House of Jara CHAPTER 29
"I'm sorry Amber but you've all got this wrong, come on Jerome!" Mara said disappointedly, she took Jerome's hand and pulled him away.
"Mara, don't do this to yourself, I don't want you and Amber to fall out again," Jerome plead with his girlfriend.
"Too late, I told you that I would stick by you and that's what I'm going to do," Mara replied.
"What they said; isn't that making you wonder whether you're wrong about me?" Jerome asked in a tone that sounded as if he was trying to convince her that he had been lying all along. Mara gave him a questioning look, she had caught the sinister tone but as soon as she did start questioning his sincerity she saw the pained expression in his icy cold eyes.
"Jerome you know that I know you better than anyone else does and when it comes to your sister you don't lie," she explained making him sigh as he knew she was right.
"What am I gonna do? Alfie must hate me," Jerome mumbled into his hands once they were sat in class.
"He'll forgive you," Mara assured him as she rubbed his back. Sibuna came in and Alfie and Amber sat at the desk in front of them. Alfie looked at Jerome who looked back at his best friend with tears brimming in his eyes. Alfie had been best friends with Jerome for six years and he had never seen him looking this upset with such sincerity. He was about to say something but Mrs Andrews interrupted. The day went by slowly for the couple as Jerome hadn't really been in the mood for talking. It was lunch and Alfie was heading to the toilet when he saw Jerome by himself. He was about to approach him when the tall blond received a text message making him speed up; Alfie being Alfie decided to follow him. He followed him to the bike shed where the tall dark boy hid to hear what Jerome was up to.
"I told you they'd find out! Now they really do hate me!"
"I don't care whether they hate you. You still need to stay close to them in order to get the mask!"
"No! I'm not doing anything for you; I don't care what you say I just can't do it!" Alfie could hear the break in his best friend's voice.
"Do you want to keep your sister safe or not?"
"You don't have the nerve to do anything to her! And they are professional secret keepers, do you really think they're gonna let anything slip to me now?"
"I'm giving you 24 hours to change your mind and then I'm coming for you and little Poppy!" Rufus spat and stalked away. Alfie crept round the bike shed to see Jerome slide down the wall, rubbing the back of his neck with fear evident on his face. He looked up to see his friend with confusion in his eyes.
"He really did threaten Poppy?" Jerome nodded morbidly, "Look, why don't you agree? It's not like you can give him anything. You can't risk Poppy's life, I know how much she means to you."
"Why are you being so nice to me? You should hate me," Jerome asked; he felt broken, as if he'd never be able to move from that spot on the floor.
"I was angry but you're my best friend and I know that there'd have to be a bloody good reason for you to anything for that man!" Alfie told him as he sat beside him on the floor.
"She's all I have left and if anything happens to her because of me, I'll never forgive myself," Jerome explained painfully. "Still mates then?"
"Best mates," Alfie grinned. "I don't think the others will be so forgiving though," he continued.
"I know and I don't blame them; come on, we should get back to school," Jerome replied as he stood up and helped Alfie to his feet.
"Alfie what are you doing?" Amber asked upon seeing her boyfriend with 'the traitor'.
"I am walking with my best mate," he replied in an obvious tone.
"But he betrayed us!"
"He had his reasons and he explained everything to me," Alfie told his girlfriend; he had grown a lot since pining after Amber – he now stood up to her.
"Fine but don't expect me to be nice to him and I wouldn't tell Nina because she is so pissed at him and Mara."
"Ambs just hear him out, I'm sure you don't want another boy coming between you and Mara," Alfie asked for the compromise and he hoped that Amber loved him enough to do that for him.
"Fine," she breathed almost hoping they wouldn't hear her.
"Thank you; Jerome, explain everything."
*Flashback*
Jerome was lying on the floor in so much pain after blow after blow from the psycho that is Rufus had hit him. He had been kicked in the ribs and the gut, smacked around the face and been thrown the concrete room as his head hit the floor and walls. He was getting this beating after once again refusing to be a mole within Sibuna, Rufus had asked him every day since he'd abducted him and it was now his seventh day.
"Why won't you just be a bloody mole for me? We both know you don't care about these people," Rufus sneered, Jerome winced at how well Rufus actually knew him – despite the fact that Jerome did care, he only cared about Mara, Alfie and surprisingly Amber so in a way Rufus was right.
"I do care about them!" he wheezed, he couldn't breathe and he could see black spots everywhere. Rufus braced to throw another kick into Jerome's side when the young boy's hands flew to his face and he shouted, "Wait! Fine I'll do it, just stop!"
"Good choice Jerome," Rufus snickered and walked away.
*End of Flashback*
"I didn't hear anything about Poppy in that story," Amber said sceptically.
"That was after; you know when I went to school early. I went to see Rufus to tell him that I couldn't do it and he started asking me whether I wanted to keep Poppy safe and I just can't let anything happen to her. She's the most important person in my life! She's the only family I have left," Jerome explained and again he was close to crying, this melted Amber's heart. She had always wanted a protective older brother so she threw her arms around Jerome, pulling him into a hug and surprisingly he hugged her back.
"You forgive him then?" Alfie asked his girlfriend.
"No I'm hugging him to let him know that I still hate him," Amber answered sarcastically; Alfie caught the tone and puckered his lips as he narrowed his eyes at her. This caused both Jerome and Amber to laugh out loud as they sat on the sofa in the drama room.
"What's going on? I thought you were going back to the house Jerome?" Mara asked as she entered the drama room. Amber suddenly leaped up and attacked her best friend with a hug. "Amber?"
"I'm sorry Mara, we can be friends again, Jerome explained everything to me," she explained as she pulled Mara to sit between her and Jerome.
"What about the others?"
"I don't think we should let them know just yet, they're all pretty stubborn," Alfie suggested, seating himself next to Amber.
"Right, of course," Mara said, head hanging low in disappointment. Amber hugged her sideways for comfort. "Thanks Amber, I'm glad you've forgiven us,"
"Me too!" she smiled brightly, making the other three smile with her. They all had drama after lunch so before Nina, Fabian and Patricia arrived the four friends sat separately.
A/N: Do you guys think Alfie and Jerome forgave Mara and Jerome too quickly?