During class, Fabian got the MP3 player confiscated because Andrews caught him listening to it in class. And Amber was still obsessed over Max, practically latched onto her like a leech.
Don't get Max wrong, she'd grown quite fond of Amber, but she didn't like her that way and she was certain if Amber knew the truth, then the feeling of friendship would be mutual.
Nina and Fabian were sitting on her bed trying to figure out the puzzle, while Amber was clinging to Max's arm, hugging it like it was her own personal doll. "Maybe try turning it?" Nina suggested.
Fabian did just that and sure enough, the gem on top came off and the inside had a paper.
"Cat is the place to find, there in the flame she must look behind." Fabian read out loud, eyebrows furrowed.
"No idea." Amber shrugged.
"Cat...Cat..." Max gasped in realization. "Cat!" She ripped her arm out of Amber's hold and snatched the laptop, doing a quick search.
She beamed. "Bingo. Cat, it can be fire or place of fire." She looked at them. Amber still looked a little lost.
"A fireplace. As in, the one in the living room." Max explained in more detail. Amber gasped.
"You are so brilliant, Max." She gushed.
Fabian grinned. "Seriously brilliant. Okay, I'm gonna see if I can get the MP3 back, you guys investigate the fireplace."
~~~
They tried to check it out, but Victor caught them and told them to leave it alone. He also told them to leave up the chandelier they had used to find the last clue, and then everyone was to be in bed by 9.
Later that evening, Alfie tried to rap for Amber but she completely shut him down after hearing it, saying it was horrible. The others scurried off since it was about to be lights out.
~~~
"The teachers were being super weird at school." Fabian told them with a frown. "And now Victor wanting everyone to bed earlier? I barely got this back." He handed Amber the player.
"Did they hear it?" Nina asked.
Fabian shook his head. "Close but no."
"We should hurry to bed, Victor will have our heads." Max told them with a frown.
Amber smiled. "Goodnight boo." She kissed Max's cheek before hurrying off with Nina.
"You're gonna have to tell her you know." Fabian told her as they walked back to their room.
Max groaned. "I know I just...I don't want to hurt her. She's gonna feel so betrayed when she learns I've been lying this whole time."
~~~
The next morning, Patricia stormed into the room and dumped the pitcher of water on Amber. "I ASKED YOU TO KEEP A SECRET!" Everyone was horrified. Nina, Fabian and Max rushed over from the living room. "SHES KNOWN ME SINCE WE WERE ELEVEN BUT NOW SHE'S SIDING WITH SOMEONE WHO'S ONLY BEEN HERE TWO MINUTES!"
Max scowled, grabbing her arm. "What is wrong with you!?"
Patricia yanked her arm away. "Don't even start with me. Mick and Amber just break up and you've already become her new boo. You are no better than Nina!"
She flicked the rest of the water at Amber. "Some friend you are." She hissed before storming out, leaving everyone stunned.
~~~
During class not only was Patricia late, but she left her phone on so it made noise. Andrews confiscated it.
~~~
Later that day, they went to check out the fireplace, but Nina and Fabian bumped their heads together when they tried to look.
"Sorry." Fabian chuckled.
"No worries, probably just a minor concussion." Nina grinned.
The two stared at each other almost longingly as Amber clung onto Max's arm.
"Awwww..." Amber gushed, making them snap out of it. "They're almost as adorable as us."
Nina and Fabian shared a glance before turning back to the fireplace.
"Okay, Amber we need to talk-" Max started, pulling her arm away.
"There's nothing here." Nina groaned.
Fabian frowned. "Maybe this isn't the right fireplace, I bet there used to be more and they were bricked up."
"I think we need to talk to Sarah again." Max told them, they all nodded in agreement.
~~~
They all went to see Sarah, but where shocked to see a man already visiting with her.
They hid when he left to get her some tea. Max couldn't help a strange feeling in her gut.
The man just looked...so familiar, but she couldn't quite place him.
~~~
During dinner, everyone was icing Patricia completely.
"So what's with the silent treatment?" She snapped.
Max scowled. "What do you think? You've been treating us like trash since we got here and then dumped water on Amber."
"What do you think Mara?" Patricia questioned.
"You went too far, and I was on cleanup duty!" She snapped.
Patricia bit her lip. "Yeah, you're probably right." They all looked at her like she grew two heads. "I'm sorry Amber."
"Hold on, did Patricia 'I'm never wrong' Williamson just apologize?" Jerome questioned.
"Shut up slimeball. And Nina, I'm sorry about going through your stuff. I did have a reason and if you're interested, I'll tell you about it, in private." She sighed. "And finally, Max I'm sorry. Considering everything...you've been a pretty chill guy, and if you make Amber happy and there's no hard feelings with you and Mick...then there's no reason to stand in the way."
Max winced. "Right...um, Amber we need to talk, in private actually."
"Oooh." Jerome teased, earning a glare from her.
~~~
"What did you want to talk about, Max?" Amber asked with a smile. They were up in her room for privacy.
Max bit her lip, sighing softly. "Amber...I know you're kind of...smitten because I was ready to save you had there been a fire but..."
Amber tilted her head.
"The thing is...I'm not...who you think I am." Max admitted nervously.
Amber frowned. "I don't understand."
Max swallowed hard. "Amber, my real name is Remi." Amber's eyes widened as Max removed her dark green sweater to reveal the black tank top underneath.
"I'm a girl."
Amber was in complete shock, staring at Max with her mouth agape. "Wha..."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I didn't want you thinking I was after Mick or something and then you fell for me and...I just didn't know how to tell you." Max admitted guiltily. "I was denied as my normal self, so I made up a fake name, cut my hair and got colored contacts, and then I applied as a boy to get in. I had to get into the school no matter what, even if it meant lying to everyone."
"I can't...believe this..." Amber was still in a daze.
Max winced. "I'm truly sorry I didn't tell you before. Honestly nobody was supposed to find out, but Nina found out when we met Sarah and Fabian caught me in a tank top. Nobody else knows."
"But I don't understand...why...why were you denied as a girl?" Amber asked curiously.
Max's hands balled into fists. She bit her lip. "Amber...I like girls...the way I'm supposed to like guys." Amber gasped. "When my last school found out I was seeing a girl...I got in a lot of trouble. The teachers were horrified and the students were out to get me. I got accused of all sorts of things by the female students and was kicked out. Anubis house didn't want to accept someone with that kind of record, even though I never did anything to anyone..." Max scowled bitterly.
"Why did you need to come to this place?" Amber asked. "Why here specifically?"
Max swallowed hard. "I'm not...ready to share that yet...with any of you." Amber looked disappointed. "But please Amber, even if you hate me for this, I'm begging you not to tell anyone. I'll do anything."
"I'm not mad." Max's eyes widened.
Amber smiled almost sadly. "You went through so much trouble to not hurt me...how can I be mad over that? Not to mention, we're Sibuna now." Her smile grew fond. "And for the record, I don't care if you fancy girls. You're right, I don't like you that way anymore now that I know, but I certainly don't hate you, and I think it's terrible that your last school treated you so terribly."
Her eyes widened when she saw tears had filled Max's eyes. "...Max?" She spoke softly.
Max ran forward and hugged her tearfully. "You're the first person..." She whimpered. "Since my brother...to tell me it was okay for me to be this way."
Amber's eyes widened, she hugged Max back tightly. She might've not been who Amber thought she was, but she was still pretty darn cool in her eyes.
~~~
Nina figured out the clue was actually about the old oven in the kitchen which wouldn't open. But her locket managed to open it up and reveal a passageway down to the cellar.
They decided to investigate it during the night.
"Guys look on the wall!" Fabian gasped.
They found a sort of ring on a hook, and above it was flames painted on the wall.
"There in the flames you must look behind!" Nina beamed.
"That's easy, it even has a ring on the wall that practically screams 'pull me'." Amber smiled.
Max frowned. "That's not a ring pull Amber..." She ran a finger on it gently. "It's a tethering ring..."
They pulled it out of the wall and looked through the hole, but they didn't see anything.
That's when Nina looked at the ring itself and realized there was numbers on it.
But that's also when they heard a loud bang from up above.
They hid in a closet as Victor came down, and watched as he held up a strange bottle with a liquid inside. He gave a toast to 'life' before drinking some of it.