The Curse of the Osirians

House of Reunion

Layla's POV

"Cleaning fluid? Alfie drank cleaning fluid?" Amber said in surprise at breakfast the next day.

"That is what the hospital said," Victor confirmed.

"Yeah right," commented Patricia as she verbalized what the rest of Sibuna was thinking.

"Perhaps you would care to enlighten us on exactly what you think was in that bottle miss Williamson?" Victor goaded.

"Pass," replied Patricia.

"Trudykins. How are you today?" asked Jerome once Victor had left the room.

"Old enough and wise enough to know when you want something, Jerome," she responded as I coughed on my orange juice. "Out with it."

"Well you know how Alfie and me are best mates, yeah? And now he's in a hospital bed.
Probably bored to death with no-one to talk to.
Except old men with hacking coughs and bad breath. I want the day off to go and visit him," Jerome stated.

"Fine," she told him.

"Come on, Trudy! It's not like I've been...fine?" Jerome was clearly shocked at her answer.

"But not the whole day though. You can have a couple of hours this afternoon," Trudy added.

"Erm, Trudy? Can I do that as well, please? I feel a bit bad that he's not got something nice to look at whilst he's in there," Amber requested.

"Oh okay. I'll see what I can clear with Mr. Sweet," said Trudy.

"Erm, Trudy," Patricia spoke up.

"No! I can only get permission for two of you to go. You'll have to fight it out amongst yourselves," Trudy told the table.

*****

"Of course I should be the one to go. Alfie loves me," Amber was arguing as we gathered in our room before school.

"Amber, watch my lips. I am going to the hospital, not you," Patricia argued back.

"Nina, Layla, who do you think should go?" Amber asked us as she looked over to see us sitting on our bed reading over a magazine.

"Guys, we're out, remember," I pointed out.

"Besides, we're busy reading "pink pony parade," Nina added.

"Alfie needs someone to cheer him up, not to shout at him. And that's why I wore this lipgloss," Amber said.

"Who's gonna be shouting? I won't be shouting Amber, I'll be interrogating him. That's all!" Patricia basically shouted at Amber. I rolled my eyes as they continued to argue while Fabian kept muttering over a list of places where he thought the dictionary could be.

"Fabian, have you tried the locket in the room under the stairs," I couldn't help but suggest. Some part of my brain seemed to be telling me that was where it was. Ugh, girl, you're out of the mystery solving business! I scolded myself.

"Of course! You genius, genius, genius, genius girl," Fabian exclaimed as he suddenly hugged me causing Nina to send me a look. I nudged her in the shoulder as soon as he had released me as my way of reassuring her that Fabian liked her not me in that way. Fabina would not be stopped, I refused to let that happen.

"Okay, that happened. But I'm still out guys!" I reminded them.

"Do you want to help me look for it, Nina?" Fabian asked as he stared at her longingly. I smirked, that boy was crushing big time.

"We have to finish reading this article on 'winter pony grooming'," she hesitated.

"Nina, Sarah gave this to you - not me. And Layla, you've had your bracelet ever since you were a baby, it has to be you two," Fabian countered as he held out Nina's locket and looked over at Amber who quickly slid of the cuff and handed it back to me. As much as I denied it, it did feel good to have it back in my hands.