House of Anubis: Triad of Memphis

House of Lockdown/House of Bonds

As soon as the students had arrived to Anubis house, Mr. Carroway and Mr. Rainier rounded them all up in the foyer to speak with them. Sibuna noticed how Mr. Carroway frequently cast glances in Sarah and Lucille's direction, constantly checking to see any Chosen One give-aways.

"There is someone on campus," he announced, "who is not to be here. Yet, we as the staff who are here to ensure the greatest safety for our students are unaware of where he may be at the moment. That being said, this house and the entire campus will be placed on lockdown until further notice-meaning, Mr. Rainier or I will be present every afternoon to escort you to or from the school. You are not to leave this house unless accompanied by an adult and that includes weekends."

"Don't you think this is all a bit...I don't know, what's the word..." Jared thought a bit. "Stupid?"

"No, it is in fact the best measures we can take at the moment, Smith." Mr. Carroway spat his name with the greatest distaste as though he were very disapproving of Jared which could've been entirely true.

"Who is this man?" Sarah asked.

"We don't know yet," Mr. Rainier chimed-in in reply. "All we know is that once we find him or once we figure out he has gone from campus, then lockdown will be uplifted."

"And how long until you anticipate he'll be found?" Rachel asked concernedly.

"We have no idea," Mr. Rainier admitted.

"What if he kills children?" William suddenly assumed this and whispered it to the rest of Sibuna near him.

"Or," Sarah began, "what if he kidnaps them?"

The rest of Sibuna caught onto what she was inferring instantly. The rest of them except for William.

"Don't you think kidnapping is a bit sill-ohhh." William finally came to the sudden realization.

"You lot," Mr. Carroway pointed in their direction. "What're you talking about?"

"Oh, you know school, grades, stress, the usual," Sarah grinned. "It's all a bother, really."

Mr. Carroway grunted at the, and then dismissed all the students. He made his way back upstairs to his office and Mr. Rainier headed off into the kitchen to prepare supper. Jared broke off from Sibuna to go straight to Niamh, and Lucille took notice.

"Time to get started on that Sibuna stuff, right?" Sarah pointed out. "Jonah, I'm assuming you and Jared will head down to the cellar later tonight?"

Jonah nodded. "Oh Lucille, we'll need to borrow your locket. Assuming the Osirion can operate it as well."

"He can," both Lucille and Sarah responded at the same time. Lucille took it off from around her neck and handed it to Jonah, trusting him to keep it secure.

"And that mystery man?" Sarah turned to Lucille.

"You go up and prepare; I'll be right there," Lucille told her. Sarah headed up to their room.

Lucille traced in the direction Niamh and Jared went, both of them having gone into the living room. Lucille stood outside the door listening intently to the chuckles she heard by either of them.

"But on a serious note," Niamh recollected herself. "You'll go with me? To check it out?"

"As soon as we're off lockdown, we'll go and check the place out," Jared reassured her. "And if it's perfect for you, then I'll make sure you're secured a spot in there."

"This is weird," Niamh brought up, "us being nice to eachother and all."

"Yeah, well as soon as this is over, we'll go right back to hating eachother so...don't worry, I guess," Jared said.

"Thanks," Niamh suddenly mentioned unexpectedly.

"What?" Jared couldn't believe what he had heard.

"I'm showing gratitude. Don't find it so hard to believe, Smith."

"Uh-"

"-you're a really nice person, deep down. Deep deep down. I wouldn't have ever guessed..."

Lucille sensed it getting a bit intimate between them although they had gone from talking about something she didn't understand to nothing at all. Just Niamh's stray and unlikely comments toward Jared, and Jared's witty remarks that he couldn't help but conjure up. Lucille couldn't take anymore of it and just decided to leave it as it was as she headed upstairs.

~~~~~
Tyler had gone upstairs with some of his books and notebooks to Rachel's room and knocked on her door before entering, holding them all up in her view.

"I was hoping we could study and do homework together?" Tyler phrased this request as a question.

Rachel had in fact already started on hers and set down her pencil briefly. "Um...I-"

"-I'm not trying to be a girlfriend-stealer or anything," Tyler assured. "Just as friends."

"I wasn't thinking that," Rachel chuckled softly. "And okay...Come on, take a seat."

Tyler took a seat in the available space on Rachel's mattress. He spread out his supplies as much as he could and asked Rachel which subject she wanted to do first.

"It's up to you," Rachel insisted.

"History, maybe?"

Rachel nodded and took out her history notebook as well. Suddenly she asked, "Hey Tyler, how would you go about asking someone out on a date?"

"What...?" Tyler looked up at her slowly, not expecting such a question to arise.

"What if I want to ask William in a date?" Rachel further elaborated. "Like a real date-as a couple."

"Well...you just ask, I think?" Tyler phrased this as a question himself, not particularly the expert on these types of things.

"I 'just ask', alright," Rachel squinted at him since he hadn't given any real help but decided not to further brother him with any more relationship business.

~~~~~
Lucille had finally made it to her and Sarah's room where Sarah was just getting to the files. Lucille stormed in and collapsed on her own bed, and Sarah placed down her laptop to address her best friend.

"Lucy?" Sarah called.

"How will I ever be able to keep Jared if I just let him flaunt himself off to other girls like he's a walking magazine ad?" Lucille sighed as she sat up. "He's been spending considerate amounts of time with Niamh, and they're bonding. They're not supposed to bond; they're supposed to hate eachother!"

"Lucy, calm down," Sarah instructed. "If I know one thing, it's that he really likes you just as much as you like him and if you ever need to talk about anything, he'll listen. He listens to you."

Lucille just shrugged and collapsed back into her mattress.

~~~~~
Yep, that is the ending of this chapter! Heads up, I'll be coming out with an important author's note soon. Eventually. Some time towards this weekend, but anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. For now, here are the discussion questions.

Do you think this mysterious man is an ally or an enemy of the society?

Alright, well I'm actually just leaving it at one question because there's not much else to come up with questions on. I mean, there is...but I'm just leaving it at one today.

So yeah. Until next time Aristocrats.