DISCLAIMER: I don't own House of Anubis.

I'm updating really early, I know! I would just like to thank everyone.

They say you don't know what you have until it's gone.

For Patricia, that couldn't be truer. That one measly month she had spent with Eddie had probably been one of her best, maybe not only in this year, but since before middle school. It was the first time she felt valued almost, like she mattered. What she felt when she hung out with Eddie was something she had never felt when hanging out with KT or Fabian. She couldn't even put her finger on it, it was just there. Sometimes, she wondered about what was going on with him, thought about talking to him, but then decided against it. It'd be too awkward.

Months passed and she wasn't any more social. Eddie, meanwhile, was talking to so many people, so many people he didn't have a chance to talk to while he was hanging out with her. In the morning, during their shared classes, he chatted with Fabian. At lunch, he talked to Alfie about the food. And Patricia had even seen him and Mara walking to his house after school to work on a school project. They had been talking animatedly and Eddie had been laughing loudly. Had Patricia ever made him laugh like that? A strange sense of jealousy overcame her as they walked into his house. What next? Were they going to make hoagies too and have a food fight? Was Eddie going to give Mara one of his shirts too?

The thought made her feel sick.

Patricia sighed before flopping down on her bed, feeling a bit empty. She would never admit it, but she missed their friendship. And if not their friendship, their a-little-bit-more-than friendship. She discreetly peered out her window to see Eddie and Mara both sitting on his bed. Her nose flared- sure, Mara was by then headboard and Eddie on the edge and there were countless books between the two, but still. It looked an awful lot like a study date to her.

One more pang of jealousy.

Patricia tried to calm down- Eddie didn't like her at all, they weren't dating or even talking. She had no right to get like this. The way she saw it, Eddie had told her he liked her simply because he had been feeling lonely after Amber's talk. That had to be it- she had to be the rebound.

But the worst part of it all was that, ever since he admitted he liked her, she had begun noticing all the things she hadn't before. His eyes, his hair, his lips. It made her feel extremely girly and she wanted to beat herself up for even thinking about that, but she couldn't help it. She had begun to find the whole new side of Eddie, from a distance.

And she liked that new side.

A little more than a friend should.

Patricia looked out the window once more and met Eddie's eyes by accident. They held their gaze for once, and while usually, one would reach for some paper and something to write with, nothing like that occurred.

For once, she was the one to break their gaze. She couldn't handle it anymore.

Amber's ear-splitting scream echoed as she walked into the lunchroom the next day, holding up the flyer. "A dance!" she squealed. "An end of term dance!" Joy nodded eagerly while Patricia winced from her nearby table. She hated these kinds of things, the dressing up and the plastic crowns and the slow dances. It just wasn't her scene- it probably never would be either.

Her friends' reactions were quite different from hers- Willow and Mara looked ecstatic while Fabian and Nina exchanged shy glances. Alfie grinned widely while KT began talking about how she thought the dance would be. The only one who didn't look particularly happy was Eddie, who was now picking at his food glumly, a bitter look on his face. Patricia quirked her eyebrow- was he sad that he didn't have a girlfriend this time around? Surely, he could get a date before the dance.

"A dance, how exciting!" Piper smiled, a crinkled flyer in her hands. Patricia's head whipped around to see Piper with the paper explaining the details of the dance. The popular people had been shoving them in everyone's hands during class, but Patricia had just balled them all up and stuffed them in her bag. Figures, Piper would choose this day to look through her bag.

"Well, you can shut up about it, because I'm not going," Patricia informed her, to which her sister pouted.

"Why not, Patricia? I wish my school did something like this," she surveyed the paper once more. "Besides, this year, you actually have- never mind." She cut herself off and looked down, but both knew what she had implied. This year, you actually have friends.

"I just don't want to," Patricia dismissed it. "Dances are stupid. Why would I want to see a bunch of girls kissing their boyfriend constantly?"

"You could get a date," Piper frowned, concentrated.

"No."

The words were sharp on her tongue and Patricia crossed her arms defiantly. Piper simply gave her a look and shook her head before they both headed downstairs to eat.

"So," Mrs. Williamson beamed warmly. "How were your days?" Patricia rolled her eyes but remained silent, and for once, Piper did too. Their mother frowned, a bit concerned, but went back to eating. It was only then that Piper shot up.

"There's a dance at Patricia's school and she doesn't want to go."

"Piper!"

"A dance?" Her mother, as predicted, lit up. "You should go, Patricia! This doesn't happen every day!"

"No, but it does happen every year," Patricia pointed out. "It's an annual dance."

"Well, it's still bound to be fun," Mrs. Williamson shot back before softening. "Don't you want to see your friends? Dance the night away?" She looked dreamy, as if reminiscing, but Patricia shook her head.

"Not really."

"C'mon, Trix, go out, enjoy yourself," Piper encouraged. "Besides, Eddie might be there."

Patricia's head shot up fast and she tried to calm down. There was no way Piper could possibly know about her feelings for Eddie- one, she hadn't told her, and two, Patricia was fairly discreet about it all anyway. "What?"

"I see you looking out our window so many times," Piper rolled her eyes and their mother blinked, unsure of what was happening. "I don't know what exactly happened between you two in January, but you two make good friends."

"You're the one who told me to stay away from him," Patricia sneered, not even bothering to fight anything else Piper had said. Maybe she wasn't as discreet as she liked to think.

"I just don't think it's healthy for a relationship-"

"We are not in a relationship," Patricia pushed back her chair before putting her plate in the sink. "And will you stop meddling?"

She wasn't quite sure how she ended up outside the night of the dance, in a black dress, hair curled by Piper. All she knew was that at one point, she had gotten tired of her mother's constant questions about the dance, and might've let it slip that if she could have some peace and quiet, she'd go to the dance.

Bad choice.

The heels that she wore felt uncomfortable and the dress she wore was itchy. Her hair, which had now been pulled back, made her feel so different, not having a veil to hide behind, and the purse dangling from her shoulder made her feel like Amber.

She hated that feeling more than anything else.

But slowly, ever so slowly, she began walking in those tall heels, eyes focused on her feet.

From next door, Eddie's eyes were focused on his mobile as he began walking down the winding path to school at a fairly fast pace. Patricia wobbled a bit on one heel but hesitantly took a step forward, and then another until she had reached down her driveway and onto her sidewalk. It was only then did she step on a rock, which set her off balance and falling down. She couldn't help the small shriek of surprise that came from her as her hands made contact with the ground.

Patricia sighed- the night was already off to a bad start and she wasn't even far from home yet. She had a small scrape on her left hand but nothing serious, and as she undid the straps on her heels so as to take them off, a familiar voice reached her ears.

It was gruff and stiff but it was undeniably his, and Patricia wasn't sure if she was supposed to smile or scowl.

"Need any help?"

They should've known it. Should've known that this night would be the night everything changed for them. Should've not been so oblivious to think they wouldn't run into each other.

Fate sure had a weird way of working.