What Lies Beneath ▸ House of Anubis [1]

chapter three. house of the blackbird

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            Victor's downstairs, uttering his usual line right on time. It's ten o'clock! You have five minutes precisely, and then I want to hear a pin drop.

            I adjust my sleep shirt as Nina comes back into our shared room. She gives me a small smile, which I return as I pull my hair to the side, feeling the chain of my necklace. She apparently sees it, because she asks, "What's your necklace look like?"

            I take hold of the chain to reveal my Ankh cross necklace. It's gold, or at least looks like gold (I've never been sure and I'm too afraid to ask Amber, who surely would know, because I just know she's comment on its appearance), and there's a red gem in the middle. "Oh, uh, nothing, really. It's been passed down in my family for generations. Legend has it that it was taken from the tomb of Tut himself."

            "Really? Do you think it's true?"

            "No. I just think it's pretty."

            Nina smiles, sitting on her bed. "So, uh, I kind of want to ask you a question. And please don't think I'm asking this out of any sort of—anything other than curiosity, because you and Fabian are the only ones being nice to me and I really do not need another enemy—"

            "Nina, slow down," I tell her with a laugh. She takes a deep breath. "It's fine. You can ask. But Fabian is totally single," I saw them making eyes at each other after supper, "in case you were wondering."

            She turns a light shade of pink and pushes her hair behind her ear. "Okay, not exactly what I was going to ask you, but okay. I was actually going to ask about you and Jerome."

            "Oh. Him. What about him?"

            "Do you... have a thing for him?"

            I start to laugh, guffawing actually, and clutch onto the heart-shaped pillow Amber gifted me for my last and thus far only birthday at Anubis House. But when I look back at her, she's not laughing, and looks a little confused. I straighten up. "Oh, you're serious."

            She shrugs. "A little. I just saw you guys at dinner and after it and it kind of felt like you guys were an item, or liked each other at the least. Do you?"

            "Never!" I deny vehemently. God, why does everyone think this? Alfie must've gotten to her. "No, he's a horrible person. There is not a single thing likable about him. If I could go back and never meet him, I would."

            Nina's eyebrows raise so high they might disappear into her hair. "Whoa. Okay, interesting. He's not that bad, though, is he?"

            I think for a second. "No, he's that bad."

            She chuckles. "All right, whatever you say. I'm gonna go brush my teeth."

            "Have fun."