Two is Company (House of Anubis)

Chapter 66: Something & Nothing

Alfie jogged a bit ahead of them, taking the steps up to the front door of Anubis House two at a time. He evidently had more energy than them, though it wasn't surprising given the fact that the last meal Eddie and the others had managed to snag was breakfast the previous day.

"I don't have much of an appetite," KT admitted when Eddie voiced his concerns about their starvation. "I feel sick to my stomach after what happened."

Eddie couldn't relate, but then again, he was always hungry. He was a growing boy, after all.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay, you know," he promised, bumping shoulders with his friend.

Fabian peered around his other side and nodded. "Sibuna always finds a way," he agreed, but his smile looked a little more like a grimace.

They were about thirty seconds behind Alfie entering the house, and Fabian nearly bowled Joy over as she tried to leave. "Glad to see you're alive," she drawled quietly, but Eddie could tell she was being sincere. "Hope whatever really kept you guys out all night wasn't too traumatizing."

Fabian chuckled a little and patted her on the arm. "It was actually the perfect amount of traumatizing," he joked.

"That's what I like to hear." Joy smiled without her teeth, then wrinkled her nose in greeting to KT; to Eddie, she winked. "Don't tell her I said this, but Patricia has been going absolutely mad worrying about you. Make sure to let her know you're all safe and sound, yeah? Kira too."

"Will do," Eddie replied, a little stunned that not only had Patricia been worried, but actually really cared about him— well, all of them, but still.

Joy nodded, satisfied with the answer, then walked out past them onto the path to the school.

KT gave him a little nudge, and when he turned to her and Fabian, they both wiggled their eyebrows. "Oh, shut up," he grumbled embarrassedly, shoving them aside so he could get into the entrance hall.

They were greeted immediately by Willow and Alfie, the former of who regarded Fabian with the utmost concern. "Oh, Fabian!" she cooed tenderly. "Are you alright?"

Fabian blinked in confusion, looking to Alfie for help, but he just kept smacking and flapping his hand around. "I'm... fine? Thank you," he said slowly.

Eddie and KT stood off awkwardly to the side, while Willow continued to dote on him. "Is it very sore?" she asked. "You know, your..."

He coughed uncertainly, brow furrowed. "Uh..."

Alfie flapped his hand wildly around like a man having a muscle spasm, then finally gritted out, "Your hand, dude! He's been in the hospital for so long, he's completely forgotten what for!"

Eddie's eyes blew wide, remembering how Fabian had faked the injury the day before to get Trudy off their case, and he slapped his roommate's hand as hard as he could. "Right! Your hand!"

"OW!" Fabian yelped, not faking it this time; Willow covered her mouth in horror. "I mean, ah! My hand! Yes, my hand."

"Right, so you'll, um, be late for school!" Alfie said to Willow, changing the subject as quickly as humanly possible. "I'll just, uh, walk you over! Kira's upstairs grabbing her bag, and Trixie's in the living room if you want to see them! Okay, bye!"

Willow just nodded, allowing herself to be steered out the door. "Oh, okay! This place is always so exciting!"

KT was already halfway up the stairs probably to get changed and catch up with Kira, so Eddie just turned to Fabian with a wry smile. "Ain't that the truth?" he said, starting off into the kitchen hopefully to grab the scraps from breakfast. "Sorry, by the way. Didn't mean to, like, actually break your hand."