How it Ends ▸ House of Anubis [4]

chapter two. house of newbies

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            For about ten to fifteen minutes, five of us girls in Anubis House loitered outside the building, waiting for our last sisterhood member to join us. When Joy finally did, she was walking with Izzie and kissed her goodbye, earning teases from the rest of us (which she accepted sheepishly, but pushed us on to the house). Apparently, Izzie meeting Alfie and Jerome went much better than expected and the only stupid thing they asked was What about Joy interests you so much, 'cause we don't see it, (which was apparently met with a stomp on the foot from the subject of the question). Patricia even joined in, probably to help hurry along the change in conversation, which was previously Peddie. Before that, Walfie, and very briefly Jashley. Mara's the only one of us not in a relationship, but she says she doesn't mind. It gives her time to focus on herself.

            Okay, seriously though: if you had told me four years ago that by graduation I would be a part of a sisterhood that consists of Mara, Joy, and Patricia, and the ginger from Isis House and an American transfer student that's also the granddaughter of Robert Frobisher-Smythe, I literally would have laughed in your face. This is not how I imagined myself ending up by graduation.

            But it is, and I wouldn't change any of it for the world.

            The corridor to the girls' room is filled with excited shrieking and us chattering among ourselves as we enter, all holding onto one another like girls are wont to do when we're in an excited group. The door to the attic slams shut as we celebrate Mara's valedictorian status loudly.

            "Quiet!" a familiar voice booms out of nowhere, causing us to jump and fall silent immediately. Victor, who must've been coming down from the attic. I share a sheepish look with KT as Victor observes us, and the second he leaves us alone, we start cheering again.

            I hug Mara again as Joy tells us to meet them downstairs in a few minutes to get on the bus to go to the museum. I follow Patricia and Mara into our room, falling onto my bed. "I don't know if I'm gonna miss this place or not."

            "School or Anubis House?" Patricia questions.

            "Do I look like I'm gonna miss school? I'm talking about Anubis. And everyone here."

            "Even Victor?" Mara adds.

            "I can live without Victor. In fact, I think the life ahead of me is very great—staying up past ten without having to hear him say he wants to hear a pin," I pause here for dramatic emphasis, "drop. Things are good."

            "So how long is your speech going to be?" Patricia questions Mara. "I need to know how much battery I need on my phone to play games to keep me awake." Mara tilts her head. "I'm kidding. As long as it's not as long as Fabian's would've been."