It seems that every time I start an Author's Note, I always apologize…

Disclaimer: I do not own HoA.

"Well what else do I have to do?" Nina shivered again. "I'm cold!"

"Oh, um, well, I didn't get that far. I wrote it down this morning." Alfie laughed as Jerome smacked him again.

Patricia sighed. "Let's just go inside!" All of the teens nodded in agreement and followed behind Patricia as she walked back to the house. Suddenly Patricia ran back to them, eyes wide. "It's locked!" she yelled as she ran. "We're stuck out here!"

"What? We can't be," Mick trudged up to the door of the house and gave it a tug. Frowning, he pulled it harder. The knob came off. Mick turned to everyone with a sheepish grin and showed the handle, and everyone groaned.

"Well, where's Trudy? Maybe she could let us in," Alfie suggested, but Fabian shook his head.

"Remember? She left to visit her sister for a week. Victor isn't in the house, either," Fabian added when Alfie opened his mouth to reply.

Patricia sighed, and leaning against a tree, she shrank to the ground. "Great," she muttered, "just great."

"Well we can't do not do anything!" Mara replied after a few minutes of shocked silence. "Come on, guys, girls, let's find some food to eat."

Patricia narrowed her eyes at Mara. "Not to mention it's about to rain," she hissed. "Look, Mara, let's give up. We've been left to freeze."

"Well, what about the other houses?" Nina asked. "Maybe they could give us some food and water."

Fabian shook his head and pulled his jacked closer. "We can't. They need food for themselves. Rain or snow, they're not going to school."

Nina nodded, and then they were left in silence. A silence, other than the sound of crunching.

"What's that?" Mara asked.

"What's what? We're out here to die. It's probably your imagination. We're all slowly going insane," Patricia replied, but Mara shook her head.

"No, it sounds like…crunching…chewing, even. Eating!" Mara spun around to face Mick, and everyone copied her.

"Wha?" He turned around, and when he did, they noticed he had a bag of cookies in his hands.

"Mick!" Patricia exclaimed.

"You were hiding cookies in your jacket, weren't you?" Fabian sighed as his friend nodded. "Mick!"

"Wait, you mean to tell me Campbell hid the cookies from us when he knew we were all hungry?" Jerome glared at Mick and Fabian nodded.

"Well, sorry, but I didn't want you to get thirsty! Cookies make a person thirsty, you know," Mick reminded them, and they all rolled their eyes.

"Mick, if you knew we're hungry, it doesn't matter. Give it!" Mara stuck out a hand and narrowed her eyes at Mick. He handed them over, a frown on his face.

"Aww! But I only got to eat three!"

"Too bad," Nina replied. "Mara, how many are left in there?"

Mara looked at it, and sighed. "Only six."

"That means one of us can't have one," Nina nodded. "I won't."

"No, me," Fabian argued. "You're hungrier then I am."

"No I'm not. Fabian, have you heard your stomach growl?" she laughed at the blush that tinted his cheeks. Or maybe it was from the cold. "You eat it."

"No, you!"

"You."

"You!"

"You."

"You!"

"You-" Fabian cut off as Patricia interrupted.

With a roll of her eyes she said, "Oh, why don't you just break it in half! Seriously. You're arguing like Trudy and Ade," Standing up, Patricia reached over and took a cookie from the bag, everyone else following.

Five minutes later they had all finished their cookie, and now they were all thirsty.

"I don't expect you have a water bottle in there, too, Mick," Alfie joked, but cut off as he saw Mick reach for one. "Mick!"

So as it turns out, they all refreshed their throats.

"Okay, let's finish truth or dare," Jerome wiped his mouth as he stood up from where he had sat. "Nina, it's your turn to dare someone. Since we don't have the bottle, you can choose randomly."

Nina smiled. "Glad to. Oh, Mick!" Mick widened his eyes and whipped his head toward her. Everyone else just laughed. "Mick, I dare you to not eat a thing for five hours," Nina laughed. "Don't worry, you won't die, everyone else can gather berries to feed you later."

Mick frowned, and then smiled. "Pass!" as he looked at how everyone was smiling at him, he asked, "What?"

"Mate," Alfie said between laughs, "You already passed on your dare to kiss Nina!"

Mick frowned again. "Oh. Well, then, fine. Okay, then, my turn!" as he scanned everyone, he decided whom to dare. "Uh…Jerome, I dare you to lick that tree that Alfie just kissed," Mick grinned proudly as Jerome made a face, but he got up to do it.

Seconds later he was running back to the group, wiping his tongue on the sleeve of his jacket. Yes, he was desperate.

As he sat back down, Jerome said, "Ew. Anyway…" his eyes lit up as he spotted Mara. "Okay Mara, I hope there's no harm done, but I dare you to let everyone call you Ice Queen for two hours."

Mara glared at him. "Fine."

"Thanks, Queen," Jerome snickered and high-fived Alfie. Mara rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Alfie, I dare you to-" she cut off as something landed next to her. For a while now it had been steadily raining and suddenly a big block shaped white thing thudded on the ground. "Hail!" she gasped, picking it up. She glanced up at everyone else, who were staring at her with wide eyes. "Hail! It's hailing everyone! Get to shelter!"

"Uhm, IQ? We don't have any shelter." Mara stared at Fabian, who gave her a sheepish grin.

"Well don't just stand there! Everyone, take of your jackets and put them above your head. People without jackets, like Nina, you go under with people who do! Hail can very dangerous, so hurry up!"

Everyone listened, and soon everyone was covered the best they could. Nina was with Fabian, Jerome was with Mara, Amber was with Alfie, and Mick was all alone. They all sat in silence for a few minutes before Fabian broke the silence.

"How about we play a game?" He struggled out. "Let's play the letter game."

"Okay," Nina replied before anyone else could, "How do you play?" Jerome glared at her, but even he turned to hear what Fabian had to say.

"It's when you have to start the first letter of your sentence with a certain letter," he answered. "Let's start with something easy. Like 'S'."

Amber nodded. "Super," she said, and everyone glanced at her weirdly before they realized she was playing the game.

"So," Patricia followed, "Shall we continue truth or dare?"

"So yes," Jerome agreed. "So, Mara, you go ask Alfie."

Mara nodded. "So, Alfie, I truth you to say who you have a crush on." Alfie turned red, and as he opened his mouth to answer, a huge streak of lightening flashed through the sky, and the hail began coming down harder. Alfie winced, and he didn't answer. "So…" Mara began a few minutes later, "have any more food, Mick?"

Mick nodded and grimaced. "Successful, huh?"

"Sleep so you'll feel that way in your dreams!" Jerome called back, causing everyone to chuckle.

"So Alfie," Nina began, "who's your crush?"

Alfie opened his mouth again, but more lightening flashed, causing him to shut his mouth. Everyone but he groaned in annoyance.

"Super, are we cursed?" Jerome said sarcastically. "Swell. So, who wants to end this game and play mine?"

Amber nodded in agreement. "This is, boring. Sorry, Fabian. My speech is so limited when we play this."

Fabian sighed. "Alright, Jerome, what do you have in mind?"

Jerome grinned. "Let's play Would you Rather." Everyone exchanged glances, but no one interrupted as Jerome continued. "So Alfie, old buddy," he began, "Would you rather kiss the tree, or a rock?"

"…A rock?" Alfie asked uncertainly. Jerome nodded.

"Alfie, would you rather kiss a rock, or Patricia?"

"…a rock?" Alfie squeaked, causing Patricia to shoot him a glare and a slight look of hurt.

"Alright, Alfie, would you rather kiss Patricia or Amber?" Both girls looked at Alfie, and Jerome grinned as he saw the uncomfortable spot Alfie was now in. Alfie glanced around nervously, but opened his mouth to reply.

"…-"

Nice cliff, don't you think? ;P Say in your reviews who you think Alfie will say! I understand my chapter got a little boring. Well, I'm kind of in a rut, so, yep. :D

~D