User blog:Corbierr/House of Anubis: The Rise of Corbierre ~ Chapter 55

&lt; Chapter 54

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 Chapter 55-



Everyone was outside that morning, hanging out at the grassy area near the college. They all needed some fresh air after the night before.

Amber was talking to Alfie under the shade of a tree.

“You’re choosing Willow.” She echoed.

He nodded and sighed. “I’m sorry Ambs… but, my dream… it was Willow I couldn’t save… I think that means…”

“I understand.” Amber interrupted, with a small smile. “We had a good run though, didn’t we? The whole, Amfie and Alber thing… we never did decide on a name.”

Alfie laughed and hugged her; she gladly hugged him back. “Thanks, Ambs. You’re the best.”

“I know!” She smiled bigger.

Then he pulled away. “Well, I’d better talk to Willow now… talk to you later?”

“Okay.”

As Alfie left, she sighed and leaned against the tree watching him go. That’s when Nina came up. “Hey! What’s going on?”

“Hey Nines! Okay, so…Amfie ended,”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">She frowned. “He chose Willow?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Amber nodded, sighed, and smiled. “And I’m okay. There are other boys, right? Especially ones that know how to wear clothes that match my outfit.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Nina laughed, and she laughed along with her. So maybe she didn’t win her love triangle; it stung, but she’d survive it. After all, if she could survive Rufus2, she could survive anything.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">-

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Joy was sitting alone on a bench when Fabian came to join her. “Hey, Joy.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Hey Fabes.” She said with a smile. “I thought you’d be with Nina.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">He shook his head and shrugged. “She’s with Amber. I thought I’d come over here. We haven’t talked in a while.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Oh. Okay.” That made her happy, but it was fleeting.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Is something wrong?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“No. Well…kind of. I’m thinking about that nightmare I had.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Oh…right. What happened, if I may ask?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Joy gave him a small glance.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“What? I think if you tell me, you might… feel a little better about it.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">With a sigh, she had to admit he was right and told him about her nightmare, and told him everything, including the part where he died.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Fabian seemed surprised. “Wow… I….I didn’t know that still bothered you.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">She shrugged. “It comes and goes.” That was true. Mostly, she didn’t think about that ceremony, if only because she couldn’t bear it. “So what about your dream?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Ah. W-well…” As he told her about his dream, her eyes widened.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Sounds scary,” She commented awkwardly.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">He nodded and sighed. “It is…I mean, it was. Well, I guess it still is.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Joy gave a little smile and touched his arm. “Hey, don’t worry about it. Everyone was terrified last night…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Out of nowhere, Fabian hugged her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Wha…?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“I’m sorry for never talking to you, Joy. That was a mistake. I… I miss you.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Her smile grew and she hugged him back. “It’s okay. I miss you too.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“No…It’s not okay. We need to hang out more, okay? Y-you and me. Right?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Joy had to laugh. “Yes, okay. Maybe we can double date. I’m sure I could get Jerome to agree. Even if he’s stubborn at first, I’ll get it to happen.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Fabian smiled and pulled away, just to notice something and nudge her. “Joy, Look! Jerome and Mick,”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Huh?” She looked, then started laughing. Joy had been expecting some argument to break up or maybe even another fight, but instead, Jerome and Mick were…talking. And smiling. And shaking hands.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“I think they made up.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Joy smirked at him. “Hey, didn’t you and Jerome have a rivalry, too?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Uh, w-well…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“You should go make up with him, too. Come on. It’ll be fun.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“But…Joy-“

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">She ignored his protests and dragged him off to go and see Jerome, who was still talking to Mick. She caught something about maybe watching a football match together, before she interrupted. By shoving Fabian at Jerome.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Ah, Rutter. Nice of you to stop by.” Jerome said, with a small laugh, glancing around Fabian to also look at her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Uh…so I see you and Mick are friends now. How did that happen?” Fabian asked, while Joy tried to hold in her laughter.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Her boyfriend shrugged and slapped Fabian on the back. “Well, when you team up with a guy to take down the evil counterpart of an evil lady, you start to bond with him. Right Campbell?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Right, mate.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Seeing Fabian pause, Joy got annoyed and nudged him to make him talk.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“So…uh, Jerome. I was thinking… and I think it’s time we call a truce too. What do you say?” Fabian held out his hand. “Should we put our dumb rivalry to rest?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“I say, You might just be correct for once, Rutter.” Jerome shook his hand. “Truce.” Joy smiled and kissed him on the cheek, which confused him, but she said,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Thanks Jerome!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Umm… no problem?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Seeing Fabian now talking to Mick, Joy decided to go off with Jerome, pulling him away and surprising him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“So, I kind of promised Fabian we’d go on a double date with Fabina…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Wait, what?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Joy laughed. “Come on. Let’s talk about it.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">-

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Patricia was laying down in the grass staring at the sky and talking to Piper, telling her about her nightmare.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Wow… you know, Trix. They don’t actually hate you,”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">She knew who her sister was referring to; their parents.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Seems like it sometimes.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“They only act like that because they want you to succeed.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Patricia snorted. “Lousy way of showing it.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Piper frowned and looked at her. “They’re tougher on you because…I guess, they think you can take it. And they think my future will be perfect… so they just go after you,”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Still not fair.” She shook her head and sat up. Piper sat up, too, and put touched her shoulder.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“I bet it’ll be okay if you talked to them.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“No way!” She snapped. “I’m not doing that.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">But she noticed Piper already had her cellphone out.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Piper, stop, don’t-“

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Piper shushed her. “It’ll be fine, I promise.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Patricia groaned and laid back down as her sister started talking. “Hello, mum? It’s Piper… I’m doing okay. Yes, I promise. I’m with Trix. What? No, she’s- Everything is okay, really. It was just a misunderstanding. A-anyways, she wants to talk to you. Yeah. You do? Okay. Here.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Her sister tried to hand her the phone. She tried to resist, but eventually she gave in and took the phone.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Uh…hello, mum…” Patricia greeted, already starting to tear up. “I think we need to talk…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">--

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Benji was in taking a walk in the woods with Eddie. They were having the talk they needed to have.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“You’re doing well, Milly.” He said, patting Eddie on the back. “Do you really need me here?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Eddie laughed a little and nodded. “I needed you last night, didn’t I?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“True. Besides, I totally fought better than you.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“That is so not true!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Yes it is. You know it is.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Fine, whatever.” Eddie said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Benji frowned, realizing something was off. “Something on your mind?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">He shrugged. “Just my nightmare…it, uh, involved dad.” Eddie gave him a tiny, almost nervous glance. And Benji understood why; the reason was a secret they never told anyone, ever, and barely ever mentioned to each-other.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“You know, Milly. Dad does love you.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Yeah, but he left for you. And you always used to gloat about that…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“I’m sorry about that, bro. I was always just angry at how much he’d talk about you…” Benji remembered countless nights as a little kid, listening to them talk on and on about his other son. His half-brother from America. So when he actually met Eddie for the first time, he couldn’t help but tease him about being the one who was abandoned.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">That’s how their rivalry started.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Eddie looked at him. “He talked about me?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“All the time.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Uh…wow. I didn’t know that.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">There was a pause.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“When’s the last time you talked to him?” Eddie asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Benji shrugged. “When I visited the school for the tournament. You?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“When I yelled at him at a restaurant.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">More silence.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“You know, Milly. We should both talk to him together one of these nights.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Eddie nodded and smiled. “Yeah… okay. Let’s do it.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">They shook hands, but Benji felt that wasn’t enough, so he pulled his half-brother into a hug. “Brothers?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Brothers.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">-

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">That night, Eddie and Nina decided to call a team campfire, complete with hotdogs and s’mores which were apparently more popular in America, because Eddie, Nina and KT all jumped right in to making them. Jerome sat in between Joy and Alfie, as usual.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“So,” Nina asked. “We haven’t had a real talk as a group in a while. Not since that breakfast, I think.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Well…” Patricia began awkwardly, seemingly convinced to talk only by Piper. “I talked to my mum today.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Everyone was quiet as she went on.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“It…it was awkward at first. She asked me how I was, etc., etc.… But then… I think we actually got a real conversation. She… apologized.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“What’d you do?” Fabian asked, with a shrug.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“I accepted it, of course… but then I ended the call. It didn’t feel right over the phone. It felt fake. You know?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Joy frowned and looked at her friend. “Well, I think that what you did is still progress. I haven’t spoken to my own dad since… the incident…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Jerome hadn’t spoken to his own dad in a long time, either. He decided to call them as soon as the campfire ended. Maybe he’d get to talk to Poppy, too. He’d like that. Especially after his nightmare…he shuddered, and decided not to think about it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Eddie was frowning, too. “I… also need to talk to dad.” Next to him, Benji smiled a bit, though he didn’t bother to wonder why. After a pause, he said, “This is getting awkward. Let’s change the subject…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">And so they suddenly started talking about random memories from back at Anubis, like when they were protesting against the security cameras, or that tractor Alfie made for Amber- that story seemed just a bit awkward to the broken up couple, but was hilarious to everyone else.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Suddenly, Mara said,

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“I think I can make a plan to get back the blade and book.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Great!” Nina said, with a smile. “Do it, Mara. You should be good at it.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Mara smiled back. “Thanks.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Eddie stood up. “Then it’s official. We can do this! We can do this!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“We sure can, weasel.” Patricia said with a grin. “For our friends, for our world, for Sibuna.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“Sibuna!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">---

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">Around the same time that night, Corbierre was acting on what Patricia had said about him merely being a bird.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">With his book, he searched through until he found the spell he was looking for. And then began his chant. It was a longer, more complex spell, but he had regained enough power to use it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">“''Yes! Yes!” ''He started laughing as the transformation began. “''Finally!” ''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">When it was done, the ancient sorcerer stepped in front of a mirror and grinned at himself.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">He was human again.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">''' Thanks for reading, everyone! What do you think? I hope you liked this chapter, and I’ll see you next week! '''

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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"> Chapters 56 and 57 &gt; 

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">

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