Author's Note: I'm not affiliated with the show in anyway and some of the quotes in this chapter are from some of the "House of Anubis"s episodes.
"You alright, Jerome?"
Realization hit Jerome as he jumped right up into a seating position, the blood rushing down from his head all too fast. He had remembered dreaming about voices—about hearing his Mum and his father's voice...angry scorns which led to dissonance when Mick and Mara's frustrated voices joined forces in his mind. Along with a severe headache, his side of the face still ached from Mick's beatings earlier that stage when he had basically sold out Jerome's past he had told Mara to the entirety of the school. And now along with her always being in his mind, she was now physically sitting beside him in his room...on his bed...with his supper in her lap and a washcloth doused in warm water to sooth his physical pains.
Stunned by her appearance—oh why couldn't he get rid of her easily when he could never have her?-he looked around surprised to make sure no was by them. "M-mara. What are you doing here?"
She shrugged, her eyes nervously at her lap. "Tending to you, of course. You're forming a slight bruise," she motioned to dab the small towel on his left cheek when he grabbed it from her hold.
"Don't worry, I got it," he stated monotonously.
For a few long minutes, the air stood silent between them as Jerome winced, his back hunched as he massaged his forming-bruises with the warm towel, Mara sitting beside him stiffly, toying with his supper plate. She sharply took a breath. "You called me your mother when you were asleep."
He said nothing, only to touch his lip to find a cut there.
The girl continued. "And you've been seeming really restless. But-"
"How long have you been here?" He cut her off. It was inevitable—he couldn't hide his sharp tone.
She could feel herself becoming more quiet, mumbling her words. "20 minutes? I guess you were still too tired to notice me here."
It was the first time they had seen each other clearly without negative judgement that day. The two enrolled into the silence yet again.
"Would you like your supper now-?"
"No."
Air was formidable as if they were to intimidate it with their words, they'd be granted heavy silence.
"I thought I should ask," she imposed sharply, "What did Mr. Sweet talk to you that pertained to your parents?" She received a stoic glare.
"Yeah," he sarcastic sauntered. "Like I'm going to tell you. Need some more gossip to share with others?"
Mara's lip trembled as she looked down again, breaking eye contact. "I...I shouldn't have trusted Mick with what you told me. I regret it—I'm," her voice cracked, "I'm really sorry, Jerome."
"Hear, hear," he muttered casually, earning a scorn.
"Jerome, enough!" she groaned, laying his supper plate on top of his dresser as she took the benefit of the action to wipe her single tear. "Stop building such walls around you. I broke up with Mick," she said slowly, watching for an change in expression on Jerome's face; there were none, "because of what he was doing to you all for you to just throw me coldly, on to the side."
Jerome smugged, the smile never reaching his eyes. "Well I'm glad your senses have finally reached you-"
"I broke up with him to be with you-"
"And there they go..." he whistled, shaking his head. "No, you didn't. You didn't do this for me," he scoffed.
"Oh, you're right," she rolled out, the words dipped in sarcasm. "I meant the OTHER Jerome-" Blightly, he stood up, his height an added factor to intimidation as he stood stiffly within inches away from her.
"You kiss me then I'm a jerk and oppressor. I'm sick of it." She heard the words but they were her own words back to Mick. 'You kiss me then I'm sensible and boring. I'm sick of it!' Mick had done to her what she was now doing to Jerome. "And then let's not forget that slap, now, shall we?" he mildly conversed, hands fashionably in his pocket. "Leave me in a mess, but the blame is on me; win school election then Mick humiliates me in front of every student and their mother.. Oh, but Mara's the sweet and sensible one, is she not? So she breaks up with Mick-"
"To be with you." "Because you pity me." They had both said at the same time.
Mara stood stunned, speechless before she could only let out a heartless laugh, the pain in her eyes. "How can you say that?"
In a presentable acquaintance speak, he motioned his hand towards her, asking. "So you fancy me, you claim."
She couldn't believe how unaffectionate they were speaking to each other of their feelings. "Yes-"
"What about yesterday. Yesterday, did you fancy me?"
She heard her own words back-strongly in her mind: "Or never, is never good for you?" she had once said to Mick.
"Jerome, I've just...you said it yourself!" she exclaimed, trying to find solace in a sensible argument when her mind was in complete emotional chaos. "I've always been blinded by Mick to realize that..."
Her words came out as fumbling sounds, leading Jerome's lips to a melancholy smile. "The truth is, Mara, you've never once cared about me before we kissed," he spoke softly.
"Jerome, you're my friend," she argued back. A humourless chuckle escaped his lips.
"And I always will be," he said soothingly. Oh, how he wanted to punish her so bad for her actions...for toying with his heart so. But the truth, the unconditional truth was that Mara had, did, and would always bring out Jerome's best. He couldn't hurt her without hurting himself. He was tired from lying about his feelings. "But Mara," he pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed, "I can't...I would never be happy if you and I got together because of a single kiss...and not because you respect and fancy me for who I am, or for me to unable to trust you with my past..."
"Jerome," she said softly, "of course I don't want to be with you just because of the kiss. You're so much more than th—"
"Oh, now I'm suddenly 'so much more,' am I?" he stated. "I can't...I don't want to start something with you. And I'm trying to put this nicely: I can't be with someone whom I can't trust any more." It hurt him for letting his chance get away as he saw whatever light in Mara's eyes dim out. "I meant what I said—that I couldn't deal with making you feel guilty in the first place, but..." he lowered his glance, reminiscing. "I may not remember my parents. They may not love me as much but they were honest. They told me straight up they didn't want me," he pitifully chuckled that the action almost made Mara want to cry, how Jerome was so used to abandonment. "They gave me the truth."
This time, silence encircled them, but for now, they took solace from the quiet and not in each other's hurting words. Impatiently, seeing as Jerome had nothing left to say against her, she continued. "Well, guess I broke up with Mick for nothing."
They glanced at one another, eyes locked, Jerome staring in horror. "How can you be so thick!" he raised his voice as it took Mara's stamina to not break down. "Because I don't want you, you think you need a guy in your life? That's why you're going to run back to him?"
"Have you ever though that maybe Mick didn't do any wrong, that maybe you brought it all upon yourself?" Mara said out of frustration.
"Oh," he mockingly illuminated. "Is that how it goes? You blame snogging me, he forgives you. He starts a fight, you forgive him. He humiliates me, you forgive him," then his voice turned the most cold and stiff she's ever heard from him. "Well I hope you two will be VERY happy now because you certainly are each other's match. You're both 4's, right?"
Breakfast was awfully quiet. Jerome had walked into the hall late, having been late due to applying ointment to his bruises as his ears buzzed with Patricia explaining to Nina about the student representative competition as Nina hadn't coming in the first half of the day. The word was that Nina had gone to someone's funeral along with Victor.
"Wow," Nina tried smiling earnestly, however down her heart still felt from Sarah's death, "congratulations, Mara."
"Thanks," Mara smiled back, her grin faltering as Jerome took the only seat open—by Mara. Eyes followed Jerome as he quietly sat down.
"Oh," Patricia began to laugh, "and the best part is—Jerome and Mara snogged!"
"Patricia!" both Mick and Jerome exclaimed, catching each other's eyes, then glaring but Mick continued. "Enough, yah?"
"So," snickered Patricia to Jerome, "how was it? I never knew slimeballs had it in them to like girls, never mind wanting to step out with someone."
"Shut it, Williamson," he glared.
She wrinkled her nose. "What, I thought you would had been excited to share the tale of how sly, suave, romantic Jerome was able to land a kiss with the girl of his dreams."
Jerome took the nerve to glance around nervously around the table, finding everyone shamelessly watching him back to hear his answer. "I regret it, that's all," he mumbled.
"That bad, was she?" Patricia began to giggle when Mara pressed on tonelessly.
"You guys, I'm right here."
But Patricia was having fun with this rare circumstance Jerome has caused and started. "Why the sudden personality change, Clarke?"
"No, not a personality change, "Alfie mindlessly stated, his voice serious. "He just doesn't like hand-me-downs." Everyone sat stunned, Amber had dropped her glass, silverware clattered as it fell from several hands, Fabian choked on his slice of toast. It was far too demeaning for Alfie to have referred Mara as Mick's object but there it was—Alfie didn't take it back as he continued to eat his bran flakes. In an instant, Mick leaped to attack him as Fabian grabbed his roommate by the collar.
"Every few month, guys, really?" Fabian tried yelling over the other thundering voices. "Get off, ger'off"
"I'm going to KILL you guys," was heard amidst all the screaming and shouting, against the soundtrack of beating and punches as Jerome too got involved within the band of boys physically.
"Just stay away from us!" Jerome yelled over Alfie's shoulder as he held him hostage whilst it took all of Fabian, Nina and Amber's power to pull Mick away outside the room. Farther from the table, Patricia looked around wildly at the melodrama as Mara shut her eyes tightly, counting to twenty, trying to calm her mind down.
"Oookay..." Patricia's lips formed a comical O as she stabbed her bacon with a fork, continuing to eat prosperously, spying that now the whole table was empty besides Mara and everyone's food.
"Hey, guys! What about all your breakfast? Alfie, could I have your bacon?" Patricia asked before her question was met with a door slamming response.
"You want any, Mara?" she motioned naively.
"No..." Mara's voice cracked as she gasped for preventative tears, rushing away towards the door. After a momently beat, Trixie crackled a grin, placing Alfie's plate on hers. "more for ol' me then. Cheers!"
Pushing him onto his bedside firmly by the shoulders, Jerome looked down at the fuming Alfie in awe. "What's the matter with you!"
"He was talking smack about you, bro!" he growled, then taking a deep breath as Jerome locked the door and then turned to his best mate at the same surprised response. "Thought someone should stand up for you if you wouldn't," Alfie grumbled.
Immediately Jerome stopped pacing, hands ruffling hair in agitation as he whipped his head towards Alfie. It was a true testament to their bond—sure they joked, sure he manipulated Alfie but had Alfie not been his mate, Jerome reckoned he would had lost it all. The one time when Jerome had found his friend scarred and traumatized in the cupboard was enough to prove how much he cared for his pal.
"Thanks, dude," the words were foreign to Jerome's lips.
"No problem, buddy," his smile was returned.
"Eugh..." Jerome sighed, limply falling to his own bed. "What a mess..."
He stared through the glass window...the English rain beginning to pour. Though Anubis House was no glass house, he felt trapped. Everyone could see him, watch his every move, and yet he had no release, no way to break through...just yet. But it wasn't just him. For they were all people in glass houses.
Author's Note: There you have it. I know the tale seems unfinished but I honestly haven't planned on anything past this scene since February. If you could help in any way with ideas, I'd be so grateful. However, I'm only keen on writing realistically for this tale. Meanwhile, "A Series of Predictions" will be greatly updated hopefully daily after every HoA season 2 episode is shown...but like I've said before, I can write Jara scenes easily—Jerome's character is the easiest for me to write and 'delve into the personality of. You'll probably laugh at me if I said his life, his personality is art—just his history in concoction with his actions is just a beautiful art form from the writers of HoA.