House of Anubis: One Last Stand

House of Offices/House of Pranksters

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this," Fabian muttered to Eddie. "Why couldn't you ask someone else for lookout?"

"Let's not pull all of them into the mystery," Eddie declared. "Not yet."

"What about Nina and Patricia? They read the letter."

"But they haven't said anything about it since."

They were on their way, walking to the school building. Willow stayed behind to keep watch over the kids with Trudy since she was given permission to.

Fabian and Eddie were unaware, but the letter had been on Nina and Patricia's minds ever since reading it, and they were determined to do something. Whatever it was, they didn't know, but they knew they had a mystery on their hands.

"Do you think it's safe for our kids to be there with Trudy?" Nina asked Patricia so that no one else could hear.

"Willow's there," Patricia reminded.

"I don't know how I should feel about that."

"Trudy probably won't even be there most of the time now. She'll probably be meeting with her new evil buddies and trying to recruit someone."

They arrived in the academy building before it opened, so students were still in their houses, waiting until it was time for them to go to school.

The mentors got to know the teachers before they went and set up in their classrooms. Afterwards, they just hung out around the school until it was time to work.

"You're staring at the principal's office door very intensely there, man," Alfie told Eddie. "Is it a staring contest? Please don't tell me the door is winning," he joked.

"Not right now, Alfie," Eddie dismissed, not even glancing over.

"Alright," Alfie mumbled.

He went over to Jerome and Amber who were standing together in that same hallway. He squeezed in between them, invading their privacy.

"Alfie, don't you have better things to do?" Jerome asked.

"No public displays of affection," Alfie reprimanded.

"We were talking," Amber responded matter-of-factly.

"Are you lonely, Alfie?" Jerome questioned. "Because you only do this when you're lonely."

Alfie held his hand over his heart. "You know me so well."

"Sadly," Jerome sighed as he began walking away. Alfie stayed by his side though.

"Come on, man, we used to be best buds!"

"Oh, really?" Jerome asked sarcastically. "I never realized."

"And to celebrate our old times, I want us to prank the kids when they get here."

Jerome stopped and faced Alfie. "I have an even better idea. Why don't we teach these children how to become pranksters, so they can almost live up to the Lewis and Clarke name?"

"Even better."

"Excellent, but on one account. You respect my privacy, especially with Amber."

"Deal!"

Eventually, the students came, dressed in the same uniforms that were enforced sixteen years ago. They actually seemed to appreciate the mentors' help. Well, in a way.

Nina, Patricia, and Joy were the only ones really mentoring. Alfie and Jerome were looking for potential pranksters whose skills they could perfect, and Amber was primarily just the beauty guru of them all.

Fabian tried to mentor, but he was still anxious since he'd be serving as lookout simultaneously.

Mr. Perry exited the office, and Eddie noticed he left it unlocked, realizing it'd be easier to break-in than he imagined.

"It's time," Eddie whispered, passing by Fabian on his way to the office.

Fabian kept greeting the students to keep himself from looking suspicious, but he didn't go far from the office. Eddie looked around himself and entered the office discreetly, shutting the door behind him. He tried to make his search as quick as possible. There wasn't much that could help until he looked in the bottoms left drawer of the desk.

Inside were some of his dad's things like pictures. They were torn apart and the frames were shattered. He fished around in the drawer, doing his best to avoid broken glass.

When he was done looking around in there, he stood up and his eyes fell on a file on the desk which he completely overlooked. 'Daniel Perry-candidate' was written on it in his father's handwriting, so it must've been all the information he had upon hiring Daniel.

Eddie took out his phone and took pictures of every page in the file, because if he'd taken it, it would cause suspicion.

He hurried back to the door, opening it, but Mr. Perry spotted him from halfway down the hall. Eddie spotted him as well, but Fabian was off nearby mentoring. Mr. Perry made a finger-motion telling Eddie to go back in his office as he made his way there.

Mr. Perry entered his office, closing the door, and walking around in front of Eddie.

"Still worried about your dad?" Daniel Perry asked, a devilish grin on his face.

"I have every right to be," Eddie replied boldly.

"Does that give you the right to break into my office?"

"It's not your office," Eddie stressed.

"Eddie," Mr. Perry sighed, "your father isn't coming back. And if you don't intend to end up like him, I suggest you stay far away from this office and anywhere else you're not needed."

Eddie couldn't find words to say.

"You were just a bundle of troublemakers, weren't you all? It should make this term very interesting. Now, get out of my office."

Eddie hurried out the office. Fabian tried to apologize upon seeing Eddie, but Eddie just passed him and left the school, planning to go back to the house.

~~~~~
Meanwhile, Jerome and Alfie were hanging around the lounge where some students were before first period began. They had their eyes on two freshmen shooting spitballs around. Jerome and Alfie had their arms folded as they observed and analyzed them.

"Amateurs, but they'll do," Jerome approved.

"They have so much to learn," Alfie added. "I feel like we're going to change their lives."

"Let's make our move then."

Jerome and Alfie went over to the two boys.

"Alfie and Jerome of Lewis and Clarke Enterprise," Alfie improvised as he introduced them. "And you two spitballers are?"

"Barry."

"Clayton."

"Walk with us Barry and Clayton," Jerome grinned. "Your lives have just changed forever."

~~~~~
And that concludes this chapter! The more I write, the creepier Mr. Perry seems. What is he really up to though?...

What do you think Eddie will discover from Mr. Perry's file?

How do you think Jerome and Alfie's prankster-teaching plan will go?