Touch of Fear ▸ House of Anubis [2]

chapter forty-four. house of genius

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"So how goes being editor of the school paper, Mara?" I inquire curiously in the chemistry lab, trying to make conversation with her that has nothing to do with Clarke family drama. She's been editor of the school's online newspaper for a few weeks now and the most interesting article I've read was about the exhibition. Slim pickings on the site.

"It's going well," Mara answers, giving me a tense smile. "I'm...actually working on something right now that could be big."

"You want a sounding board?"

Any answer she might have had is unwittingly interrupted by Jerome, who's passing around papers. I keep hearing him say the words 'ping-pong' and 'try-outs,' which doesn't really seem like it'll bode well for Alfie. Alfie, who notices the paper passing as Jerome's talking to Eddie about it, asks, "What's that about ping-pong?"

"Oh, nothing," Jerome claims, taking his seat beside me and Mara at our table, "just shooting the breeze with good ol' Eddie. Right, Eddie?"

"Sure," Eddie says unenthusiastically. "Yeah."

I lean toward Mara and say quietly, "Should we be thankful or worried that no one in this school knows how to lie?" Mara chuckles lightly and shrugs.

Alfie picks up two different beakers, looking as though he's weighing them in his hands. I frown, knowing he hasn't suddenly got an affinity for science. The sight prompts Mara to advise, "Alfie, you shouldn't mix chemicals if you don't know what they are."

"Sorry, Mara. Very sensible," Alfie agrees. Mara nods, looking back to her schoolwork. He's so not finished yet. "And very boring." He pours the entirety of one of them into a larger beaker. "And I do know what they are. Stinky green and lumpy orange."

"Alfie, what did I say?"

Fabian adds from his table with the other Sibunas, "Alfie, what are you doing?"

"Experimenting!" Alfie exclaims maniacally. He pours the orange one into the larger beaker with the green one, and all of a sudden the room starts to smell very, very bad. I cover my nose and mouth with my sleeve, trying to keep it from assaulting my nose.

"Stop that at once, Alfie!" Sweet orders. "It's incredibly dangerous!"

"What is going on here?" Victor's voice booms from the door.

"I have everything under control, Victor."

"I beg to differ, Mr. Sweet. It appears to me that what you have here is a class full of dunces who should not be interfering in things they do not understand."

I briefly remove my sleeve from my mouth, immediately putting it back once I choke on the smell. "Does anyone else think," I speak up, voice muffled because of the sleeve, "we should, like, evacuate or something? 'Cause I think we should."