What Lies Beneath ▸ House of Anubis [1]

chapter seventeen. house of alarm

☾ ☽

            I tilt my head at the art booth Winkler assigned me, trying to determine if it's acceptable for Prospective Parents' Day. Reaching forward, I straighten up one of the paintings—only for it to be taken off the easel.

            "Hey, give that back!" I exclaim, whirling around to face the thief. But it's just Evan, who's admiring it.

            "Did you paint this?" he inquires. I step around the booth, trying to take it back from him as he squints at the signature in the corner of the canvas. "Ashley Adams, 2010. Whoa, this is amazing, Ashley. I didn't know you paint!"

            "Now you do," I reply, managing to take the painting back. It's nothing special, just a landscape. I set it back carefully on its easel, catching him about to pick up another. "No, I just finished that one today! It's still drying!"

            He looks impressed. "Are all of these yours?"

            "No, just those two."

            "You're pretty good."

            "Yeah, I know. Thanks," I say, digging my phone out of my pocket as it starts to ring. Nina's photo is on the screen. Hitting the answer button, I tell her, "Hey, Neens, not the best time."

            But Nina tells me excitedly, "We found the tears of glass!"

            Turning away from Evan (who's looking at all the other art we have on display, courtesy of former students), I ask, "You did? What is it?"

            "It's a chandelier that was taken down a couple decades ago. Can you get back here to see if it is it?"

            "I can't, I'm heading up the art booth, remember? But I can give you my—" Evan comes back over to stand in front of me, and I substitute quickly, "—biology textbook! Hey, Evan, just give me a sec."

            "Evan's there?"

            "Yeah."

            "I'll meet you halfway?"

            "Got it. I'll see you in five." I hang up the phone, looking at Evan, who's now smiling at me. "Hey, uh, could you watch the booth for me? Nina and I are sharing a biology textbook, she needs it for homework, you know how it goes."

            Evan nods. "Yeah. Uh, Jason actually told me to help you with the art booth, so it's kind of my booth, too."

            "Oh, he didn't tell me. But great, looking forward to it!" I tell him, giving him a brief hug before jogging through the halls, hoping to reach Nina so she can check out the chandelier. Exactly halfway from the school to the house, we run into each other. I hand my necklace over to her. "Use it well."