Two is Company (House of Anubis)

Chapter 98: The Only Truth that Sticks

Eddie barely had time to pull himself together from the shock before he could hear students beginning to file in; it hit him for the first time that there was actually going to be an audience to witness the complete and total breakdown of every single interpersonal relationship in Anubis House in the form of a one-act play. On the other side of the curtain, his dad was droning out the opening remarks, sounding incredibly unenthused about the whole production, which seemed odd considering how hyped he'd been only a week ago.

"Welcome, welcome," he drawled. "The offering for this year's drama module has been co-written by Mara Jaffray and Joy Mercer, and is entitled Lost Love."

"Positions, please everyone!" Alfie, the newly promoted Stage manager, whispered, tossing Eddie a tan jacket.

Willow squealed as she got into position. "Oh, I'm so excited, I'm gonna die!"

"Eddie, your phone!" Joy exclaimed. "For the prop!"

"Shit," he muttered, diving to grab it, while Mara stormed past him to get up in Joy's face.

"What the fuck is this?" she hissed furiously, flapping around a stack of papers.

"A new scene?" Joy said sheepishly. "I thought the play needed a happy ending."

"But it doesn't make sense! Jo would never stay with Jordan," Mara replied heatedly. "Where's the twist?"

"The twist is that Jo didn't mean to fall for him, but her friends understand that sometimes accidents happen?" she suggested hopefully. "Anyway, it's too late now!"

Oof, Eddie thought. His heart went out to Joy, really, but there wasn't time to even process that can of worms when Alfie was counting down from five.

Joy tried to say something else to a fuming Mara, but Alfie tackled the both of them and guided them into the wings as the curtain opened. Suddenly, Eddie was on stage and in front of all his peers. He gulped. Shit.

Eddie robotically recited his lines and took care of his blocking, his mind in a million different directions. Finally, Patricia came onstage which was his cue to exit, and he plastered on a wide smile as in-character as he could muster. He slipped past her and darted into the wings to where Alfie was posted.

"Your sister owes me big time, dude," Alfie complained in a whisper. "Stage managing is hard."

"Alfie, we gotta go," Eddie bulldozed him. "Sibuna calls."

His jaw dropped. "We can't leave! I'm Stage Managing and you're the lead, so you'd better get out there, and help us pass this module!"

Eddie shot a worried look over his shoulder at Patricia and Willow still on the stage, then across into the stage left wing at Mara, who was already glaring at them. "We have to go, and we have to go right now," he said through gritted teeth. "I can't explain here, but it's serious."

"But—"

"Devoured souls?" he reminded him, covering his eye. "Evil? End of the world?!"