House of Anubis: House of Mistakes

Part XXIX

Neither Patricia nor KT showed up for breakfast that morning, and Eddie hid a smirk behind a massive bite of his toast, surveying the table. They probably couldn't handle being iced out again. Fabian and Alfie could say they were impartial all they liked, but clearly, they'd aligned themselves with Eddie. And really, why wouldn't they? He was their fearless leader, devastated in the wake of his girlfriend and best friend's betrayal, but standing strong against the odds.

Across from him, Alfie jumped in fright when Mara accidentally dropped her knife, and Eddie snorted. Pathetic. Even if the girls were in his way, at least they had spines.

Trudy breezed in, far too peppy for how early in the morning it was, and Eddie didn't bother hiding his eye roll. Joy gave him a strange look across the table and looked away quickly when he raised an eyebrow in her direction. He filed that tidbit away and reluctantly tuned back into whatever Trudy was nattering on about.

"So today's the day! Curtain up!" She giggled and clapped her hands. "How are you all feeling?"

Joy and Mara grimaced, and Alfie looked a little green around the gills when he replied, "I think I have stage fright."

"We don't even have the last scene of the play yet," Eddie pointed out, shooting a look in Mara's direction.

For her part, Mara seemed unbothered. "All in good time," she said, making knowing eye contact with a supremely uncomfortable Joy.

"You seem in a very happy mood this morning, Trudy," Fabian noted dully, in exactly the opposite mood, if the purple rings of exhaustion under his eyes were anything to go by.

"Well, yes, Fabian, I suppose I am," Trudy said, practically vibrating with excitement that made Eddie want to hurl. "Might have something to do with that tall, dark stranger I met last night."

The girls gasped in eager delight, while Fabian and Alfie went rigid. "What tall, dark stranger?" Joy asked curiously.

"Well," Trudy said, sitting down at the head of the table, all prepped and ready to launch into a story, "he was an old boy here. Turned up late last night; wanted to have a little look around." She smiled at the students and sighed dreamily. "A trip down memory lane, I think." Joy and Mara cooed appreciatively. "I swear though, I must have met him before. He seemed very familiar to me, but I can't for the life of me place him."

Fabian gulped a little. "What was his name, Trudy? Do you remember?"

Trudy grinned at him. "Well, of course I remember, Fabian. It was Smith. Robert Smith."

Damn. Eddie set his jaw and watched the blood drain from Fabian and Alfie's faces, as Trudy got up and left.

"Right, school. Ten minutes, do not be late," Joy said, pointing at the three of them. "And..." Joy trailed off, biting her lip as she looked between the three of them, eyes hovering on Eddie for a moment longer than average. "Never mind. Just hurry up, will you?"

Fabian nodded hurriedly, waiting until Mara and Joy had vanished around the corner to properly have a panic attack. "Smith as in Smythe," Alfie said, connecting the obvious dots.

Sherlock fucking Holmes over here, Eddie thought bitterly.

"KT and Patricia were telling the truth. Robert was here," Fabian hissed.

"Doesn't make them innocent," Eddie snapped.

"What was he even doing here?" asked Alfie.

Fabian breathed out sharply through his nose. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "Exactly what Patricia said he was doing. Trying to capture more Sinners." He shot a dubious look in Eddie's direction and he had to think fast.