Force of Nature ▸ House of Anubis [3]

chapter fifty-two. house of capsules

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            One of the last things I need right now when trying to find Fabian to tell him about what I heard is for Sweet to come out of his office just when I'm walking past and say, "Ashley—could I see you for a moment?"

            I stop in the middle of the hallway, rolling my eyes before turning around. Great. What did I do now? He motions to his office and I reluctantly step instead, asking flatly, "Yes, Mr. Sweet?"

            "I've told you," he responds, "you can call me Uncle Eric."

            Oh, so this is that kind of thing, not a trouble kind of thing. This is even worse than if I was in trouble. "I've told you that I won't be doing that," I retort, crossing my arms. I've no interest in sugar-coating my feelings about him being my technical uncle anymore; last time he told me I can call him that, I was trying to be nice. This time? Not interested in it. "What is it? What do you want?"

            Hopefully he's sensed that I just want to leave and doesn't entertain me with any how are yous or how is school going questions. He just sighs lightly and asks me, "Have you heard from Edison? I haven't seen him today."

            Right. Not what I was expecting and I need to come up with an excuse fast. "Uh... he's come down with a cold," I lie. "He's all right and he'll be back tomorrow," God, I hope, "but Trudy recommended he stay home. She thinks he could be contagious so it wouldn't be wise going over to visit. A—and Fabian told me that Eddie was sleeping like a log last he saw him."

            Sweet nods slowly. "A cold?" he repeats. "Well, if he's contagious and Fabian's his roommate, is Fabian putting the rest of the students at risk?"

            "Oh, no, sir. Fabian's got a great immune system. Never missed class because of an illness, has he? Nope, he has not. So if that was all..." I grab the doorknob and begin to turn it when Sweet stops me by saying that wasn't all. I groan, turning back around. Really? I just need to go find Fabian, like, A.S.A.P. I don't have time for this.

            "I know," Sweet says, sitting behind his desk as he motions to one of the two chairs in front of it, "that you must harbor some ill will toward me for recent events. I hope we can move past this, as uncle and niece."

            Scoffing, I question, "Really?" I sit down, figuring the way to get it through best was if I didn't start moving. "You tried to destroy the world, Mr. Sweet."

            "What? No, of course, we didn't—"

            "You really don't get it, do you?" I inquire, leaning back in the chair. "You tried to wake Robert Frobisher-Smythe from a ninety-year coma with Denby and Victor. Neither of them are pure of heart and frankly, I'm not so sure you are either." He doesn't know Frobisher actually is awake and I'm gonna keep it that way. "If you had succeeded in waking him up during that eclipse, with the four descendants, he would've been evil. He would've destroyed the entire world because of you."