*Unedited*
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Camilla thought Nina was being a little dramatic. It wasn't her Vs Victor it was her Vs whatever this spirit was that had cursed her. Camilla still swore that Victor wasn't evil, he might be a bad guy sometimes but when the time came for him to choose he always would pick the good choice – taking him giving up racing after Rufus last year to help Alfie. Of course, Camilla didn't voice any of these thoughts as she knew they would go in one ear and out the other with Nina who was very keen on seeing the world in black and white not the shades of grey it really was.
Of course, no one said anything about what Nina said for the rest of that night, in fact, Camilla and Fabian poured over the booklet they had been given to see if they recognised any of the artefacts and spending some quality time reminiscing about the ones they remember actually being there when their parents found them. Camilla bringing back a memory Fabian clearly had forgotten as they found a tiara from someone who worshipped the boy king found by their mother, that was the trip they all found out the hard way Camels didn't like Fabian no matter how much he tried to get along with them.
Breakfast the next day Camilla was helping Nina and Trudy with breakfast – by that she was making the hot drinks for everyone because though she was a better cook than her boys she still wasn't the best cook.
"Eggs sunny side up?" Nina asked her gran as the woman sat down at the dining table causing the elderly woman to smile at her granddaughter.
Camilla had just placed a large jug of orange juice on the table, the end furthest from Patricia when Fabian grabbed her arm and pulled her back through to the kitchen clearly needing to talk to Nina about their find. Why he could ask her she didn't know but she knew better than to fight with him over it.
"morning," Fabian whispered to Nina who smiled at the sight of Camilla's exasperated face at being pulled by Fabian and Fabian's excitement. "so we were looking through this last night, for a bit of fun see if we recognised anything," Fabian started once he let go of Camilla and held up the booklet, "you will not believe what we found!" with that, he flipped to the page whilst Camilla picked up her tea and watched – she knew the discovery already.
Nina's look of shock was almost identical to the one Fabian and Camilla had when they stumbled upon the picture too. Apparently, a replica of the Mask of Anubis was in the exhibition.
"The Mask of Anubis?!" Nina whispered in shock, looking up at the twins.
"It's a replica," Camilla corrected using her teacup to point to the book.
"But you'll never guess who made it," Fabian added for his sister.
Nina glanced back down at the book and read the description, "bronze replica of the golden mask of Anubis, artist, Louisa Frobisher-Smythe." Nina smiled, "Sarah's Mom?"
"What is that?" Victor's voice caused the three teens to look around at the back-kitchen door where he had just walked in from.
"Oh," Fabian started flipping shut the booklet and showing the man the cover, " its an exhibition catalogue, Mr Sweet gave it to me to research the bid."
Camilla wasn't the only one who knew what the man was going to do before he did it. Victor plucked the booklet from Fabian's hands with ease, "give it to me." He muttered before he flicked through the pages, stopping as he realised the teens were still watching him. Snapping it shut and walking out the room with it under his arm.
"Ah!" Fabian tried to think of something to stop him but failing miserably. "I'll need it back..." he replied weakly to the retreating form of the caretaker who took no notice of him. Fabian then turned to the two girls with a whispered hiss, "that was the only copy! Why did I let him take it?" he glanced to Camilla to see her opening her mouth and quickly kept talking not wanting to hear what she had to say about him growing a backbone, "your gran is right." He sighed to Nina, "I'm just a total pushover!" with that he ran from the room, Nina went to run after him but was stopped by Camilla.
"I'll go, I think this is a twin chat kind of thing," She explained before she put her cup down and ran after Fabian.
The boy was in his room packing up his books muttering away to himself, not looking up as Camilla wandered into the room behind him.
"I'll get you your booklet back Fabian..." Camilla spoke up after a few seconds silence, "you know I can."
"But you shouldn't have to Cam." Fabian sighed looking at her, "I shouldn't have let him take it."
"Fabian you're being too hard on yourself."
"Am I? because only yesterday you said I needed to grow a backbone." He countered.
Camilla rolled her eyes and wandered over to him, taking the book he was holding out of his hand and putting it on his bed, "Fabby, we love you because you are who you are and no one wants to change that. You are smart and determined, and loyal, and logical, your levelheaded, we both know that your not as stubborn as me which mum and dad like, and you always know the right outcome to any situation because you stand back and take a second to think about it where I just bulldoze ahead." This caused Fabian to snort, "you're the Fabian Nina fell for, she like me doesn't want you any other way, no matter what teasing I do or what anyone else says."
Fabian pulled Camilla into a hug which she was more than happy to return, hearing a muffled "Thank you" in her shoulder. Clearly the boy needed to hear what she had to say.
As he pulled back, he looked at her, "Any chance you know anything about writing Poems?" this caused Camilla to burst out laughing as she shook her head.
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Mrs Andrew's had posted a letter through to Anubis house for Camilla and she was on the bottom step of the stairs waiting for Amber as she read over it, it looked like she would be receiving her 'Little Sister' tomorrow or the day after. The younger school got to choose between two opinions, so they were just waiting for everyone on the program to hand back their final choice. Though as she was reading something caught her eye, Poppy Clark was sneaking into their house – clearly after her phone as she ran past Camilla directly to Alfie and Jerome's room. Camilla knew it wasn't her place to follow but she decided to wait until the girl came back out the room again. It took a few moments and after some muffled shouting – clearly, Jerome had shouted at her – Poppy rounded the corner once again, headed to the front door.
"Alright, Popsicle," Camilla spoke as the girl wandered past, getting too her feet and crossing her arms the smile on her face showing the younger girl she wasn't in trouble, "what are you up too?"
"I was just seeing my brother, I want too –" Poppy turned scared until realisation flashed across her face," wait, your Camilla, Camilla-Anne Rutter?"
"The one and only," Camilla sang a little raising her arms causing Poppy to laugh.
"You're my big sister!"
It took Camilla a full minute to compute what the girl said, but once she did, she couldn't help but grin, Poppy Clark was her little sister. "Wait, you applied to the big sibling program?" she asked glancing back to Jerome's room confused.
Poppy sighed, "it's a long story..."
"Well let's try summarising it on the walk to school okay?" Camilla asked putting an arm around Poppy's shoulders and pulling her in for a side hug before they headed from Anubis house "Popsicle before you explain can I ask, how did you know who I was?"
Poppy smiled mischievously at Camilla, "Jerome has a fair few photos of you and Alfie up at home, though this year mum got the prom one of you two framed and I heard her mention you. Are you his girlfriend?"
"He wishes," Camilla teased, causing Poppy to smile, "okay now spill, not than I'm not honoured to be your sister, just help me understand why you applied to the program, and what the hell the shouting was about," Poppy let out a sigh but something in her knew Camilla was on her side when it came to this. Maybe it was because in the only photos she had seen of her brother his most genuine smile was when the girl next to her was with him, or because something in her knew Camilla was going to be in her life for a while. She wasn't sure, but for the first time, she didn't lie or stretch the truth. She told Camilla she joined the program because she knew Jerome didn't want her at the school but she was petrified of boarding school and wanted someone to go too, she also told Camilla about the letter and their dad. The girl already knowing some stuff but clearly not a lot.
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Joy clearly hadn't heeded Camilla's warning, or so Amber told the girl during lunch. Supposedly there was a very awkward encounter in the girl's toilets where Camilla was somehow assigned writing a film script with Nina. Which she never agreed too. Mulling over the thought of writing yet another story about Egypt, Camilla wandered into study hall where she greeted Jerome with a hit across his head before she sat down next to him, "In big brother departments you are reaching Fabian levels of overprotectiveness," she told him as she took his biscuit from his hand taking a bite, "Plus the phone you took from her was her backup phone anyway,"
Jerome rubbed the back of his head looking at Camilla in confusion as Alfie asked her a question, "Would you rather; zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion?"
"do the zombie s have probes?"
"No."
"then Zombie apocalypse. Definitely." Camilla told the boy with a nod of her head, causing Alfie to nod before writing something down in a notebook.
Jerome seemed to have finally computed Camilla's words as he reached over and took the half-eaten back off Camilla, "How do you know Poppy has a backup phone?"
"she told me..." Camilla said simply, "I'm her big sister in the big sibling program." Camilla explained simply with a shrug.
"She applied to that?" Jerome asked softly.
Camilla took his hand and squeezed it, "hey, least it was me who got her, means I can help you with the thing you asked..." she told him softly getting a smile from him.
"How much rejection can one guy get!" Alfie asked the pair causing them both to raise their eyebrows neither wanting to answer.
"Tea?" Jerome asked Camilla, who gave him a look as if to say 'well duh'. The boy laughing as he got up to make the pair some, Camilla curling in her chair so she could face Alfie who had pulled out his laptop.
"even the niche geeks are saying no!" Alfie groaned loudly. Jerome walked back over to the couch where Camilla was sat and handed her a cup of tea and was about to sit down when Mara came in shouting.
"You are nothing but a big bully Jerome!"
"Mara, I do love it when you talk me up," the boy told her with a smile sitting next to Camilla.
"Poppy just wants to read the letter..." Mara told him.
"Mara to the rescue... yay." Camilla mumbled, causing Jerome to snigger at her and Mara to give her a glare which Camilla rolled her eyes at.
"She is your sister," Mara said looking back at Jerome.
"She is a robot sent from the future to ruin my life..." Jerome instantly said causing Camilla to bite her lip recognising the words she had once said almost 3 years ago about Fabian. Jerome glanced her way and gave her a wink before Mara sat down in the chair next to them, "Please," she begged him, "for me?"
Jerome looked at her and let out a sigh, "I can deny you nothing..." he mumbled, "she can see it but do not be taken in by her. I trained this girl myself,"
"and now she had Camilla as a guiding force, as her new big sister," Alfie added causing Camilla to look between them all with fake horror.
"What monster are we all creating!" She dramatically exclaimed getting a withering look from Mara who got to her feet as the boys burst out laughing.
"Jerome, it appears you may have a soul after all," Mara told him with a smile, looking to Camilla expectantly.
Camilla sent her a confused look back, "don't look at me for a sassy comment," she told Mara before reaching up and patting Jerome's arm that was behind her on the couch, "I have always known there were layers to J, a person just needed to take the time for him to show them." Camilla added almost too sweetly getting a sour expression from Mara who turned and walked out. The moment she was out the room Camilla turned to Jerome and went to hit him again but Jerome knew better a dodged, "For the love of Hathor, you need to get a new crush, Jerome." Jerome looked to Alfie who was simply nodding his head in agreement to Camilla.
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Poppy asked Camilla to come with her to collect the letter from Jerome – more to make sure the boy actually gave it to her.
"You ready for this Popsicle?" Camilla asked as they walked down to the boy's bedroom.
"Not really, but I need to know more about him," Poppy told her, causing Camilla to smile. She understood where Poppy was coming from, she knew her parents and they didn't care much for her but the girl had a chance for an actual dad, what Camilla wouldn't do for that.
As they reached the room there was a scream of "Yes!" from inside which caused Poppy to look up at Camilla confused to see her smiling.
"Alfie must have been accepted for a magazine cover..." Camilla explained as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Okay..." Poppy simply said unsure of how to respond to that.
"You ready?" Camilla asked and Poppy took her hand with a nod. Camilla then knocked on the door.
Jerome opened the door and looked a little confused to see Camilla along with Poppy, but his expression softened when he saw his sister gripping the girls hand tightly. "I hope you don't mind, Poppy asked me to supervise so you'd actually give her the right letter," Camilla explained, waving to Alfie in the room who waved back before pressing print.
"You always seemed a little scared of her when she was mad at you in your stories" Poppy explained to Jerome who laughed as Camilla bristled with pride at the smaller girls' words.
Alfie swung around on the computer chair as Jerome lifted the lid of a box and picked up a letter, "Don't worry, she scares us all at times. Though the best big sister you could have asked for." He told Poppy who grinned at him, Camilla mouthing a 'thank you' to her best friend.
Jerome handed Poppy the letter and held out his other hand for her phone. "Ten minutes, no more or you lose your deposit."
"Both phones Popsicle," Camilla told the girl as she saw the black phone in Jerome's hand, Poppy sighed but handed over and iPhone too, before taking the letter and walking out.
"You not going with her?" Jerome asked and Camilla shook her head.
"No, if she needs me, she'll find me," Camilla explained to the boys in the room, "but this is time she needs on her own."
At least the two could be distracted as Alfie's print out finally printed, and he all but sprinted from the room, Jerome putting an arm around Camilla's shoulders, her arm going around his waist, as they followed behind him. "I'm proud of you, you know," Camilla whispered too him, "I don't know the full story with your dad, but I know you're protecting her. Letting her read the letter is a big step," she explained, Jerome didn't say anything but pull her a little closer, as if she was the strength he needed whilst exposing his sister to whatever his dad's world was.
Alfie led them to the kitchen where Patricia, Joy and Amber were all getting dinner ready. "COVER BOY COMING THROUGH!" Alfie announced himself. "Get ready for another tick Amber, Alfie got himself a cover photo!" with this he turned the photo around causing the girls in the kitchen to all pulling disgusted faces. "Worst case of Athletes foot that they have ever seen apparently." he proudly proclaimed causing the two at the door to laugh. "you never specified face, I got on a cover of a magazine and the name of the game right?"
Amber looked around at them all desperately, "Amber he found a loophole, and did what you asked... " Camilla pipped up from the door causing a grin from Alfie. Amber knew she had been defeated and opened the guide to dating.
"okay... on a technicality, an ugly disgusting technicality..." Amber couldn't help but agree.
"Yay! I won cross it off the list!" Alfie excitedly shouted watching as Amber ticked off the next box.
"don't get cocky," Amber warned him, "it's not like you're actually going to get wheels."
"they're already in motion, baby,"
"It's a toy car, isn't it?" Patricia asked.
"No..." Alfie told her before running out the room, causing Amber to look at Jerome and Camilla in the doorway for answers and getting nothing from them but laughter.
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Camilla knew the spirit that was haunting Nina came to her when she was weakest which was during her dreams. It also seemed to know how to block the house so Camilla couldn't join the dreams, but Camilla had a plan for that. She had spelled Nina's teddy, so she could join Nina's dreams and boy as she fell onto Nina's bed unceremoniously, she felt it was worth the nosebleed.
"Camilla?" Nina asked in shock, looking from the girl in her Pjs to herself who was in the same casual outfit from that afternoon.
"Don't ask..." Camilla groaned as she rolled off the bed, just in time to see Fabian burst into the room.
"why are you hiding from me?" He demanded to them both.
"What?" the two girls asked, turning to him.
"I'm not, listen Fabian Victor is after something called..."
"The book of Isis? Camilla finished for her.
"How did you?" Before Nina could finish her sentence, Fabian grabbed Nina's arm and Camilla's wrist. Transforming in a black smoke to reveal a woman.
The woman glanced to Camilla with a cackle, "it seems your Protector found her way past my guards, Chosen One."
"What do you want!?" Camilla yelled at the woman.
"The Mask is close," she told them both, Camilla gritting her teeth as she felt a searing pain in her wrist, "I feel it! Ask the one who knows, now two lives are on the line."
Nina glanced to Camilla in realisation, Camilla, however, looked straight at the spirit with a glare. The bitch had just made this battle personal.
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Sorry for the late upload, had a bit of a slow start this morning and didn't get down to write this till around 11 :P its up now! Poppy is finally in the mix!
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Love ya
Sarah xxx