Force of Nature ▸ House of Anubis [3]

chapter seventy-four. house of distraction

            "Victor," Joy confirms. Willow has a hedgehog called Victor? "We found him last night and she wanted to keep him."

            "But I finally threw out the stuff Atticus gave me," Mara says, "and I accidentally... threw out Victor, too."

            "Oh," I state. "This is something I can't help with. Although, I bet we all wish you'd have thrown out the real Victor instead. I know I wish that." Mara and Joy stare at me blankly. "That was dark, wasn't it?"

            "Kind of," Joy agrees.

            "Okay, well, good luck with finding the hedgehog," I tell them, saluting them. "See you at school, then." I grab my bag as I leave, running into KT and Alfie in the main entrance hall. "Apparently we've got a hedgehog infestation."

            Alfie's eyebrows furrow. "Is—is that your plan to save Eddie? Using hedgehogs?"

            "Well, it is now."

            KT interrupts quietly, "Can you believe Fabian?"

            "Oh, I know," I agree incredulously. "I just watched him throw food at Jerome and put jam in the milk. I didn't realize he'd become Alfie when he got turned into a sinner."

            "First of all," Alfie states, "not funny. Second, you've got to remember that's not the real him."

            "There's not many of us left," KT points out.

            I sigh deeply, my mood coming down with the change of topic. "Well, uh, I was thinking we go over after first class. We use me as bait to distract Frobisher while the two of you save Eddie. Sound good?"

            "Actually," KT comments, "I was thinking you and Alfie distract Frobisher together. I hear you're good at causing distractions."

            I nod. Better plan, admittedly. "Yeah, we can totally distract Frobisher. You in, Alfie?"

            Alfie laughs nervously. "Distract Frobisher—sounds easy when you say it."

—

            Our first class of the day goes by incredibly slowly. Alfie and I sat together during it and passed notes during the lecture, brainstorming how to distract Frobisher. Fortunately no one but KT saw us argue over paper over whether we should play the organ again or not. I voted yes, he voted no. But when the class ends and we leave the school to go to the gatehouse, my legs are shaking and I feel like they're about to give way and I'll collapse.

            Probably not a side-effect of the concussion. Probably more of the 'gonna distract Frobisher who's literally trying to kill us' persuasion. KT hides when we get there as Alfie, in full view of the cameras we know are there (or at least assume), dances like a ballerina. I wait by the elevator, prepared to pull the lever to make him think we're in it. When we hear the door to the tank room close, Alfie hides underneath the desk and I pull the lever, hiding out in the hallway of the opposite direction he would go when he realized the elevator was moving.

            And I turned out to be right, because Frobisher runs right past without noticing me to go after the elevator. KT comes out of her hiding spot and runs through to the tank room. I go back into the study now, ready to hide in case Frobisher comes back, but I watch the door carefully. Then, two figures. KT and Eddie. I fist-pump the air, grinning at them as I throw them a thumbs-up.

            "Oh, am I glad to see you," Eddie tells us.

            I hug him briefly. "I'm so glad I'm not getting a weird feeling about you."