House of Advice/House of Anticipation

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Rachel eventually caught up with Jared in the evening and explained to him all the ins and outs of the game she had found. Jared did his best to retain the information, but Rachel had already been prepared. She handed him notes with that very information, knowing it'd be a lot to take in.

"Great doing business with you, Rache."

"Yeah, don't call me that..." Rachel smiled awkwardly.

Jared shrugged and hurried to his own room where Jonah sat in there invested in his notebook. Jared shut the door behind himself.

"What're you doing?"

Jonah shut his notebook closed and looked up at his brother, not realizing he had come in. "Nothing," he lied.

Jared eyes him suspiciously and approached him. "Well," Jared began, holding out the notes he was holding, "Rachel's discovered the solution to that puzzle down in the cellar."

"Oh has she?" Jonah grinned.

He reached out to take the notes into his hands, but at the last moment, Jared tossed the papers into his face to catch him off guard, and then snatched the notebook away from Jonah.

"No!" Jonah gasped, rising to his feet.

"Shh," Jared silenced.

As he opened the notebook, Jonah proceeded to pick up the papers just tossed into his face. Jared was in possession of his half-written letter. He watched as Jared studied it intently, holding it close and spending the time to decipher what it was.

"Addressed to Sarah?" Jared asked him after a while. "Are you trying to write her a letter? Finally tell her how you really feel?" Jared chuckled and tossed the notebook back on Jonah's bed.

"You know, it's times like these I'm actually glad you can't read," Jonah sighed. "Saves me from you reading any of the other embarrassing things in there." Jonah plopped back down onto his mattress.

"I have an idea of it anyway," Jared smirked. "I imagine you mentioned something cliché like her eyes and how she's sweet and nice."

"Uh, I-" Jonah glanced away awkwardly. "Whatever."

"Take it from a guy who knows," Jared advised as he slumped onto his own bed. "You don't just fall in love with a girl because she's sweet and nice. And that's certainly not all that you tell her."

"I wasn't even done writing it-"

"-hey," Jared held up a finger. "Wait till I'm finished talking."

Lucille had come up to their door, planning to meet back up with Jared, but she paused at the door, hearing that they were having a conversation. She listened in, even if it wasn't her place to, just to know what was going on.

Jared continued, "I, for one, have had many crushes in my days. That's why I've been on so many dates." He shrugged and sat up straighter to look Jonah in the eye from across the room. "But I've only liked those girls before. Meaning, they were sweet and nice. But if you're really, really serious about Sarah, you go to her and tell her how you feel...and you do not put that in a letter."

"Th-thanks, bro," Jonah responded awkwardly.

"Anytime."

Lucille heard footsteps approaching the door and she scrambled away, all the way back upstairs and to her own room. She slammed the door shut and found Sarah on her laptop with earplugs in her ears. Lucille practically threw herself onto Sarah's bed and slammed the laptop shut.

"Hey!" Sarah pulled out her earplugs. "Calm down, Lucy. What has gotten into you?"

Lucille could hear the steps creaking as someone was coming up them, and she sprinted back out of her room for one moment to go check and see who was ascending the staircase. It was Jonah.

She hurried back to her and Sarah's room, slamming the door again.

"What?" Sarah asked after flinching from the slam. "Tell me what's going on. What's got you all excited?"

Lucille squealed. "Just wait."

She sat on her bed and waited patiently, knowing Jonah would be arriving any second.

~~~~~
Meanwhile, Jonah was on his way to their room, but just when he reached the top of the staircase, he stopped. He realized he wasn't capable of going through with it. He combed his fingers through his hair and hurried back down the steps. Just as he sped back to his room, Tyler came out of his and watched him.

"Okay," Tyler muttered after Jonah had slammed his own room's door.

Just as Tyler was heading out into the foyer, Mr. Rainier called from the kitchen that supper was ready. He heard Mr. Rainier's footsteps as he was coming to the foyer, this time to announce it again so that the entire house could hear. Mr. Rainier did so just in front of Tyler, and then afterward beckoned for Tyler to come and eat.

Before going to the kitchen along with Mr. Rainier, Tyler heard as Lucille came dashing to the railing up on the second floor, pulling Sarah along.

"Eager for supper, much?" Tyler furrowed his brows.

Sarah pulled her arm away. Tyler shrugged and went into the kitchen.

"Why are you acting so weird?" Sarah asked Lucille.

Lucille figured Jonah had bailed out on it, and so she decided she'd wait to tell Sarah. She just shook her head and bit her lip and headed down the steps in peace.

"Lucy." Sarah followed close behind.

Rachel and Niamh came out of their room together and headed down the steps. Niamh spotted William heading toward the kitchen at the same time as them. She yanked on his arm and pulled him back and waited for everyone to disappear through the door.

"You won't believe what I have to tell you."

Just at that time, Mr. Carroway and Mr. Owen had come through the entrance door of Anubis house. Niamh took a step back at the sight of them and held William back as well.

Mr. Carroway cleared his throat, but Mr. Owen began speaking, "Byrne. Lewis. You won't believe what we have to tell you."

~~~~~
Alright, that is another chapter! Hopefully you enjoyed and for now, here are some discussion questions.

Should Jonah follow Jared's advice with Sarah?

Do you think Niamh will confront the adults about the library?

Until next time, Aristocrats!

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