House of Anubis: House of Mistakes

Part XVI

KT was certain they looked quite the sight, sitting there in the dark with her mouth opening and shutting uselessly with another girl's hand directly in the center of her chest.

Is this some sort of joke?

Before she could ask that very question there were footfalls in the hallways and the doorknob rattled ominously. KT's heart stuttered in fear; only one person would be trying to get into this room almost a half an hour before midnight.

She let out a startled yelp when Patricia used the hand on KT's chest to shove her unceremoniously onto the floor. The door opened slowly just as KT's rear-end hit the rug, and she scooted backwards till she hit the side of Mara's bed.

Eddie stepped into the room empty handed, stiffening when he saw Patricia was sitting upright in her bed.. With her eyes adjusted to the dark, KT saw that Patricia's posture changed even as she sat there, becoming more relaxed.

"Eddie?" she whispered. "What are you doing here?"

He only just now seemed to notice the KT was on the floor, and he narrowed his eyes at her. She could make a run for it right then, but even if she made it past Eddie, she couldn't exactly go thundering down the stairs. Besides, his expression told her all she needed to know. Even though she knew it wasn't really him, it made her sick to see the hatred in his eyes.

Eddie had hoped to slip in, grab KT, and get out. In what felt like a previous lifetime, Patricia had always seemed to be a heavy sleeper. He remembered having to poke her cheek at least twelve times to get her to stir. Of course she picked that one night to be wide awake. Probably KT wouldn't quit her whining long enough for anyone to get some shut eye.

He came up with an excuse. "You didn't really think I was going to leave you alone with that, did you?"

KT snorted, offended; Patricia smiled softly at him. For all her assets, she truly is the most gullible person I've ever met, he mused, smirking back at her.

"You know you don't have to protect me, right?" Patricia said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm perfectly capable of handling things on my own."

He shut the door behind him, locking it with a pointed click. "Of course, Yacker," the Sinner said, adopting the teasing tone they often used with one another, "but as the Osirian and your boyfriend, it's kind of in my job description."

Patricia laughed. "Okay, weasel, whatever you say." She leaned over to open a drawer in her nightstand and pulled out a bottle, tipping some of the contents into her hand. "Does the big, bad protector of girlfriends want a midnight snack? Strawberry gummies." Patricia shook the bottle invitingly. "Come on, I know you like the red ones."

KT watched the exchange with a morbid fascination, having trouble connecting the terrified child of two minutes ago to the playful teenager of right then. It was like a switch had been flipped. What the hell is going on?

Eddie rolled his eyes and let Patricia pour the gummies into his hand, tossing them back like a candy shot, just to prove he could handle what must have been at least fifteen pieces at once. With his mouth full, he winked at her and sneered at KT, though the effect was dampened by the fact he looked like a squirrel.

"You can sleep on the floor," Patricia said to him, and KT immediately stood up and hopped back onto Mara's bed, not wanting to be on the same level as Sinner Eddie.

He swallowed and looked at her in joking indignation. "What? Worried sharing a bed will cause a scandal?"

"Afraid you might sully my virtue," she agreed, tone light, but spoken with an air of tension. Patricia's easy smirk tightened only marginally, and KT suddenly noticed that the arm Patricia was using to prop herself up was quivering ever so slightly.

Eddie didn't notice, however, and shook his head as he settled down onto the floor. "Whatever you say, Yacker. Just know I'm here for you, okay? Toss a dude a pillow?"

She obliged, and KT watched Eddie's head disappear on the other side of Patricia's bed as he laid down. "'Night, Eddie," Patricia said, laying back down herself. She turned her body till she faced KT, looking at her intently. "Sleep well."

There was nothing but quiet after that, the tension so thick in the room it almost had a color. No one spoke for nearly a half an hour, until a long, loud snore broke the silence, causing KT to jolt for the third time that night.

Patricia sat up again and lean down over the side of her bed where Eddie lay. "Eddie?" she prompted, roughly jabbing at him. He snorted irritably, but did not stir. "Okay," Patricia whispered into the dark. "We're safe."

It took KT a moment to realize she was talking to her. "W-What do you mean?" she asked as Patricia turned on her lamp and looked over at her grimly.

"You'll call me crazy if I tell you how I know," Patricia said, thinking back to her most recent dream, "but I believe you. Eddie has been... off lately, and it makes sense." She shook her head, casting a melancholic look over at her sleeping imposter of a boyfriend. "I guess I just didn't want to see it. I'm so sorry for how we've been treating you."

KT blinked at her, still trying to process this turn in the comedy of errors that her life was becoming. When it fully clicked, KT burst into tears for the second time that night. Someone believed her. Maybe I can still do what my grandfather wanted. I can still stop this evil. I can save my friend.

"Thank you," she hiccuped, and Patricia awkwardly nodded. "I was trying to warn you and—"

"—and I suggested we cage you up like an animal," Patricia finished guiltily. "Yeah. I just really didn't want it to be him, you know? I...I made the mistake of losing him once; I can't do it again."

"I understand," KT said, ignoring the way that statement made her feel and rubbing furiously at her eyes. "I would have done the same."

Patricia snorted wetly, and KT could see she was fighting back tears of her own. "No you wouldn't," she said. They were quiet for a long moment. "Is what Harriet says true? That the Sinners will suffer unimaginable torture?"

KT tried not to let her expression fall too far. "Yeah," she whispered.

Patricia's mouth twisted, but all she did was nod. "Alright," she said. "Alright."

They lapsed into silence for a third time until it was once again broken by Eddie's snore. In truth, KT had forgotten he was there. "Are you sure it's safe to talk about this with him right there?"

That snapped Patricia out of whatever place her mind had wandered. "What? Oh, no it's alright. He's out cold; I just gave him some melatonin."

"You drugged Eddie?" KT hissed, eyes widening.

"Oh, relax," she said, giving him a once over. "It's a perfectly natural hormone, and besides there's only like ten milligrams per gummy."

"And how many did you give him?" KT asked, getting up and peering around the side of Patricia's bed to get a look at the prone body of her best friend on the floor.

Patricia was beginning to look sheepish. "I dunno," she said. "Like five? ...Maybe twenty?"

KT's eyes bulged. "You gave him 200 milligrams of your melatonin prescription?! Are you insane? He could die!"

"He's not going to die, KT!" Patricia exclaimed, and Eddie snored in agreement. "I panicked okay? I didn't expect my evil boyfriend to pay us a visit in the middle of the night!" She bit her lip and poked him uncertainly. "He'll just have a killer headache tomorrow, is all."

"Hopefully he doesn't kill us."

"Oh, I fully intend on pretending like I still don't know. So he might just kill you."

Both girls stared at him, then at each other, then back at him. He snored again, and KT started to giggle, dumbfounded. Patricia joined in hesitantly, and soon the two of them were in hysterics, a heightened mix of fear, relief, grief, and determination coloring their laughter.

Blindly, Patricia reached for KT's hand and squeezed it, grounding both of them. Now, all that was left was to convince Alfie and Fabian, stop Robert from unleashing Ammut, save the world, and save the drugged up boy in front of them.

How hard could it be?