*Disclaimer, I do not own House of Anubis all of that belongs to Nickelodeon, Hans Bourlon and Gert Verhulst. I, however, own Cammie and her little storyline :P I hope you enjoy!*

Series 2, Episode 20 ~ House of Vertigo

The next day was chaos as Joy was in full organisation mode – Amber tutting at Camilla when at breakfast she asked what it was all for and explained Gustav Ziestack wanted an opening ball or something for the exhibition. Before then she informed Camilla, she had already bought her a dress and not to worry.

"Hopscotch is like dancing," Amber explained simply as she shut her locker and wandered over to where the twins who were stood by Fabian's locker, the boy had just finished swapping out books from the morning classes for his afternoon ones. Camilla using his open locker door as a place to hang her blazer as she re-arranged her badge collection, "if you can dance you can do hopscotch,"

"Fabian can't dance," Camilla instantly said just as Fabian said.

"I can't dance,"

Amber paused realising the flaw in her plan with a frown, but before they could elaborate any more Nina rushed up to the group.

"I've been looking up Hopscotch online," She told them.

"that sounds like riveting reading," Camilla sarcastically muttered causing a smile to appear on Amber's face as she tried not to laugh.

Nina ignored the comment but from the small smile that quirked onto her face she too found the comment funny, "it goes way back. There are dozens of different kinds of grids, loads of different versions of the rules..." she railed off.

"It makes no sense," Fabian frowned, looking between the girls, "Hopscotch? Seems kinda crazy for a middle-aged mastermind, doesn't it?"

The girls all looked to one another with smiles, the fact Robert used hopscotch was something they all understood. "He had a little girl," Amber explained simply, "little girls love hopscotch..."

Fabian looked to Camilla and raised his eyebrows, "sorry my only reference would be Camilla growing up and if I recall correctly, she liked throwing bones at my head, and mocking me because all the Camels we ever hired liked her more than me." This caused Camilla and Amber to laugh as Nina gasped.

"The dollhouse!" she told them, causing the other three to look her way coming to the same realisation. Why hadn't they looked there sooner, Sarah's dollhouse, if anything was going to help them out it probably be that. "we'll stake it out after school," Nina told them all with a smile. Amber and Nina walking down to the student lounge to get given jobs from Joy, as Fabian lifted Camilla's blazer from his locker door and shut it, the pair following on behind him.

Joy instantly grabbed Fabian the moment they entered the room, muttering something about how Gustav had insisted the twins do a speech and the girl knowing better than to drag Camilla places. Camilla didn't need to wait long for one of her boys to turn up as they both entered the room holding the controls to the sound system.

"I bet; this is what the inside of Joy's brain must look like..." she said as a greeting to them both falling into step as they wandered across the room.

"Joy said medium volume, minimum bass..." Jerome commented as the climbed onto the stage, turning to his friends before saying, "Nahh..." causing Alfie and Camilla to laugh.

The moment Camilla got onto the stage to follow the boy's Joy grabbed her and pulled her to Fabian, "Cam I know I know you hate speeches, blah blah blah," the girls told her in a bored tone, "but Gustav requested you two and you two he will have. I've already written it you just need to learn it!" she told her causing Camilla to give Fabian an annoyed look.

"it's one speech," Fabian whispered to his sister, but he knew she wouldn't budge, "next fancy dinner we get asked to go too by Mum and Dad, I'll lie for you so you can miss it." Fabian offered, knowing what his sister was like, and seeing Camilla's eyebrows raise he knew he had won her over.

"Fine..." Camilla sighed causing Joy to smile at them both before she mouthed a 'thank you' to Fabian.

"And at 7.30 precisely representatives of the student body, chosen by Mr Ziestack, make a speech!" Mr Sweet read off a clipboard in the middle of the room, looking around until he saw the two Rutter's talking with Joy. "Oh, Fabian! Camilla!" he called to them, causing the three on the stage to look around at the headteacher, "that's you!" unknown to Camilla what that meant was they were doing a mic-check as Joy pushed the twins to the mic.

"Eh..." was all Fabian had time to say before there was a loud feedback sound causing everyone to flitch, Joy letting out a frustrated scream noise before she marched onto the stage to deal with whatever was going with the Mics, only for a table to fall onto Amber's foot causing her to scream loudly and just to make matters worse the power went out. Camilla wasn't the only one to burst out laughing at it all. It was defiantly going to be a long few days of preparation.

Amber was using Camilla as a lean as she limped into the dining room, "it will be alright on the night, right?" Fabian asked his sister for the 30th time since coming back to the house. They had had to read the speech Joy had written only 4 times before Camilla had ripped it up and re-wrote it (kind of, she spoke into the mic a random speech off the top of her head and made sure to record it on her phone.) Joy's was all pompous and wordy, Camilla knew the kind of person Gustav was and she defiantly knew the student body. What she had Fabian now had was short sweet and to the point but not lacking the heart the speech needed.

"Yes Fabian, if you don't stop asking me, I will do the speech myself and you can just stand there and look pretty!" Camilla all but growled at him.

"I hope this heals soon; I can't go to the dance like this!" Amber mumbled looking at her foot, Fabian pulling out her chair as she turned to Nina and Camilla lowering her voice to add, "And what about the hopscotch?!"

Nina sat down looking nervous, seeing the looks passing between the twins but thankfully knowing better than saying anything to Amber. Joy tapped Fabian on the shoulder, causing him to turn to face her, Camilla watching the conversation curiously as she rounded the table and sat down next to Jerome.

"so you know how we have this big exam coming up for Geology?" Joy asked him, causing Camilla to glance to Nina to see her expression souring. By the Gods, she wished Nina and Fabian would get over themselves and just kiss and makeup, but she didn't say anything as she did promise she wouldn't interfere.

"Geography!" Nina corrected Joy loudly.

"Ehh, Tamato, tomato," Joy waved her off keeping her focus on Fabian, "we could talk about the ball at the same time."

"Yeah... yeah..." Fabian agreed, mainly because he didn't know how to say no. "what right now?" he asked looking at Amber and Nina who were glaring at him, they had plans after dinner... the dollhouse, the tunnels.

Joy gasped loudly, "great idea! Sit next to me and we can talk all about it!" she told him grabbing his hand and pulling him up the table making him take Eddie's seat.

Camilla looked at Jerome who was quietly chuckling in her ear, the two of them seeing Nina's jealous look and knowing they were about to get a show along with their meal.

Almost on cue, Eddie came into the room eating a packet of crisps, "What's for dinner?" he asked loudly.

Camilla had never seen Nina move so quickly as she grabbed Eddie's arm a flirtatious smile on her face, "You can sit next to us Eddie," she told the boy indicating the seat between her and Camilla.

The boy looked to Camilla who shrugged she didn't mind, but Eddie wasn't daft he saw the look Nina threw Fabian's way and he knew the real reason she was pulling him to sit with her, though the arm Jerome put on the back of Camilla's chair as Eddie sat down caused him to smirk. Just a small step in getting... what did Amber call them 'Jemilla' together (yes he had been roped into getting them together along with Poppy, Amber, Patricia and Joy he was their honorary boy now Mick had left – there was a meeting book and everything for it).

"I'm winning you, over aren't I?" He told Nina flirtatiously, putting his hand on her chair causing the girl to giggle.

"You know he eats with his mouth open?" Patricia pipped up from the end of the table causing Eddie to glance her way.

"Yeah, and he burps..." Fabian bitterly added.

"Can you burp the alphabet?" Camilla asked not missing the jealous comments but more than happy to pretend she did, "I always run out of air around the letter K... but once thanks to a 2-litre bottle of Pepsi Alfie got the letter R!"

"Yeah, I did!" Alfie exclaimed the two best friends high fiving across the table causing Jerome and Eddie to burst out laughing, whilst Amber let out a small 'eww', but thankfully that was enough to break the tension that had formed around the table.

"Where's Fabian?" Amber asked after 40 minutes of watching Nina pace back and forth in their room. Camilla was hanging off the end of her bed, watching the girl trying not to yawn.

"Study buddies..." Nina bitterly replied, finally coming to a stop as she sat on the wooden box Camilla kept at the end of her bed.

Amber turning on her bed to face the pair, "You know, he knows how important this is." Camilla reassured Nina as she sat up with a groan.

"He's even learning Hopscotch for you," Amber added in a serious tone, "no boy has ever done that for me."

"Has it ever come up?" Nina asked.

"No..." Amber stuttered causing Camilla to roll her eyes at Nina. She was being a right grouch.

Thankfully before Camilla could put her foot in it, Fabian entered the room with a smile. "Sorry that took so long," He told them only receiving a smile from Camilla, though his eyes widened as he looked behind the girls. "Hello!" he yelled pointing behind them causing the girls heads to all whip around to see the dolls house all lit up and a door wide open.

"Sarah!" Nina screamed as they all jumped to their feet and raced to it, "I need a pen! I need a pen!" Nina screamed. Amber grabbing a pen whilst Camilla grabbed a notepad for Nina as the dollhouse started to glow animal symbols.

"Moo!" Amber spoke as she saw the animals. "Baa, woof, Quack, Meow!"

Nina frantically wrote down the symbols as she saw them. Fabian looked the girls way as the light died down in the doll's house, "Well, did you get it?"

"Cow, Sheep, Dog, Duck and Cat," Nina read off.

"Moo, Baa, woof, Quack, Meow!" Amber repeated in a 'duh' tone. With that, the two girls high fived and Camilla sat down on her bed with a small laugh. Fabian raised his hand too for a high five causing Amber to give him an 'as if' look, "you get a three at most," she told him giving him a high three.

Jerome had called them all into the living room the next day, it was a Saturday and they all had better things to do, but Alfie insisted they should hear him out. The boy entered the living room with boxes full of Masquerade masks and put them down on the coffee table. "Gather round, gather round!" he called, Camilla sitting up from where she had been lying on the couch as he placed down the boxes. "I have for your selection the finest array of masks the up and coming ball!" At this point, the Anubis house had all gathered in the living room, "All reasonable prices."

Camilla picking up a delicate grey and white mask on a stick and holding it up to her face turning to show Eddie who had sat down next to her, pulling a face as he turned to her with a jester mask doing a similar thing causing the two to laugh as they pulled away. Camilla glanced to Amber and held up the mask in her hand for her approval – the girl had chosen her dress after all – and after a second of contemplation she got a nod from the blonde. "how much for this J?" Camilla asked holding the mask up.

Jerome smiled as Camilla put the mask to her face and mock posed, "for you, free." Eddie held up his mask to Jerome who quickly said, "for you a fiver..."

"How come miss pretty girl over here gets her's for free?" Eddie mumbled though Jerome didn't respond as his focus was on the girls at the other end of the living room.

"I guess Jerome loves me more than you Eddie," Camilla fake sympathetically told him.

Eddie pulling a face though their attention changed as Alfie pulled out a Frankenstein's monster mask and pulled it onto his face. "Alfie you can't wear that mask, my dress isn't green and you're not eight," Amber told him, causing the two across the room to snigger quietly to one another at the subtle burn Amber gave her boyfriend (Camilla missing the daggers Patricia was sending her way).

"Amber..." Alfie stuttered.

"Whipped!" Eddie not to subtly coughed into his hand causing Camilla to finally let out a loud laugh, Eddie looking proudly beside her grinning.

"Ambs I said it once, and I'll say it again..." Camilla told the girl as she calmed down, "All children grow up, except two," she smiled at Alfie then at Jerome who shook his head with a bright smile on his face at Camilla's comment. Camilla defiantly seeing the dirty look Mara shot her way but not caring.

Nina picked up a mask and showed it to Fabian, trying to distract him from his twin and Eddie who were laughing away on the couch, Fabian smiled at Nina, "It's perfect."

"But I don't have anything to wear it with..." Nina commented softly. Unlike Camilla she hadn't let Amber loose with her debit card, she'd learned that lesson the hard way. "I mean with everything that's been going on I've not had any time..." Nina trailed off as Jerome interrupted.

"Hello, I couldn't help but overhearing... now I am not only the owner of fine masks, but of fine dresses too..." Jerome offered her. "reasonable prices..."

Nina and Fabian burst out laughing at what he was saying, "a dress you chose? I don't think so."

"Oh they are nice," Mara pipped up from behind them, Camilla glancing over between Amber showing her masks, "I've seen the one he sold Joy."

"It's true I look amazing," Joy confidently told them.

"Camilla!" Amber hissed causing the girl to look her way again as she put two masks to her face trying to get the girl to choose between them. Camilla frowned as she took them both in before going for the Golder champagne colour, it matched her dress better. Amber looked at it before nodded with a bright smile.

The Sibuna's were going to use the hallway as a place to practice the hopscotch moves because Fabian needed as much practice as he could muster. However, when the time came for them to practice, he was too busy with his new Study Buddy to arrive. Camilla had gotten board waiting and she had put on some music, on her phone and held a hand out to Amber, so the two were now practising their waltz in the hallway, Nina letting out a laugh as Camilla dipped the blonde just as Fabian and Joy wandered out from the dining room.

"listen I want to say thanks for everything," Joy told him, looking around as he threw her books into her arms and looked at the three girls who had been waiting for him in the hallway. Joy coughed before looking back to Fabian, "Well you know after everything last year, I want to say thanks for being there for me," Camilla bit her lip as Joy reached out and took the boys hand giving it a squeeze, she didn't need the intake of breath from Amber to even tell her what sour look was on Nina's face at that interaction. What made Camilla want to laugh was how bewildered Fabian was about it all. Joy let go of his hand and made her way up the stairs past Nina.

"Sorry," Fabian told the three Sibuna's, "I had to be a..."

"Study buddy," the three girls chimed, Camilla, being the only one who sounded amused the other two had bitter tones.

"We know," Amber told him bluntly, "let's just get practising, I'm out until my foot gets better so I'll be the Simon Cowell," Amber changed the topic with ease as she limped to the top of the hallway, Fabian looking at Camilla with confusion.

"I love you Fabby," Camilla whispered as Amber instructed Nina to hopscotch, "but you are hopeless with girls,"

"I know," Fabian groaned in a whisper causing Camilla to laugh and the smallest smile to appear on his face.

"Camilla! Your turn!" Amber said causing the female twin to turn to face the blonde. "Moo, Baa, woof, Quack, Meow!"

Camilla nodded, "Hathor, Anum, Anubis, Geb and Bastet," Camilla whispered using the god's actual names not their symbols as she hopped. She was a little wobbly but she crossed giving Nina and high five as they turned to Fabian. The main worry of them all.

"your turn Fabian," Amber told him, "remember to go with the rhythm."

Fabian did not go with the rhythm and if he did it was a rhythm Camilla had never heard before, as he literally fell over his own feet into Nina causing the two to burst out laughing and Amber and Camilla shook their heads.

"Not funny people, so not funny!" Amber said as Camilla mocked someone being squashed by the ceiling to the laughing pair.

"What is so amusing?" Victor called through the window he had opened to listen to Camilla's music in his office and looking down at the four teenagers.

"Thank you!" Amber exclaimed pointing up at Victor.

"Tomorrow is the day of the grand opening!" Victor shouted, "I shall not allow you to jeopardise such an important event through lack of sleep or preparation. Go to bed now!" He told them all with a wave of his hand.

Amber grabbed Camilla's hand and said something about facemasks as the two ran up the stairs to their room.

"it's not like Fabian and I need to be told about how important the connections to the past is, but exhibitions like this are always a nice reminder to those of us who often forget," Camilla spoke into the microphone, her small joke causing a wave of laughter, though the most prominent came from Gustav causing Mr Sweet to gleam with pride, Camilla paused as she looked around the room at the sea of students, teachers and investors of Gustav Ziestack and the treasures of Egypt exhibition.

Camilla looked to Fabian who continued for her, "even though each civilisation comes and goes they always leave behind a footprint for us all, and that couldn't be more important for all of us today." Fabian spoke into the mic before turning to Camilla who grinned at him. Mr Sweet led the applause but the twins both looked out into the audience to see their dates. Nina was grinning up at Fabian with pride and Camilla glanced to the side of the room where Jerome was stood, Alfie and Eddie whispering something but his eyes where on Camilla and as their eyes met Camilla could see they were full of pride. He didn't need to clap for her to know he was proud and they both knew it.

Fabian held his hand out to Camilla and helped her down off the stage where Nina met them, Camilla muttering a soft reason to leave as the music started to play. Fabian realised why Camilla had left and instantly took it as his opportunity to ask Nina to dance. Camilla and Amber watching on with smiles as both their dates were laughing with Eddie, honestly, the two girls where considering dancing with each other at this point. Finally, the two did what the girls where hoping and they kissed, causing actual squeals of joy to escape their mouths as they grabbed onto each other in celebration.

Nina seemed to say something before she walked from the party. Before Camilla knew it, she was watching Nina as she wandered into the tunnels, completing the hopscotch and reaching the Chasm looking around for a way to cross it before the spirit arrived. Screaming at Nina she pushed the girl into the chasm. Nina's screams caused Camilla to bolt upright in her dream, glancing across the room to the American who was in her bed hugging her toy rabbit to her. It was a dream... it was all a dream...

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