User blog:Corbierr/New Students, Old Drama, Chapter 15

'''This is a repost. I posted it last night but I'm impatient and nobody read it (or 16, which I posted as well and have also deleted out of impatience) and I'm reposting it now. In other words, I'm being an attention hog. :P '''

'''Chapter 15- '''



“Why didn’t you let me help her when I had the chance?” Marie was still angry, pacing around Ell’s bedroom, where the girls managed to run off to, after hiding and witnessing Fabian, Liz, Theresa and Sophia escorting a horrified Rachel out of the attic. “Now she’s in trouble, and she’s all alone.”



“I didn’t want you to get in trouble, too…I’m sorry, Marie.”



She brushed off the apology and continued to pace. “Fabian’s going to punish her somehow.”



“Marie…”



“I should have run back and saved her, I should have gotten her out before he…ugh.” She kicked a stray pillow and sat down on Ellen’s empty bed. “I’m worried for her.”



“I know, I…I am too. I’m sorry, I just…I don’t know, I just couldn’t let you get yourself in more trouble.”



Marie rolled her eyes and laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “I wonder if they’re back at the house yet…”



<p class="MsoNormal">Ell frowned. “How much trouble do you think she’ll get in?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t know, probably a lot…” And, without a doubt, Fabian would have lots of questions for her…

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Things were silent, until Ell asked, “Marie, why did you two need to get into the basement anyways?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s complicated.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“Tell me,”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ell…”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“Marie.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">She sighed and sat up. “Can I trust you with a secret?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">The Sekhmet girl gave an offended laugh. “You don’t trust me?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t know, it’s just…a big secret.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well, I’ll keep it, if you’d just tell me.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“…Fine, here’s the story…”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal"> Walking Bunny returned to his room, empty handed and frustrated. That key had to be somewhere!

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">He sighed and paced. Where was it? If it wasn’t in the office… Fabian must have been holding onto it. Of course.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Groaning, Walking Bunny flopped back onto his bed and found himself looking towards Dan’s side of the room. It reminded him of the secret-swapping he and his room-mate had, and he decided that if Dan were telling the truth, he deserved to see the novel.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">He dug through Dan’s backpack first. No novel. There was nothing in his shelf or under his bed, either. That left his laptop.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Walking Bunny grabbed the laptop and settled down to check. Searching through the files, he found nothing that resembled any sort of mystery story.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Seething, he shut the laptop and stood up. Dan had lied to him, when he had been honest about the key! Suddenly, thoughts began to emerge. What else had Dan lied about?

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">The door opened. It was Corrin and Taylor, and not Dan, who he had been anticipating.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“Dude, we have a problem.” Taylor announced.

<p class="MsoNormal"> “Let me guess,” He asked, deadpan. “You failed?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Corrin frowned. “You too?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh, yeah. And there’s more.” He told them about Dan.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“You told him about the key?!” Corrin cried. “Are you serious?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“What? I didn’t tell him about the freaking mystery, keys are just keys. The important thing is that he lied to me. Why would he do that?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Taylor thought for a moment. “Where is he now?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Walking Bunny shrugged. “He went to go take a shower.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“Where’s his phone?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’ll go find it,” Corrin said, and left the room.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh, Dan, this reminds me,” He and Taylor sat down on his bed. “Liz, Theresa and Sophie work for Fabian, we think,”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">He swore. “Can we trust nobody in this house?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“We can trust each other, right?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Walking Bunny relaxed and smiled. “Yes,”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">---

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Rachel walked behind the others, wondering if it would be possible to make a run for it. It was silent, except for their footsteps in the dirt. The silence only made things worse. When would he talk to her? What would he say? What would her punishment be? Would he go back for Marie later? The others? Even Ell?

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m not angry, Rachel,”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“You’re…not?” She didn’t trust this idea.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“No,” Fabian chuckled. “I was a lot like you and your friends when I was younger, you know. Sneaking around, hiding from my Housefather…”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“So, I won’t be punished?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“No. Instead, I would like to make you an offer.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">She stopped walking. “What?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Fabian turned back to her. “Listen to me. This mystery you’re after, I have all the answers, I can tell you everything you’d like to know and more. Can’t I, girls?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Sophie nodded and smiled. “It’s true.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“But why would you tell me?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“Because, I figure, if the students simply know the truth, they won’t keep getting into danger to find it.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“Then why keep secrets in the first place?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Fabian shook his head. “I never thought anyone would care to know. But now…if you would like to know the truth, I can tell you.”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Rachel thought over his words, then asked, “Okay, what’s the catch?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“I think this is a given,” He said slowly.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“Just tell me,” She said seriously. “What do you want from me?”

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">“Rachel…I would like your help.”