Force of Nature ▸ House of Anubis [3]

chapter forty-two. house of expulsion

The doors to the house open as Patricia concedes, "But that's it. This is the end."

"Not if we can help it," Mara's voice says. We all turn to face her. She's there, at the doors, with Willow, Joy, and Jerome.

"No way," Joy adds.

"You are not going anywhere," Jerome states matter-of-factly. "None of you are."

"This stinks."

Willow grins. "We started a petition. If you go, we all go."

As I smile lightly, still tense. at the lengths they're willing to go to, Mara says, "A petition's not enough. We need action. Who's with me?"

—

"How does 'Save the Anubis Six' sound?" Mara inquires, sitting on the couch between Patricia and Alfie. Willow's perched on the arm, Joy's taken the seat, and Jerome's next to me, his arm around my shoulders. I love this family. Last year, when Mara was expelled for something she absolutely did not do, we were all understandably upset, but it was ultimately Eddie that convinced Sweet to reverse his decision. Maybe now she can do the same for us.

"Did you guys really walk out of class," Alfie questions, "because of us?"

Mara nods. "Of course we did."

Joy adds, "You really think we're gonna let Sweetie kick you guys out?"

Jerome looks at me, briefly strengthening his grip around my shoulders. Then he stands, taking me with him, and says to the others, "I'm taking her." Half of our housemates let it be; the other half gives us confused looks as Jerome pulls me out of the living room, through the corridor, and into his room, where he shuts the door.

"What are you doing?" I ask, watching him.

Jerome turns around, throwing his arm toward me. "Okay, get it out." I shake my head, still giving him a confused look. "Whatever you're holding inside you because of this—every bad word you've thought about Sweet and Victor in the last hour, get it out."

"Why? What's the point?"

"Holding things in isn't healthy or smart. So... get it out. Talk to me."

I nod slowly. Well, he asked for it, I guess. "Okay, fine. I'm—I'm angry and I'm upset, and I can't even call this thing a nightmare because this isn't anywhere close to what my nightmares are like—granted, in those, people are often trying to kill/torture me, but—it just sucks. And—and—" Jerome watches me with crossed arms as I sit down on his bed, still continuing on. "You know why Sweet did this?"

Jerome blinks at me, questioning carefully, "Are you asking me?"

"We know it's actually because we stopped them from reawakening Frobisher," I continue without giving him an answer. All right, now I'm just ranting. "Like, yeah, I expected some consequences but I didn't think we'd be expelled! And you know what sucks even more than how we're being expelled because we stopped them? They can't tell anyone that's why they're getting rid of us so they're gonna tell the board that—that we've skipped class, and we've broken curfew and house rules, and..."

He seems to catch on, because he sits down next to me. "And they can prove that," he says. I confirm with a nod. "Well, then the only people in Anubis House who shouldn't be getting expelled are Mara and Willow if that's what they're saying."

"Yeah, I know, right! Sorry."

"You heard Willow. You six go, so do the rest of us."