Force of Nature ▸ House of Anubis [3]

chapter seventy-one. house of heartbreak

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            KT and I agreed to split up once we got to the school. She went one way, I went another. I looked in every classroom, every broom closet, even asked a boy coming out of the boys' toilets if he'd seen any of our male friends in there (the answer was a weirded out no). But when I went to find KT again to tell her it was a lost cause, they're not here, but I couldn't find her. I lost her, too.

            But the most horrible part of it all? There's a sinner somewhere in this building. I felt it just moments ago when checking the lounge again. And I have to force myself not to go looking for the source and keep looking instead for my American friend, hoping that she's just doing a great job at hiding. Down the corridor from the science classroom, I run into Jerome carrying a box of props.

            "Hey, you haven't seen Eddie, Alfie, KT, or Fabian, have you?" I ask him, slightly out of breath.

            "What, no Patricia?" Jerome says flatly.

            "Forget about Patricia. Have you?"

            "No, but I would like to know where Eddie has gone," Jerome responds, adjusting the box as he grumbles. "I had to step in for him—again. You all just left in the middle of the play. Good luck when Mara and Joy find you."

            As he walks around me, I turn around so quickly my hair hits my face. "Wait, are you mad at me?"

            Jerome inhales deeply, facing me in the empty corridor. "Yes, I'm mad at you. Look, I get you have this whole other life that you suddenly won't let me in on, but this meant a lot to Mara and Joy—and me. You left."

            "Jerome, no one needed me anyways—the lighting was just so I could get a credit—"

            "I'm not mad that you quit the lighting," he interrupts. "I'm mad that you left. It feels like you're always leaving. You were talking to me about Scooby gang stuff and then you stopped. You warn me to stay away from Sweetie without telling me why. This relationship is supposed to be a two-way street but sometimes, it feels like I'm the only one being honest. Which, as you well know, hasn't really been my thing."

            "Where is this coming from? Jerome, I'm—I'm trying to protect you." This feels like it's coming out of nowhere, but maybe... maybe I've just been too distracted to notice. "Y-you thought that was hot the other day—"

            "Well, I don't anymore," he retorts. I really do not want to get into a fight with him right now, but I'm afraid walking away may make things even worse between us. But I also have to find KT before Patricia or another sinner finds her first. "In case you don't remember, I've been quite a bit of help to you in the past—including finding those hieroglyphs in Lily's diary."

            "Help, like when you sold information to Rufus for money?"

            "That was two years ago—"