[smile for the camera]
i turned to my brother who had already disappeared. with alfie, fabian, amber and patricia. the room was basically empty.
i sat down on the stage beside mara, jerome rolled a jewel between his index finger and thumb, the sun shining through it and sending small beams of purple light onto the floor.
"this is for you dad." he mumbled with a smile. "thirty years, the bad luck ends here."
his sister stood behind him, staring up at it when mara nudged me. "well done today, you've helped him so much." she grinned. "but-"
"my goodness." a voice gasped, "where on earth did you get that?" my father stood at the door with his eyes glued onto the gem.
"it doesn't matter." jerome walked towards the shield, "but it's back now." mara and i stood, and approached the shield as well. "so it doesn't matter does it?"
"better late than never, right mr sweet?" jerome's sister stood close to him as he placed the gem into the shield. his face lit up as the jewel did, and the relief in his face was clear. "photo?"
his sister passed a camera to mr sweet as her and jerome stood either side of the shield. "oh, say frobisher!" eric yelled, we all laughed.
mara and i stepped out of the shot before the picture was taken, my father smiled once again. "y/n, let's get one with you in it as well, you too win us the shield back."
"no, no." i refuse, "i'm not the biggest fan of pictures."
"i know, but just one for the school." my father begged, jerome dragging me into the shot. "big smiles!"
the second picture was taken before my father passed the camera back to the sister. "let's call dad." she suggested, "then we should go and celebrate."
"i'll leave you guys too it, i've got homework to do and i don't want to intervene." i smiled, stepping away.
"no, you have to join-."
"it's alright jerome, i need to borrow miss miller for a moment." eric called before walking towards his office.
i walked away, leaving the other three alone and following my dad down the hall. he twisted the office handle and stepped inside, closing it once i had entered.
"how can i help you?" i ask nicely.
he looked at me confused for a moment, surprised by the sudden politeness. "eddie and i agreed to get to know each other as father and son seen i wasn't around for a while, i was wondering if you would like to join us in this deal?"
"okay." i nod, wondering why i was becoming more polite as the seconds went on. "i'm going to go back to the house, see you later eric."
"eric." i heard him mumble. the niceness hadn't gotten to the point where i called him dad just yet. i left the building and walked back over to anubis house alone.
the school grounds were different from this morning, students were scattered, some reading on the grass, laughing beneath the trees, it was different to america. america was so much fuller, and louder.
i walked in to see banners and balloons filling the living and dining room, cakes scattered across the table. "and here's player two!" someone cheered as i entered. jerome had a large ribbon over his shoulder reading 'winner!' in capital letters and a party hat on his head.
i turned to my left to see my brother and patricia almost arguing, except, patricia wasn't talking. harsh.
i walked over to the table were mostly everyone stood with a smile, vera handed me a cake, "well done today, i was told about your amazing performance."
"thank you vera." i then turned to jerome, who was now stood with my brother.
"well done today." eddie pulled me into a hug and whispered, "i need to speak to you about dad."
i nod against his shoulder, "would you excuse us for a minute." i smiled at jerome once more, "thank you."
the two of us entered the hall when eddie began to talk, "don't get mad but dad and i agreed to get to know each other more so i can stay in the school."
"i know, he told me. he asked if i wanted to do the same."
"well what did you say?"
"yes, he's our dad eddie."
"you what? i thought you hated him more than me, and you aren't mad?"
"no of course i'm not mad, and hate is a strong word eddie." i tell him.
"since when have you become so nice?"
"i don't know." i shrugged, then entering the living room once again. "sorry about that."
"don't worry." jerome reassured, "but genuinely thankyou so much for today, i probably could of done it without you but it was nice having you there." he joked.
"no problem, but i think you should be thanking mara, i mean she's the one who told me to play." i explain, "so technically you couldn't of done it without her."
"true true." he nodded with a small chuckle. "right i'll go and thank her just for you okay, talk to you in a bit." he waved himself off before walking to the kitchen where mara and joy were chatting.
