mara turned on her heels and ascended the stairs, scooting past Cameron and disappearing into the hall. She didn't once look back.

Cameron wasn't quite sure what she'd witnessed, or what to think of it. A lot of questions had been answered, and her mind felt muddy. Part of her said it wasn't her problem, that it wasn't her job to mediate or get involved, but seeing Mick standing down there, alone and confused and rejected, spurned Cameron into action. She came down the stairs, took Mick's hand, and led him from the house without a word. Almost mindlessly, he followed her to their usual running path, and trailed beside her. Neither of them spoke. But then two miles had passed, and they were well into the trees. Cameron side-eyed him. Mick didn't even seem to register where they were going, or what they were doing.

Cameron stopped. Mick stopped beside her.

The girl took his wrist and gently led him to sit on a nearby tree trunk. She sat on one just across from him and studied him, swigging some water. She forced him to take a drink as well. The chilly water seemed to jolt him out of his funk a bit. His eyes cleared and he seemed to register where he was.

He still didn't speak.

A quiet Mick was not one Cameron was used to. Usually if they ran together, they ran in comfortable silence, both listening to music. If they spoke, Mick was the chatterbox and Cameron listened. A solemn and silent Mick had Cameron worried.

"What's going through your head?" Cameron finally asked.

Mick swallowed and shrugged.

"Do you want to talk about it or be distracted from it?"

He blinked, having not expected the question. He chewed his cheek, then took another swig of water. It seemed to help.

"I'm confused," he admitted. "And upset."

"Understandable," Cameron nodded.

"I just… She's right. I like training with her," Mick said. With every word he said, it seemed to get easier. Soon, it was spilling right out. "Mara's my friend. I like her and I like spending time with her. I didn't mean to push her away, I just —"

Mick took another drink of water, calming himself.

"You kissed?" Cameron asked.

Mick nodded. His lips pursed.

"You regret it?"

His lips thinned further, and he closed his eyes. Then, reluctantly, he nodded.

"Do you regret the kiss? Or do you regret kissing Mara?"

Mick blinked, then looked at his friend, a bit confused. What was the difference? Cameron smiled a little.

"Do you regret the kiss — as in, do you regret kissing her right then and there? Or, do you regret kissing Mara because you only like her as a friend?"

Mick frowned a little, thinking hard about it. Eventually, he admitted, "I'm not sure."

"That's okay," Cameron reassured him. "But… And if I'm overstepping my bounds, don't be afraid to tell me to sod off — you need to figure that out before you can fix things with Mara. If it's the former — you regret kissing her right then and there — then just admit that. But if it's the latter, and you realize you only like Mara as a friend, then you also need to communicate that. It's no secret that Mara has liked you for a long time," Mick shifted, uncomfortable because it really was one of the worst kept secrets in school and he knew it, "but she has no right to expect anything other than friendship from you. Helping you study, sorting out your training program, hanging out with you, sure those are things that girlfriends do, but friends do those things too. And yes, you may have kissed her, and maybe you regret it, which is on you to communicate and put right, but Mara also has an extremely romanticized version of relationships in her mind. Sometimes I don't think she knows you very well — just the Mick she imagines she was going out with. And if you ask me, something as trivial as a little kiss shouldn't be the thing to break the friendship you two have so obviously worked hard to build. But if she's been working on a friendship with you for the sole purpose of trying to make you go out with her, then she clearly doesn't deserve you or your friendship. Not to say she's entirely at fault. You did call her sensible and boring." Mick flushed, and Cameron fixed him with a mildly admonishing look. Bookish and studious did not equate to boringness. And sensibility wasn't a bad thing. "But I'm getting off topic. The point is that you are not obligated to go out with her just because she has a crush on you. And if she gets huffy over that, then let her — her reaction reflects more about her than you. This morning also shows, what with Mara's shift in wardrobe and persona, that she's desperate for something you're not, nor anyone, is obligated to give. And to add to that, don't let her behavior guilt you into something you don't want to do. That's exactly what she's probably hoping for. It wouldn't be an honest or fair relationship on either side. Mara deserves nothing less than someone liking her for her, but if that person is not you, then that's that. No ifs, ands, or buts. And if she has a problem with that, she definitely doesn't deserve you. So, again, personally, I think Mara has no right to expect anything more than friendship from you. But again, if I'm overstepping my bounds, just tell me to eff off."

Cameron had given Mick a number of things to think about, but her final sentence still earned a little smile from him. He took another swig of water, the chill of it helping clear his remaining cobwebs. Then, he grinned impishly.

"Jerome's a lucky guy."

Cameron instantly went red. Then, she huffed and gave him a good shove. Mick fell off the stump, laughing.

"You know if he hurts you that I'm going to use his face for target practice, right?"

Cameron laughed, the mental image of Mick kicking a soccer ball at Jerome's face a humorous one. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Amber and Nina have been quite proactive in telling me that if Jerome does anything, the entirety of Anubis House will come for him."

Mick nodded solemnly, completely serious. "They're right."

Cameron hadn't expected the seriousness of his words, and smiled bashfully, touched.

"I know," she said. "But I'll tell you what I told them: I don't think that's necessary." Her smile morphed until it was nothing more than a tiny, sly smirk. "I'm more than capable of breaking his nose myself."

Mick outright laughed.

After a few more minutes, the pair stood and readied to continue their run.

"What do you say we have a movie marathon tonight?" Cameron offered.

"Sports films?"

She rolled her eyes fondly. "Sure, Mick." She tossed him a grin. "As long as we can watch A League of Their Own."

It was Mick's turn to roll his eyes. "Sure, Speedy."

Mick wasn't the biggest baseball fan, but he couldn't deny that he loved that movie. Tom Hanks and Geena Davis were simply fantastic in it.

Cameron made to start walking down the trail.

"Hey, Cameron?" Mick said. She turned back. "Thanks."

She smiled, bright and genuine. "Of course, Mick." She gave him a hug, something she had never done before, and it warmed him. "That's what friends do."

And Mick smiled. Yes, it was.

~)8(~

"It's ten o'clock! You all know what that means! You have five minutes precisely, and then I want to hear a pin drop."

Cameron rolled her eyes. She was so used to Victor's nightly speech that it wasn't even funny anymore. But regardless, she put away her laptop and curled up in bed. She briefly heard Victor yell at one of the boys to get back in their room; probably Alfie or Jerome, but she ignored it. Cameron had been feeling more and more tired with all of Sibuna's late nights recently, and she could tell Nina and Amber were just as tired.

At least Cameron's movie marathon with Mick had been a good reprieve from the stress of Sibuna, school, and book contests.

Cameron fell asleep quickly that night.

~)8(~

"Cameron? Cameron!"

Cameron woke with a start as someone shook her. She gasped and her eyes instantly found Jerome, who was kneeling at her bed. Cameron's heart began to slow, and she flicked her eyes to her alarm clock. It was quarter past one in the morning.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered. Cameron tried to curl up and get comfy again, but Jerome lightly yanked her blanket away.

"Jerome!" Cameron whisper-yelled, goosebumps breaking out all over her.

"Alfie's trapped in the cellar!"

Cameron froze.

"What? Why?"

"He left his zombie mask down there, so he snuck in through the window. I was supposed to let him out, but Victor caught me and sent me back inside the house. He kept an eye on me all night! Please, Cameron, he's been down there for hours!"

Cameron realized how serious Jerome was as he used her real name. She nodded, instantly standing and slipping on some converse. She snagged her flashlight and snuck out of her bedroom, Jerome on her heels. The two of them crept downstairs, careful to avoid the creaky steps. Cameron knelt at the cellar door, felt around her hair for a second, and cursed under her breath.

"You don't happen to have a hairpin or paper clip on you, do you?"

"Fresh out."

Damn.

Cameron was reluctant to sneak all the way outside the house so late at night. And she really didn't want to risk sneaking past Victor's office again. That left one option: the secret passage.

Cameron weighed the options in her head, almost tempted to sneak back upstairs, regardless of the risk. Then she lightly pursed her lips. They needed to get Alfie out of there.

Cameron had a bad feeling.

"Come on."

The pair snuck into the kitchen. Cameron could tell Jerome was confused and probably a little frustrated — why the hell was she leading him to the kitchen? He watched as Cameron knelt by the broken, charred oven, and fingered the necklace tucked beneath her shirt.

Her eyes gazed up at him imploringly, bright in the dark, and dark with stark solemnness.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone about this. Just… please. It's too much to explain right now, and no one is supposed to know about this, but… Just promise me you won't mention this to anyone."

Jerome had no idea what this could be about, but he was too worried about Alfie to much care. So, he simply gave a resolute nod. It was enough.

Cameron steeled herself, then slid her Ankh into the lock.

The secret passage swung open.

Cameron and Jerome were quick to crawl into the cellar, silent as they did so.

The cellar was unnervingly quiet, and the dark seemed to creep around them.

"Alfie?" Jerome whispered.

"Alfie?" Cameron repeated. She clicked on her flashlight, ignoring the familiar flash of the bronze scales and the putrid scent of chemicals and damp. "Alfie?"

Jerome checked the cupboard where he and Alfie hid for their prank on the Sibunas. It was empty.

"Alfie?" Jerome called, a little louder than before.

"Alfie?" Cameron said, even louder, though still not at a normal volume. "Jerome, no one's answering. I don't think he's here. Are you sure he's not messing with you to get back at you for bailing earlier?"

"I didn't bail on purpose!" Jerome hissed.

"I know that," Cameron soothed, "but Alfie might not." Cameron touched Jerome's arm, and his shoulders seemed to lose some of their tension.

"Let's just make sure," he whispered.

Cameron nodded, and they continued to search the cellar.

They walked into the antechamber, looking around. Cameron didn't remember the room being quite so empty last time she was down here. Curious, she shined her flashlight around, the beam and her eyes landing on a small cupboard.

Jerome noticed her gaze and stood next to her.

"In that cupboard?" he asked quietly. Cameron shrugged, not knowing where else to look. Slowly, she reached forward. Cameron pulled the cupboard doors open and she and Jerome were met with the sight of a cowering, trembling Alfie.

"Oh, my god."

"Alfie!"

Jerome instantly knelt by his best friend, and Cameron backed away, not wanting to crowd the boy. "Alfie!"

"Help me," came a trembling whisper, before Alfie fell completely silent. Cameron could only gape and worry.

Jerome cradled his best friend's face, shaking with both relief and new worry. "Alfie, it's us. Jerome and Cameron."

Nothing.

"We need to get him out of here," Cameron whispered. Jerome instantly nodded and between the two of them, they were able to get Alfie standing. Alfie oscillated between leaning on them for support, almost weak with relief, and flinching away from them as though their very touch burned him. And then his eyes would clear, and he would lean on them again. But as he traveled through the cellar, supported by them both, the sight of everything made him tremble and flinch and shake.

"Cameron, the door!"

Later, Cameron wasn't exactly sure how they'd done it, but somehow, she and Jerome managed to get Alfie through the secret passageway, down the hall, and tucked into bed without alerting anyone to their presence. Alfie seemed immeasurably comforted by the sight of his bedroom, a safe, familiar place, and collapsed onto his bed without a word. Jerome fussed over him, tucking him in, and Cameron rushed back into the room with a glass of cool water.

"Sip this, Alfie."

He did, taking sips of water as Cameron held the glass for him. Slowly, his tremors dissipated, and his eyes cleared. He still didn't speak. Neither Jerome nor Cameron pushed him to. Soon, Alfie's eyes clouded with exhaustion, and within minutes, he was asleep.

Cameron slowly stood, placing the water on Alfie's bedside table. Her mind whirred. She'd never seen Alfie in such a state. And from the look on Jerome's face, neither had he.

"What happened down there?" Cameron whispered. Alfie had been cowering, trembling, sweating, nearly hyperventilating, landing somewhere between shock and a panic attack. It was possible Victor had gone down into the cellar earlier, which would explain why Alfie had hid himself in the cupboard, but why would he stay in there after Victor left?

What could he have possibly heard or seen that had scared him senseless? What happened down there?

"I don't know," Jerome replied, just as quiet.

Cameron shivered, her writer mind conjuring a number of horrible scenarios, each worse than the next. And the longer it went on, the harder it became for Cameron to turn her mind off. Her hand tapped against her thigh in time with the whirring thoughts, faster, and faster, and faster

"Here."

Cameron blinked. The tapping stopped. She inhaled.

Jerome held a sweatshirt out for her, eyes imploring her to take it.

Cameron pulled the grey, plain hoodie over her head. The hem fell to her thighs, the sleeves slid past her hands, and the soft cotton cocooned her in warmth she hadn't realized she needed. Her shoulders relaxed, and Jerome seemed to relax as well.

"Thank you, Cameron," Jerome whispered.

"I'm just glad I could help," Cameron said, her eyes flicking back to Alfie. Still sleeping. "Admittedly, I was half worried that you were trying to get me back for the hair dye thing. But then I saw how serious you were."

"Don't think I've forgiven you for that," Jerome said, jokingly serious. "I'm still going to get you back."

"I look forward to it."

Cameron and Jerome slowly smiled at each other. Now that Alfie was safe and in bed, the worried tension completely melted away. Slowly, gently, Jerome reached for Cameron, giving her the opportunity to turn away. She didn't. And Jerome took her into his arms.

Almost instantly, Cameron snuggled into him, her own arms wrapping tight around his torso. She rested her head on his chest, just over his heart, and its rhythm seeped into her, strong and soothing and comforting. Jerome tightened his grip on her and dropped his head onto her shoulder, all his tension and worry melting away in her embrace. Jerome tucked his face into her neck, nuzzling into her warmth.

They stayed that way, comfortable and content, for several minutes. Cameron allowed herself to be surrounded by Jerome, wholly and completely, and she knew his arms had become her new safe space. Jerome nuzzled deeper into Cameron, desperate for her presence and warmth. He inhaled her scent, and he noticed that she smelt like something metallic and something sweet. Ink, he realized. And caramel.

Jerome smiled into her skin, holding her tighter. Cameron simply cuddled closer.

But a minute later, the two pulled away. Their eyes were drawn to each other's almost instantly, and neither of them seemed to be able to look away.

"Goodnight, Jerome," Cameron whispered.

"Goodnight, Caramel."

She scowled lightly, though there was no real vehemence in it.

"Don't call me that."

"You love it," Jerome teased. Cameron scoffed and turned away, rolling her eyes. She'd rather eat Mick's gym socks than admit she liked the nickname.

"Hey, um…" she stumbled, "about earlier… I, uh — well — what I said earlier, uh, about not telling anyone about —"

"Oh," Jerome said. Now that Alfie was safe and out of the cellar, Jerome admitted he had not expected the burnt-out oven to be a secret passage to the cellar. And he wondered how Cameron had even come to figure that out, let alone how she came to possess the key for it.

"Yeah," Cameron sighed. "No one's supposed to know about the secret passage. And no one's supposed to know about my key, or that I even have it." She cleared her throat lightly. "I trust you, Jerome, really, I do, but I just…"

Jerome could see that Cameron was clearly uncomfortable with the possibility of anyone else knowing, and after the help she'd given him, he figured the least he could do was keep her secret.

"I won't deny I'm curious," he admitted, "but I promise I won't tattle."

Despite Cameron's seriousness, his wording still coaxed a little smile out of her. Jerome grinned at it, then sobered and said, more solemnly, "I promise."

Cameron's smile gentled with gratefulness. "Thank you."

"Can I ask you something, though?"

"Sure."

"Does your necklace and the passageway have anything to do with the big secret you, Nina, Fabian, Amber, and Patricia all seem to share?"

Cameron seemed to have expected the question, but it still seemed to weary her. Her eyes dropped to the floor, and she suddenly looked exhausted. But she told the truth.

"Yes."

Jerome nodded. He had promised her a little while back that he wouldn't pry, but he couldn't deny his curiosity was growing. And his concern. Anything that had Cameron looking so exhausted surely couldn't be a good thing.

"Are you in trouble?" he asked before he registered it.

Cameron's expression didn't change, but she finally looked at him again. Her brows drew together, and her lips pursed. She didn't know how to answer. Because truthfully, as much as she wanted to believe she and her friends were safe, she realistically knew they weren't. Every clue they uncovered, every milestone they passed, every step they took closer to the truth, the more dangerous things seemed to become. And the more complicated. This house, the school, Sarah, the mysterious treasure, Victor, the elixir, Joy… It was all tied together. And Cameron knew they still didn't have the full picture. It frustrated her, but she knew they couldn't stop. They needed to solve this. Not just for Sarah, but for themselves as well. But Cameron was still scared. Because this mystery had started to consume their lives, and sometimes Cameron worried that her friends hadn't even realized it.

Cameron's silence was her answer, and Jerome inhaled.

"What do you need?"

Cameron blinked, cocking her head lightly in confusion. Jerome stared at her, open and concerned.

"What do you need?" he repeated.

Cameron wavered on a decision. A heavy decision. One that, even though she didn't know it, would change everything.

"I need… I need you to be patient. Just a little bit longer."

Patience wasn't Jerome's strong suit, but for Cameron, he knew he'd wait as long as she needed. So he nodded.

"Then that's what I'll be."

"Thank you," Cameron whispered. Then she decided something impulsive. "Just until Sunday."

Jerome quirked a brow, and Cameron cursed the action because it wasn't supposed to be that attractive. "Oh?"

"Yep. Sunday."

"Very well, I suppose I shall survive until then," Jerome lamented, and Cameron's lip twitched. He suddenly smirked. "You know, Caramel, if you wanted to ask me on a date, you could've just asked. You didn't have to go about creating an entire mystery for it."

Cameron smacked Jerome, but she was smiling. "I happen to like mysteries, you ass."

Jerome grinned, catching her hand and pulling her into his chest. "I mean, really, I'm flattered, Caramel. So extravagant. I'm not sure I'll be able to top it for our second date. It's quite a high bar you've set."

"Jerome! Stop it," Cameron whined, smacking him again. But she was still smiling. "You're awful."

"You love it."

"Debatable."

"I'll get you to admit it. One day. Just you see, Caramel."

"Mhmm," she said. "Are you going to stop teasing me, or do I need to take back the bottle of shampoo I replaced for you?" Cameron eyed his hair, smirking. "Electric purple just isn't your color."

"Hmm, and I wonder whose fault that is."

Cameron's expression was perfectly blithe. "Definitely yours."

"Oh, yeah? How do you reckon?"

"Considering the entire decade you shaved off my lifespan with your zombie prank, I think you can survive a little hair dye. Or are you really that much of a wuss?"

"Now, see here —"

Cameron and Jerome joked around a little longer. But mentally, Cameron knew the longer she stayed, the more likely she was to get in trouble. Or that her and Jerome would accidentally wake Alfie. Neither of them wanted that.

"I guess I can suffer in ignorance until Sunday," Jerome waxed, melodramatic, as Cameron voiced her intention to leave. She smirked back at him.

"Impatient, are we?"

"Yes."

"Too bad."

"Rude. Can't you tell me something?"

Cameron smirked. "Have you made an A on a French test, yet?"

Jerome's mind instantly recalled the promise Cameron had made — the one where she said she'd tell him what she was always writing if he made an A on a French test. He had yet to make the grade.

"No fair."

Cameron giggled lightly. "Here." She took one of Jerome's school notebooks, flipped to a fresh page, and wrote her name at the top. "A clue to my little hobby."

Jerome stared at her. "Your name."

She shrugged innocently. "Yep." She popped the "p."

"Seriously?"

Jerome remembered Matt having mentioned something about Cameron's little hobby, and that it pertained to her writing. But he had no idea how her name could possibly be a clue. But beneath his confusion and incredulousness, Jerome's chest swelled with hope. Cameron was beginning to trust him more and more. And it warmed him.

"I'll say nothing more."

Jerome rolled his eyes, melodramatic once more. "Fine. Be that way."

"I will." And she sounded perfectly cheerful.

Cameron reached down, intending to return Jerome's sweatshirt, but he instantly stopped her.

"Keep it," he said quietly. Cameron paused and looked at him, but she couldn't deny that her heart skipped a beat and the idea that he was letting her keep his clothing. So with a little smile, Cameron nodded.

"Goodnight, Jerome," she said. Her eyes flicked to Alfie, and they darkened with worry. "Come get me if something happens, okay?"

Jerome nodded. "I will. Goodnight, Cameron. And thank you."

Then, with one last radiant smile, Cameron was gone.

Jerome's eyes lingered on the door, long after the sound of her sneaking footsteps faded. Long after she had definitely returned to her own bedroom. With a content sigh, Jerome finally settled onto his bed. He had warned himself once that if he wasn't careful, he was going to fall for Cameron. He hadn't taken his own warning seriously enough, and now… Jerome had never felt like this before. And he knew that what he was slowly building with Cameron was special. And he was determined not to screw it up. Patience was not Jerome's strong suit. But it was Cameron, and Jerome would wait for her as long as he needed to.

She was worth it.

But Jerome's good mood was vaporized as Alfie began to whimper and shift in his sleep. Jerome sighed, pained, and sat up. It was going to be a long night.

~)8(~

The next morning, Cameron wandered into the dining room, dressed and yawning. Patricia, Fabian, Amber, and Nina filtered in behind her. Cameron was not amused when she went to sit down with Fabian and saw Mara sitting with her feet on the table.

Cameron scowled and shook her head. Aside from the obvious disgust she felt at seeing feet on a table where everyone ate, Cameron could only feel annoyed. Mara's behavior was becoming ridiculous. In Cameron's mind, Mara was being immature and petty. Cameron stood by what she said yesterday — she did not deserve Mick with the way she was acting.

But she said nothing, sucking back her anger and shoveling toast into her mouth in order to keep it buried.

Once more, Mara was dressed in a skewed uniform with fishnet tights and heels. Her smokey makeup was intense, and her hair was ironed out to her shoulders. Numerous eyes wandered to Mara throughout breakfast, the entire house still not used to the girl's new look.

Cameron was close to snapping at Mara to get her feet off the table when Trudy did it for her (though the housemother was far gentler than Cameron would've been).

Cameron's eyes flicked around the dining room, concern growing in her when she noticed neither Jerome nor Alfie were present.

She hadn't told any of the other Sibunas about what had happened. And she wasn't sure she was going to yet. Alfie's trauma wasn't something they all needed to know about.

Mick came into the dining room.

"Trudy, did you manage to —"

"Yes, it's in the machine," Trudy said kindly. Mick had asked her to wash his sports gear.

"Oh, you're a star," he beamed.

"You'll have to put it in the dryer, though. For half an hour." Mick disappeared into the laundry room and Cameron turned back to her breakfast. She noticed Mara's eyes follow the jock.

"Mara, you haven't eaten anything," Trudy fussed. "Is everything okay?"

But before Mara could answer, Mick cried out.

"No! I don't believe it!"

"Never felt better," Mara reassured, a vindictive smirk on her face. Cameron's eyes narrowed at her. What the hell was that look for?

Cameron got her answer in a way she didn't expect. Mick emerged from the laundry room holding a pair of basketball shorts. What were once probably white and top-of-the-line shorts were now shrunken and stained pink.

"Trudy, you've ruined my sports gear," Mick said. Trudy gasped in horror. "They've shrunk." Cameron frowned as everyone at the table began to laugh. "It was turned up to max. It's ruined!"

"Oh, I dunno," Patricia joked. "I think you'd look quite fetching in those shorts."

"Shut up, Williamson!"

Cameron stood and touched Mick's arm reassuringly. "I have some of my brother's old clothes with me. You can borrow them." Mick practically sagged with relief. "And Trudy, I don't think this was your fault."

"What do you mean?"

"Single red sock in the dryer? Classic prank."

"So you think this was Alfie or Jerome?" Mick said, already looking angry. Cameron quickly shook her head.

"No, I don't. They're on probation, so they're laying low for a while."

"So, who then?"

Cameron's eyes fell on Mara, who still wore her smirk. Cameron's glare deepened, truly appalled by the girl's behavior.

Mara's expression faltered. Mick noticed.

But nothing could be said because Jerome came into the dining room.

"Cameron." Everyone looked his way. He ignored them all, staring solely at Cameron. And she knew instantly that something was wrong. "I could do with some help."

Cameron immediately followed him to his room. She heard her fellow Sibunas (nosy and not even trying to hide it) follow.

Cameron slid into Jerome and Alfie's bedroom and shut the door.

But she paused when her eyes fell on Alfie.

He was worse than last night. He was still tucked beneath the covers, but his zombie costume and brow were drenched in sweat, and he seemed to once again be wavering between falling into shock and descending into a panic attack.

Alfie didn't even notice as Cameron entered the room.

Cameron looked at Jerome and instantly noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept last night.

He hadn't. He'd gone back and forth all night between waking Alfie from nightmares, comforting him, and watching over him as he fell into fitful sleep, only for the nightmares to return, and the cycle repeated.

"Oh, Jerome…" Cameron whispered. "Why didn't you come get me?"

"I didn't want to leave him alone," Jerome whispered. Cameron nodded. She understood that.

There was a knock on the bedroom door. Cameron looked at Jerome. He seemed to think for a couple seconds, but then nodded.

Cameron let Nina, Fabian, Amber, and Patricia into the room. They all gasped when they saw Alfie.

The boy himself didn't even seem to register they were there.

"Is he all right?" Nina asked, instantly concerned.

"He still hasn't said anything," Jerome said. He was trying to keep the distress he felt out of his voice, but Cameron noticed it anyway and laced their fingers together. Jerome gripped her hand tight, her touch grounding him amidst the swirling worry and fear.

"He's catatonic," Nina said. "What happened?"

Cameron and Jerome explained everything the best they could. They admitted they had no idea exactly what had happened, just that something had.

"How did you get into the cellar?" Fabian asked. The only way to open the secret passageway was Nina's locket.

"I picked the lock on the cellar door," Cameron said.

She squeezed Jerome's hand briefly, and he realized that not even Cameron's friends knew about that key of hers. That made things all the more confusing for him. Cameron and her friends all shared this one big secret with each other, yet they didn't know about Cameron's key?

Why?

But Jerome had other things to think about, and the thought was put out of his mind.

"What do you think he saw down there?" Nina wondered, still eyeing Alfie with concern. None of them touched him, as he seemed to flinch anytime they came near his bed.

"Victor stuffing cats?" Amber suggested.

"Not helping, Amber," Fabian scolded. He moved towards Alfie. "Alfie…" The boy flinched at Fabian's light touch to his arm, and Jerome winced. Cameron gave his hand a comforting squeeze, moving closer to him. "Cut it out, mate. You really need to snap out of this. It's time to go to school."

Jerome and Cameron glared at Fabian for his insensitivity, but Patricia cut in first.

"He won't wake up if you try it that way."

"Alfie, there are pancakes in the kitchen," Fabian tried. But Alfie gave no indication he had even heard Fabian, and Cameron felt dread and anxiety begin to pool in her gut. More than she had felt last night.

Slowly, gently, as if Alfie were a startled, wounded animal, she approached. She kneeled beside Alfie's bed, and gave his hand the barest of touches. He flinched, and Cameron softly soothed him.

"Alfie… It's me, Cameron. You're safe, Alfie. I promise. Nothing is going to hurt you or happen to you. Jerome and I won't let anything happen to you, Alfie. You're safe now." Cameron stroked her hand over his hair, encouraged when Alfie, instead of flinching away, seemed to calm. "What happened, Alfie? We only want to help."

"I saw… I saw…"

But asking Alfie to recount what happened was a mistake, and he began to hyperventilate. Cameron hurriedly tried to calm him again, but her touch only made things worse.

"Alfie? Alfie!" Jerome cried as his friend dissolved into a panic attack.

"Okay, someone get him some water, now!" Fabian said. Patricia ran out of the room.

"And a paper bag, they always do that in the movies," Nina suggested.

"This isn't a movie, Nina," Cameron said, trying not to take her stress out on her. She was still trying to calm Alfie, but nothing she was doing was working. Nina quickly grabbed a water bottle out of Patricia's bag. Alfie downed what was in it.

And he began to choke and gag.

Cameron cried out, recoiling in shock. Jerome's arms were around her in a heartbeat.

"Did you give him that?"

Patricia was back, glass of water in hand. But it was forgotten as Patricia stared at Nina and the water bottle she was holding. Cameron's eyes widened. That was —

"Why was it still in your bag?" Nina gasped, horrified.

It was the bottle they'd hidden the elixir in.

Alfie's head lolled, unconscious and unresponsive.

"I'll go get someone!" Nina cried. And everyone else could only stare with horror as she ran from the room.

~)8(~

It was less than ten minutes later that Alfie was wheeled away by paramedics. Everyone stood in the entry hall, nervous and worried. Even Mara was looking more like her normal self in her concern for Alfie.

"I'm going to go in the ambulance with him," Trudy said, making to follow the paramedics.

"I'll call his parents," Victor replied.

For the first time, Victor resembled the caretaker he was supposed to be.

The residents of Anubis House stood around, varying degrees of worry and distress filtering through the room. Cameron and Jerome stood near the other Sibunas, arms wrapped around each other for comfort.

"Is he going to be okay?" Amber asked, chewing her lip.

"They think so, sweetie," Trudy assured them all gently. "But they did ask if he'd taken anything."

"Like what?" Victor asked, looking confused.

"I don't know, they just said something."

Nina made a split-second decision.

"He… he took a sip of this just before he collapsed."

Nina handed the juice bottle over to Trudy, who took a whiff and recoiled.

"Ooh, that doesn't smell too good. I'll take that with me."

And then she was gone. Everyone was silent as Victor closed and locked the door behind her. He turned to them all, his glower somehow more severe than they'd ever seen before.

"No one is to leave this house until I find out exactly what happened."

Cameron and Jerome pressed closer together, grounding each other through the haze of distress and dread. One by one, Victor brought the students up to his office and questioned them. Cameron and Jerome never spoke, simply waiting and basking in the comfort the other brought. Jerome's face migrated once more into the crook of her neck, and Cameron pressed her face into his chest, blinking back tears and letting their hearts beat together.

Jerome was eventually called upstairs, and with a gentle kiss to her crown, he disentangled himself from Cameron, listlessly following Victor into his office.

Cameron was last.

"Now, Miss Zack," Victor started. "You've always been honest with me, unlike the others. What happened to Alfie?"

Cameron's breath shuddered, and her eyes stung.

"I don't know. Honestly, I don't know," she whispered. She was close to breaking down, but surprisingly, Victor never pushed her to hurry or gather herself. "I don't know if something happened last night, or if something happened this morning, or if he wasn't feeling well in the first place. I don't know. I just know that when Jerome came to get me during breakfast this morning, Alfie was sweaty and on the verge of a panic attack. He didn't speak, he flinched at every touch, it was awful. And when I finally calmed him down enough to speak, he got two words in before he began to hyperventilate. Nina gave him the drink. I don't know what it was. But Alfie choked, and he passed out. That's what happened. I swear."

Victor didn't say anything, and Cameron's stinging eyes looked at her lap. "Can I go now?"

"Yes."

Cameron was gone and barricaded in her room in mere seconds. There, she allowed herself to finally cry, muffling the noises with her hands. Her eyes squeezed as tears leaked out, and she felt the pressure lessen in her chest as she finally let them go. A few minutes passed, and Cameron took a few shuddering breaths, calming down. She wiped her face, grabbed a pair of shorts and a shirt for Mick, and went downstairs. Cameron handed Mick the clothing without a word, and he thanked her with a gentle kiss to her cheek.

"Alfie will be all right," he assured her.

But Cameron couldn't reply before Nina practically dragged her upstairs and into the bedroom with the rest of Sibuna.

Patricia started in as soon as the door was closed. "Why did you give him the elixir? Now we've lost our proof!"

"Not necessarily," Nina sighed. "We still have Cameron's portion."

Patricia's steam lessened a bit as she remembered that. But Nina wasn't done.

"I'm just wondering if we should get rid of all of it," she admitted. Cameron had to admit that she was wondering the same thing. "It's just nothing but bad."

"No way!" Patricia protested.

"But it's already put our friend in the hospital!"

"Cameron's elixir is well-hidden. There's no chance of Victor or anyone else finding it."

Cameron bit her lip, wondering if she should move the elixir. Maybe it would be for the best. If only one of them knew where it was, then there was even less of a chance of someone finding it.

"I'm just not sure about any of this anymore," Nina sighed. "It's all too much!"

Nina ran from the room, leaving her friends feeling more worried than ever.

~)8(~

As soon as Victor had deemed them all innocent (or more likely hadn't found any proof of guilt), he dismissed the Anubis House residents to go to school. They all went, needing the distraction from the chaos of the morning.

Cameron sat in the common room, using her free period to draft the new play scenes with Sally and her imaginary friend. However, nothing was coming out right, and Cameron grew frustrated, unable to overcome the creative block her emotions had put up. Cameron half-wished Kate were here, so they could talk through the scene and brainstorm together, but Kate had stayed in town today. Probably to go on a date with a certain innkeeper.

Cameron huffed with frustration and shut her laptop harder than necessary.

"Whatever did your laptop do to you?" Jerome quipped, plopping beside her.

Cameron exhaled. "Nothing. Just frustrated." She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling the beginnings of a stress headache building behind her eyes.

Jerome shifted, and in a move Cameron never would have predicted, began to gently massage her shoulders.

Cameron tensed for a second, then melted against him. Jerome kept one hand on the back of her neck, burying his fingers in her hair and massaging her scalp. The other shifted to smooth up and down her back.

"Sorry," she said.

"S'okay," Jerome reassured her.

"He's your best friend," Cameron muttered. "I should be comforting you."

"Holding you is enough."

Cameron snuggled closer, one hand resting over his heart and her other snaking around his back.

Cameron wished they could've stayed like that all afternoon, but she had a meeting with Mrs. Andrews soon. So, reluctantly, Cameron gathered her things and left the common room, but not before pecking Jerome on the cheek (flushing bright pink as she did so).

Cameron wandered towards Mrs. Andrews' classroom, but paused as she came across Nina and Fabian in the history room.

Nina looked like she had been crying.

"So, Captain Nina." Patricia strode into the room behind Cameron. "Fabian still hasn't solved the riddle, I still can't get a hold of Rufus, Cameron still hasn't solved her little mystery, Alfie's in the hospital." Cameron sighed. Patricia's bluntness was usually a breath of fresh air, but Cameron could see Nina was blaming herself for what happened to Alfie. Right now, the blunt girl wasn't helping.

"Am I picking up some weird romantic tension in here?" Amber asked, glancing between Nina and Fabian.

"Guys," Nina addressed softly, "I can't do this anymore."

Cameron froze, then her eyes widened. Nina wasn't…

But she was. Slowly, Nina took off her locket and dropped it into Cameron's hand. The girl herself could only stare.

Nina looked at Fabian. "You said Sarah chose me for a reason. You forgot that she also chose Cameron."

Nina put a hand to her eye, and Sibuna'd for the final time.

"I'm out."

And then, just like that, Nina was gone.

And it was only then that Cameron recovered.

She never would've expected this. Never. Of all the people to quit the mystery and Sibuna, she never thought it would've been Nina. Cameron partially understood. She felt herself threatening to buckle under the weight of this responsibility every day. But Sarah had entrusted her with this. So she would carry it.

Nina would be back. Cameron was sure of it.

But until then, Cameron would just have to carry on.

So, with that resolve in mind, Cameron slid the locket into her bag and looked at the others.

"I understand if you guys feel similarly to Nina. This is a lot. More than we could've ever comprehended. This is stressful and hard, even dangerous. And I understand if you guys want out as well. But Nina was right. Sarah chose me. So I'm continuing this. Are you with me?"

Patricia was the first to nod, followed by Amber. Fabian's eyes flicked to the door where Nina had disappeared, but then he looked back, and he nodded, looking more resolved than ever.

Cameron slowly smiled. "Good. We've got work to do. Fabian, continue working on the riddle. There's got to be something we've missed. Patricia —" the girl straightened — "keep trying to get a hold of Rufus. He knows something about what's going on, and we can't stop until we've talked to him properly. I'm going to hide the elixir somewhere new. It's smarter and safer if only one or two of us know where it is. And Amber, I need your help with the school play. The imaginary friend scenes are killing me."

The four remaining Sibunas nodded and smiled at each other. They were continuing this. It was too important to back out now. And deep down, they knew that Nina would be back.

She and Cameron started this together. And everyone knew that they would be the ones to finish it.


Hey all! I know this chapter is a bit later than you all expected, but I hope the amount of Jerome/Cameron (Jameron?) fluff makes up for. There's also a good Mick/Cameron friendship scene in here. Drop me a review and let me know what you think, and I'll publish the next chapter as soon as I can :)

Reviews

FallenArcana: Yes! We're within mere chapters of the reveal! I'm so excited to write it! Not everyone is going to figure it out right away, of course, but someone of Cameron's friends will be quicker on the uptake than others ;) And yeah, Cameron's going to start being more hard-assed about maintaining their secret, especially as Rufus returns and Victor becomes more and more suspicious. I'm glad you liked the little scene after the zombie prank :) And honestly, slow burns are some of my all-time favorite fics. Especially when it comes to teenage characters, because I think teen romance (generally) tends to fall into two categories - meet and fall in love within an unreasonably short time frame (Twilight, the Mortal Instruments, etc.) and I've-loved-you-for-years-and-now-you-feel-the-same (Harry/Ginny, Katniss/Peeta, Piper/Jason). My all-time favorite relationship in a youth novel is Percy and Annabeth from Percy Jackson, because I adore their chemistry, but also because I genuinely appreciate their need to focus on friendship, themselves, and outside responsibilities before they truly give in to their feelings. I felt a slow(ish) burn was the way to go for Cameron and Jerome. Let me know what you think of this chapter :) Lots of good fluff/angst in it.
Maricate: Got some more texts for you in this chapter :) And yes, the prank war has officially begun! And Cameron's not just considering telling Jerome, she's straight-up planning to do it (sort of). I completely agree that Jerome would've been one of Sibunas best members had they just included him. He's so clever and cunning, more so than people give him credit for. Mara is tied for my least favorite HoA character with Joy. Fabina is my HoA OTP so I never really liked Joy due to her undermining attempts to win Fabian in S2. But I do admit that sometimes I feel bad for Mara. She definitely fits the type of girl that looks for validation through boyfriends/relationships. Plus, she has a bad habit of failing to learn from her mistakes. And while I want to help her grow out of that, it'll have to be in the sequels. Mick/Mara was honestly my least-favorite relationship, so I'm taking creative license with what's going to happen with them. Are you enjoying the way I'm writing their drama and angst? And yes, sometimes I get frustrated by the way Nina seems to treat Sarah - like she's just a tool to utilize for solving the mystery. Sarah and Cameron definitely have a different type of relationship. Cameron feels very protective of Sarah, so she they definitely have a special relationship. Oh, and who doesn't love Gwaine xD Let me know what you think of this chapter :)
cameron: Hey there! Yeah, Merlin's ending had me unable to think right for a week. Not much with Kate and the Mack Renacoz story in this chapter, but next one is a big one :) Let me know what you think of this update :)
hella-sirius: Have I mentioned that I love your username? And yes, I have so much fun writing the scenes with Cameron and Jerome. This chapter is a big one for them. What do you think of the ones here? Let me know what you think, and thanks for reviewing :)

Thank you!

Sammiemoosam