Secrets | Eddie Miller/Sweet

[20]

"She can totally top that," Patricia informed. 

"Really?"

"Patricia stop," Scarlett whispered. 

Her words fell flat as Patricia poured some sort of powdered chemical on the floor.

"Oh, Patricia, no," Joy groaned. 

"Oops," she yelled out. 

"Oh. A little more care, girls," Mr Sweet voiced, grabbing the dustpan and brush. 

"Sorry," Patricia apologised, pushing Scarlett forward as the mess was being cleaned up. "The algae," she murmured. 

"I don't-"

Scarlett was interrupted as Patricia nudged her forward again. She sighed, moving forward. She grabbed the Oreo Mr Sweet had on his saucer, opening it and placing some algae from the fish tank into it. She hated every second of what she was doing. She sat back down, next to Joy. 

"You can say no," Joy informed. 

"I know," Scarlett muttered back. "I tried."

Mr Sweet went to eat his biscuit, dropping it in shock when he noticed what was in it. The class laughed. 

"Patricia, was that you?" Mr Sweet exclaimed. 

"Actually it was me," Scarlett admitted, holding her hand up. 

"Oh, well, you're in real trouble. You see me after class," he yelled. 

Scarlett nodded. 

He went to drink his tea but yelled again and dropped it when he saw the eyeball in it. 

"Scarlett," he shouted. 

"Uh, that was me," Eddie revealed. 

"Well, don't let me catch you misusing school apparatus again, is that clear?"

"Yeah."

"And, as for you, Miss Garcia, I'm rather disappointed in you leading new students astray. You will copy down that periodic table a hundred times before tomorrow. Perhaps you will learn some respect for the sciences," he informed. 

Scarlett went to protest but Joy stopped her. 

Once they were out of the class Scarlett stormed off, making her way to the student lounge to start on her punishment. She sighed in frustration. 

---

That night Sibuna made their way into the tunnels to finish the next task. 

"Lay her daughter's in their home," Alfie repeated from the riddle.

"What happens when they're all done?" Fabian questioned, holding his spider just above the hook. 

"Let's just all be ready," Nina instructed. 

A door began to open once all of the smaller spiders were in their place. 

"You did it. Way to go," Amber celebrated. 

However, the door began to close. Nina began to run towards it, ignoring everyone's protests. She made it through the door just as it closed. 

There was a silence before they heard her screaming, claiming there was something in there with her. 

"Nina, what is it?" Fabian yelled.

"I think there's something in here," Nina screeched. 

Scarlett glanced to Amber and Patricia, worry evident on all their faces. 

"Well, what's the plan? We need a plan. Tell me you have a plan," Alfie pleaded. 

"Help! You have to get me out," Nina begged, banging on the door.

"It's got to be the big spider that holds the door open," Fabian theorised. 

"It's the only thing left, so yeah, it probably does," Scarlett announced, sarcasm laced in her words. 

"Not helping, Scar," Fabian yelled back. 

"Sorry, I get mean when I'm nervous," she replied. 

"Fabian. Help me," Nina screamed. 

"Okay, I'm nearly there. I'm nearly there. I'm nearly there," he shouted, reassuring her to the best of his abilities. 

The group who were watching Fabian put the spider in place yelled at him to hurry up. However, when the spider was in place nothing happened. 

"No, don't do this," Fabian seethed. 

After a pause, the webs began to shoot back in the walls and the door opened. Nina rushed out and hugged Fabian.

"Nina!" Scarlett exclaimed, pulling the girl into a large hug.  

The group then began to enter the room that Nina had been trapped in. They walked slowly towards a slab of stone with a face on it. 

"Ew, creepy," Amber groaned. 

"Way creepier when you can only see its eyes, and you think it's alive. Trust me," Nina muttered. 

"You seriously need to man up, Nina," Alfie insulted.

Scarlett rolled her eyes, turning to Patricia who nodded, knowing what she was thinking. 

"Alfie, behind you," Patricia exclaimed as Scarlett spoke too, tapping Alfie on the back.

"Alfie, watch out."

"Now who needs to man up?" Fabian quipped.

Scarlett laughed as she moved forward, glancing around at everything.

"Chemicals. No labels," Fabian stated.

"This smells familiar. I can't quite put my finger on it. Does it smell like Christmas?" Nina asked, passing a bottle between her and Fabian.

"I wasn't scared, you know. I was just, just on high alert, which we should all be on by the way," Alfie defended.

"Uh, sure, whatever, Alfie," Patricia spoke, obviously not believing a word he said. 

"Fabian?" Scarlett called out as she stared at the lion head. "This freaky lion head thing?"

"Sekhmet, the goddess of medicine," Fabian informed. 

"Look, there's openings in these, and there's this channel, and it leads to the door," Nina began, following the channels to the door. "With some kind of goo on it. Must hold it in place."

"So we've got a big bunch of chemicals, six snakey tubes that go down to this mixing jar, that leads straight on to a door with a weird goo around it," Fabian repeated.

"So, maybe we put all the chemicals into the tubes, And, abracadabra, they magically open the door?" Nina questioned. 

"Could be, but I guess it has to be the right six chemicals," Fabian voiced. 

"Okay, then. Everybody grab a chemical and then let's get-" Alfie started, grabbing a couple of bottles.

"It's a bit late for science experiments, Alfie. Come on. Let's go," Fabian advised. 

Scarlett nodded and began making her way back to her room, ready to sleep. She was truly exhausted. Patricia attempted to speak to her on the way back but the girl just sped up, ignoring her as she was still annoyed with what had happened earlier. 

Word Count:
[1865]