Sorry for the long wait! I spent a lot of time on this, and I hope it shows. This chapter is dedicated to Fallen Angel, KlarizaClaytonFan, miyame-chan, guest, IAmAnimeD of deviantART, vibrantblueeyes, sinfullysarcastic, Siri Perle, , Fabina4eves and The Throne, who convinced me to keep the last scene as is. To the chart...
Nina plays Mick/Fabian plays Mara/Patricia plays Jerome/Amber plays Fabian/Mick plays Patricia/Mara plays Alfie/Jerome plays Amber/Alfie plays Nina
I do not own House of Anubis
Joy mentally prepared herself before she addressed her housemates after a quick breakfast that bright Thursday morning. She was unsure of how they'd take the news she had to deliver to them. She meant to choose her words carefully, but they rushed from her throat.
"Enjoy this day while you still can." Her own voice seemed threatening, though that wasn't what she was going for. It seemed as though Mara felt the same way.
"Why do you say that so… ominously?" Mara had already hypothesized in her head as to the reason to her question, which is why she spoke in character. She gave Joy her perfected Alfie expression, the one he gave when he was confused or curious. She could tell the days of doing that were numbered.
Joy glanced at everyone before she spoke again -taking in a mix of worried and confused expressions- hoping to be more gentle this time. I"ll have to spend tomorrow editing video footage." There was a pause in her speech, since she felt sorry for the others. "There won't be time for acting."
Before he reacted, Alfie had to clarify, and used his 'Nina voice' to do. Since he wasn't sure how much longer he could, at least without sounding like he was mocking her. "So this really is it?"
With a slow nod, Joy echoed him. "This really is it. The last day of the project."
Joy got ready for the worst as the group took a few seconds to process the words. They looked amongst themselves as if to make sure they'd heard correctly. Patricia spoke first. "Finally." She said this, not in a way that feigned eagerness for the project to be over, but as if she was annoyed it had go on for as long as it did. The others, excluding Joy, murmured and nodded in agreement.
Joy watched her housemates walk swiftly toward the door. She couldn't help thinking they might be putting on an act for her. They may not have sounded sad to hear the news of the nearing end of the project, but they didn't seem satisfied either. She'd expected them -much like on the first day of the project- to leave the room dragging their feet. Anything to make the day seem longer.
"Don't you even talk to me." The words were hardly a whisper, and they caught the attention of the Anubis residents. That voice was usually loud, but not angry, when projecting instructions in gym class.
The kids felt the wall they went to hide behind was transparent and that they'd be caught any moment. It was strange to hope Esther and Jason's argument would distract them from noticing they had an audience.
Jason didn't plan on listening to the command he'd been given, but he had trouble keeping up with Esther's brisk pace. "I don't understand." As he said this, he did his best to stay calm.
"What don't you understand?" Esther basically barked. The housemates exchanged glances, and both Mick and Joy took notice that Jerome looked as uncomfortable as the lot of them felt. Along with being pale.
"You were so quick to decide I didn't deserve a chance with you and just as quick to decide that Stan's perfect?"
Esther stopped short and turned on her heel to face Jason. "I don't understand why you waited until now to say something." She shook her head with disapproval and frustration. "As if it even matters."
"Doesn't it? Isn't it better I said something now instead of at the wedding?"
Holding in a frustrated groan and the urge to rip her hair out, she said: "You're not the first to give me your opinion about Stan. So honestly, it would've been best if you'd kept your mouth shut." She didn't try to put it lightly.
Jason found himself repeating words Jerome had used, in his defense. "I'm trying to set an example." It came out weakly.
"Of what?"
"Honesty." Jason explained, before she had the opportunity to rant that the only thing he'd demonstrated was how to be a jerk.
"This is a very poor example." Ms. Robinson told him, sounding no longer angry but very disappointed. Almost as if she was speaking to a student who failed to dress properly for her class. For a moment, she didn't speak. But her gaze kept him quiet, instead of trying to make his point. Then, finally, Esther said: "You're right." He didn't have to wait for her to elaborate. "The only good thing about making me have this conversation? Now that it's over you won't bother me with it on my wedding day. Considering you won't be there to see it." With that, she walked away.
The words were supposed to sting. They we purposefully harsh, so Jason would back off. Oddly, he found himself unshaken. Only more determined.
Though Jerome didn't know what was going on in his head. So, as he and his housemates hurried to class, he mumbled guiltily: "I give great advice."
When drama class was winding down and there was nothing left to do for the day, the students expected to be let out early.
The Anubis residents had their eyes on Jason as he stood in the front of the room, patiently waiting for the chatter to die down. He had a faint -almost relieved- smile on, and it suddenly occurred to them why he was qualified to teach both history and drama. They wondered if he was honestly happy after what went down that morning.
Or how he could be.
Slowly the others took notice of their teacher standing there, waiting for an opportunity to speak instead of making one. (Which, they knew, he had no problem doing.) Everyone turned their attention to him.
Some wondered if they'd done something wrong, despite his expression. They didn't have to ask. As soon as Jason was sure everyone was listening, he spoke.
"Before I dismiss everyone today, I wanted to tell you that I'm proud." The concerned looks made a comeback, and he continued: "This has probably been a long, stressful time for all of you, yet I've barely gotten any negative feedback about the assignment."
Patricia laughed in response. It was a short laugh, but the way her head tilted back just a bit was a force of habit that developed because of the role she played. She had to ask: "We all had the same project?" Jason nodded. The Anubis residents looked at each other incredulously. They failed to see the glares others fired in their direction.
"Everyone's worked hard." Jason said. The words were effective in cutting the tension, though some were still bitter. Since the students in other houses had been too embarrassed to perform in class, the Anubis residents didn't look like superstars to them. They looked like showoffs. "I've seen that you're having fun, too." Jason went on.
When the students weren't worrying about the project, it was easy to forget there was one. Of course, it wasn't all about the entertainment factor. Jason made that clear. "And I hope that you all learned something." His eyes scanned the students as he talked. "We'll find that out Monday, when we review the notes, or the scrapbooks, or the tapes." At the word 'tapes', his gaze landed on Joy. And as he wrapped up his little speech, his smile got brighter. "So, enjoy your last day. Class dismissed."
The students cleared the room quickly, excluding the ones from Anubis house. They were in no rush. They left together, and walked home with no set pace. A different person took over leading the group every few minutes. And though there were so many conversations going on simultaneously it was difficult for anyone to actually make out what was being said, no one complained. No one argued. There was no more time to waste doing that.
It was almost impossible for Victor to enjoy that afternoon with the looming thought that his miscreants had been kidnapped and replaced with generally quiet clones who were too polite to fight. Almost.
The kids all sat in the living room, with nothing to keep them company but their own hushed voices, a few magazines, and a chess board.
"One of you still owes me a chess game." Joy reminded Jerome and Mara. They looked confused, since they were in character.
Jerome-Amber offered an alternative. "I'll play you in ping pong."
"I could teach you how to skateboard." Mara added.
Mick dismissed this with a scoff. "You barely know how to skateboard yourself."
That snarky remark sparked a small argument between the two, that soon everyone but Joy joined in on.
She stuck to her role as spectator and scorekeeper. As she watched them go back and forth, she realized there was nothing serious about the words exchanged. No one was really looking for a fight, they just wanted to joke around. It proved something to Joy. This project -the one her housemates saw as a joke when it was first assigned -had become serious business. And not because they were being graded on it. Because it was an excuse for everyone to get in each other's heads. Behind every playful jeer exchanged was fear that the bond they'd formed in such a short time was about to be broken.
Joy didn't want to have to think about that. She followed their lead, diving deeper into the assignment. She slipped away without her housemates noticing, to go review the footage she'd captured so far. Before starting that process, she took out her notes on how to grade her housemates. She had to keep a few things in mind as she rewatched. Joy reread her list.
Devotion
How long they stay in character
How dedicated they are to looking like the person
How much they studied and got to know the person they are playing
Overall characterization/progress
When she was finished, she opened her laptop and connected her camera. To her surprise, thirteen videos came up. Had she really become that attached to her camera? Sure, that was good for the project, but unexpected nonetheless. Joy clicked on the first one.
Patricia's contorted face filled the screen.
Joy found herself laughing at her early camerawork, and the panicky way she moved from person to person, wanting to catch every second of the action. And the way she struggled for a grip on the camera, when Trudy's scream from the laundry room startled her. Off-screen, it seemed like an elephant was bounding down the stairs. She remembered it was just Victor, and he seemed to be the only one of the bunch who was camera shy. He only stuck around long enough to express his dislike for Patricia and Mara's pranks.
The last thing Joy caught in that clip was a high-five between the proud prankster and the boy who portrayed her. It was interesting. He put aside his anger to show his support, which -now that Joy thought about it- was nothing new in that house.
The second clip was of Nina's game-winning goal. Since Joy had rewatched that once before, she found her attention elsewhere. She focused on what had gone on in the background. Mick's gaze was locked in on the crowd for a brief moment. She felt the pain of what happened next, when he just narrowly avoided being trampled by his own team. With a wince, she watched him scramble to his feet with a scowl on his face. Joy wasn't very far into rewatching the footage she'd captured, but she was sure of one thing. That part of the clip would end up on the cutting room floor.
Having to tune out all of Amber and Fabian's cheering from the second clip was nothing compared to what Joy faced next. She found herself trying to fill in silence that was only countered by forks clinking against plates, and whispers that emerged thanks to Fabian and Nina. Within seconds, the camera followed the two down the hallway. This time when Joy nearly dropped her camera again, she noticed that she had a lot more control of it. She could see she was getting used to it, the way her housemates had gotten so used to playing their parts.
Playful banter reared its head again, with the footage of the impromptu soccer game. Nina and Patricia seemed to be having too much fun pretending to be bitter rivals. Patricia even seemed to one-up Nina, with how powerful her kick was. At the heart of it, it was really just about everyone putting their energy into something productive together. The way they'd all done with the project. Joy had to admit, she liked that Mick was at her side in that moment. Her only partner in the project was her camera. Since the project had been assigned, the device was her main companion. Everyone else was taken, and too focused on what they had to do to give Joy the attention she was looking for. Then it hit her. The whole reason she came up with the project in the first place was because she thought she'd be at the center of it. It hadn't worked out that way. The thought had her so down that she almost closed her laptop and headed back to join the others.
The camera caught something her glance never did when she went to give Mick something to write with. Out of all the words that covered the page, two stood out among the rest. Two she knew well, from the rough draft of a poem Patricia had been trying to decode: Emerald Eyes.
"Hmm." Joy breathed. How had she not seen that before? This was her first time reviewing the footage from that game, but it should've been obvious who the poem was by, and who it was about. In fact, the only one who didn't know that Mick had a crush on Patricia was Patricia. It would come as no surprise if even Victor knew.
With a sigh, Joy went onto the next clip. Or rather, a bunch of little clips. Random images of her housemates at the party, in costume. They were dressed in the clothes that seemed to fit them naturally now. Jerome had adopted a style he'd once described as atrocious with such ease. Joy admitted her best friend had a point. He wore the look well. The others didn't look like they were dressed to the nines, but they didn't look bad either. Nina rocked the sporty look, seeming as comfortable in those clothes as she did in her own skin. Even if in the moment she was captured on camera, she was in the middle of an argument with Mick.
Joy had to laugh at herself, wondering why she decided it was a good idea to film Amber and Alfie being taken to the attic against their will. Maybe she was trying to say that she and her housemates find ways to solve their own problems, even with unconventional methods. She knew it was weird. As weird as the project as a whole.
As weird as asking uptight Philip Lewis to play along with the project. The fact that that had worked, and worked out better than anyone expected brought a smile to Joy's face. She didn't need footage of a food fight to back up that feeling. She didn't need to showcase that progress. As long as he came around like Marcia said he would, that was good enough for her. That hope filled in the silence that fell at the end of the clip. This time, it didn't make her squirm. Mara had made a difference. She had to drop some jaws and dirty up some walls to do so, but she made a difference.
"You two are the only ones out of the contest so far." Joy's own voice surprised her. She normally didn't say much when she was womanning the camera, and there was morning in her tone. Morning that was reflected in Alfie's tired eyes. He looked like he knew she had him in a close-up, but didn't have the energy to complain about it. Though, he soon built up the energy to take the camera out of her hands, asking to have a turn with filming. Looking back on it, Joy was sorry she denied him that.
That was countered by the pride she felt for the next clip, for the sole reason that she snuck it in. It was nice to have something she managed to film in school. The shot of Nina running down the hall could be used practically anywhere. Joy was amazed she kept up the pace, considering Nina channeled her character's energy and reached his speed. The pride she felt melted as she once again eavesdropped on Nina and Jason's conversation. She had to listen to her housemate admit one of her weaknesses, and at the mention of Stan she thought she might vomit. So much for the encouragement she and her housemates tried to give Jason. Their solution only made a bigger problem.
The eleventh clip, of Jerome and Mara's chess game, brought Joy's mind back to the living room. Where her friends were likely still arguing. Trying not to keep their minds on the time, which was almost up in terms of the project. She knew they were attached to their acts -because of the sense of closeness it gave them- and reviewing the footage only drove that point. Joy was too fed up to look at it anymore, and closed her laptop. She walked back downstairs and found herself outside in seconds. She didn't know what good fresh air would do her, or what it would lead to. She just hoped she remembered to sign out.
All but two of Jerome's housemates had their eyes set on him, but he did a good job at pretending not to notice. He just kept up the conversation he was having, completely in character. "Of course a party is important. It's a way to celebrate all the progress we made." He paused, frowning. "It's not like I'm asking for much. I just thought it would be nice for Trudy to have a break. She works hard too, you know." Another pause, and he rolled his eyes. It earned him chuckles, especially since the man on the other line couldn't see that expression. "At least give me your opinion on how we can help if you're not going to." Jerome gasped inaudibly at the response he got. "I don't have an attitude, you're just being stubborn." He swallowed a huff at the question he heard. "Pleading wasn't really working so I thought a guilt trip might do the trick." He said so weakly, as footsteps were heard down the hall. The glances that had been focused on Jerome switched to Amber, who appeared in the doorway once again. She was returning from a bathroom break, with a very lost expression on her face.
How could she not look like that, when she came back to find Jerome with her phone in his hand, chatting up a storm? Her confusion mixed with annoyance as she walked his way. "Who are you talking to?" Her question sounded like a curious demand.
Jerome lowered her phone from his ear and faced it toward his shoulder. "Daddy." Immediately after the casual reply, he tried to go back to his conversation.
As the others laughed, Amber's eyes bulged. "My daddy?"
He gave her his best perplexed expression. "Not unless you know something I don't." The laughter got louder, unable to be held back. Amber wasn't laughing, but whatever she said was drowned out by everyone else. She snatched the phone from Jerome's grip. He looked baffled by that, not sure Fabian would be able to pull that off if he ever wanted to take something from Amber.
She was trying her best to make up for whatever Jerome had said in her absence, but after awhile she was cut off. She slowly put the phone down in defeat, and looked back at Jerome. The glare in her eyes had vanished. "He says I should stick to guitar playing and stop interrupting his daughter's telephone calls."
With a surprised yet self-righteous smile, Jerome reached for the phone again. "So where were we?" He asked this as more of Amber's grumbling went unheard thanks to the others' laughter. When Mr. Millington answered, Jerome did something that looked very spur-of-the-moment but was actually a very calculated move. He punched Amber in the arm.
The others' surprise was genuine, but hers was only for show. (Of course she saw that coming, she would've done the same thing.) She was glad he didn't hurt her, which is precisely why the move was so calculated.
Amber joined her housemates to watch what they thought was a standup act. Or, rather, a sit-down act. Jerome wrapped up his conversation in the same Amber-like manner he'd been speaking in. When it came time to say goodbyes, he had one thing to add in response to what he heard on the other line. He directed a brief glance and Amber and said: "I know. That really was rude, wasn't it?"
This might've been a boiling point for Amber if everyone else hadn't found it so funny. Sure enough, she found herself laughing. Only once Mick cracked up so much that he fell off the couch. Jerome was in hysterics then too, watching Fabian hurry to help his roommate to his feet. All the good-natured giggling was interrupted when Nina realized something.
She called her housemates to attention, and everyone looked at her. When she asked what was on her mind, the anger in her tone was directed at herself for not noticing before. "...Where's Joy?"
A knock at Joy's bedroom door pulled her away from grading again. She got up and answered, surprised to find Mick on the other side. He had his arms crossed over his chest, in a way that gave off the illusion of toughness to most people. She knew better. That was a defense mechanism. He was guarding himself. Joy blinked in anticipation, waiting for him to speak.
"I need your advice." He admitted this in a way that sounded like he didn't want to. In a way that sounded very much like his character. That's when Joy figured out was going on. He wanted her opinion on something that was going on with him, but asked as Patricia to try to keep his grade up.
"On…?" She was only feigning obliviousness. She had a pretty good idea why he showed up, and she was glad he did. She was definitely the person to confide in about this.
"Say I was… interested in someone-" Mick started, before Joy's sunny smile cut him off. He kept his voice low, even though Patricia wasn't around and he was being as vague as possible. Seeing Joy's reaction, he couldn't help but clam up a bit. She was turning this serious situation into a fluff fest without even saying a word.
Joy saw the effect that action had, and urged Mick to go on. "And?" He thought about giving the conversation another go, but only for a second. If he continued, he was sure she'd find a way to tease him again. That wasn't what he needed, so he just stayed silent. Joy huffed softly, and said: "I can't believe you're afraid to talk to me."
Ironically, that ended his silence. "I'm not afraid." Mick said defensively. Joy just raised an eyebrow. He told her: "I just want you to help me."
She fought off the urge to raise her voice, and spoke in a sharp whisper instead. "How am I supposed to help you if I don't know what your problem is?!"
"My problem is I don't know what my problem is." He gave this answer without faltering. Oddly, the response made perfect sense to Joy.
"So you want me to… tell you what your problem is?" She was trying to stay on track with this talk. If that's what he was asking, she didn't think she'd have any trouble answering.
She watched Mick's face drop along with his arms. She silently sighed with relief, seeing him allow himself to be more open. Then he spoke, sounding sorry.
"I want you to tell me how to get over it."
With that, the reason for his sorrow made sense. He was asking advice from someone who was an expert in living with -and moving past- heartache. He wished he didn't have to. He didn't want to make her upset by bringing back bad memories. But he was making her upset regardless.
"What?" Joy asked, as if she misheard. He almost repeated himself, to justify his viewpoint, but she said: "Stop." His eyes met hers when he saw tears form in them. Tears of frustration. "You're not supposed to just give up. You never just give up! You're supposed to fight for what you want."
Mick's empathy was acting up again, and he thought he might start crying, too. At first, he swallowed his words so he wouldn't choke them out. He opened his mouth again once he felt he could speak coherently, and asked: "What if what I want… just ends up hurting people?" He thought about the hurt he'd caused Amber and Mara, and how he didn't want to put anyone through anything like that again. So he couldn't think of anything else to say.
Joy stared at him for a second, not believing what she heard. She suppressed a groan and replied with: "The only one in pain right now is you." Then she pulled him inside and slammed the door shut. He was so surprised he stumbled, nearly losing his footing. The act was dropped there, as Joy went on. "Patricia will hate being the last to know, especially if she hears it from somebody else. But if you never say anything, that's not gonna make things any better." She paused, and for a second he thought she was finished. "Stop." Joy said again, throwing her bent arms up in exasperation. "Stop…" She trailed for a second, searching for a word that would have a lot of impact. "running from your own feelings!"
At this point, she was crying so hard she had to stop talking to remind herself to breathe. He looked at her, the sorrow he felt cranked up to eleven. He didn't realize he was feeling sorry for her feeling sorry for him. She looked so broken -which reflected how he felt inside- that he had to interrupt her rant with a hug.
She found herself giggling over how emotional she got, as she gratefully accepted the hug. She still had a point to make, and finished her argument while they were still mid-hug. Her teasing tone was actually refreshing for Mick then. "You want my advice? Man up and tell Emerald Eyes how you feel about her."
He didn't look as shocked by that as she thought he would. He must've figured she had caught some of his poetry on camera. Which was only half the truth. She thought it best not to bring up the rest. If it hadn't clicked for Joy until it was put right in front of her face, what were the odds that Patricia would figure it out before Mick told her? If he told her.
Mick didn't make his intentions clear. He just smiled and said: "Thanks."
"For what?" She didn't feel like she'd done much. Especially since she didn't know what he planned on doing now that he heard her opinion.
The somewhat disgusted look he gave over his shoulder -as he went to leave- suggested he knew what he was about to say was sappy. "Being my best friend."
Mick made his way down the stairs and back to his room, passing Jerome on the way there. He almost didn't notice, since his mind was still back with Joy as he mulled over her advice. Though for Jerome, it was hard not to notice that his housemate's eyes looked puffy.
He stopped short in surprise, wondering what made him cry this time. That caused a chain reaction, but Mick didn't look annoyed that they nearly knocked into each other. He just seemed dazed, still stuck on what to do with Joy's advice.
Jerome's eyes shifted, and for a second he forgot what to ask in this situation. "You okay?" He wondered if that sounded insensitive, as most things he said that involved Mick did.
He didn't seem annoyed by that either. He simply shook his head and slipped his hands into his pockets. Then, he said what was bothering him anyway, before walking around Jerome and reaching his room. "You're right." Jerome was too bewildered by that rare statement to ask what about, but he didn't need to. "I only want what I can't have. It really is disgusting."
The matter-of-fact manner in which that statement was delivered didn't take away from the blow of it. Jerome looked after Mick -even once the door was closed- unable to decide what to do.
He just stuck to his original plan, and went to see what everyone else was up to. The living room had been nearly cleared out, but Alfie and Amber sat there in silence. Jerome's first instinct was to panic, since the last time that happened they were in a fight. But he calmed himself, watching them watch each other. That's really all they were doing. Soaking in the silence along with the expressions on each other's faces. Those expressions -Jerome noted- were absolutely blissful. Well, that answers that question. He thought. They can shut up. He laughed silently, even though he felt out of place. This moment he witnessed wasn't for anyone else but them. Jerome was about to walk away when someone else interrupted the moment. Fabian gave his housemate a nod of acknowledgement -not wanting to give him away- and then approached Amber.
She forced her attention away from Alfie and looked up. He held up the songbook Nina had given him, wearing a prideful grin. "I have something to show you, and I think I could use your help."
Patricia was getting some fresh air, like her best friend did when no one was looking, but walking around campus was beginning to bore her. She nearly headed back to the house, until she spotted someone under the bleachers. She got closer and saw that it was Nina.
She had her hands folded behind her head, and her eyes were closed.
Without thinking, Patricia joined her friend under there. That was a mistake, in her eyes. Her clothes were instantly soaked, and she realized that the sprinklers had been on. "Ugh," Patricia groaned, not startling Nina but waking her from her thoughts. "How do you do that?" She could see how comfortable the other girl looked.
"I don't know." Nina said, dragging the words out under a sigh. "Do you know what I just remembered?"
"Something bad, I gather." Patricia guessed by her tone.
"I only made the team for the project. Once it's done, I can't play."
"Yes you can." Patricia countered. Nina couldn't play on the boys team, but she could still play.
"I just… thought I was good."
"You are good." Patricia insisted. "You have to be good to be so convincing as Mick."
"It's not like that." Nina told her. "It started like that. It was just for the project, but now-"
"You really like it." Patricia interrupted, sure of that.
"Yeah."
"Then keep at it!"
Nina chuckled, glad to have the encouragement. "I will, it's just… I'm gonna miss being part of a team." Then Patricia saw the point. It was like Nina was going through withdrawal again. She didn't have to lead Sibuna anymore, and she wasn't allowed to be a wildcard for the boys' team anymore. It hurt, even though Nina thought it shouldn't.
Patricia got up from under the bleachers, just so Nina could see her roll her eyes. "I can't believe you're gonna make me say this."
Nina couldn't help smiling at her friend's annoyance, standing up as well. "What?"
"You're on our team." Patricia said, making a gesture that was meant to represent all of Anubis house. "What other team do you need?" Nina laughed happily, as she listened to her friend jokingly mumble about her being unappreciative. "Instead of getting all mushy on me, could you give me your opinion on something?"
"Sure." Nina said, watching her friend instinctively reach to pull something out of her pocket. The paper was soaked as well, and the ink had bled.
"I have it memorized." Patricia said nonchalantly, though Nina had seen her face drop. As she recited the poem, she sounded almost monotone, just trying to get through it. While Nina heard the words, she pictured them on the page in Mick's poetry book. She hoped Patricia hadn't seen her jaw drop slightly. "Thoughts?" Patricia asked when she reached the end. Oddly, this did seem to startle Nina.
"What?" When she asked, she sounded as if she had zoned out a bit.
"What do you think it means? Who do you think wrote it?"
Nina wondered why her acting -and all the lies she'd made up on the spot- hadn't helped her for this. " It's a love poem; anyone could've written it." Stating half-truths seemed to be her only option.
"I know that, I'm asking who you think wrote it."
"I think it could've been anyone. Did you ask around?"
Patricia gave her a look. "What did you expect me to do? Go to every person in school and say: 'Excuse me, did you by any chance open a vein and write this embarrassingly sweet anguished declaration of love?'" When Nina laughed, she realized how she sounded and joined in. "Alright," Patricia decided. "maybe I ought to just give up."
Now she was the one earning a look. "Five seconds ago, you told me not to give up."
"It's not the same thing." Patricia dismissed.
"Yes it is." Nina argued. "Why do you wanna figure out who wrote this?"
She shrugged, taking a second to think on it. "I guess so I could say... 'job well done' and look at their other work if they let me."
"If they let you?" Nina echoed in disbelief. She figured Patricia would look whether she was given permission or not. "See? I just wanted to know I did a good job. And since you said I did, it gave me confidence. Inspired me to keep at it. That's important."
"So, you think I can pull this off," Patricia asked with a smile. "find out who wrote it?"
Nina thought out her answer before she gave it. "I think things will fall into place."
With that, the two made their way back to the house together, happy they would soon be able to change into dry clothes.
"Did you enjoy your walk?" That question greeted Patricia when she got to the bottom of the stairs. She thought Mick sounded stuffy, lacking his normal confidence. She answered anyway.
"Yeah, it was… educational."
He chuckled. Then there was a pause, as she waited for him to say something, and he got his words together. "...I...owe you an explanation."
Her eyebrows knit together. "What for?" She didn't sound like she would like whatever he had to say.
"Remember when Jerome was trying to play matchmaker the way Amber does, and he teased you about… not having anyone?" She nodded curtly. She didn't like having it brought up again, and she didn't understand where Mick was going with this. "You asked why I ran off, but I never told you. I guess it just bothered me as much as it bothered you."
"Well, actually, it seems like it bothered you more," Patricia said. "and I don't get why."
"What do you mean?" Hearing that, it was his turn to be confused.
Patricia almost didn't say, thinking the answer would hurt. Saying 'never mind' wasn't much better though. "It's not like you know what that feels like."
If it hurt, he didn't show it. The hurt was heard in his tone, but he didn't seem to pick up on that. "I know what it feels like for you." Mick clarified. Then he realized how that sounded. "Which probably doesn't make any sense."
Patricia was in agreement. "Not really."
"I thought you might be the only person who understood that. It's okay that you don't. There's a big difference between feeling like I relate and actually going through something myself." He smiled, but it seemed forced. Which proved to Patricia that she had hurt him. She went to say something to try to make up for it, but a thought crossed Mick's mind and she could see it in his eyes. "I have to go do something."
"Now?" Patricia asked, feeling like she should follow him and keep the conversation going.
"Now's better than later." Mick answered. And with that, he was gone.
Patricia listened to her friend's feet hit the floor with force as he ran to go sign out. She heard Victor bark at him not to run, and say it was a wonder he ended up at this school if he couldn't read the sign. She wanted to laugh, but it didn't happen. Not when she felt so conflicted.
Mick never seemed to be alone. Even when he was, he wore that winning smile. Perfectly alright with himself most of the time. Wouldn't knowing what it felt like to be alone-what it felt like to lose- do him some good? Wouldn't it help build some character? How was it possible that he looked at her with bright eyes, but spoke in a broken voice? She had a lot of mixed feelings, but mostly she wondered why this conversation led to him running away again.
Mick didn't stop running until he reached the playground monkey bars, where parents were trying to usher their children home. The same children he had put a scare into the day before. They groaned and screamed at the sight of him, and one of them even threw in a 'Not you again.'
He seemed to ignore the adults in a way, addressing the kids directly. "I just wanted to apologize."
One of the parents asked if Mick was the one who picked on them. His daughter nodded, and then turned to Mick. "Why, did you get in trouble?"
"No."
Another child said: "Well, you should've."
His mother added: "I agree."
"Would it help my case if I said I only acted that way is because it's part of a school assignment?"
One outraged parent missed the point. "What kind of a teacher would tell you to scare children?"
Mick explained that his housemates had been assigned two weeks in each other's shoes, and even though Patricia might tease kids she didn't mean harm by it. She might be rough around the edges, but-
"Do you love her?" The child that asked this made the others pipe up in agreement. Even the parents looked curious.
Mick just looked lost. "Why does everyone ask me that?" He said this more to himself than anyone else.
The first girl forgave him, twirling one of her curly pigtails as she spoke. "Love makes you do crazy things." Mick chuckled, wondering how she knew that, while the adults murmured about how they could attest to it.
He thought about arguing, but instead just said: "Thank you."
One of the parents told him: "Thank you for saying you're sorry."
"Good luck." Some of the children gave this wish simultaneously, and gave themselves giggle fits. Mick didn't have to ask what for. He left them with a wave, wearing a faint smile.
There would be no more spontaneous trips outside for the rest of the night. Trudy lost track of her lovelies sometime before supper, and went to search for them. Her search ended in the laundry room.
All nine of them were crammed in there, trying to stuff as many comforters into the washer as they could fit. She laughed at the sight, despite her confusion. "That's my job." She said this as if she had to remind them.
"We know," Jerome replied "but we wanted to give you a break."
"Yeah," Alfie added. "No need to burden you with extra work because we had a crazy idea."
"Though nothing stopped us before." Patricia muttered. Only Jerome heard, and he nodded at her in agreement.
"What idea might that be?" Trudy asked, genuinely curious and a tad excited.
"That's a secret." Mara told her, as if that should've been obvious.
"They won't even tell me." Joy specified, sounding bothered by it. Though she smiled as if she had a secret of her own.
After laundry was done, nearly everyone made their way to the living room again. Except Jerome. Joy went to fetch him, wondering what suddenly had him cooped up in his room alone.
The door was open, and Joy stood there leaning against the frame. Unseen and unheard. Keeping the watchful eye of her camera on him. She wondered why she was giving herself more footage to edit, but she had a certain instinct. Like she was about to get the perfect shot of something.
Two objects rested on the window sill. One of them was a thank you card, and the other a wilted rose. The one Mara had given him when it was in full bloom. He picked it up carefully, twirling it between his fingers. The expression he wore seemed as pitiful-looking as the rose did. He only stayed that way for a moment, then mentally shook himself off and put the rose back down. He turned around too quickly for Joy to pretend like she wasn't filming. He chuckled when he saw her standing there. He seemed more embarrassed than bothered. She was only doing what she was assigned to.
Joy had the same thought, but with a little extra. Why was she only doing what she was supposed to?
"Don't be an island." As odd as the phrase was, he saw the meaning behind it. And knew why it was analogy Joy would choose, which is why he listened. He knew she didn't want him feeling like she used to.
Joy's words to Jerome were very effective in coaxing him out of his room and getting him to join the others.
She greeted them since she'd been coming and going all afternoon, but her words were drowned out by their applause and cheering. She shot a puzzled look back at Jerome, who could only shrug.
"Are you just gonna keep disappearing on us?" Alfie asked her, with a teasing tone.
She scoffed softly and she and Jerome found a place to sit. She noticed that Fabian and Amber preferred to sit on the floor, while they silently worked on their song, speaking only through the lyrics they wrote down.
"How will we ever have a chance to thank you if that keeps happening?" Fabian asked.
"Thank me for what?"
"The project was your idea." Patricia reminded her.
"Which you all hated."
"At first." Nina agreed, while others nodded.
"Life's weird like that." Amber said. Something in her voice made everyone turn their attention to her. "Sometimes someone makes you cry and you end up thanking them."
Jerome's jaw dropped slightly. He was the only one that seemed to catch that she wasn't just referring to the project. She was talking about his efforts at a smear campaign back when she ran for student representative. In his eyes, that was one of her most embarrassing moments. But that's not all it was. For Amber, it was a wakeup call.
Mick laughed happily, able to identify with that. If it wasn't for this project, Nina wouldn't have bonded so much with his father. And he would've cried in front of his housemates. But he also wouldn't have learned to put an effort into rebuilding his relationship with Rory.
"If getting a little embarrassed means learning something and growing closer, than I say it's worth it." Mick told the others. Crying wasn't the only thing that made him realize that. Thanks to Rory, his piano-playing was no longer a secret talent . Now it was an opportunity to join his friends in making music. Mick knew that this new mindset would help him with something else. Something rather important. And that was comforting.
"Yeah. You basically forced us to be more of ourselves than usual." Patricia pointed out. "Honestly, did anyone know I wrote poetry before this?" She could say that with confidence. She no longer cared who knew.
"I certainly didn't," Mara answered, making herself laugh. "and we sleep in the same room."
Fabian saw where her sorrow came from, sure that she wasn't the only one guilty of something like that. "Some of us have known each other for years and we've never been as close as we've gotten in the past two weeks." The new -or strengthened- bonds were definitely something to be thankful for and proud of, but what Fabian liked was how he got to know himself better over the course of the project. He remembered what a short jump he thought he'd have to make to portray Mara. It wasn't so simple. As time went on, he saw that she had more layers. She could be crafty and vengeful. But also very perceptive and thoughtful, in more than just the logical sense. She was talented and headstrong. She was fun. Mara wasn't just the smart one, and neither was he.
"That's nothing to feel ashamed for. I have a talent I didn't even know about." Alfie said. He appreciated having someone recognize it, even though he hadn't. Drawing was now another creative outlet for him, one that was bound to get a better response from people than his other usual shenanigans.
"Speaking of talents," Amber started as a sly smile spread across her face. She looked at her song-writing partner and said: "You're never getting your guitar back."
Fabian didn't make any faces or suppress any whines. He didn't even seem worried. He simply said: "Yes I am." With quiet confidence, and a smirk that told her he refused to elaborate on that.
Amber almost felt like pouting, but she was too happy about other things to do that. "I never thought you guys could be competition for me." When she said this, it seemed sort of random. Though it had been on her mind for awhile.
"With what?" Nina asked.
"How good we look as each other?" Jerome guessed. "Especially me."
Mara groaned in annoyance, but she sent him a smile.
"I meant as matchmakers." Amber clarified. "You're the reason Alfie and I got together."
"We didn't have any part in that." Patricia said, pointing between herself, Jerome and Nina.
"Yes you did." Amber and Alfie disagreed in unison.
"Without the talks you had with us, we still might not be a couple." Amber reasoned.
Alfie nodded, remembering how Patricia convinced him to be completely honest about how he felt. How Jerome told him not to give up. He was definitely going to keep their advice.
Even when Nina was joking around with Amber while they went shoe shopping, she put a thought in her head that never left it. She said that what Amber and Alfie had was love. And she was right. The only difference now, was it was love on a different level.
Another random-sounding thought was spoken. "Even the bad things we saw in ourselves can lead to something good." The couple saw Jerome's point. They'd been reluctant for so long, but finally decided to really put themselves out there. Now they wondered how they could stand not being together before. Though, the fight they had showed that they really couldn't.
Like Jerome couldn't stand his own insensitive behavior. It was why he'd tried apologizing to Mick and Patricia after the flirting incident. The attempts weren't exactly successful, but that was all the more reason to work at being a better person. It was easy to hide behind teasing and insults. It made him seem less vulnerable. But it didn't make him happy, and he was going to make an effort in changing that.
"All of Nina's… really creative lies show that she's got a lot of acting potential." Joy pointed out.
She laughed. "I'm glad you think so. I think I love acting as much as I love sports now." It didn't hurt that playing Mick gave her a competitive edge. That could be useful for a lot of things.
At the mention of acting, Alfie couldn't help but think of his father. The act he'd put on for him had only been dropped because of Mara. It was almost out of character for her. But she did it because she knew he wanted to. She knew he could. And that made him smile, even though he had no idea how long it would take for Philip to say that he preferred the real Alfie over the scripted one.
Another late supper was a comfort. Since almost everyone was so hungry, it meant they would enjoy the food they all pitched in to help Trudy make twice as much. They were so focused on eating though, that they didn't get a chance to do much talking. Maybe that was for the best. They didn't want to make themselves upset, especially right before bed. Mick hardly touched his plate at first -which was a bit startling, even in character- but after awhile he ate to show his appreciation to Trudy, if nothing else. His meal was interrupted when a folded piece of paper ended up next to his plate. It took a moment for him to notice, but he was more curious than hungry, so he unfolded it.
He knew instantly that he was looking at Patricia's handwriting. He glanced at her, but she wasn't paying attention.
So he read a bit, realizing that this was the physical version of the list she'd made of his characteristics when they went to the zoo together. He smiled at the keepsake, before spotting a word she hadn't spoken at the bottom of the list: Smart.
There was an arrow pointing to the word, and her explanation was written at the other end. You might not always act like it, and you may not always feel like it, but you're one of the smartest people I know.
Patricia's gaze set on Mick only once he started reading. She saw him smile, and relief flooded her. She might not be able to take back what she said before, but she'd made up for it with something heartfelt. It was a nice note to end the night on.
Once the table was cleared, the housemates heard Victor start his nightly speech. They found themselves smiling as they headed into the hall. The boys made it to the landing of the stairs before they were stopped.
"Turn around." Victor ordered. The fact that he hadn't yelled didn't take away from the harshness. It didn't discourage the boys, either.
"But our rooms are upstairs." Jerome countered calmly.
"So unless you want us to sleep on the floor…" Mick added, trailing off.
"Enough games. The project is over."
"The project isn't over until midnight." Fabian pointed out.
"And considering we just ate turkey, we'll be asleep long before then." Alfie finished.
Behind him, Joy put her hands on her hips. She liked their idea, but figured they left something out of their plan. Where was she going to sleep?
"Just let them have their fun, Victor." Trudy said sadly, coming to the rescue once again. "It's the last bit of fun they get to have with this project."
"Please Victor?" Mara added, since he stood there frowning, not looking ready to relent. She gestured between her and Patricia. "We'll swear off pranking for a whole… week."
Swallowing a laugh, Patricia nodded in agreement.
"And we'll be quiet." Nina said, earning a look since it had been shown on more than one occasion just how loud Mick could get when angered.
"We promise." Amber told him.
"They already went through all the trouble of switching the bedspreads." Joy said.
Victor could see that he was stuck in a ten-against-one situation. Finally, he said: "Just get to bed." He acted as if he would shove the boys upstairs but didn't actually do so. They scrambled up the steps with smiles on their faces, and the girls headed down the hall.
Patricia guided Joy into Jerome and Alfie's room, where the most elaborate blanket and pillow fort awaited her.
She turned back to look at her best friend, who said: "Consider it a thank you gift." Joy gladly took her place on the floor, watching Patricia sit down on her bed in a slump. She held in a sigh and lied down.
"Goodnight, Joy. " Mara wished.
"Goodnight." Joy returned, watching as she hesitated to speak again.
"...Goodnight, Jerome."
Patricia groaned. It was like Mara was rubbing in what they were on the verge of losing. "Go to bed." Patricia grumbled. Then she made herself laugh. It was pointless to let this get to her. After all the good it did for them, there was no sense in being sad that it was over. "Goodnight, Alfie."
"Slow down, you're gonna make yourself sick eating like that." Mara warned, looking at the pile of food on Mick's plate and watching him scarf it down.
"This is how I always eat." Mick said, once he swallowed.
"You haven't eaten like that in two weeks." Fabian argued.
"Well then, he has a lot of catching up to do." Alfie reasoned, cracking himself up.
Jerome rolled his eyes, and watched as Patricia struggled to sit down. She'd forgotten where her place at the table was for a moment, and her posture seemed too perfect. Plus, now the fabric of her usual uniform seemed to be bothering her.
Nina joined the group, with Mick's soccer ball under her arm. Trudy kindly told her not to put it on the table. She nodded, tossing it to Mick. Caught off guard, he failed to catch it.
"Tsk tsk, that's just sad." Jerome remarked, earning a glare.
Mick opened his mouth to speak, but Patricia asked him something that made him forget his comeback.
"Mick, can I have the rest of my poetry book back?" Her voice was low, almost as if she was afraid to speak.
Without a word, he ran to fetch the pages he had in his room.
"More for me." Alfie said excitedly, snatching Mick's not-quite-empty plate from its spot.
"Alfie, that's not nice." Mara told him, although she wanted to laugh.
"Fabian, can you pass the eggs?" Nina asked, though she quickly noticed she was getting a lot of strange looks. Not only had Amber instinctively reached for the plate of eggs, Nina had asked for them in a British accent. "Never mind." She added this in her normal voice. She'd lost her appetite.
"Does anybody else have a splitting headache right now?" Fabian asked around the table. They all looked like they agreed. Mick re-entered the room with Patricia's pages.
She asked: "What took so long?"
He shrugged. He'd been lost in thought. Everyone was, having two streams of consciousness flooding their heads at once. He sat back down, noticing that his plate was gone. "Alfie!"
"Why do you automatically assume it was me?"
"It was you!" Mick said, sure of it.
"That's beside the point!"
"You weren't going to finish all that anyway," Jerome said. "And if you did, well… you wouldn't have a very pleasant afternoon."
"Jerome, please, we're eating." Mara reminded him, not liking where that sentence was going.
"You said so yourself." He wasn't angry, that was just a fact.
"Can we just finish breakfast and get to school already?" Nina asked. She sounded very American that time, but also very annoyed.
"Once Alfie refills my plate." Mick mumbled.
"What do you want me to do? Pretend you're a baby bird and-"
"Again. Eating." Mara interrupted.
Fabian took Alfie's side, especially because if he had to cook more to make up for what he'd eaten, the two bickering boys would both end up late for school. "Mick, I'm sure you can survive one more morning of not eating like your normal self."
"Or three." Joy countered as she walked into the room with her camera rolling. She went unheard but not unseen this time around, as a few of the others greeted her.
"The point is I shouldn't have to. I shouldn't have to worry about him stealing food from me."
"You wouldn't have to if you ate a normal amount of food." Alfie said, making Nina chuckle.
"This coming from the guy who hogs all the hash browns?"
Alfie's jaw dropped. "I can't believe you're siding with him over me!"
"Well, you can't blame her for growing attached to her character." Jerome said. Joy went to speak again, but was cut off when he added: "Right, Mick?"
"Jerome!" Amber scolded, even though Patricia failed to see his point.
"A lot of good getting attached to my character did for me." Alfie said sarcastically. "Nina wants me to starve."
"Alfie… " Mara said under a laugh. She had to admit she missed him acting this silly, even though she had so much fun doing that herself.
"Guys?" Joy called once she cleared her plate. Though everyone was still too busy arguing to hear.
"Fine, you can have the rest." Mick decided, tired of arguing. Hardly anyone heard when he mumbled: "Enough with the drama already."
"I don't want your charity." Alfie answered, receiving groans around the table.
"Guys…" Joy tried to interject once again.
"You realize how much sense that doesn't make, right?" Amber asked with an amused expression. "You'll steal from him, but you don't want his charity?"
Alfie crossed his arms in mock-anger. "So now my own girlfriend's against me?"
"You just can't win today, mate." Jerome told him.
"Mick always wins." Alfie mumbled, making Patricia laugh. It felt good to know he'd seen that, too.
"Excuse me for being hungry."
Alfie shook his head. "I'll excuse you for being greedy."
"First come, first serve." Mick said.
"Move your feet, lose your breakfast."
"At this rate, we're going to have to start rationing food." Fabian reasoned, once everyone stopped laughing.
"By 'we' do you mean 'you'?" Jerome asked. That sounded like work. Something he, Alfie and Mick weren't into doing more of.
"Fine." Fabian decided, as a smirk appeared on his face. "At this rate, you're going to have to start rationing food."
"That is not what I meant and you know it."
"Of course," Fabian joked. "I know everything."
"Guys." Joy said with an edge to her quiet tone. They looked her way, sorry they'd been ignoring her. "There's no need to argue, and there's no need for Fabian to start being full of himself because… that's disturbing. We have a lot of work to do today," Her housemates nodded sadly and murmured in agreement, rising from the table. Patricia was the first to see a sneaky sort of smile spread across her best friend's face. The excitement could almost be heard in her voice when she spoke again. It built up as she went on. "especially since I was able to get us a two-day extension on the project!"
She expected Amber to squeal with joy and go get Fabian's guitar. She expected Mick to toss Nina the soccer ball back, and go find his poetry book. She expected Jerome to go fetch the bracelet he'd become so accustomed to wearing that it had begun to leave an impression on his wrist. She expected Mara to celebrate in an alien language. She expected some kind of reaction.
All eight others just stood there silently, staring at her. Their jaws didn't drop and they seemed to be willing themselves not to blink. Then, Patricia's eyebrows lowered. A signature annoyed expression of Jerome's entered her eyes. The cross expression seemed contagious, but she was the only one who spoke.
"Damn it Joy, now we all have to change!"
She was obviously teasing, though she tried to keep a straight face. No one could manage that.
Despite the inconvenience that came from Joy waiting to tell them until then, they couldn't be happier to have a change of plans…
Original A/N: (How much is that for the 'swear jar'? Pretty unexpected for one of my stories, but The Throne thought it fit well and she has brilliant ideas.) THANKS FOR READING, PLEASE REVIEW! Let me know if there are any spelling/grammar/phrasing mistakes (I'll keep checking but I usually miss things when editing my own stuff). Also, if there's anything you want me to elaborate on. Ideas are greatly appreciated, I'll update ASAP! =]
Updated A/N: Oh man, thinking about the curse count in my current stories, I'd probably be able to fill a swear jar. (At least one of those mason ones.) Did I actually fool anyone? I think it's safe to assume that, in fiction, whenever someone says "This is it" it's not really over.