Chapter Two: House of the Black Bird

The following morning, after Georgie had woken up and showered, she bumped into Nina, who was already dressed in her school uniform and was also carrying her school bag too. Georgie gave her a warm smile.

"Morning, Nina."

"Hey Georgie!"

"Wow, you're eager for school today," Georgie joked, brushing her wet hair through.

"Yeah...I kind of want to avoid everyone at breakfast, I'll just grab some fruit or something," Nina laughed nervously.

"Are you sure?" Georgie asked, concerned.

"Yeah, but thanks anyway."

"I suppose no one has been really friendly, have they?" Georgie admitted sadly. Nina shrugged and looked at the floor. "How was last night...sharing a room with Patricia?"

"It was alright, she didn't really say anything...just glared at me," Nina replied. "A lot."

"Hopefully this will all blow over," Georgie said hopefully. "Victor will send Joy her mobile and she can give Patricia a bloody phone call and do us all a favour."

Nina laughed. "Thank you, Georgie. I don't know what I would do without you...and Fabian, of course."

"Of course," Georgie said, amused, giving Nina a knowing smile. She blushed a little bit and said her goodbyes, leaving to sit in the dining hall on campus.

A while later, Georgie hurried downstairs for breakfast, and as she was one of the last one's to arrive she took the spare seat between her best friends Jerome and Mara.

"Morning Miss Carrington," he said, grinning as she sat down.

"Morning Mr Clarke," she replied, helping herself to some toast. "You alright Mara?"

Before she could reply, the wailing voice of Patricia cut in. "Joy definitely would have called me by now, I'm telling you something has happened to her!"

"Patricia, give me a break, you're driving me crazy," said Jerome, to which Georgie positively beamed at him.

"Thank you. At last, someone else agrees."

But Mara gave them both a look. "Some of us are worried about Joy even if you two are not."

Georgie huffed at Mara but Jerome gave her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. "Did you get any response to that email you sent her last night?" asked Amber.

Georgie didn't know that Patricia was even sending her an email, or that Amber knew about it. "No."

"It's difficult to know what else we can do," Fabian said logically.

"Question the newbie, that's what."

"Oh here we go again," Georgie said in annoyance, pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"She has nothing to do with this Patricia," Fabian said, exasperated. "She just has...really bad timing."

"What about last night?" Patricia countered. "That business with the mirror."

At this point, Jerome started to laugh over his breakfast, "Aha! I knew it was you two," Georgie grinned, poking him in the ribs.

"What?" Patricia said angrily as Jerome tried to pull an innocent face. "You don't believe I saw anything do you?"

"Yes we do, but it's just that Mick saw Alfie hanging around in our corridor last night," Amber told her.

"Not even Alfie would have the nerve to sneak into the bathroom and do something like that," said Patricia.

"Are we talking about the same Alfie?" Jerome asked her seriously whilst Georgie started to giggle. Patricia looked down, saying nothing.

"So who do you think did write it then? Joy?" Fabian asked her, in a disbelieving voice.

"I still can't believe we're talking about this," Georgie muttered.

"I don't know! Maybe...maybe Nina wrote it to drive me crazy."

Georgie slammed her hand down on the table, making Mara jump next to her. "For the last time Patricia, Nina is not out to get you!" Jerome looked like he was biting his tongue as he held in his laughter.

"Oh trust me, Georgie that just shows how naive you are," Patricia snarled to which Georgie's mouth dropped open in anger. "Where is she anyway?"

"Gone into school early I think," Fabian answered, telling Georgie that they must have bumped into each other as Nina walked downstairs.

"Aww so she's a geek as well as everything else is she?" said Patricia in a condescending way.

Georgie was about to say something when Fabian protested, "It's probably more about getting away from us! I mean, we've hardly been very welcoming."

Georgie crossed her arms and stared at everybody around the table.

"I know, I was just thinking that too...I feel a bit mean," Mara admitted, looking at Georgie for approval.

"A bit mean?" Georgie said, but was nevertheless a little bit pleased that somebody else was coming around. And the look on Patricia's face was just priceless.

Being cold towards Nina was out of character for Mara, more so than anybody else, as she was usually really lovely. But Georgie had to take the moral high ground—and of course, if it meant that she had an excuse to be mean to Patricia back and on other occasions ignore her completely than it was a win win situation.

After breakfast, Georgie entered Jerome and Alfie's room to question them about the mirror incident.

"So come on then, Alfie, admit it," Georgie grinned. "Did you write that thing on the mirror last night? Patricia was going crazy over it."

"Maybe," Alfie grinned, with a sly look on his face.

Jerome laughed, but suddenly the door burst open. Patricia practically pounced on Alfie as he fell onto his bed, grabbing the nearest pillow and hitting him repeatedly with it.

"Ow! Stop it, Patricia, that hurts!" Alfie protested.

"I need the truth! Did you or did you not sneak into the bathroom last night whilst I was showering and write on the mirror?"

Georgie and Jerome looked on with bemused faces. "Absolutely mental," Georgie muttered.

"No, no!" Alfie replied.

"You swear?"

"Yes, I swear on Sprocket's life!"

"Who?" asked Patricia and Georgie.

"Sprocket! My dog! I swear on his life that I didn't do it." Alfie was, in Georgie's eyes, very convincing.

"Patricia," said Jerome, getting her attention, "maybe you just need to accept the inevitable."

"What's that?"

"Something sinister has happened to Joy and she's trying to contact you!" Jerome said, laughing as Alfie said, "Oooooh!"

Patricia slammed the pillow down and stormed out, sulking as she did so.

"I did not know you had a dog," Jerome said to Alfie after she had left.

"Yeah, nor me," Georgie agreed. "When did you—oh, hang on..."

"Nope," said Alfie simply. "Allergic." Jerome and Alfie burst into laughter.

Georgie rolled her eyes with a playful smile on her lips, until she remembered something. "Alfie, you snuck into our bathroom whilst Patricia was showering? That's a bit weird of you..."

He grinned. "What? It's not my fault she left the door unlocked."

She turned to Jerome, startled. "Please remind me to always lock the bathroom door."

"Of course," he said, winking. Georgie smiled a little at him and he continued, "Want to walk to class with me?"

"Us," Alfie reminded him, looking a little outraged.

Jerome rolled his eyes and sighed. "Alright, fine, us."

Georgie grinned. "I would love to."

As they left their room and exited Anubis House, Georgie was telling Jerome about last night. "...and Amber just got so jealous over Mick asking Mara to help him."

He laughed, putting a hand to his head. "I can't believe he called her the biology babe and called it a date. Mick may have some muscle but he certainly has no brains."

"But then do you remember when you and Mick went training together a few times last year?" Alfie pointed out as they walked closer to campus. "She didn't speak to you for about a week."

"One of the dullest weeks of my life," Georgie reflected. "Amber certainly is entertaining."

"Yeah she is..." Alfie said dreamily, smiling to himself. Jerome shot a concerned look towards his best friend, whilst Georgie shook her head. "Oh come on, you guys must like someone, it can't be just me here..."

"No, no," Georgie said quickly, looking anywhere but in Jerome's direction.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that idiot Dean has put you off for life after what he did," Jerome said bitterly.

Georgie smiled at his protectiveness. "No...not for my whole life, at least," she joked.

"I saw him yesterday," Alfie said, in a serious voice. "With another girl."

She shrugged. "I'm not bothered about that anymore. It's just—oh, it's stupid."

"What?" asked Jerome, with a hint of worry in his voice.

"I just wanted to move on before he did...to show him that I'm fine...if that makes sense." The hurt caused by their breakup before the Easter Holidays annoyed Georgie as she thought back to it; how pathetic to let some horrible boy upset her for a few weeks.

"I understand," Jerome said quietly, having developed into his rare serious side, which only Alfie and Georgie saw. She didn't know whether Jerome was thinking of a certain memory, and if he was, she desperately wanted to know who he was thinking of.

"We should get him back this term in our greatest prank yet," Alfie said defiantly as they entered the school building.

"Jerome punching him right in the face is a wonderful memory," Georgie sighed.

"And all of my detentions were worth it."

From across the hall Georgie spotted Amber and Mara, who looked a little like they were battling for Mick's attention. He walked away and Amber turned to Mara, with her hands on her hips.

"I had better go on over there. I'll see you guys later."

"Good luck," Jerome snorted, as she made her way to her two best friends.

"Everything alright?" she asked them both.

"Not really," Amber said. "Mara totally just interrupted some couple time. She walked in on Mick and I having a romantic moment and then walked to school with us."

Mara sighed in annoyance. "I didn't mean to Amber."

Georgie just stared at Amber in disbelief. "Amber, we talked about this last night. There's nothing to worry about!"

She turned on her heel and pushed open a set of double doors, Georgie and Mara following her. "Ok, ground rules. You help Mick with one Biology assignment and then that's it. Ok?"

"Ok, but it's not like I begged to tutor him," Mara reasoned. But Georgie secretly thought, given Mara's new behaviour towards him this term, that she was so pleased with him asking her nevertheless.

"Hey guys, here," called Patricia, who was staring at the wall near Mr Sweet's office. Oh what now, Georgie inwardly groaned as they joined her. She was checking out the school photo on the wall. "Look at this."

Amber gasped. "I know, don't rub it in. Bad hair day."

"Forget your hair Amber," Patricia deadpanned. "Where's Joy?" Georgie scanned the photo and was a little bit alarmed at her absence.

"Didn't she go home with her parents yesterday?" Amber replied.

"Here on this photo."

"Honestly, it's like explaining it to a small child," Georgie muttered to Mara as she re-scanned the photo to see if she could see Joy.

"She's not there," said Amber casually.

"Exactly."

"Wasn't she away that day?" asked Mara. "With tonsillitis or something?"

"No, she was definitely there, standing right next to me when this was taken," Patricia insisted.

"Yeah, Patricia's right," Georgie reluctantly admitted. Patricia looked at her, surprised. "She was there that day, I'm sure she was. Because she knew the photographer, didn't she? He was her uncle or something."

"That's right!" said Patricia.

"But how can you be so sure?" Mara asked, looking at them with a half smile. "It was nearly eighteen months ago Patricia."

Mara and Amber had both walked away. "But she was there that day. I know she was." Patricia said this sadly, and Georgie actually began to feel a little sorry for her.

"I have to agree with you on that one, even though you drive me mad," Georgie sighed. "This is seriously weird."

Patricia nodded, still staring at the photo. "Something is definitely going on. I just know it."

Georgie turned her head and noticed Mara standing by her locker alone. She needed to ask her once and for all whether she has started liking Mick or not. Leaving Patricia to ponder over the school photo Georgie cautiously walked up to Mara.

"Hey Mara, listen," she said, leaning against the next locker. "I just need to know...do you like Mick?"

"What?" Mara spluttered. "No! No, of course not—"

"Mara, I will stop you there," Georgie interrupted, holding up a hand. "Two things. One: you have never been able to lie to me, so don't start trying. And two: it's ok if you like him. You can't help who you develop feelings for."

Mara stared at her for a couple of seconds before admitting defeat. "You're right. Yes, I do fancy Mick. I hate it sometimes."

Georgie looked at her sympathetically. "Oh, come here." She pulled her into a hug which Mara gratefully received. "I know you don't want to hurt Amber."

"You won't tell her, will you?" Mara gave her a pleading look as they let go.

"Of course I won't," Georgie smiled.

"Anyway, since we're all being honest and open," Mara said, smirking. "I bet I know who you like."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"Jerome of course," she said, grinning at her. Well, there was no getting out of this one. Georgie couldn't deny it.

Sighing, she said, "Yes, alright, I do. I really, really do."

Mara smiled. "He's...different around you sometimes. It's sweet...albeit weird, but sweet." Georgie laughed a little. "I bet he'll be pleased you like him."

"You can't tell him!" Georgie panicked.

"Oh, no I won't, don't worry," Mara reassured her. "I just meant if he found out. Which he will, eventually."

"How?"

"He'll pluck up the courage to finally ask you out," Mara said bluntly. Georgie stared at her blankly. "Oh come on, he's liked you for ages now. Even before you started dating Dean."

A flicker of hurt crossed Georgie's features at this, but before anymore could be said on the matter Fabian bounded up to them.

"Hey, Georgie, have you seen Nina yet?" he asked her hopefully.

"Not since this morning at the House, sorry," she replied.

"Oh, weird," he said, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "I don't think she even made it into school this morning..."

"Oh I hope she's alright," Georgie mused.

"I'm sure she'll turn up," Mara said to them. "Come on, class is about to start."

After a fairly average day of classes, Georgie had returned to the House and was lying on her bed alone. She was holding a miniature rugby ball signed by her favourite London Saracens player—before she boarded at the school she went to see them play most Saturdays. Smiling at the memory, she looked up at the sound of a knock on the door.

"Yeah?"

Nina poked her head around the door. "Hey, it's me."

"Oh hey, come on in." Nina smiled in thanks and sat down on the edge of Georgie's bed. "So how was your first day?"

"Do you know what?" Nina said optimistically. "It wasn't all that bad. The classes were good and I didn't have a run in with Patricia either."

"Oh that's good," Georgie said, pleased. "But you must know that Joy suddenly disappearing is getting weird."

And so she told Nina about the school photo, Mr Sweet and Mrs Andrew's shared look and the fact that everything was normal with Joy right up until the end. "...I never really spoke to her all that much so I wouldn't know if something was going on with her anyway, I suppose, but still, the point stands."

"That all really is weird!" Nina agreed. "But I wish Patricia would leave me alone. I've flown in straight from America, what am I possibly going to know?"

"I know," Georgie sighed. "But this is Patricia all over. She's never changed; speak first, think later. A lot later." Nina chuckled. "Oh! I forgot to ask you: how come you were late this morning? You left way before any of us. Fabian was worried."

"Aw, was he?" she said happily. After a smug look from Georgie, Nina then quickly said, "Oh the weirdest thing happened to me this morning. I found an elderly lady wandering around outside Anubis House!" Good way to change the subject.

"Seriously? Was she alright?"

"Yeah I think so, I took her back to the Care Home, but she said that this was her house, and loads of other weird stuff...she knew my name, how I have to keep the secret or something...and to beware the blackbird."

"What the hell does any of that mean?" asked a bewildered Georgie.

"I have no idea," said Nina. "But she called the house evil. And that he's watching...always watching."

"The house is a little spooky at times...but I wouldn't call it evil," said Georgie, wondering who the hell he was.

"That's what I said." Nina then reached her hand up to her neck and pulled out a necklace from under her top. "She gave me this. I told her I couldn't possibly accept it but she insisted...apparently it'll keep me safe in here."

Georgie studied the pendant. Hanging on the end of a silver chain was what looked like a giant eye; it was brown with a round, red middle bit. "Wow...it's beautiful!"

Nina nodded to agree as Georgie dropped it from her palm. "Things just got really, really weird..." Nina said, looking deep in thought.

"First Joy's sudden disappearance and now this...interesting stuff is starting to happen around here, Nina."

Author's Note:

Thank you for your response so far! I hope you enjoyed this update :) more to follow very soon!