Eddie was shocked when the news broke that Trudy was fired from Anubis House. He had no idea what such a sweet lady could've done to be fired out of the blue. She must've gotten on Victor's bad side, which wasn't hard to do, Eddie admitted, since Victor was ninety-nine percent bad. The funniest part was Victor attempted to make breakfast. The other students complained as they pushed the bland gray paste around their dishes, but Eddie found that with enough salt it was edible, not good by any means but who was Eddie to turn down a meal? Like the others, he snacked from the vending machines at school to cleanse his palette.

The thing that really ruined Eddie's morning was as they left for school, Victor revealed that he was posting security cameras all around the house. Now that pissed Eddie off. How was he supposed to get away with anything under conditions like that? He'd have to get more crafty.

Eddie wasn't sure how it came up, but the Anubis students decided to pit Mick against Mara in a sporting challenge. Jerome and Alfie were the hosts, naturally. Hilarity insured. Eddie found a seat next to Patricia.

Yacker," He said in greeting.

"What do you want now?"

"A guy can't sit next to his friend?"

Patricia made a face at that and shrugged. "I guess,"

Mick got another sports trivia question wrong. Usually, Eddie would be totally invested in Jerome and Alfie's shenanigans but this was too important. "Anyway, I had to ask. Have you seen that man again? The one who you say you keep seeing?"

"Have you seen him?"

"No." Eddie shook his head. He wished he had. Then he would know what he was dealing with. "It's just the guy's freaky right? I don't like him following you around."

"I don't think he's a threat." Patricia sighed. "I haven't seen him in a while."

"Well tell me if you see him again," He practically begged. He didn't know if she was telling anyone else about her stalker but he did not want her dealing with this alone.

"Why?"

"Because I care about you, Patricia!" He said, hopefully not too loud given the audience around them, but the spectacle on stage was more entertaining and nobody paid any mind.

A science fell between them as they stared at each other. Neither one of them dared to speak. Without thinking Eddie leaned forward. It was only when he saw the panic in her eyes that he stopped. She wasn't ready to kiss him, especially not in front of the other students.

Eddie pulled away and pretended to turn his attention to the sporting challenge. Mick grew more and more frustrated each time Mara beat him at a question, eventually losing the challenge to the book smart girl, throwing a tantrum, accusing Mara of cheating, and storming off. Patricia sighed, grumbling at Eddie's side as Mara climbed down from the stage to approach the two with a sad look on her face.

"Don't worry about him, Mara," Patricia stood to loop an arm around her roommate. "He'll get over it."

"That was awesome!" Eddie gave Mara a high-five and walked off to join Jerome and Alfie who were still laughing on the stage. He threw his arm around Alfie- or Fifi, he was still dressed as his game show assistant character.

Patricia told Mick off as soon as she could get home and go through Mara's stuff to find pictures of the girl's parents to show him that Mara's parents were sports junkies and he was a jerk to accuse Mara of cheating. With Joy gone, Mara was her closest friend at the school and she was not going to let Mick Campbell of all people hurt her. After leaving Mick feeling like an awful person, Patricia could once again focus on Rufus, calling him ten times before giving up and storming into Nina's room. The American was sat on the bed ranting about the cameras to Fabian and Amber. She needed to rant too.

"I don't know why I'm still trying!" She threw her phone before sitting down next to Nina on the bed. "Rufus is never gonna pick up. This is like Joy all over again."

"Except we know who took Rufus, we don't know who took Joy," Fabian stated.

"Are you kidding?" Patricia deadpanned. "Of course Victor took her."

"But where does he take them to? And why?" Amber asked.

"Okay, we need to stick together more than ever now. Sibuna." Nina said covering her eye with one hand. Fabian and Amber did the same, repeating the word 'Sibuna'.

"Sa-what?" Patricia looked between the three.

"Welcome to the club." Nina smiled.

"Together we are invincible," Fabian said, making Patricia smile. She was still trying to catch up with what they had going on but she knew that their mystery was somehow connected to Joy's disappearance and if she helped them they would lead her to Joy someday.

"Okay, I have had an idea about these cameras," Patricia explained her plan.

The students stood on chairs in front of Victor's cameras for hours that night. And although Victor was extremely annoyed, he would not budge on the issue. The students went to bed feeling defeated.

The following day Eddie sat at the dining room table and watched the chaos erupting from the kitchen as he leisurely ate his waffles. The night before Eddie had predicted this would happen when the students said they would make their own breakfast, rather than let Victor cook for them. He woke up in time to make himself waffles before the others destroyed the kitchen. He almost felt bad he didn't just make enough for everyone, almost, mostly he just felt amusement as they shouted at each other.

"Stop!" Fabian had finally had enough. "We can't go on like this, we're gonna starve."

"We need Trudy back," Patricia said.

"And those cameras taken down," Nina agreed.

"We need to show them we mean business." Patricia decided. "And I know exactly how to do it."

Eddie sat at the table with everyone. They would refuse to go to class until they got their way. Eddie knew that his father would not be happy with him after their sit-in, but this was important.

"What is going on here?" Victor appeared in the dining room. "Get to your lessons immediately."

"Not until you've taken down the security cameras," Patricia said defiantly.

"And brought Trudy back," Nina added.

"And gotten softer toilet paper," Said Amber. Eddie looked at the blonde and chuckled. "What? As long as we're making demands,"

"You dare deliver ultimatums to me?" Victor asked. "I'll soon bring you all to your senses when I speak to Mr Sweet about having you all thrown out of school."

"You don't have the power." Patricia hesitated. "Do you?"

"Oh Miss Williamson, I have more power than you could ever imagine. Now get to school, all of you unless you are prepared to suffer the consequences." He threatened.

"Thing is," Mick was the first to relent. "It's this sports scholarship. I need a good reference from the school."

"There's a class on sea cows I really want to hear." Mara sent Patricia an apologetic look. Eddie made a face that excuse was less understandable than Mick's. "Sorry Patricia,"

"My parental unit will kill me if I get expelled from yet another school." Alfie hurriedly packed his stuff up. Eddie could relate to Alfie there, but unlike Alfie, he had no plans of leaving.

"Yeah, bad idea anyway." Jerome stood up. "I'm out."

"Oh well so much for solidarity," Patricia frowned.

Amber stood quietly.

"Amber," Nina said.

"I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I'm just scared of the consequences." She whispered.

"Very wise, Miss Millington, very wise indeed. As for you Mr Miller," The man leaned down to stare directly at Eddie. "Shall I have your father come down here and drag you to school himself?"

Eddie looked between the three students left. He had already told Patricia his secret but if he stayed he risked Fabian or Nina leaking that information to the rest of the school. They didn't seem like the gossip type but he couldn't risk it. His fresh start in the UK would be over if word got out. He stood up. "Sorry," He mouthed to Patricia.

"It's okay," She mouthed back looking defeated. Eddie turned and ran to school. He felt so lame for ditching her.

Luckily Mick's dad showed up at the school out of the blue and Amber talked him into forcing Mr Sweet to get rid of the cameras and bring Trudy back by the end of the day. Eddie was glad his father was a pushover sometimes. The cameras were taken down as they left for school the next morning. Eddie was thrilled that Trudy was back at Anubis House that evening, he was quite fond of her cooking and it was nice to have an adult around that actually cared about him. He made sure to give Trudy a big hug to silently show her how much he missed her as the others gave her flowers and a cake.

Patricia watched as Mara smiled at Mick from across the living room. "So what's with the secret smile?" She asked.

"I'm just a little bit on cloud nine." Mara was practically grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh yeah?"

"We kind of kissed,"

"Uh oh," Patricia frowned.

"Are you not happy for me?"

"I don't think you're his type," She stated. "He's not going to date you. You've got nothing in common. What'd you even talk about? His training program? Riveting. Don't get me wrong, I like Mick, but he's not exactly an intellectual challenge."

"He's very sweet, and kind, and he's got a big heart, and-"

"I'm your friend." Patricia interrupted. "I don't want this to end in tears,"

"Since when did you become such an expert on relationships?"

Patricia shrugged. "I think it's important that friends are honest with each other,"

"Do you know what I think?" Mara said. "You're just jealous."

"Jealous?" Patricia said in outrage.

"Because you're too scared to even admit that you like Eddie,"

"Umm, I do not like Eddie!" She winced. If Mara could see through her she was worried who else could. The American boy in question for example. That would be bad. "And even if I did, it has nothing to do with the fact that I don't think you and Mick are a good idea."

"I'm not stupid, Patricia!"

"Then stop acting like it!" Patricia scowled at her and stomped off. She was just trying to protect Mara from the inevitable heartbreak, but maybe she'd just stop caring. If Mara wanted to make a huge mistake then fine. And Patricia wasn't scared that she liked Eddie; she had way bigger things to worry about.

Patricia reached the top of the staircase before slamming straight into Nina. She had to stop running into her like this.

"Wow!" Nina grabbed her shoulders to steady both of them before one of the girls fell down the stairs. "Patricia, are you okay?"

"Sorry, I was distracted." She huffed. "Mara said she thinks I like Eddie!"

"Well, don't you?"

"Yes." She admitted under her breath. That was just great. Nina could see it too. "But I can't say that to him."

"I think you should go for it,"

"I mean I want to say Eddie I like you, but by the time it comes to here," She pointed at her mouth. "It comes out as get out of my face Eddie, you freak!"

"You do say that a lot."

"I know." She said sadly. "I like him. I really do but I can't handle it when he's nice to me. It just makes me feel like such a horrible person."

"You're not a horrible person," Nina sighed.

Eddie stood at the bottom of the staircase; he couldn't help the grin as he listened to the girls talk from where he was hiding.

Later Eddie plopped down beside Patricia on the sofa that evening. Everyone else was in their rooms, or somewhere else, Eddie couldn't care less where. "Look, about us," Eddie said. "The whole thing we've got."

"What thing?" She wrinkled her nose. "We don't have a thing," But she was smiling,

"Well, we both know that's not true. Exhibit A, we almost kissed."

"Uhh-" Patricia started.

"Ah nah!" He cut her off. "Exhibit B I heard you tell Nina you like me,"

"What? No, you didn't."

"Yeah, you said you liked me but that you could never tell me."

"But I didn't say that. Cause I don't think it."

Eddie hung his head for a second. He knew the truth though, she was just pretending she didn't like him. "You know you can drop the 'tude, we both know it's just an act."

"Look I can't do this right now." Patricia's mood shifted once again. "I just want to find Joy."

"I thought you got that email from her." He frowned. "The one that said she was safe."

"Whatever." She stood up.

"Wait!" Eddie stood up and gently grabbed her wrist. "Did you find anything that suggests otherwise? If Joy's-"

"Better you stay out of it," She easily shook her wrist free and marched out of the room.

The next day Eddie sat behind Patricia, waiting for Mrs Andrew's class to begin. He was frustrated with Patricia but was trying to understand. If she thought something was off about Joy's disappearance again of course she wouldn't be interested in starting something with him. Or maybe she didn't think anything was wrong with Joy anymore but was using it as an excuse to push him away. Mara walked into the classroom wearing fishnet stockings, and dark eye makeup, with her hair straightened. It suited her, Eddie thought even though she looked so different from how she normally looked. It was kind of awesome. The whole classroom went silent as they stared at her in shock.

"Didn't you used to be Mara?" Jerome was the first to question her.

"I did not see that coming," Nina said. Eddie didn't think anyone had.

Mara made her way across the room and slid into the seat beside Patricia. "You didn't have to put all your makeup on at once," Patricia said, making Eddie grin.

"I was in a rut, time for a change." Mara simply said.

Mrs Andrews entered and her gaze was immediately drawn toward Mara. "Mara, are you chewing gum?" Eddie smirked as Mick sat down next to him. "Well, you of all people should know that chewing gum is not allowed in class. Get rid of it, please… Right collecting homework assignments please," The teacher went around the room, collecting papers.

"Mara," Mick said, trying to get the girl's attention. "Mara, why didn't you show this morning?" Mick leaned over his desk toward the girl. "I waited and waited."

"Mara?" Mrs Andrews reached her.

"Haven't done it." The class gasped.

"What is going on here?"

"Don't know what you mean, I just like don't have it or whatever." She said sassily. That was a far cry from the girl who left their camera protest to learn about sea cows.

"Mara, are you alright? You don't seem quite yourself."

"Good, success."

"Okay, see me at lunchtime please." Mrs Andrews walked away from the girl.

"What-?" Fabian leaned over toward Mara.

"Don't ask." Patricia stopped him and then turned to look at Mara in disbelief.

A knock woke Eddie in the dead of the night. "Fabian," A voice said from outside the room. Eddie groggily opened his eyes as the door creaked open. "Fabian," Jerome whispered as he entered. "Fabian, Fabian!" Jerome was now at Fabian's feet, the boy startled awake. "Alfie's trapped in the cellar, dude. You've got to help me." Fabian turned the lights on.

"Ha ha, Jerome." Mick woke up. "Go away!"

"He's been down there for hours!" Eddie made a face at this.

"What? You're reenacting Nina's initiation?" Eddie rolled his eyes. "You Brits are weird!"

"I'm not lying, I swear I'm not. Dude, come on, I'm really worried."

"Give me a sec,"

"Hurry," Fabian crawled out of bed and put his slippers on.

"I'm coming too," Eddie moved to the edge of his bunk.

"No, stay here." Fabian shook his head. "The less of us out, the less likely Victor will catch us,"

"Suit yourself," Eddie shrugged, pulling the covers back over himself. He wanted to stay awake until Fabian got back to ask how Alfie was or find out if Jerome actually was pranking him but he drifted off within five minutes.

Fabian was absent from the room when Eddie awoke that morning. Eddie put his uniform on and then started his search for Fabian. Just as Eddie spotted him at the dining room table, Mick shouted from somewhere in the house coming into the room holding a pair of pink shorts. "Trudy, you've ruined my sports gear, they've shrunk. It was turned to max." Everyone around the table laughed at the predicament Mick found himself in. "It's ruined!"

"Oh, I don't know, I think you'd look quite fetching in those shorts," Patricia commented, making everyone laugh once more.

"Shut it, Williamson!" Mick looked to Trudy. "What am I gonna do now?"

Eddie turned his attention back to Fabian. "Fabian," He crouched down by his chair. "Hey, what happened last night, you know with Al-"

"Fabian," Jerome entered the dining room, looking pale. "I could do with some help."

Fabian, Patricia, and Nina looked at each other. "Alfie," They said in unison before standing up and rushing to the boy's corridor, along with Amber. Eddie followed them until Patricia stopped him in the hallway. "You should wait out here,"

"No," Eddie said.

"Someone needs to stand guard, let us know if Victor's coming,"

Eddie shook his head. "Alfie's my friend too," Patricia sighed and let him into the room.

Alfie shivered in his bed covered in sweat. He did not look well at all. What on Earth happened to him last night? They stood staring at their friend.

"Is he alright?" Patricia asked.

"He still hasn't said anything," Jerome said.

"He's catatonic," Nina said. "What do you think he saw down there?"

"Victor stuffing cats," Amber said.

"Not helping Amber," Fabian said and approached Alfie, crouching closer to his face, Alfie abruptly moved to face him but didn't say anything. "You really need to snap out of this. It's time to go to school."

"He won't wake up if you try it that way," Patricia said.

"Alfie, there are pancakes in the kitchen." Fabian tried again.

Nina sat down on Alfie's bed. "Alfie," She grabbed his shoulder, making him jump. "What scared you? What did you see down there?"

"I saw… I saw…" Alfie began to hyperventalate.

"Go on, you're doing really well," Nina encouraged.

Alfie gasped for air, making everyone panic. Someone asked to get water and a paper bag, and Patricia and Eddie ran out of the room. "I'll get the water, you get the bag" She called to him. Eddie rummaged through the kitchen until he found the paper bags. He started back toward Alfie's room and was stopped by Nina.

"Trudy quick, Alfie's collapsed." Nina, Eddie, and Trudy ran to Alfie's room.

In no time, the ambulance arrived to bring Alfie to the hospital. The students stood by as Alfie was rolled away.

"I'm going to go in the ambulance with him," Trudy told Victor.

"I'll call his parents." He said.

"Is he going to be okay?" Amber asked.

"They think so, sweety. But they did ask if he'd taken anything,"

"Like what?" Victor stared at the students.

"I don't know they just said something,"

"He…" Nina hesitated. "He took a sip of this just before he collapsed." She handed an orange bottle over to Trudy.

"Oh," Trudy sniffed it. "That doesn't smell too good. I'll take that with me." Victor closed the door behind Trudy and locked it, turning back toward the students. "No one is to leave this house until I find out exactly what happened."

One by one, Victor called the students to his office for interrogation. When it was Eddie's turn he didn't mention how Alfie had been trapped in the cellar the night before, Victor knowing that information wouldn't help Alfie, and would only get Jerome and Alfie in trouble, so Eddie decided to just tell him about that morning. How anxious Alfie was, him hyperventilating and Eddie going to get a paper bag before Alfie passed out. Victor looked at him like he knew he was leaving information out but let him go.

Patricia arrived with Jerome at the hospital to visit Alfie the next day during school. Alfie was playing video games on his phone but hid the phone under his blanket when he noticed his visitors. "Yo dude, what's up?" Jerome asked as the two entered the hospital room.

"You know, been better." Alfie winced.

"Quit play acting you goof!" Patricia called him out. "We saw you obliterating aliens. We bought you some grapes." Patricia handed him a paper bag. Alfie happily took the bag to look inside. All that was left was the branch plucked of all its fruits. "Jerome ate them all."

"You did, you mean," Jerome said. The truth was that both of them ate the grapes before they arrived at the hospital, but hopefully, the sentiment still counted for something.

"Here," Patricia handed Jerome some money. "Go and buy him some chocolate."

"Chocolate, yum yum!" Alfie said with a big smile.

"So come on," Patricia said as soon as Jerome walked away. "Tell me what you saw in the cellar."

"I can't remember."

"Don't give me that,"

"It's true. It's like a total blank."

"Hang on," Jerome walked back in. "Why am I buying the chocolates? You go." He tried to hand the money back to her.

"Eh, 'cause I'm paying for it."

"So?" Patricia took the money back as a nurse came up to Alfie's bedside. "And no matter what I'll take care of it forever and ever, 'cause I am your best friend," Jerome said after noticing the nurse.

"Looking good Alfie," The nurse said.

"Always do, nurse Delia." He returned as she gave him a thermometer.

"I think it's safe to say we'll soon be saying goodbye to you." Alfie immediately feigned sickness.

"So what was the official diagnosis? We never heard at school." Patricia questioned the nurse.

"Doctors still aren't sure. Some sort of allergic reaction to something he drank."

"I thought he drank cleaning fluid."

"Tests are still with toxicology." The nurse turned to Alfie. "Leave the thermometer in, I'll be back in a sec." Patricia watched Jerome as he made sure the nurse was out of earshot.

"You know, nurse Delia makes getting sick kind of appealing," Jerome said.

"Keep your eyes off my nurse."

"You're nurse, Alfie you are way too unversed in the laws of flirtation, unlike mwah. Don't worry, I'll show you how it's done."

"I'm going to the coffee shop. Losers." Patricia turned to get far away from her idiot friends before they made even bigger fools of themselves.

Eddie made his way through the school hallways in between classes. He had to get to Mr Winkler's for theater rehearsals. He could not believe he actually agreed to be in the play.

"Edison!" A voice called from behind, stopping Eddie in his place. Eddie winced before turning to face his father, hoping that the students around him weren't paying well enough attention. Mr Sweet came closer to the boy, so they could talk under their breath. "Edison, I was hoping to find you."

"What's up?"

"I was thinking it's about time we had dinner together again." He said. "Are you free for tonight?" Eddie supposed that if his dad was going to make an effort for once he should take him up on dinner, but he wasn't ready for that.

"No can do, Mr Sweet, I have plans…" Eddie looked around for a way out and spotted Mara walking past. Eddie stopped her. "With Mara." Eddie stared at the girl, silently begging her to go along with it. Usually, he felt he could count on Mara. But this new Mara that was pissed off at Mick was not so predictable. Mara didn't say anything but nodded along.

"Oh," Mr Sweet frowned. "Maybe another time then."

"Yeah maybe." Eddie turned and the two walked away from the principal. "Thanks, Mara, you're a lifesaver."

"You owe me." She said. "What was that about anyway?"

Eddie racked his brain for an excuse. "Mr Sweet wants me to get more tutoring. He offered to help me after school."

"Teachers," She scoffed.

"Right," Eddie smirked. He could tell this cool girl act did not come so naturally to her. "You know you shouldn't care so much what Mick thinks."

"What?" She sent him a glare that could match Patricia's in iciness.

"I mean clearly acting like somebody else is getting you nowhere." He put an arm around her shoulder. "Even though you do look awesome in that getup. The real Mara is awesome too." Mara's frozen glare melted just a bit at that.

"I'll think about it." Then she went on without him into the auditorium.

Patricia was on her way out of the hospital when she noticed nurse Delia wheeling along a familiar-looking patient. "Rufus." She hid behind a corner and peeked out to see nurse Delia step away from Rufus. Now was her chance. She ran to the man and crouched in front of him. "Rufus."

"What?" He lifted his head.

"Rufus, shh. It's me, Patricia." She whispered but his head dropped back down. "Rufus. What have they done to you?" He was unconscious. Patricia looked around, nobody was watching and nurse Delia was nowhere to be seen. Having made her mind up, Patricia pushed the wheelchair toward the hospital exit and dialed Nina's number.

This chapter gave me a lot of trouble, but I'm finally done. I'm excited for the play next chapter because Joy is in it. I miss Joy a lot writing this fic, especially because I'm not currently writing any other fics where I can write Joy. I'm trying to focus on this fic alone, but we'll get there someday. I'm really looking forward to seeing the next four chapters play out.