Hey guys! This is my first H.o.A. fanfic, as you know! So, what's going to happen to Nina? Will she make new friends…. finally? REEEEVIEEEW!

"Which one? Nina, this is serious. Like, seriously."

"I told you, Amber, I don't know! Honestly, I'm not your girl for that sort of thing."

"NINA. Just pick one. Strawberry, or cherry red?"

"I don't- strawberry, okay?"

"Okay!"

Amber happily applied yet another coat of glossy lipstick. She had this new system called the "lip layering" system. I don't even know.

Patricia had already gone down to breakfast, thank God. This was how most mornings occurred:

1. Patricia and I wake up at six a.m.

2. As we fight over closet space, who gets the bathroom first, and who's hair is clogging up the drain (always hers, for the record), we get ready for the day, in a sense.

3. She goes downstairs, but not before making a comment on how my "trashy clothes" "look like my gran picked them out."

4. I brush my hair and pack up my school bag.

5. Amber comes in my room to get ready, since her and Mara are having a fight.

6. We go downstairs as well, making sure to sit away from Patricia, although Amber insists that she should sit in "her seat," because it's rightfully hers, or something.

Today we rushed downstairs faster than usual, because Trudy, the really nice housekeeper here, made blueberry pancakes. Her cooking is to die for. Ever since my first day here three days ago, she's prepared these fabulous meals that no one, not even Victor (the scary guy who runs the house) can stay away from.

Of course, right as I turned the corner to dash into the kitchen, I collided with Patricia. She gasped and dropped her books. I didn't bother to apologize because we both knew all too well I wasn't sorry.

"Git." she muttered under her breath as I walked by, but loud enough for me to hear.

The only good thing about spending more time with Patricia was that she had finally stopped pestering me about the whole Joy thing. Don't tell her this, but I do think it's pretty weird, you know? How this girl who's lived here for so long just disappears one day, just like that? I would be worried about her too. And as for me "coincidentally" appearing the very afternoon of the day she left? That gives all the kids here a right to be suspicious of me, but doesn't give Patricia the right to be such a-

"Hey, Nina!" My spirits seriously lifted about fifty- thousand feet.

"Fabian! What's up?"

He smiled at me. Even though he's a guy, he's honestly my best friend here. Better than Amber, even, the self- proclaimed blonde genius.

"I don't know, ask Patricia she's been whispering-" the door slammed shut in the room behind us.

"I bet that was her leaving." I sighed. "Anyway, you were saying?"

I could feel Amber at my side, listening attentively as we walked into the dining room.

"She was smiling all strange like she was devising a plan, and was telling Mara and Mick-"

"Mara and Mick?" Amber exclaimed in a squeaky voice of utter fury.

"Erm… yeah, that's what she said, I think…" Fabian looked confused.

"OhmyGod. Like…they were…together?" she spoke the last word in a hushed whisper.

"I… guess…" Fabian glanced at me with a look that said, "HELP. ME."

"Um, Amber!" She looked at me with fire in her eyes.

"What?" she spat. She looked like she was about to throw a tantrum.

"Why don't you go… talk to her?" I suggested.

"Yeah. Talk…" she mused evilly. Amber stormed away unhappily.

"That wasn't a good idea." Fabian said nervously.

"What? Why?"

"Because now Mara's going to end up either in the hospital or buried!"

We both laughed, but I did feel a little bad about psyching Amber on Mara.

"So what did Patricia say?"

"She was talking about an initiation ce…uh…"

At first I wasn't sure what was stopping Fabian from talking, but then I looked ahead into the disaster that was the dining room.

Jerome had a bowl of maple syrup all over his lap. Alfie laid flat on the floor, a pancake with four bites in it on his head. Mara sat petrified at the table, a pitcher of orange juice slowly dripping from its tipped over position on the tablecloth into her lap. Her mouth was open; it probably had been like that for a while. Mick was standing in the corner, his face an expression of surprise, yet he still found it a priority to stuff "Munch-o's: Quality Cereal" in his mouth.

"What…?" Fabian couldn't seem to get past the first word.

"BEST. FOOD FIGHT. EVER!" Alfie suddenly roared from his defeated position on the floor.

"You know it!" Jerome cackled.

Mara looked disgusted.

"You guys…seriously? I'd just freshened up and everything!" she protested.

Mick burst out giggling.

"That was epic!"

"Not from my position!" Mara said, upset.

"Need some help cleaning up?" I offered, ignoring my stomach's low rumbles.

"Yeah. Um, thanks." Mara smiled, wiping her syrupy hands on a napkin.

"Why is it that I always make friends right after an Alfie- and- Jerome- caused explosion of food?" I smiled.

Mara laughed.

"C'mon. I'll talk to you later, Fabian."

He nodded, still a little in shock from the natural disaster we just walked in on.

Trudy pushed open the kitchen door, carrying a huge platter.

"Who wants…?" she trailed off, her eyes widening. "Oh my Lord. Alfie! Jerome!"

Pancake head and Syrup man looked up simultaneously.

"Idiots!" Fabian muttered, starting the tedious task of cleaning up the room.

I followed Mara into the bathroom. After trying to washcloth her syrup and orange juice off, we both agreed it would be better for her to take a shower. I went into her room as she washed up and picked her out a new outfit. It was already 7:30, so we were already doomed to be late to homeroom. I guess it didn't matter how long it took. I knocked on the door, and Mara let me in. the room was hot with steam. She had one towel wrapped around her body and one around her head in a turban.

"Here you go," I said, handing her her uniform.

"Thanks! Alfie and Jerome are such-"

"Idiots?" I suggested.

"There you go." She laughed.

"So…um…" God! I hated awkward silences!

"How long have you been here?"

"Since I was nine."

"Wow! So, long time?"

"Yeah, sometimes I miss my parents. But this is a really good school, so I'm happy. I'm just glad I am receiving a good education."

I smiled.

"I'll wait outside."

She smiled back.

After Mara came out, clean and wet haired, we packed up our bags and walked to school. At first Mara freaked out that we were late, but once I made her realize that we were already tardy, so it was okay to stroll, we had fun. It was nice, walking and talking with her. There weren't really any more awkward pauses. The only thing is, Mara is really smart, so she was using all these huge words I didn't know. I found it helpful to smile and nod, and occasionally laugh.

When we got to school, we said goodbye and walked our separate ways. I was at my locker when the bell rang, and suddenly a hand gripped my arm. I gave a start and wheeled around.

"Nina! Where were you in homeroom? I was kind of worried, to be honest."

"Fabian! You scared me to death!" He laughed.

"So, what-"

"Wait!" he interrupted. "Before we talk any more, I want to tell you something. We're going to get interrupted again."

"'K. Shoot!" I told him.

"Patricia is planning some initiation ceremony?" he said it as a question, sounding confused with himself.

"What? Oh, cool! Did you do it?"

"No! That's the thing. She's trying to trick you! Initiation, that's not even a th-"

"I'm doing it." I said strongly.

"What?" Fabian's voice was high.

The shrill bell rang again.

"I'll tell you later."

"No." He grabbed my arm gently, turning me around.

"What? Fabian, we're late!"

"Nina, she really hates you."

"Um, thanks?" I said, honestly a little offended.

"No, I uh…" his face turned bright red. He looked so upset that I felt bad for sounding so harsh.

"I always mess up what I'm trying... you know, talking when…"

"Fabian!" I laughed. He smiled weakly.

"I just meant that I think she might make you do something that will hurt you."

I was quiet for a minute. How far was I willing to go to earn her respect? Farther than this, I knew that.

"I'll be fine." He opened his mouth and then shut it again.

"C'mon!"

We ran all the way to chemistry, where Fabian and I made some green liquid in a glass beaker explode. Then we had to listen to our teacher give us a ten minute lecture on proper solute distribution. Both of us were snickering the whole time, which made her even more upset. When the bell rang again, I stuffed my science book into my backpack. As soon as I looked up however,

"Hey, Nina."

Patricia.

I gritted my teeth and prepared myself to face whatever jerky comment she was about to make.

"Sorry for being so mean to you lately." I raised my eyebrows.

"That's okay. Everyone needs a little-"

"Listen. How would you like to participate in an initiation ceremony? Every new person at the house has to do it, right Alfie." She was such a bad liar.

"Oh, uh, yeah! Right…initiation." Maybe it would help if he at least sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Despite all this, however, and ignoring the fact that Fabian was stuttering next to me, I said,

"Sure. What do I have to do?"