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"So, Mara's twirled?" Alfie asked, lying flat on the bed, throwing a tennis ball up and catching it with one hand.

"Twirled?" Fabian turned to him

"Yeah, she's gonna marry Edmon,"

"No Alfie, you mean engaged."

"Oh." Alfie stated "I thought that you engaged in conversation,"

"You do, it's one of those words whi-"

"Are you out of your mind?" Jerome almost screamed, Sibuna turned to look at him "Mara is being tricked!" he ran a hand through his unusually scruffy hair.

"Jerome," Nina said softly, walking over to him and placing a careful hand on his shoulder. She was unsure if he would yell at her for touching him, or shrug her off and make a snide comment.

But he didn't.

He let her, and didn't say anything. He turned to her sharply, but didn't say anything. "Have you ever thought that maybe, she actually loves Edmon?" Jerome stood suddenly, pushing her hand off him

"Have you lost your mind?" he hissed at her. He was so angry, it was with fumbling fingers that he took out his phone and threw it as hard as he could at Fabian. Fabian flinched, but picked up the phone, and looked at the screen.

"Impossible," whispered Fabian. Everyone, excluding Jerome, gathered around the small screen and gasped.

"Poor Mara," Amber whispered "She thinks he loves her,"

"Maybe he does," Nina whispered.

Line Break

"So, I take it we're over?" Jerome asked her, as they walked into the common room and sat on the sofa. Mara tucked some hair behind her ear

"Jerome, please, don't take anything personally. Look at the ring," she stuck out her hand and Jerome saw the blue diamond twinkle. And it struck him, realization dawned on him. It was the stone, the blue stone. Whenever Mara touched it, whenever Mara saw it, she fell in love with whoever gave it to her. "I mean, Edmon and I are meant to be,"

"Meant to be?" Jerome repeated

"Don't be jealous," she warned "I still want to be your friend,"

"My friend?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I won't leave you out," Jerome stood and stormed out. Mara watched him leave, unsure.

"Don't worry about him," Patricia said from opposite her. Mara looked up "He's crazy,"

"Patricia?" asked Mara "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She smirked "He's gotta learn to let go."

It was silent for a moment. "Hey Patricia?" Mara arched an eye brow "Where's Eddie?"

"I have to show you something," Patricia stood, red hair falling into her face slightly

"But I have class in a few minu-"

"Please." And whether it was because Mara wanted to feel close to Patricia again, or there was something in Patricia's voice. A sort of desperation. Mara stood and followed.

Line Break

"Why are we here?" asked Mara as they walked deeper into the woods

"I want to show you something,"

"But can't you tell me what, Patricia? If I'm only going to see it anyway?"

"Stop." Patricia said suddenly. Her uniform was only slightly scruffy, and she had walked this way with a grace that you would only get from practising.

"Patricia…" Mara said slowly, a bad feeling spreading through her "Is everything okay?" Mara never received an answer to her question, because two hands grabbed her from behind and dragged her into the trees, into the darkness.

Patricia watched the place where Mara had been, before turning back and walking to school. She moved her hand up to her neck, and pulled out the necklace from under her shirt, on the necklace was a ring, a blue diamond, given to her by Jason.

"Let the game begin." Patricia said to herself.

Line Break

"Mara's gone." Patricia panted as she walked into her room. Everyone looked up

"What?" asked Jerome, panic laced into his words.

"She's gone. As in not here." Patricia repeated "What do we do?"

Jerome's phone rang. Everyone just watched it for a moment, unsure what to do.

"I'm guessing I should answer that." Jerome wondered. He reached out and pushed the button with his finger, and recoiled back.

"Jerome." Came the voice everyone in the room know too well "I'm guessing you know who I am,"

"Rufus." Jerome said in a quiet voice, there was laughter on the other side of the phone

"Right. Now, I'm also guessing, you know I have your precious Mara. Say hi Mara," everyone listened intently to the rustling, before Mara's tiny and scared voice came through

"H-hi," she took a deep breath

"Mara!" Jerome cried out. Nina gritted her teeth angrily. This was all her fault. Fabian rubbed circles on her back

"She's safe, for now. I've called to make a deal, Jerome. You interested?"

"Yes."

"Well, how about you, and every other stupid kid listening in on this conversation, meet me in the woods. We'll have a competition of sorts. Mara will be hidden in the woods, safely. If one of you find her first, she's all yours. If one of mine find her first, then you hand over the mask, and we keep her."

"Wait," Nina cut in, "Who's on your side?"

"Nina!" Rufus exclaimed in fake joy "What a pleasure to hear from you again! Still putting your friends into danger?"

"Who's on your side?" Fabian asked more forcefully

"Jason, Edmon, and Patricia," there was laughter once more. Sibuna turned to where Patricia had been standing, only to find she was no longer in the room

"She betrayed us!" Alfie yelped

"So, as I only have three, you can only have three. Tomorrow, at twelve pm precisely, when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. Do we have a deal?"

"NO! Don't! Stop! It's a trick guys, don't-" Mara's voice was cut off by a loud clattering noise. Jerome's eyes widened.

"Do we have a deal?" Rufus repeated

"Yes." They all said at the same time, the dialling tone rang.

"Well," Jerome stood, raking a hand through his hair yet again "I'm one of the three." He moved to the other side of the room, hands behind his back. Head tall.

"And me." Nina stood and walked over to Jerome

"And me," Fabian walked over and took Nina's hand. Joy, Amber and Alfie watched them

"Well," Alfie smiled "We better get training, who knows what Rufus will throw at us this time?"

Hey Hey! So….yeah….

I have black hair.

Awesome right?

Yeah…

X

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