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Chapter 4

House of Bullies

I knew I was busted, and excuses flowed through my mind as i took the walk of shame onto my bed where an angry Sarah and Alice stood glaring.

"So?" Sarah asked. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Well it is my room too," I reminded her.

"How much did you hear Miss American Snoop?" Alice spit. Boy was I in trouble. No way in hell were they going to let me get involved with them not, not considering the fact that my suspicious behavior just confirmed their (false) suspicions.

"Just, just what you were saying about me," I lied easily. "I heard my name when I was coming up and wanted to know what you were saying. I guess it explains why everyone in this school hates me if you think I'm some kind of evil, snake, devil-thingy."

I could tell by her softening face that Sarah felt guilty for her exclusion of me. Alice, however, felt no guilt what-so-ever and spitefully spoke, "Well everyone is just going to hate you more when I tell them that you're a snoop! No one likes spies."

As Alice stormed out of the the room with Sarah trailing behind her, there was no doubt in my mind that she meant what I said. By dinner Lily, who normally was cordial if not friendly ignored me and the boys, who besides Anubis I'd never even spoken to, were downright mean.

"Can you pass the milk, Snoopy? I like it with chocolate best. But i bet you already knew that considering you're a spy," Greg announced causing everyone to roar with laughter. I pretended to not have heard as I passed the milk around, but my flaming cheeks gave away my secret.

"Do you want to know why her name is Luce?" Felix played along, "It's because it's short for Lucifer!"

As if the nickname Snoopy wasn't bad enough now I'd forever be known as Lucifer. Quickly excusing myself I left the table without eating a bite and headed to my room. I knew Sarah could come in any moment, and that was the only thing that held back the tears. I would not cry, I would not cry, I would not cry! I didn't cry when my dad barged into our house shooting me in the leg. Or when he shot my mom in both the head and the heart. I didn't even shed a tear as he turned the gun upwards and blew his own brains out. I would not cry because I lived in a house of bullies I would not.

More time flew by and it became clear to me that Sarah and Alice had decided the best way to find the other chosen people they were looking for was by recruiting everyone in the house. (Not me of course, I wasn't even aloud to eat with them if I wanted not to be harassed.)

Lily went first, then one by one the boys joined in on the mysterious conversations until one night I showed up for dinner to discover only Anubis sitting at the kitchen table.

"You too huh?" A asked sipping his soda slowly. "I thought I was the only one not let in on their little secret."

"I'm surprised you are in on it considering the fact that your sister is the one who started it," I told him coldly. I hadn't spoken to Anubis since the first night, but compared to the others he'd probably been harassing me the least. (Not that I didn't know for sure he was responsible for the spy photos of me hung up around the school.)

Apparently Anubis had thought one of the other kids started it and not his own blood. Still he said nothing. "Any clue what they're up to?"

"No," I half-lied. I knew they were looking for some scales or mosaic or something down in the basement, but besides that I knew nothing. "So why aren't you involved? Not invited?"

"Sarah doesn't like having me around, never has. And Alice and I dated last year so now she completely avoids me. Between the two of them i think my invite got lost in the mail."

I couldn't help but study the boy who I'd severely misjudged a few weeks ago. Was he a nice, caring guy? No, but, his hard exterior now seemed to be a weak veneer and I only could wonder what lay underneath the touch-guy shell.

"What about you?" he asked causing me to laugh for the first time in, well, months.

"What do you think? Everyone in this school hates me! You shouldn't even be talking to me in case they think you're committing treason and helping the spy." As soon as the words left my mouth I wished I could take them back. A knew that what I was speaking the truth and no amount of guilt or loneliness was worth being my friend. I found it sad that the best meal I'd had at this school was spent in silence.

When Sarah finally showed up at our room later that night I noticed that in addition to her eye of Ra necklace she also wore an Egyptian amulet with a sparrow carved into it. From the wide beam in her eyes i guessed that the amulets protected from whatever made you go blind. Well good for them.

"What are you doing?" Sarah asked as she noticed me stuffing my clothes back into my suitcase.

"Oh so you're being friendly now," I spit back as I zippered the case shut and crawled into bed. "Just a suggestion, be nicer to your next roommate."

"You're transferring houses?" Sarah asked hopefully.

"Nope." I told her turning over. "I'm transferring schools and never, ever coming back to this malice-driven 'kingdom' of yours."

Sarah said nothing as I fell asleep and dreamed of returning home to a place that despite the bad memories, I was loved.