Holy-okay-WOW. I was not expecting to update this chapter the NEXT DAY! It's only been 14 hours!
Listen guys, I really wasn't expecting this many reviews. Swear to God, I'm still writing chapter 18. So here's the deal. If I get another ten reviews on this one, I'll upload chapter 17 asap just like I promised. However I'm gonna need another week to write more after that. (I also get the feeling there's someone who is reviewing over and over to get the next chapter… which I'm totally fine with) But During this week, I'll write up to chapter 22 and then we can do this again. I was expecting five reviews per chapter and that I'd have time to write at least to chapter 19 before I uploaded this chapter.
Chapter 16
Brrr! I'm freezing my fingers outside! Jesus did not die for this. But who can be surprised? Couldn't stay warm forever, right? Whatever. It's December now, what are you gonna do? So do you all think they'll be able to show their faces today? Or will they hide in shame? Oh you know who I'm talking about, the Anubilames. -Jackal
The new table finally came, and Alfie was able to sit with everyone without feeling like he couldn't breathe, and even Piper could sit with them. It was her last day, she decided that the 'gas leak' was all cleared up and it was time to go home. Surprisingly, Patricia wasn't pushing her out the door. After helping her get over her pride and asking Eddie, well with less words, they were on good terms. She also found what Patricia's school was like extremely enjoyable, and loved watching them plot. "Nothing like this happens at the music school!" she kept saying. "It's like a Tv show."
After breakfast, cooked by Trudy (who felt she should at least give them breakfast) before she went to Hathor House, they had about ten minutes to spare before they had to walk to school.
"So, what's the plan?" Jerome asked Joy.
"Maybe," Willow spoke up. "We don't have to do anything really bad, maybe we can just… talk to them?"
"Aw, that's cute baby." Alfie smiled at her, wrapping his arm around her. "What's the plan, Joy?"
"You're not gonna like it." Joy said as she finished her juice. "Nothing."
Willow smiled. "Nothing?" Patricia repeated. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah!" Alfie spoke up. "Yesterday you were all 'We're fighting back! Rawr Joy smash!'"
"Yeah, I wanna do some damage!" Mick pounded his fist in his hand.
"Duh." Joy rolled her eyes. "We're not going to do anything, yet. We're going to continue today as if nothing's changed. We're giving them a sense of false security. Make them think they've won. Next week we're going away for Winter Holiday, if the washer isn't here by then, we'll be able to get our best clothes at home. Jerome can moose his hair again, Amber can do whatever spa treatment she needs to for her 'flawless skin again'. We'll come back from holiday, and pull the rug from under their feet. Then, we really get them."
"Don't you think they'll suspect something's up?" Eddie asked. "I think they're expecting a fight."
"Of course not. They're not experienced enough to see that when something's too easy it's literally too easy." Joy said. "It's a classic, and if it works for anyone, it will work for them."
"They won't know what hit them." Mara grinned.
"Okay Anubilames, time to get to class." Fabian said which earned him some chuckles.
Classes were uneventful. The Hathor group was loving themselves at the moment. They kept saying, 'We've pranked them!' 'And we've gotten away with it!' The Anubians, who all were very good at acting, just kept their heads down in 'shame'. Sometimes, they'd have to bite their tongues to keep from laughing.
"We played the same prank Sweetie," Joy told Nina after hearing Joey talk about the experience of egging the Anubis crew to a few Mut girls. "They can't even come up with their own decent prank."
Eventually the day was over, and they all went home. But the thing was, they didn't need to work all of the time, and they couldn't do anything that would get the noticed by Jack, so they were actually extremely bored. Some people played board games, some decided to study anyway (Fabian), some just watched TV, or played video games. Mara had an idea of what she wanted to do.
"Geez, Mara," Jerome said as she sat on his lip. "You know I'm the last to say no but, he's tired."
"Aw, come on," Mara purred. "Do it for me?"
"Mara, even I don't do this every day." Jerome said.
"Yeah you do!"
"I don't do it five times a day!"
Mara scowled and got off of him. "You did two nights ago."
Jerome laughed at the thought. "Just the beginning of the year, all you ever said was that I was a huge slut that couldn't tame my dick."
"Just the beginning of the year all you ever said was that you wanted to get in my pants!" Mara rebounded.
"No!" Jerome stood up. "No, I mean yeah I wanted in your pants but it's not all I wanted! I didn't want you to just be sex, but damn it Mara, is that all I am to you?"
"Why would you think that?" Mara asked.
"We spend more time in bed than we do just talking!"
"Isn't that what you like?"
"Yeah!" Jerome exclaimed. "For those girls I have here who's name I couldn't tell you if you paid me but you're Mara! Mara Iris Jaffray! I know you're name!"
"Look, Jerome, I like you." Mara said buttoning her shirt, feeling like nothing was going to happen. "But I don't want a relationship right now. And I'm surprised you do."
"Look, if you want something to, as Eddie would say, scratch your itch, ask Mick. I'm sure he'd do it in a heartbeat." Jerome waved out the door. Mara sighed and left. Jerome frowned. "When did I become such a girl?"
Patricia walked into Eddie's room, and sat next to him on the bed. "Piper left."
"Yeah?" Eddie asked, Patricia nodded. "Remind me to send her a muffin basket."
Patricia snorted.
"Speaking of muffin baskets…" Eddie gave her a sly smirk but she pushed him away.
"I thought you wanted to go slow?" Patricia said. Eddie let out a pathetic whimper which Patricia couldn't help laughing at. "I'm just kidding!"
Eddie's face lit up and in one swift move, he threw Patricia around on the bed and under himself. "Halleluiah!"
"Who says you get to top?" Patricia asked unbuttoning his shirt.
"My ego?"
"Well," Patricia pulled him down slowly before flipping them so she was on top. "Your ego obviously hasn't met me then."
"I'll be right back." Willow said to Alfie. "I want to borrow something from Fabian." Alfie nodded as she left. She opened Mick, Fabian, and Eddie's room. "Fabian do you have-Whoa!" she closed the door quickly. She saw Eddie and Patricia in a way she really didn't want to see them. 'I should knock' she thought to herself. 'I should definitely knock'.
She stood in between the two doors and tried to shake the image out of her mind. I guess Patricia was satisfying his itch. And, if Eddie's face was any indication, she was doing a good job-no! New thoughts! Unicorns and squeeful things! Willow sighed. She felt oddly… young. Knowing she was the only virgin in the house made her feel kind of out of the loop. Like there was this new world, and she was missing it.
"Do you know where Mara is?" Jerome asked Joy in the kitchen.
"Uh, no." Joy said nervously.
"Oh, I'll check her room." Jerome shrugged.
"No!" Joy exclaimed. Jerome narrowed his eyes.
"Why?"
"Because it's my room too." Joy crossed her arms. "And I said that you couldn't."
Jerome stared at her for a moment. "You used to be better at lying."
Joy let out a long sigh. "She's busy at the moment."
"Oh yeah?" Jerome asked, arms crossed, eyebrows raised. "Busy with who?"
"I didn't say-"
"Busy with who?" he repeated.
Joy scratched her head awkwardly. "Well she's not with you, Fabian, Eddie, or Alfie…"
Jerome laughed, yet it felt cold. "She's actually doing it." He said. "She didn't care for me at all."
"That's not true." Joy said. "She's going through an odd phase."
"I'm done." Jerome shrugged.
"Jerome-"
"I'm serious Joy." Jerome said. "I spend like two years chasing this girl, and when I get her I'm just a quick fix. Fine. Done."
Jerome walked out of the kitchen. Joy groaned.
Alfie was doing his dance.
The one he did every time he won Go Fish, and honestly, Willow let him win sometimes just to see it. She laughed at his funny crazy dance with his limbs all over the place. When he finished he was out of breath and he sat on his bed. Willow joined him. "Wanna watch a movie?" he asked when his breath was caught, his eyes closed and his mind almost asleep.
"No." she said quietly, chasing her fingers on his thigh. His eyes shot open. She kissed him, and leaned into him so they were chest to chest.
"I meant it when I said there was no rush." Alfie said breathlessly.
"Would you like me to stop?"
"God no."
Willow took his shirt off and laid on top of him, with her hair over her shoulder. He unbuttoned her shirt, and her heart pumped.
Willow hurried out of the room with her shirt just barely buttoned and her pants on inside out. She tried to get up the stairs without anyone noticing but she ran right into Jerome. Of all people.
"Sorry Willow." He looked at her appearance. "Will-low!"
Willow blushed and ran past him to her room up the steps. He laughed and ran to his room. Alfie was on the bed, just boxers (which is more than he expected) staring at the ceiling. He slow clapped Alfie's attention to him.
"Way to go!" Alfie rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, whatever." He said.
"What's the matter? Was it good?" Jerome asked.
"What's going on with you and Mara?" Alfie redirected. Jerome sighed.
"Here I am, going after this girl and making a complete ass of myself," Jerome started falling on the bed in a similar position to his roommate. "And then I get her, and I find out I'm just a dick to her."
"Been there," Alfie said. "Amber Millington. She does things to you."
"I want something with her."
"Understandably."
"But she doesn't want anything like that."
"Same story all the time." Alfie said. "They just want sex."
The boys sighed together and were quiet for a while, before Jerome spoke again.
"The sex is good though."
"Oh yeah totally."
"Mind blowing."
"The answer to all things wrong in the world."
Jerome snorted. "When did we become the girls?"
"Right?"
"Remember those guys who made Victor actually remove the lock from their door?" Jerome asked.
"What happened to them?" Alfie asked.
"Well, one of them is in a relationship, he's too far gone." Jerome said. Alfie rolled his eyes. "But this dude right here, he's getting that guy back."
"Good luck with that." Alfie said. "Tell me how that goes."
"It'll be easy." Jerome shrugged. "I'll be that guy again in no time."
"Okay."
"Besides," Jerome laughed. "Joy's better anyway."
Alfie turned to Jerome. "Are you comparing sex?"
Jerome turned to him. "Yeah I guess I am."
Alfie chuckled. "You're halfway there buddy." Jerome said nothing, but pumped a triumphant fist in the air.
Ooh! Say goodbye to a V card! Welcome to the big girls club Layla Pickett from Hathor! Once you start, you don't stop! A warning my lovelies, Ms. Kenny is not in a good mood. She's calling people out, and is out of the blue just up and giving people detentions! No real reason but that she doesn't like them, girl needs to chill. –Jackal
"Amber." Amelia whispered from behind her. "Amber, Ambs."
They were in Ms. Kenny's class completing the problems in the text book. Ms. Kenny was grading tests from her year twelve students and didn't notice Amelia.
"Amber!" Amelia called a little louder, but still not enough to avert Ms. Kenny's attention to her.
"Amber, answer her." Patricia whispered very lowly.
"She's going to do something to me, or get me in trouble or something." Amber said. "I'm not that gullible."
"Make her think you are." Patricia answered. Amber sighed deeply and turned towards her enemy.
"What?" Amber turned to get a face full of salt.
"Some salt for your eggs." Amelia said.
One desk over, Joy gave an epic eyeroll. Joy did something very similar, with garlic powder. She blew it in the girl's face and laughed when she had to get her eye's flushed from the burning. Amelia's prank could have gone down a similar path, if it weren't for Amber's glasses. Amber was tempted to roll her eyes and turn away, but faked distress for Amelia's amusement.
Ms. Kenny walked up to the front of the classroom, and cleared her throat for everyone's attention. "I'd like to congratulate the highest scorers on the pop quiz last week." She started. "Fabian, Leslie, Mara, Eddie and…" she trailed off and looked with a smile. "Mick."
The boy looked up very quickly. He wasn't sure he heard that right until Eddie gave him a pat on the back. Mick grinned and gave him a pat as well. Neither had ever been a part of the highest scorers. Amelia scoffed loudly.
"In what universe?" she laughed. A few other students laughed with her. Ms. Kenny was not amused. She had seen how the Hathor students were treating the Anubis students, and didn't like it at all. Perhaps the students of Anubis house were not always on their best behavior, but they usually paid enough attention in class that they didn't struggle with homework and tests. This was something the Hathor students lacked.
"In the same universe that you got one of the lowest scores, Ms. Pinches." Ms. Kenny answered. Everyone else gave out low 'Ooh's and Amelia went a bit red in the face.
"You shouldn't test me." Amelia growled evilly.
"Amelia please," Ms. Kenny said exasperated as she walked to the other side of her desk. "You are not Joy Mercer. Get back to work."
Joy covered her mouth in shock and Amelia said nothing else, but sat silent, fuming.
"Oh, and that's a detention." Ms. Kenny pointed to her. "For calling out, and for getting salt on my floor."
Amber had to put her head down to keep from laughing, and she wasn't the only one. "Someone's salty," Jerome whispered to Alfie. "And it isn't Amber."
"I always did like her." Joy said to Nina who snorted.
Ms. Kenny instructed for the students at Anubis House to stay behind after class. Once it ended she told her next class to wait a few minutes and eyed the Anubis students. "What are you doing?"
They all looked at each other, confused. "What do you mean?" KT asked.
"Are you telling me the students who sprayed me with chemicals from the science lab, the same students, are going to sit here and just take salt to the face?" Ms. Kenny asked. Joy smiled.
"It's the silence before the war, Miss." She answered. Ms. Kenny raised her eyebrows.
Amber smiled. "We're late for class."
Ms. Kenny nodded silently and they left the classroom.
The walk back to school that afternoon was scattered, unlike usual. Usually they all walked back together, because why not? But that day they all left at different times. Nina had to stay behind to ask one of her teachers something about an old assignment, and Amber waited for her."So how was your day?" Nina asked her as they walked with their arms locked.
"Uneventful." Amber shrugged.
"Well, Mick was looking at you today." Nina mentioned. Amber chuckled. Nina was humoring her. She knew, she always did that, they'd planned it whenever Amber wanted a pick-me-up.
"For how long? Half a second?" Amber asked a surprised Nina. Usually Amber would just squeal and just say 'I KNEW IT! We'll be back together in an hour tops'.
"Yeah I guess, are you okay?"
"It's over between Mick and I." Amber said. "For good, and I've known it for a while."
Nina sighed, yeah everyone's known that for a while. "So are you okay?" she repeated.
"Y'know, I am." Amber said. "I realized that I think I stopped liking Mick during our second relationship. And I think he stopped liking me sometime during our fourth. I think we just liked looking at each other and looking at ourselves with each other, and who can blame us? We're kind of gorgeous."
Nina laughed and Amber giggled. "So what about you and Alfie?" Nina expected the reaction to be the usual subject change, but Amber surprised her again.
"I messed up." she said. "I messed up anything I could have possibly had with him."
"Do you want something with him?" Nina asked, silently urging Amber on. Secretly, Nina thought everyone was kind of rooting for Amber and Alfie, even Willow a little bit. It was something long overdue, like Patricia and Eddie. They were making it way more difficult than it needed to be, also like Patricia and Eddie. But would they get together like Patricia and Eddie? Nina didn't really think so. At least no time soon, not while he was with Willow. But maybe Nina could get her to at least admit she'd want something. If only Amber had a secret twin to snap some sense into her.
Amber had been so silent, Nina thought she'd blown off her question entirely, or forgot. But just as they'd reached the steps of Anubis, she spoke again. "Maybe."
Nina smiled to herself as Amber walked in front of her.
"Willow?" Mick asked the girl staring at her phone. They were in Willow's room, not doing anything in particular. Just hanging out. "What are you looking at?"
"It is just a bit baffling, how Jack really doesn't care about us at all anymore. I thought today when they talked about losing virginity, they'd talk about me." She said. Jerome made sure that everyone knew about her and Alfie. Mick looked over her shoulder at the phone and read outloud.
"Say goodbye to a V card. Welcome to the big girls club Layla Pickett from Hathor. Once you start, you don't stop. A warning my lovelies, Ms. Kenny is not in a good mood. She's calling people out, and is out of the blue just up and giving people de-" he stopped as he reread it. "The word!"
"Hmm?" Willow asked. "Oh! Blue!"
Willow and Mick raced down the steps to let the others know.
Amber had been standing in front of the door for a long time. What would she say? What would it change? The clock was really distracting. How much time had passed? Hours? She was being ridiculous, she was Amber Millington for crying out loud! But even so, she still stood like a statue. Just as she was about to just forget it all and walk away, the door opened.
"Oh." Jerome said surprised to see her in front of him.
"Alfie." she said. There were supposed to be more words with that, but they didn't come out. Jerome understood anyway and stepped out of the way. The door being wide open in front of her seemed to be enough to get her feet to move. She closed the door behind her. Alfie was sitting on his bed, his eyes not leaving the laptop's screen.
"Hey babe, come sit down." Alfie said. Amber froze, which made Alfie look up. Alfie froze back and they stared at each other for a minute before he awkwardly shifted. "I thought you were-"
"Willow." Amber realized. "Right, sorry."
"So," he started, closing the laptop and moving over on the bed. She sat down, now that the seat was actually for her. "Why are you here?"
That was the question. Was she there to confess her undying love for him? Obviously not, because love was hardly in vocabulary yet, except to talk about a new dress or cute shoes. No, she was there to give him what he wanted. He'd just wanted her to admit it, which she hasn't done yet to anyone. She sort of did to Nina, but Alfie wouldn't want a 'maybe'. He doesn't deserve a maybe, he deserves more.
"Amber." Alfie snapped her out of it, and she huffed.
"This is so stupid." she muttered so low that Alfie almost didn't hear it. "I'm worse than Patricia."
"What are you-"
"You win." she said. "I..."
She took a deep breath.
"I came here years ago. In the house, there were seven of us. Fabian, Patricia, Jerome, Joy, Lauren, and you." she started. "I thought you were goofy, silly, and really funny, and that's when I started to..." Another sigh and started over. "When we were fourteen we shared our first kiss during a game of hide and seek in the dark, and it was really, really nice."
"Amber-"
"Alfie I really like kissing you." she said. "And I really like listening to you talk, and watching you try to dance, and I just really like you."
Then, the feeling that she had to throw up everything she'd ever eaten in her life, was gone. She even smiled a little. Alfie, however, was silent. And he was silent for a really long time. But that's when Willow and Mick came in the room.
"Alfie it's tonight! The-" Willow stopped short. "Oh... sorry..."
They got up off the bed and looked at Willow, and Mick who was right next to her. Like right next to her. She couldn't stop the words from coming out. She wasn't jealous, not anymore, she'd just grown a custom to being jealous of any girl Mick was with that they kind of tumbled out of her lips. "You guys look pretty comfy."
Surprisingly, she wasn't the only one to say something. Alfie spoke right after her, "Again."
Mick and Willow looked at each other. "The man hunt's tonight." Mick said and they left. When the door closed, Amber turned to Alfie, who had his arms crossed.
"If Mick said 'let's get back together' you'd still take him in a half of second." Alfie said. "And anyway, I have a girlfriend, so whatever new revelations you have about your feelings should be kept to yourself. It's a bit too late."
And then she was angry, with both Alfie and herself. "Don't worry, we can forget this conversation even happened." she turned on her heel and left the room. Alfie let out a long breath. No one in the world was more frustrating, although he felt like Eddie would probably disagree, than Amber Millington.
Amelia was both extremely excited, and ridiculously nervous. What if no one showed up? Then what? She'd be a joke for sure. But no, people were coming. At least twenty people, from Mut. Twenty plus the thirty-two from Hathor could still make a good game, right? Wait, it's not over yet, there are the ones from Isis House. Anubis House wasn't in sight yet, but she'd be okay with that. Last year it had been her house to miss the man hunt, if they missed it she'd be on cloud nine!
No such luck, twelve students emerged from the direction of that house. They were dressed in browns and greens, as usual. Amelia rolled her eyes. She never understood why they wouldn't dress in black, she always did. Granted, she'd always gotten caught, but not this year. They all looked at her expectantly. She smiled.
"Okay! I think it's time to begin!" she exclaimed excited, but that was stopped immediately. By Joy.
"How are we supposed to begin if we don't know how we're playing?" Joy questioned.
"If you don't know how to play manhunt then you're dumber than I-"
"She didn't say she didn't know how to play." Jerome interrupted. "She said she didn't know how we were playing."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Amelia spat.
"Uh..." someone spoke, his name was Jeff and he came from Isis house. "I think he means which way?"
Amelia blinked. Were there more than one way to play? They'd always played one way the other years. Maybe she should have paid attention more.
"Are we playing in teams?" Fabian spoke up after an embarrassing moment of silence. "Or is it gonna be a kind of free for all?"
"We always play in teams." Amelia said.
"Not last year," spoke up someone from Mut. "But... you wouldn't know that."
Amelia blushed furiously. "We'll play in teams."
"That'd be fair if there were an even amount of players." Mara said. "But there isn't."
"Fine we'll have a bloody free for all then-"
"Great!" Amber smiled. "So who will be the hunters?"
Amelia was seething, but she said nothing. "How about one from each house?" Alfie suggested.
"Fine. Whatever." Amelia said through gritted teeth.
"And do you have the glow bracelets?" Jerome asked.
"What glow bracelets?"
"For the hunters. Every time someone's been found put a glow bracelet on them and they hunt with you." Jerome said.
"You do have them don't you?" Patricia asked sweetly. Yeah, the plan was still not to really strike back until after winter holiday, but seeing Amelia on the brink of having a nervous breakdown was extremely satisfying.
"No."
Joy, Mara, Fabian and KT all sucked their teeth. Alfie, Patricia and Nina let out a low 'ooh'.
"That's a bit embarrassing." KT 'whispered' to Willow, but did it loud enough that most of them could hear her.
"No worries, we took the liberty of buy some ourselves, we have hundreds!" Willow grinned pulling out four book bags. "Just in case, you know?"
"How thoughtful." Amelia grunted out. "Why don't you just do it all then?"
"Aw, is it a bit too stressful for you Milly?" Amber asked sweetly. "Well, if you insist."
And Joy took charge. "We'll organize it by the oldest in the house. Whoever's the oldest, step forward. Mick, Lori from Mut, Ben from Isis, and Richard from Hathor (grumpily) stepped forward. "You four are the hunters, we have a backpack for each of you. They're very light but not very easy to run with. They're full of glow bracelets to tag people. When you tag someone give them ten glow bracelets to be able to tag others as well. Everyone needs to be back to their houses by four am so we'll meet back here at 3:45."
"We're not responsible for anything that happens to you out here," Eddie started. "This includes lost items, anything sprained, twisted, broken or bleeding. You're in the woods, if you're not careful while running, that's your own fault. If you feel yourself getting sleepy forfet the game and go home because it's not our fault if you fall asleep under a tree and get sick from sleeping outside in the cold."
"When we meet back at 3:45, the House with the most amount of players without bracelets win." Joy finished. "No cheating allowed, if you're a hunter and you find someone who's from your house you have to tag them. If someone sees this rule broken the house is automatically disqualified."
"Wait one second," May started as the hunters got their book bags. "How is it fair that one of the hunters is the fastest runner here?"
"May, if six of your players get tagged you still have twenty six untagged players. If six of our players get tagged we only have six left." Fabian explained. "Life isn't fair, quit complaining."
"Hunters put on your bracelets, give everyone else a sixty second head start." Joy said. "Everyone get ready, on run."
Everyone positioned themselves to get ready to take off.
"Three. Two. One." Joy paused for a second, then yelled, "RUN!"
The only thing that could be heard were dozens of feet running. The hunters watched them, Mick keeping a close eye on where the ones from Hathor ran. Richard saw him.
"No cheating."
"Joy never said we couldn't target a certain house," Mick said. "Just that we couldn't favor our own."
"Then you know Anubis is dead right?" Richard asked, even though he actually didn't know which direction they ran. "I'll be going after them."
Mick actually just laughed at this. "If I were you, I'd just try not to trip on a root."
Richard scowled. Lori looked at her phone. "Sixty seconds is up."
It was no surprise that Mick was far ahead the other hunters in seconds, even if Lori was pretty quick footed and Ben wasn't too far behind. Richard, though he was glad no one saw, tripped on root.
Even though it wasn't teams, some of them stuck together anyway. Alfie and Jerome were together as well as Joy, Willow, and Mara. They all ran about the same speed, they were also about the same height. After running for a while, Mara suggested they walked. "If we run too much now, when a hunter comes and we need to run, we'll be too tired." In fact, they even took a seat at a tree.
Nina ran by herself. She was a very fast runner, and Fabian just... wasn't. After him failing to keep up, she slowed down, kissed him, told him not to get caught, and ran by herself. This was actually better for Fabian. Instead of exerting too much energy trying to keep up with Nina, he was able to move at his own pace.
He seemed to be the only one around, and he'd been walking for a while, when he heard movement to the left of him. In a hurry, he moved behind a tree. It wasn't a hunter though, it was Amelia and Lauren. Amelia was raging to Lauren about being ridiculed in front of everyone.
"...They all think they're so clever I'm sure," she ranted in a harsh whisper. "They think they can just do that?"
Fabian bit his top lip in attempt to not laugh. He peered around the tree, he could see their outlines. Lauren spoke very quietly to Amelia and looked like she was regretting her choice to walk with her.
"Don't be so loud, you'll get us caught!" she whispered very lowly. "Do you think they'll be doing this all week? Trying to get back at us?"
"They can try," Amelia scoffed. "As if they can- why do you look scared?"
"Because," Lauren started. "I'd rather not be on the other side of their wrath."
"You know I wouldn't think you of everyone would be the wimp," Amelia said. "They're losers!"
"Shhh!" Lauren hushed an increasingly louder Amelia. "I'm not scared, it'd just be a lot easier if they'd not try and fight back. Do you even remember where you put it?"
Fabian almost got whiplash by the sudden change of topic. "Of course I do!"
"So, same plan? Whichever one of the Anubians walk by first gets it?" Lauren asked.
"No, if it's not Joy, it's no one." Amelia growled. Fabian heard them walk away in silence. He had no idea what they had planned, but he didn't want to deal with an angry Joy. He took out his phone to text the girl and hid his phone before the light eluting from it attracted whoever was near him. He tried to figure out which would be worst, getting caught and potentially costing them the game or not warning Joy and having something bad happen to her. In a normal circumstance, the latter would be worst by far. But seeing as they'd already had something planned to get back at Amelia, Joy might just brush off the prank. Losing the Man Hunt for the first time, would be infuriating to her. He couldn't text her now, not while there was a glowing bracelet floating just a few feet away.
Joy was still walking with Mara and Willow. They'd nearly gotten caught by Richard, but all three ducked under a bush as he walked past. Now they were walking, and other than that, nothing happened yet. That was about to change.
All three had to struggle to not scream as they were being pelted with water balloons from the right side. If they'd scream, everyone would know where they were. Mara and Willow tried to move out of the range of the water balloons, and though they were pretty successful, they were pretty much soaked from head to toe. Joy, however, moved in the direction of the water balloons, but as she drew close the throwing stopped and there was the sound of two people running away. Dripping with water, Joy found the bucket behind a tree, with just three more water balloons at the bottom of it. Angry, she kicked the thing and sent two of them busting and the water at the bottom poured all over the ground. She walked to where Mara and Willow were. They were shivering, and Joy was beginning to feel cold as well.
Alfie and Jerome were in the trees laughing. They dropped down and scared whoever passed by, the last ones being Amelia and Lauren who fell over. Jerome tapped Alfie as they saw three figures coming under their tree. On their count, they dropped down right in front of the three. Joy, Mara, and Willow jumped back in surprise. The jokers laughed loudly that time, they weren't worried about being heard. Never, in all the years they'd been there, had they been caught. They were kings of the game. However, the laughter quickly died down upon really looking at the girls.
They were shaking like a rattlesnake's tail and their teeth were chattering loudly, and they were dripping wet. "Very funny." Mara said annoyed pushing past them but Jerome grabbed her wrist.
"What the hell happened to you three?" Jerome asked. Joy pulled out her thankfully dry phone and showed Jerome and Alfie the text from Fabian she got just two minutes after the attack.
'Lauren and Amelia are planning something, stay away from the west side of the forest.' -Fabian.
"Got it too late." Joy explained in a shaky voice.
"Amelia p-pelted us with w-water b-balloons." Willow frowned. She was shivering the worst. Alfie quickly took off his camouflage jacket, and his hoodie that he wore under it. He gave the jacket to Willow and the hoodie to Joy, as Jerome followed his lead and gave his jacket to Mara. Now both were just in brown t shirts. They looked at each other and left the girls.
"Where are you going?" Mara asked.
"To find Mick." Alfie said as they walked in the direction they were sure he was.
Mick had so far gotten more people than any of his companions, which was no surprise. Now, mostly because of him, there were about twenty two hunters. The two people he, as well as the other hunters, hadn't expected or even bothered trying to get were the two people he ran into next.
Jerome and Alfie stood side by side. Mick narrowed his eyes, he knew immediately something was up. There was no way he'd be able to find them unless they'd wanted to be found. "So are you going to give us a hunter bracelet or what?" Jerome asked.
"Why?"
"Because that's how the game works." Jerome said in an annoyed and impatient voice.
"What are you two doing?" Mick asked. Alfie sighed.
"Amelia and Lauren played a trick on Joy, Mara, and Willow." Alfie said. "We're going to personally get her ourselves."
Mick looked at the two of them, and gave them bracelets each. "I'm coming with-"
"No you're not." Jerome interrupted. Mick pulled his book bag up on his shoulders and walked past them.
"Are they in this direction?" he asked after they hadn't answered or followed. "Well come on, I'll try not to go too fast so you can catch up but we want to hurry and catch up with the gits, don't we?"
Jerome and Alfie looked at each other, sighed, and all three boys went to Alfie and Jerome's tree. That was where they'd last seen the two girls.
KT had only just escaped someone, Ben, who was actually a fast runner, when her phone went off. It was on vibrate, but it's amazing how much a phone on vibrate sounds like a chainsaw when one is being their quietest. She meant to hit ignore, but accidentally hit answer. Groaning silently she put it to her ear and hushed out a 'hello?'.
"Hey!" came the loud response from her best friend, who she'd be happy to hear from at any time but now. "Hey I know it's like almost two in the morning there but I thought you might be awake and I just was really excited because I'm going to visit you! Sometime next month!"
KT smiled but quickly muffled the sound of the phone by putting it to her chest as she heard something to the right of her, after a minute or two she put it to the ear again.
"..id you hear me? Isn't this exciting-"
"Yes Mona," she hissed. "I'm very happy you are visiting but I really, really can't talk right-"
She quieted down, she could see Ben, and unfortunately he just spotted her too. Now it was just about who was faster. She leapt to her feet just as he sprinted to her and crashed through the woods. She could feel the vibration of Mona's questioning voice in the speaker of her phone against her hand as she raced down the hill and smacked right into May. May screamed but KT just hopped up and sprinted away. Ben wasn't chasing her anymore, as he caught May and Sara, who was right next to her, he had no idea where she went. After at least ten minutes of running, and two minutes of climbing up a low tree, KT caught her breath and put the phone to her ear.
"Mona are you still there?" she said very quietly.
"Yes. What the hell is going on, are the police on your ass or something? What did you do?" Mona asked. KT chuckled.
"I think being caught by the police would get me in less trouble than getting caught tonight." KT could only imagine Amber and Joy's anger if they didn't win this year. "I'll explain later, but I have to go."
With one last goodbye, KT put her phone in her pocket.
Eddie was just one push away from punching a tree. Patricia was driving him crazy. The only good thing about being with her was he was also driving her crazy, which he felt was payback for her driving him crazy first.
"Just!" she whisper yelled. "Just follow me!"
"But you have NO sense of direction!" he spat back.
"I don't have to have a sense of direction, I've been in these trees since I was eleven you prat!" she raised her voice a little louder, then set it to a whisper again. "If you don't just listen to me, you're going to get us caught!"
"Oh please," Eddie snorted stepping forward towards her. "You reek of bad attitude, they'll smell that from a mile away."
Patricia growled lowly, which vibrated onto Eddie who was so close he could smell her air. One large step forward pushing her back into a tree, and he was growling into her mouth. She returned the kiss feverously as he picked her up and her legs wrapped around his.
"Have you-" she panted. "-ever had-" another gasp for air, "-sex-" a groan as she unzipped his pants, '-in a forest?" she finished finally and he grunted out a no.
"I'm gonna- ergh- have fun learning how- oh!" Eddie growled again.
Nina was panting, she felt like she had been running for the past thirty minutes. Every time she got away from someone, she ran into another person, always a hunter. Now that the game was coming to an end, there were more hunters than people being hunted. She was now running from May, but boy was she tired. She quickly ran up a tree and just in time. Just as she got out of the moonlight, May's glowing bracelet appeared under her and she heard her bump into someone.
"Oof!" they both fell to the ground. "Sorry April. Have you seen Nina come by here?"
April seemed to be brushing herself off after May helped her up. "Mmm I didn't see anybody."
"Okay, thanks." May said and they went opposite ways. Nina squinted down to where April's outline was, she had no bracelet and May, who did, just let her pass. Nina huffed irritated.
Amber's alarm went off. She did this every year, there was a place just outside of the woods. No one went there because of rumored poison ivy but there really wasn't any. She stumbled upon it the first Man Hunt when she was running and didn't see where she was going. When she learned there was no poison ivy she went farther until she found a small area with flat ground surrounded by a circle of trees, like the clearing but a lot smaller with softer grass. She always brought a book bag with a pillow and a blanket and set her phone so she'd wake up in time. Amber was not a fan of running or being chased in the woods. She yawned at the time that said 3:40, because it was just a two minute walk back to the clearing, and packed her things up. She walked carefully, if someone found her before she got back she could still be caught. When she heard something to her left she bolted towards the clearing, smashing into someone just as she stumbled into the clearing. It was KT.
It took four more minutes for everyone to get there. Joy, Mara, and Willow came in together and were a bit damp, but that said nothing about Amelia and Lauren's appearance. Not only were they wet and muddy, they were dripping in paint. How were they dripping in paint? Considering they were looking angrily at Jerome, Alfie, and Mick, everyone assumed those were the three who did it. No one questioned how Jerome and Alfie did anything.
"Okay," Joy sniffled. She looked pissed that Amelia and Lauren may have given her back her cold from being wet and freezing outside. Most of the people who started were there then. Sometimes people left early, and sometimes people fell asleep. Anyone who wasn't there was counted as a capture.
With Mick, Jerome, and Alfie, it was the most captures a Man Hunt had gotten. Just two from Mut remained and five from Isis. Just Alfie, Mick and Jerome were captured from Anubis, and only one was not captured from Hathor. April.
"So, I guess there's-"
"A clear winner." Amelia interrupted. "There always is."
"Well it's not our fault you all can't catch us..." Mara shrugged, which didn't get a good look from the other players. "Jesus it's not about running it's about knowing where to hide!"
"Whatever, I know you guys cheat." Amelia mumbled.
"You may want to look at your team before you call anyone on ours cheaters." Nina snapped. "I saw May let April by without marking her."
May and April looked at each other before April turned back to Nina. "You've already won you don't need to make up stories-"
"Actually, I saw May do that a couple of times." said Ben. "I made sure to get them right after to even it out. In fact, following May is how I got all of my captures."
Everyone looked at May, who had hid slightly behind April. Joy was smiling now. "Well, normally we'd disqualify you, but I kind of feel like you guys suffered from enough humiliation, that I think we can allow you to stay in the game, as soon as April gets marked."
Amelia spoke up, "But then we'll be disqualified anyway from everyone being captured."
"Hey, take it or lose it." Joy was really smiling. April groaned and snatched a bracelet out of Mo's hand putting it on herself.
"Great! I think that's all for tonight, we'll see a Jack Jackal recap tomorrow then!" Amber grinned as they all began to clear out and go back to their houses.
Helllloooooo my beauties! The sun is actually out (providing no warmth thanks a lot) and I am in a wonderful mood! Why? Because the Annual Manhunt was last night! Even though I'm exhausted from all of the running at dawn, I'm still in good spirits. This was an eventful manhunt. There were a lot of highlights, like my lovelies!
That's right, my babies, the Anubians weren't Anubilame yesterday! I've been waiting for even a hint that they could still be the badasses I knew they were. They totally upstaged poor Amelia yesterday, who looks a bit dyed today for a reason. Here are my highlights of the Manhunt:
-Amelia's face turning as red as a beet, girl was about to have a meltdown and I'd be lying if I said it weren't at least a little funny.
-ALFIE AND JEROME WERE CAUGHT! By Mick, and I don't know how, but that's never happened before!
-Apparently something went down between a couple of Anubis girls and a couple of Hathor girls. I can't say what exactly, but Joy's not the only one feeling under the weather again.
-Amber update: she was seen when it started and seen when it ended, but once again, not seen anywhere in between. Does she become a bush or something?
-New Girls: They did not disappoint. Apparently American girls are fast, both Nina and KT were said to have been seen just a few steps away by a hunter, but escaped so fast it only took a few seconds to lose them! USA! USA!
-Eddie and Patricia, a new couple, nearly got caught with splinters in the booty, was it the right time guys? Was it?
-Willow: Maybe sticking with the Anubis girls got you a runny nose, but it also did you some good. For the first time, Willow was not caught!
-Mick, Jerome, Alfie: working together?! The unlikely trio were spotted hunting in a pact with red on their hands (paint guys) and huge grins on their faces. Of course they were behind whatever happened to Amelia and Lauren. And no wonder no one could get away!
-Cheaters: May was busted for cheating at the end of the game and Amelia, dripping in water, mud, and red paint that stained her face a bit (which is the reason she has red blotches along with Lauren) was livid.
All and all, it was a very good game.
The buzz that Anubis had gotten back at Hathor had traveled fast, but when you looked at the Anubis gang, they looked just as they did before the hunt. Their heads were in their books, and they were quiet the entire time. On the third day like this, Amelia confronted Joy who was studying (big shock) with Jerome.
"Why so quiet, huh?" Amelia asked.
Jerome and Joy looked at each other and then back to Amelia. Jerome spoke first. "Look Amelia, Mick and Alfie and I are sorry about the paint thing." he explained. "We had all this leftover paint that we were going to use for Mr. Sweet and..."
"They were just getting you back for the water balloons." Joy shrugged.
"Yeah right, I bet you're planning something." Amelia accused them.
"No, honestly we're not." Jerome said.
"You're just going to let us have the parties and Jack and the spotlight without a fight then?" Amelia crossed her arms.
"You want the spotlight honey?" Joy asked her. "Keep it."
Amelia looked dumbstruck. "Really?"
"We don't want to be the 'main house' anymore." Jerome explained. "And we really don't want to fight you for it or anything."
"Yeah, you win." Joy said looking back down. Amelia blinked at them, and then smiled widely.
"I want Trudy full time." she tested. Joy looked back up, somewhat surprised. Jerome looked at Joy, and then back at Amelia.
"Take her." Jerome said. "Cleaning my own dishes is actually not that bad."
"What does Alfie think of all of this?" she asked hesitantly. Joy shrugged.
"Ask him." Joy said pointing to Alfie, who was just a few feet away, talking to Willow. Amelia grinned at Joy, then Alfie, then at Joy again.
"Yeah, I think I will!" she said nearly running to the boy. As the girl tripped over her own feet to get to Alfie Joy and Jerome snickered. Joy actually had to cover her mouth so her giggles weren't so loud.
"Alfie!" Amelia called. The boy stopped talking to Willow at once and turned to Amelia. "Alfie, hi!"
The smile Alfie gave her nearly knocked her off her feet. "Hey Amelia!"
Willow looked at the two of them, frowning. "So, uh, Joy and Jerome told me that you guys don't want to like... you know... be the main house and everything..." Amelia trialed off. She wasn't used to having Alfie's full attention.
"Yeah, it just kind of gets old you know?" Alfie shrugged. "Oh, and I'm sorry we poured paint on you. That water balloon thing, genius!"
Amelia grinned, though she didn't know he was thinking 'almost as brilliant as when Jerome and I did it two years ago'. "Thanks! It was my idea!"
"So..." Alfie scratched the back of his head and looked at the ground. "So do you wanna, like, have lunch or something?"
"Alfie!" Willow snapped and he jumped, as if he'd forgotten she was there. "Alfie, I thought we were gonna, like, have lunch or something!"
"We have lunch everyday." Alfie deadpanned. Amelia was giddy.
"No, no. Have lunch with your girlfriend. It's fine." she winked at him and he smiled back. She walked away in what she probably thought was an enticing walk, but really was just crooked. Alfie chuckled, but Willow didn't look amused.
"Baby you know I'd rather stab myself in the eye with a blunt knife than have lunch with her right?" Alfie asked. Willow nodded and went back to reading her book. She didn't think it was right to play with someone's emotions, even if they were Amelia.
No! No! Say it ain't so! My babies are 'giving up?' no! I have several sources telling me it's true, but I don't want to believe it! Here are allegedly exact quotes of a conversation between KT, Nina, Eddie, and Patricia.
...but I'm just kind of over it at this point. -Patricia.
Yeah, the time without Jack and everything has been so stress free. I don't know how you guys put up with it for so long. -KT
And you know I kind of... admire Amelia. -Nina.
Admire her? I wouldn't go that far. -Eddie
No really, she worked for what she wanted and she got it. She deserves this. -Nina
I guess... -Patricia
This is too much! They were the whole reason I started Jack Jackal. Oh well, I guess it's time to move on then.
"So guys!" Joy spoke to her housemates. After a week of convincing everyone they were really done with doing crazy things, being in the spotlight, and that they have a crush on Amelia (in Alfie's part) it was now the finale day. By the end of the day, everyone would be home for winter holiday. "In a week and a half, we'll be back and better than ever!"
"Yeah!" Jerome pumped his fist in the air. "Time to reclaim out title and our school!"
"So get yourselves together tonight!" Joy continued, and boy did they need to. They were all wearing what was their least favorite of what they owned. Ugly sweaters, ripped jeans, and some of them went all the way wearing their torn and ugly shoes. That was dedication, seeing as their shoes didn't need to be in the washer and they could wear whichever ones they wanted. But soon things would back to normal. Amber's face had mostly cleared up, and with her beauty expertise she'd have the most flawless skin the world again. Jerome, who's had his hair flat and droopy on his face for weeks would do his poofy, parted on the left style. Alfie, Eddie, and Mick would put on their favorite designer sneakers and gold watches. Joy would finally give Mick's sweatshirt back. It would all be back to normal.
"Anubis! ANUBIS! ANUBIS!" they started chanting.
"SILENCE!" Victor boomed very loudly from his office. Alfie rolled his eyes as he began to leave the room for the bathroom.
"You know he wanted to join" he said. They chuckled as there was a knock on the door. Joy went to get it and was shocked by who it was.
"Oh my gosh! Amelia Pinches!" She said shocked, then turned her acting on and gave the girl in front of her a look of kindness and almost admiration. "Come in!"
Joy lead her to the common room, where the rest of them were surprised to see Amelia as well, but quickly took after Joy and looked at Amelia as if she were a goddess. The red head seemed to be soaking it all in. They waited for her to say something.
"Um..." Amelia spoke up awkwardly. "Why isn't Anubis House the best house anymore?"
They all looked at each other. "Hathor is the best house." Mick said finally. "Everyone knows that."
"You guys took over the school..." Mara continued. "We just don't matter anymore."
Everyone else nodded in agreement as Alfie came out of the bathroom just to see Amelia. He groaned and put on the look he was so used to wearing years ago whenever he saw Amber.
"Oh my-" Alfie exclaimed giving Amelia a look as if she were Aphrodite herself.
"Hi Alfie!" Amelia smiled and Alfie gave her a giggle and the other students had to bite their tongues, cheeks, and fists not to fall on the ground laughing.
"Oh Amelia..." Alfie sighed. Amelia smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. He buckle his knees and Amelia giggled. She turned to the other residents. Most were able to get themselves together enough to give Amelia the same look they gave her when she first turned to Alfie. Others had to put their heads down not to blow their cover, like Jerome, Joy, Mick and Amber.
"So... you guys are really done?" Amelia asked wondering why Joy and a couple others were hiding their faces, shame maybe?
"It's what we want." said Fabian, being one of the only ones who was able to open his mouth without choking on his hysterics.
"Okay, I'll be leaving now!" Amelia grinned, getting just what she wanted. Her dream really did come true. She walked to the door feeling empowered, she'd won. Once she closed the door, and after being sure she was gone, most of them fell over with their laughs.
Ok, so do you guys have any questions for Jack Jackal? (Not me, if you have any questions for me, pm me) If you have any questions for Jack, ask them in the reviews and I'll post them on one of these chapters with Jack's answers.
And side note, this is now the most reviewed story of mine again. This has 142 and my other has 141 reviews.
0-1 reviews = no chapter update
2-9 reviews = one chapter update next week
10+ reviews = a chapter update the next day or sooner