Two is Company (House of Anubis)

Chapter 54: Lakehouse Clinic

After lunch, Mara, KT, and Kira all made their way to the bathroom to wash up before their afternoon classes. It had only been a little awkward, having to make sure her excuse about Fabian needing French homework help held water, but other than that it was a pretty peaceful lunch with just the three girls.

Mara had been wagging her eyebrows at her best friend the whole time, especially when KT leaned into Kira's side while laughing particularly hard at the story of the bucket prank they'd helped Patricia pull on Eddie.

Kira just shook her head, ears warming up with embarrassment. She'd only just gotten over her crush on Joy. She couldn't afford to have a brand new one! Even if KT did have a really pretty smile and smell like strawberry soap... maybe she always wore that same chapstick she had on the night of spin the bottle when they—

Stop it! she scolded herself as they entered the bathroom. Just because she's gay doesn't mean she's into you or that you're into her! Besides, you're still recovering from Joy.

Speaking of, when they arrived, Joy was staring at herself in the mirror intensely, and it reminded Kira of the night of the Masked Ball almost a whole year ago when she'd been looking in the mirror just like that and she'd asked her if she looked like Nina.

"Do you guys think I'm inauthentic?" Joy asked them without even saying hello.

"Um..."

"No, I just mean... My look has nothing to do with Nina and Fabian still being together, you know? I know that's what people think, but I'm not that shallow. Just all this time with... stuff has made me realize I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing." She sighed. "I guess I just wanted to be more like Amber. Or you, KT! People like you are just so full of life; people notice you, you stand out. You're not like me, Kira, and Mara."

The roommates wrinkled their noses at the backhanded statement. "Thanks," Mara said sarcastically. "I know who I am, Joy. I don't need other people to."

She sighed heavily again and turned away from the mirror. "Well, I don't like who I am," she admitted quietly.

"But you're gorgeous!" Kira exclaimed before she could stop to think. "And kind. Y-You've got a great sense of humor, and you're super smart too."

"And patient," KT chimed in.

"Exactly," agreed Mara. "I already miss Amber. I don't want to miss Joy as well."

"We love you, Joy, just the way you are!" KT flung her arms around Joy's shoulders and squeezed, and soon enough the four of them were in a cuddle puddle against the toilet stalls, giggling as they lost their balance a bit.

"You guys are such a good friends," she sniffled sincerely, a little muffled under the tangle of limbs. "I love you all."

—

Eddie was tired of sitting around doing nothing. He was absolutely itching to get out there and prove what a lying, wicked rat Denby was so he could finally prove to his father that the witch was up to no good. He couldn't do that sitting on his ass.

"You know what, we need answers," he said, standing up from his chairs in the living room abruptly, making the other idle Sibuna members, sans Joy who was upstairs with Mara, jump in their seats. "And we're not gonna get them sitting around here!"

KT and his sister looked up sharply from where they'd been watching cat videos on Vine.

"Where are you going?" she hissed.