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Mara Jaffrey normally did not care about her appearance. But she sat in the mirror, thinking something was off. Something was off about her appearance. Sure, her skin seemed clearer, with more of a glow. Her eyes seemed to sparkle and her teeth looked extra white. She wore her straightened hair in its normal style, the two front bits clipped up.
Yet something looked different.
"It's probably because I'm with Jerome now, he makes me happy," she sighed to herself, swinging her bag over her shoulder and walking out the door and down the stairs for breakfast.
Everyone was down stairs, munching away, they all greeted her, and she sat beside Jerome who gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
"So how was everyone's holiday?" Joy asked loudly,
"Rockin', I watched this awesome movie called… the Titanic,"
"The Titanic?" Fabian laughed "Everyone's seen the Titanic,"
"What? Really?" Eddie asked, genuinely confused "But it was all new,"
"Eddie, have you seriously never heard of the Titanic? It's not just a movie, it was an actual boat," Mara smiled
"Oh." He stated stupidly, Patricia hit his shoulder lightly
"Where've you been?"
"Sorry, I'm not like Mara, I don't go researching everything."
"Hey!" Jerome called out "Don't talk about my girlfriend like that," and he wrapped his arm gently around shoulders, everyone laughed lightly.
Line Break
"You look different," Eddie remarked as he sat next to Mara in the science rooms. Mara turned to him, hand still itching to keep making notes.
"What?" she whispered while the teacher continued to write on the board
"Good different, I think you look really pretty,"
Mara just looked at him blankly for a moment, then blinked once. "You think I look what?" she asked quietly. Eddie grinned at her shocked expression
"I think you look really pretty,"
Eddie watched as Mara turned her head to see if Jerome had heard, apparently pleased he hadn't she whispered to him very quietly he wasn't sure if she'd actually said it
"Thank you,"
Eddie watched her for a few more moments, while she tried to catch up on note taking, it was then he realised that she was the only one in the class actually taking notes, it made him want to laugh.
He leaned down towards her and whispered into her ear "You know, it's okay for someone who isn't your boyfriend to compliment you, right?"
She was silent for a moment, then she turned to him and opened her mouth, he waited eagerly for what she was going to say, but she changed her mind, closed her mouth and turned her attention back to the page.
Eddie sighed, she had so much potential, and he wanted to be a good friend of hers, but how could he? When she was blocking him out?
Line Break
"Hey Mara!" Alfie exclaimed cheerfully, Mara was walking across the field, taking the long way back to the house, Jerome had a date planned for them.
"Hey Alfie," Mara smiled back
"I made you something," he stuffed his hands into his pockets and produced a piece of paper covered in stickers. Mara took them hesitantly
"Maraonzo?" she read of the stickers
"Yeah, Maraonzo, Alfonzo? I figure we'll be a great team."
"A great team for what?" she asked confused, her walk slowly slightly
"Well, since you're Jerome's girlfriend now, I figure we should get to know each other better." He shrugged as if it were nothing
"Alfie, you do realise that we were best friends, right?"
"Yeah I know, so it shouldn't be that hard to click again , right?"
Mara sighed, but a smile lit up her face "Right."
"Great," Alfie jumped up in into the air, but instead of landing on his feet, he tripped, and Mara tripped with him, so they were landed in a tangled head.
"Alfie!" she exclaimed loudly, laughing
"Sure, blame me!" he hollered, standing up and offering her his hand, she took it gratefully
"Aw, I've missed you Alfie," she smiled as he ruffled her hair.
Line Break
Mara had changed her dress three times, before deciding that the black one with the little tuffles at the bottom would be best for her surprise date with Jerome.
The date was at 6, it was about 5:45, she was early, so she decided to go and wait in the longue.
She had thought the house was empty apart from her and Jerome, everyone else seemed to go and do their own thing, Eddie always spending time with his dad, and everyone else off in their own little huddle. She had thought she'd stay a part of Sibuna when they came back, but apparently not, it would take more than one quest and a life threatening experience to prove to them that she could be a part of it.
So it was a surprise for her, when she saw Fabian sitting on the armchair, laptop on his lap, concentrating hard on something.
"Hey Fabian," she smiled, sitting opposite him, he looked up at her surprised, before smoothly shutting his laptop
"Hey Mara, what are you doing here?" she just arched her eye brow at the question and he laughed nervously, running a hand through his brown hair "Sorry, stupid question."
"Its fine, where is everyone?"
"Uhhh…..I have no idea," he lied. Mara suspected something but decided to let it go.
"What were you researching, maybe I could help?" that was her, classic Mara, wanting to help.
Fabian looked at her for a moment, genuinely considering her offer.
"Actually, yeah, I-I could use your help." He turned the laptop back on and went to sit beside her on the sofa "H-how much do you know about….Hieroglyphics?"
"I know loads! I'm 1/7th Egyptian." She stated proudly
"You are?" he looked deep in thought again "How come we never knew that?"
"We?"
"I." he corrected
She shrugged "No one ever asked, any way, show me the hieroglyphics,"
He turned the laptop and his eyes flitted between the screen and her face, her yes dawned with realisation.
"It says, 'There are two chosen ones, and together they must, create a bond, build a trust. An ancient ritual recovered, and bring you all closer together." She read slowly, translating as she went along.
Fabian scribbled down everything she said, before hugging her tightly "Thank you thank you thank you! You have no idea how long I've been trying to work that out," he pushed the paper into his pocket, intending to work on it later.
He stood up, and Mara did too "I have a date with Jerome," she stated proudly
"Oooh, look at you." He joked "Good for you Mara, you're great together,"
"Thanks," she smiled up at him
"What the hell are you doing?" Jerome asked, walking in, seeing the two of them staring rather awkwardly at each other.
"Nothing, we were just talking," Fabian smiled, Jerome shot him a glare and Fabians eyes dropped.
"Mara?"
"Jerome," Mara shook her head "It's like he said, we were just talking,"
"Yeah but you didn't have to stand so close to each other,"
"Jerome, don't talk to her like that. As if she'd ever cheat on you, and I'm with Nina!" Fabian stood up for Mara, Nina walked in just then, scanning the situation,
"Heey…"
The rest of the gang walked in too, and although Mara flushed from embarrassment, Jerome kept going.
"So what exactly where you talking about then Mara?" Jerome asked, his jealously flaring up, he didn't know exactly why he was angry. She hadn't done anything wrong, it was just the thought that she might, it was tearing him apart. God was he insecure.
"We were just talking Jerome! Not everyone is always talking about you!"
"Yeah, Mara was just helping me!" Fabian cried, Nina tugged his shoulder slightly, pulling him back from the argument so he couldn't take sides.
"What's this? Jerry banning Mara from talking to another guy?" Eddie walked over to stand beside Mara, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Patricia "Thought as much,"
"Why do you care Eddie? It's none of your business what the slimeball decides to do," She went and stood beside Jerome, her side taken
"Thanks Trixie!" Jerome called sarcastically, although he was pleased he wasn't standing by himself "Come on. Hey Alfie, don't you think that when you're dating someone, you shouldn't go flirting with other people,"
"Flirting?" Mara cried outraged
"Sorry Man, but I think I'm on Mara's side here," he went to stand on Mara's other side, there was two reasons he had chosen Mara, when normally he would have stood solid by Jerome. He didn't think Mara had actually flirted at all, and he was trying to build a friendship with Mara again, and standing up with her would have been the way to go to do that. Anyway Jerome would forgive him in the end, he always did.
"Alfie! You can't do that! Jerome's just being a good boyfriend!" Amber cooed, not really angry, but more opinionated, she went to stand by Jerome. Jerome seemed surprised, but said nothing.
Joy kept back with Nina and Fabian, afraid to join a side
"Jerome, you're making a big deal out of nothing, you always back mountains out of mole hills," Mara scolded, Eddie and Alfie nodded with her
"I do what? Excuse me," Jerome put a hand over his chest "Was I the one that had a complete makeover just to get Mick to notice me?"
"Yeah," Amber cried "It was you Mara!"
"Hey, was it her fault that she loved the guy?" Eddie called
"Why don't you shut up, Sweetie Junior?" Jerome called
"Calm down!" Nina cried, but no one listened.
"You can't tell her who to talk to!" Eddie yelled
"Man, you should let her fight her own battles!" Alfie chimed in
"So you're only flirting with her because she's pretty now?" Patricia, stomped her foot
"You're only going to hurt her!" Amber cried.
Jerome and Mara stood opposite to each other, their supporters on either side of them, nostrils flaring.
"You're so insecure," Mara whispered, shaking her head "I don't even know why I'm with you,"
"So you don't know now?" Jerome yelled "I thought you said you loved me!"
"I never said I didn't!"
"So you're not dumping me?"
"Of course I'm not dumping you!"
"I'm not dumping you either, yacker!" Eddie called from across the room
"Great," Patricia yelled
"I would never dump you Amber!"
"Be quiet Alfie! You sound crazy!"
"So, wait, what exactly is happening?" Asked Joy, stepping forward "No one's dumping anyone, yet you're all angry with each other?"
"I won't be angry when he apologises," Mara crossed her arms over her chest
"I won't be angry, when you apologise,"
"Is that a bet?" Eddie asked, cocking his head slyly
"If it was, we would so win," Amber nodded
"Well then it's a bet, first person from one of our teams to apologise, makes the whole team lose," Alfie said smartly. Everyone nodded in agreement, apart from Joy, Fabian and Nina. This was going to be a long week.
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