"When daytime ends at midday, through tears of glass the eye shall see." Fabian said as they stood in the kitchen. They were contemplating the clue.
"Yeah no clue." Amber shrugged.
Max huffed. "Well we need to figure it out. Lunch time, yeah?"
"Sibuna." They held their hands over their eyes.
Mick came in. "What're you guys talking about?"
"Oh, nothing interesting just uh, cereal." Nina smiled sheepishly, holding up the cereal box.
He seemed doubtful, but turned his attention to Amber. "Amber um...ta-da!" He held up a present for her.
She beamed. "It's lovely, thank you!"
"And I was thinking we could hang out at lunch, seeing as you snuck out on me yesterday." Mick told her casually, but there was a hint of bitterness underneath.
Amber hesitated. "Right...the thing is..." Mick scowled.
"I know when I'm not wanted." He stormed out.
Max sighed. "I feel bad, he is our roommate." She reminded Fabian.
"Mick is tough, he'll get over it." Fabian assured her.
~~~
"Let's talk prospective Parents' Day, shall we?" Mr. Winkler started class. "Seeing as there's been hardly any volunteers, I'm assigning tasks to you myself.
Everyone groaned in annoyance.
~~~
"What do you think? Strawberry Passion or Bashful Cinnamon?" Amber asked, holding up the lip sticks.
"Really?" Max deadpanned, but the other two hadn't even heard Amber talk, too busy researching.
Amber smiled. "Max, which one appeals to you, you bunk with Mick."
Max huffed and finally looked at her. "Strawberry Passion, it's a little sexy but not in a gross way, makes you seem as sweet as the flavor you're wearing."
They all stared at her, a little stunned.
Max flushed red. "Um...T-That's just my opinion though, I don't think Mick would even notice a difference..."
Amber grinned a little. "Do you fancy me, Max? I'm flattered but I'm afraid my heart does belong to Mick."
"I DO NOT FANCY YOU!" Max protested, turning an even darker shade. "I have way more to worry about than dating."
"Guys can we focus? When daytime ends." Nina started.
Max frowned; eyebrows furrowed.
"Apocalypse?" Nina guessed.
"That's end of the world." Fabian told her.
Max gasped. "Wait a minute! What about a partial eclipse? I read about it once, look it up."
Fabian did as told and beamed. "You got it!"
But that's when Jerome and Alfie walked in, carrying a skeleton. "Got what?" Jerome asked.
"Looks, brains, charms, you know, all the things you don't have." Max grinned.
Jerome smirked. "Better settle down midget, by the way your girlfriend was looking for you." He shoved the skeleton in Max's face. "Kiss me, kiss me darling!" He mocked.
"I'M NOT A MIDGET, I'M FUN SIZED!" Max fumed, shoving the skeleton away.
Alfie and Jerome snickered, only to suddenly freeze up and quickly make their exit, it was a little strange but the Sibuna gang couldn't bring themselves to care.
"This is ridiculous," Fabian complained after searching a bit more online. "There were 242 solar eclipses between 1801 and 1900, but who knows how many between 1901 and 1923."
Amber beamed, suddenly getting an idea. "Let's ask Sarah! You know..." She grabbed her recorder. "Sarah. She might mention something!"
Max's jaw dropped. "Oh come on, Amber where were these smarts when the lipstick conversation was happening!?"
~~~
"Okay, this software should let us clear out all of the interference in the recording." Max told them, they were hunched up together in one of the classrooms with the laptop, Amber's recorder was plugged into it.
Nina bit her lip. "Let's start then."
Max hit play, and they listened, only to hear something shocking.
"I tooketh myself up to the attic and verily there was one massive surprise," It continued a little bit and then they heard laughing at the end.
Fabian pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Alfie and Jerome, that explains their hasty exit earlier."
"Um...Max?" Nina questioned hesitantly.
Max was trembling with rage.
"I'M GONNA KILL THOSE TWO!"
~~~
They stormed into the living room of the Anubis house where Alfie and Jerome were talking. Max kicked Jerome in the shin, making him cry out in pain.
"THAT'S for going through Amber's belongings!" Max kicked Alfie in the shin, making him cry out as well. "AND THAT'S FOR RECORDING OVER HER FILES!"
"Midget's got serious kick..." Jerome winced, hopping on one leg.
Nina bit her lip. "How much did you guys hear or understand?"
"Barely anything? It was horrific quality. I never would've suspected Amber has taste for that kind of novel." Jerome scowled.
Alfie huffed. "And why do you even care?" He snapped at Max.
Max's eyes widened. "Because...Because it was my novel! Amber got it for me because I don't own a recorder, and it was just getting to the good part too before you two messed it up!"
"Really guys, you should be ashamed." Fabian nodded.
Just then, Mick stormed him.
"Hi boo-" Amber gasped in realization. She had promised to go on a picnic with him and never showed. "I am...so sorry-"
"WE'RE DONE AMBER!" He exclaimed. "AND I HATE WHEN YOU CALL ME BOO!" He stormed off.
Amber was shaking. "Did he just dump me?"
"You bet he did." Jerome chuckled, earning another kick to the shin from Max, making him yelp.
"Nina what should I do?" Amber asked, still shaking.
"Go after him? I think...not really my best area..." Nina trailed off nervously.
Amber looked at Max, ready to burst into tears. "Max?...You gave me advice before...about the lipstick...w-what should I do?"
Max felt her chest ache a little, and she thought about what her brother would tell her, if she had been dumped.
Then, she spoke hesitantly. "...If he's dumped you...then he's made his feelings clear...I'm sorry Amber, but...maybe if you give him time-"
"What's the point?" Amber questioned, heartbroken. "You're right, he made it clear, in front of everyone." She ran off to her room.
~~~
They were up in the attic, re-recording the audio from the cylinders since Alfie and Jerome talked over them before, but then Amber spoke.
"It's just...I love him, Nina, I really love him..." Amber sniffed. She was leaning against Nina. "And I messed it all up..."
The others sighed, a little frustrated because the recording just got messed up again by her talking.
She realized and groaned. "And now I've messed up the recording..."
"It's okay...don't worry about it." Nina told her gently, rubbing her arm comfortingly.
Max hesitantly reached a hand out and placed it on top of Amber's head, making her eyes widen.
Max bit her lip.
~~~
Remi sniffled as she covered her face, tears rolling down her cheeks. She was sitting on the railing of a bridge going over water.
An older boy hopped up onto the railing and sat next to her, letting his legs dangle off the edge as well. "Hey Emi, why're you crying?" He questioned curiously.
She hiccupped. "I-I confessed my feelings t-to Harper...a-and she called me a freak a-and crushed the flower I gave her...a-and now everyone is avoiding me at playtime!"
The boy, William, frowned a little. "Well did you really love her?"
"I did! J-Just like how mommy and daddy love each other, I-I wanted to marry her!" Remi cried.
William placed a hand on the top of her head, making her look up at him tearfully. "Then you have nothing to be sad about. Sure you may have been rejected, but that's her loss, not yours." He insisted with a kind smile.
"Y-You don't think I'm wrong?" She asked softly.
He chuckled. "Kid, you're the best little sister anyone could have, and you're fine just the way you are. And anyone who says otherwise can answer to me." He winked, nudging her side.
Remi looked up at her older brother in awe, her tears lessening.
She beamed. "Right!"
~~~
"If you really loved him, then you have nothing to be sad about." Max insisted gently. "He may have broken up with you, but that's his loss, not yours." Amber's eyes widened. "I'm not saying you didn't do anything wrong Amber, but you didn't ditch him on purpose, it was an accident, he should've understood that."
Amber smiled a little, her tears lessening. "Thanks Max..."
That's when she noticed something on the wall. "That's pretty, what is that?" She gestured to the window.
"Stained glass, of a sunset." Max explained.
Fabian gasped. "Sunset! When daytime ends at midday!" He realized.
"Oh my gosh...Amber you're brilliant!" Max exclaimed, beaming.
Amber beamed right back.
~~~
The next day was parents day, Max and Amber were giving parents tours of the place when Mr. Winkler spoke up. "Amber, could you help Mick run this stall? Patricia seems to have disappeared."
"Oh uh..." Mick hesitated.
"I'll do it!" Max chimed in. "Besides Amber is much better at this tour stuff than me."
Winkler nodded. "Very well."
"You're a life saver Max." Amber beamed, leaning over and pecking Max on the cheek before walking off with the parents.
Mick sneered at her. "Seriously? We just broke up and you're making the moves on her?"
Max frowned. "Of course not. Mick, I volunteered in order to help both of you."
"I'm starting to wonder who you're really friends with." Mick hissed.
Max bit her lip. "Mick, listen to me, I get that Amber messed up-" Mick scoffed, but she continued. "But she didn't mean to! She wanted to be there at that picnic, she made me help her pick a lipstick to wear just for the occasion!"
Mick hesitated. "...Really?"
"Really. She cared a lot, and it was us who distracted her away from it. Look, Amber can be...difficult, and I'm not saying you have to be with her..." Max sighed. "Just...let her down easy, you know?"
Mick seemed deep in thought about that.
When Amber came by with another group of parents, Mick followed her so they could talk.
But as they were talking, they noticed smoke behind Amber.
"OH MY GOD!" Max gasped. She bolted forward. "AMBER MOVE!"
Amber shrieked as Max tackled her down, covering her with her own body. The smoke bomb went off and filled the entire room, causing the alarms to go off. The smoke ashes covered the back of Max's clothes.
"Are you okay!?" Max asked quickly, eyes wide with concern.
Amber was looking at her in awe, nodding a little. "I-I think so..."
Everyone was escorted out of the room.
Everyone was outside while Victor was getting the smoke bomb out.
"Oh Max, that was so...heroic." Amber all but gushed, hugging Max by her arm.
Max chuckled awkwardly. "I just kind of moved I guess, it's not a big deal."
"Ambs," Mick walked up to them, sighing a little. "Look, what I was trying to say before was...I love you, but we don't match. We're mates, not dates." He almost walked away, but then paused. "And...listen, Max I know I kind of snapped before but...if you two...if you two fancy one and other, go for it, don't let me get in the way." Mick patted Max on the shoulder before walking away.
Amber bit her lip. "...At least we're friends, I suppose."
"Exactly." Max smiled. "It'll get better, don't worry."
Amber smiled shyly, blushing. "You're right...because I have you." She hugged her.
Alfie and Jerome watched in disbelief.
"Well my whole hero plan kind of worked." Jerome shrugged. "Wrong guy though." Alfie groaned.
~~~
"What did it look like when the sun shined through the window?" Fabian asked. They were up in the attic, Nina had found the next puzzle piece, which was hidden in a wall close to the chandelier in the main walk in area.
Nina smiled. "It was incredible."
"I wonder if there's something hidden in it, like before." Max frowned, taking the puzzle piece to look at it closer. Amber was hugging her arm and didn't seem to have plans on letting go.
That's when Sarah's recording got their attention, they had it playing so it could record the player again, but this time they got to a part they hadn't heard before.
"He frightens me, he spends a lot of time in the cellar with dead animals. Dead animals that he stuffs. But what frightens me the most is his raven, Corbiere." They couldn't help gasping. "I'm more convinced than ever that he's responsible for the deaths of my parents, but I can't prove anything, he's coming!"
They then heard a familiar voice speak out. "You have five minutes precisely, and then I want to hear a pin drop."
"Victor?" Nina paled, causing the horror of the situation to truly sink into all of them.