The Nut Doesn't Reveal the Tree It Contains

Or

A House Has the Character of the Man Who Lives In It

By Lauren Kassidy

Chapter One: House of Secrets/House of Attitude

At first, everything was normal. As was expected. Until the new girl Nina Martin arrived, that is.

Georgie Carrington woke up on what she thought was a normal Monday. It was two weeks into the new term, and the Easter Holidays seemed long gone. Georgie had settled back into Anubis House and was reunited with her two best friends Amber and Mara, and other close friends Fabian and Jerome. What she loved best was playing pranks with Jerome and his best friend Alfie, and being a secret nerd with Fabian over their love of History.

She's also been training with the local netball team, reading lots of new books recommended by Fabian and worrying Jerome with the amount of tea she drinks...all in all, everything was normal.

And this Monday in question was playing out normally until she bumped into Fabian, Joy and Patricia just before their last lesson of the day. From what she gathered, Joy had a thing for Fabian but it was her best friend Patricia that Georgie often clashed with; she couldn't really stand her that much.

"Hey Fabian," Georgie smiled, ignoring the other two.

"Hey Georgie," he replied. "We think there may be a new girl starting. An American!"

"Oooh really?" Georgie said, as they walked down a corridor. "How d'you know that?"

"Because," Patricia said loudly, "she bumped into me, and practically pushed me over."

Georgie rolled her eyes as Fabian sighed a little. "I'm sure she did," she muttered, but her attention was soon averted by Jerome looking suspicious on the other end of the corridor. "I'll catch you later Fabian."

"See you Georgie."

As Patricia herself was distracted by something that came in the post for her and Joy, Georgie made her way towards Jerome talking to a younger student.

"And what is going on here?" she asked, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

Jerome turned to look at her but suddenly, and to her immense surprise, stuttered, "Oh Georgie...your hair looks really nice like that..."

Her hair was in a side fishtail braid, which Amber had done for her over lunch, rather than down and showing off her brunette layered hair. "Oh, thank you..."

He cleared his throat and laughed nervously. "Sorry, anyway, er...I'm just—"

"Selling me your old homework for a rip-off price?" mumbled the younger student who looked a little uncomfortable.

Jerome glared at the boy, whilst Georgie herself smiled, looking down at the floor. This term, for some reason, she looked at Jerome a little differently, and thus felt differently for him. She had no idea why, as they've been good friends for ages now, but she just did. And his compliment practically made Georgie's day.

Alfie then bounded up to them. "So I've got the perfect plan for making Amber notice me—"

"Hang on Alfie," Jerome interrupted. "Now, I told you this homework would cost you a tenner. Do you want this homework or not?" He raised his eyebrow in that cute way Georgie suddenly loved, and the boy handed over his money. He grinned, and put the money in his blazer pocket. "Sucker."

Georgie rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Alfie—Amber is going out with Mick. Do you want me to tattoo that on your forehead?"

Jerome laughed. "Please do."

But Alfie ignored her. "Shake hands." He held out his hand for Jerome, but it turned out to be a slightly pathetic fake hand.

"Subtle."

"But why would anyone want to be subtle?"

Georgie sighed again as Jerome followed her away from Alfie and his fake hands. "So you're selling homework now as a money-making scheme, hmm?" she asked him, feigning hurt.

"I know, I know, I should have told you," Jerome said as they stopped by her locker. He leant a hand on the next locker as she turned around to face him. His face was a little closer to hers than normal. "But you forgive me right?" He almost whispered it.

"Of course," she said, smiling back at him. "How can I deny you my forgiveness?"

She quickly turned around to open her locker, and to hide her little blush that threatened to spread. Jerome himself coughed again nervously behind her. Opening her locker door, Georgie took her textbook to put in her school bag. But then Jerome suddenly sprang in front of her and grabbed one of the photos stuck on the inside of the door. "And why do you still have this?"

Oh crap. It was a photo of her and her ex-boyfriend, Dean, from Isis House. "Oh, er...I haven't had a chance to sort my locker out since we've been back...to be honest, I forgot that was there."

Jerome looked at her incredulously. "Well yeah but still, you should have torn it up straight after you dumped him...no, you should have had a burning his stuff ceremony."

"You're such a drama queen Jerome," she mumbled, slamming her locker shut.

"After the way he treated you?" Jerome said, anger tingeing his voice. Georgie smiled at him. "Then please give me the pleasure of tearing this up and putting it in the bin."

"Go crazy."

After Jerome had ripped off Dean's head and threw the photo away, they entered their last lesson of the day: English. For some reason, Mrs Andrews was covering their lesson; she's usually their French teacher. Georgie sat by Mara, with Amber on the table next to them. As the lesson started, she began to ring someone in a panic.

"Who are you ringing?" Georgie asked her.

"Daddy," Amber said. "I'm running out of money to spend on my credit card!"

Georgie rolled her eyes and mumbled to Mara, "She really has no clue, does she?"

"Nope," Mara replied, though smiling a little. "We've known her for a long time now and nothing will change."

Georgie grinned, but they soon stopped talking when class began.

"So, this afternoon we're going to have, as promised, a practice exam," Mrs Andrews said, filling in annoyingly well for their usual teacher, making the class groan.

"But Daddy, you really have to extend my credit limit!" Amber said defiantly.

"Phone off, Amber."

"But I've seen a pair of really important shoes..." Georgie laughed slightly when Amber stopped at the sight of a sweaty Mick entering the classroom. "Daddy, I have to go, I'm in school...Mick you're back!"

"Sorry I'm late," he said to Mrs Andrews after he threw his ball into the bin; a perfect shot. Mick was a sports nut in Georgie's mind, but was nice enough and treated Amber well. Georgie raised her eyebrows at Mara sitting up as Mick walked past her, looking at him in almost hopeful way.

"Well you might have changed first," Mrs Andrews said as he sat down, but he only grinned. "Just try not to perspire all over the paper."

"Could he be any hotter?" Amber said excitedly to her two best friends.

Georgie, however, mumbled to Mara, "What was that about?"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about," Mara muttered back, pretending to look really interested in their practise exam. Or not even pretending, as Georgie knows Mara is a bit of a nerd. But whatever that look was about, Georgie would get it out of her. She just hoped and prayed to God that Mara didn't like Mick...he was her best friend's boyfriend, after all.

"Right, you have exactly one hour to complete the paper," said Mrs Andrews. "The time is six minutes past two—"

"Mrs A!" Alfie suddenly shouted. Georgie turned around and smirked at Alfie faking a nose bleed on the table behind her; Jerome winked, knowing Georgie was in on this particular prank.

"Yes Alfie?" Mrs Andrews asked, still looking at the clock.

"Nosebleed," Alfie told her. "It's a gusher!" He was holding what looked like, to everybody else, a bloody tissue to his nose.

"In to the Infirmary, quickly!"

As Alfie began to run out of the classroom, he turned to the class behind the teacher's back, showing his fake bottle of blood, making them laugh. Georgie grinned and shook her head.

Alfie ran straight into Mr. Sweet, the Head Teacher, who said, "Less haste, more speed boy!" Alfie left with his fake nosebleed. Georgie made a mental note to congratulate him later for fooling two teachers. "Sorry to interrupt, Mrs Andrews, but Joy? There's someone to see you in my office."

Georgie, as everybody else did, looked at Joy confused. But what Georgie did notice, however, was the very fleeting look that Mr Sweet and Mrs Andrews shared. What was that about?

An hour later, after their practise exam, Georgie had completely forgotten about Joy being taken out of class and not returning.

"So how did you find the paper?" Mara asked her as they left the classroom.

"I think it went okay," Georgie replied, as Amber followed them. "I thought the question on To Kill a Mockingbird was nice."

Mara nodded to agree, but Amber cut in and said, "You know the Shakespeare question?"

"Yeah?"

"He used Islamic pentameter when he wrote his plays, right?"

Georgie burst into laughter whilst Mara said, "Iambic pentameter, Amber!"

"Oh Amber, you are so unintentionally funny," Georgie said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"But I based some of my essay around that!" Amber sighed.

As they wandered down the corridor, it was then that Georgie was reminded of Joy as Patricia came up to the three of them, looking worried. "Have you guys seen Joy?"

"No, we haven't, sorry," Mara told her.

"Have you tried Sweety's office?" Georgie asked her.

"She's not there," Patricia replied.

"She's probably back at the house then," Georgie suggested.

"Yeah, that's what Jerome said...thanks," Patricia said, quickly walking past them.

"That's weird," Georgie said to the other two. "You guys know how close those two are, Joy would have gone straight to Patricia after going to Mr Sweet's office."

Amber shrugged, and after seeing Mick come towards them, as he went to collect his things from the changing rooms, she soon forgot all about it and ran towards him, grinning. Georgie spotted Mara roll her eyes slightly.

"What has been up with you recently?" Georgie asked her as she grabbed her things from her locker to take back to Anubis House. "Do you not like Amber going out with Mick all of a sudden?"

"No," Mara said quickly, leaning against the lockers with her arms folded. "It's nothing."

"You know that I will get it out of you eventually," Georgie said, closing her locker door. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Later, back at the house, Georgie had changed out of her school uniform and was sitting in the living room with some of her housemates. Mara was doing work, as she always does, but Georgie was talking to Fabian about a history book he had recently read.

"It was absolutely fascinating," he told her, grinning from ear to ear. She loved it when he was excited about something. "You can definitely borrow it, it's about the—"

"Does anybody have Joy's home phone number?" Patricia suddenly yelled as she ran breathlessly into the room. But nobody did.

"Why would Joy be at home?" Georgie asked her, as everybody looked as confused as she felt.

"Because Joy's been taken out of school!" Patricia exclaimed, pacing the room. "We've got a new girl who's practically replaced her."

"Why can't you just ring her mobile?" Fabian asked.

"She's left it behind," Patricia answered, biting her nails. "Why would she leave without saying goodbye? Leave her phone and Bunnsy-Bun?" Jerome started to laugh but a glare from Patricia stopped him. "I can't believe no-one's got Joy's home number!"

"That's because this is her home," Amber said. "Just call her phone."

"Amber, keep up, I told you—she left her phone behind."

"So text her," Amber said, as if that was the most obvious thing to do.

"Stupidity leak," Patricia sighed.

"So they've already got someone else in her bed?" Fabian asked, surprised.

"It was that girl we saw in the taxi," Patricia explained. "She's American and totally obsessed with it; she said it like a hundred times."

Knowing Patricia, that's an exaggeration, Georgie thought. To be honest, she had never spoken to Joy all that much seeing as she clashed with Patricia a lot, but even this random and sudden disappearance was a little worrying.

"And Joy really has just...gone?" Mara said, sounding alarmed. Patricia nodded. "That really is weird!"

"Maybe, Joy has been abducted by aliens," Alfie said seriously.

"An alien that's interested in all of Joy's clothes as well?" Georgie asked him, amused.

Jerome laughed. "Maybe the new girl is an alien in disguise."

"We were planning a rom-com box set marathon tonight," Patricia said sadly. "You know Joy's rom-com obsession. How can she have gone just like that?"

"Patricia," said Jerome, "you've disappeared more than enough times—"

"But she would have told me though!"

The whole room burst out into chatter over what the hell was going on, until what looked like the new girl walked in. The girl, though Georgie didn't know it yet, would make everything change. The room fell silent.

She laughed a little, nervously and said, "Hi! I'm Nina, from America."

Patricia rolled her eyes dramatically, but Georgie said warmly, "Hello Nina." She most likely would have had some abuse from Patricia on her first day so Georgie knew that she needed a friend. And she could have kissed Fabian when he waved and said, "Hey."

Nina grinned at them both, almost in a thankful kind of way. Although Alfie had to ruin it by standing up and saying, "Hey space girl." Nina looked confused, as the poor girl would, but laughed along anyway.

"Supper's ready!" Trudy called from the kitchen, and everybody got up from the sofas to sit around the dining table. Georgie inwardly sighed as when she sat down by Fabian and Jerome, she noticed Patricia glaring at Nina. Fair enough, her best friend seemed to have vanished, but there was no need to be a bully.

"That's my seat," Amber said to Nina, putting her hand on her hip.

"Oh, Amber," Georgie groaned. As if Nina wasn't having a hard enough time already.

"Oh I'm sorry, do you want to—?"

"Where's Mick?" Amber all but demanded of Nina, and Georgie just sometimes couldn't believe her ditsy best friend.

"I don't even know who you are, so..." Amber looked at her suspiciously before walking away, and so Nina sat back down.

Patricia, of course, used this opportunity to give Nina even more grief. "You heard what Amber said. That's her seat."

"Yeah, but, she's not here right now," Nina muttered.

"That's your way isn't it," Patricia said nastily. "Someone's gone for five seconds and you've already moved in."

"Patricia is head of the welcoming committee," Fabian said, who, like Georgie, just looked and sounded completely fed up with Patricia's shit. "Take no notice, just sit wherever you like." Nina smiled gratefully at Fabian; something definitely interesting would happen between the two of them, or so Georgie thought.

"Yeah Nina, don't worry, and please don't let Patricia give you a bad impression of this place...and us," Georgie said, smiling at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Patricia demanded.

"I think you damn well know what it means," Georgie spat back. "Stop acting like such a cow towards Nina, she's new for God's sake!"

Jerome laughed from Georgie's other side, and muttered, "Oh, brilliant." Patricia, however, just folded her arms and stared Georgie down; if looks could kill, Georgie was sure she would be dead ten times over. But she didn't say anything back, as she knew Georgie was right.

And so, an uneasy silence fell over the table, and they began to tuck into their Spaghetti Bolognese. Alfie, as per usual, was eating like a five year old—although Georgie knew five years old who could eat better—and Mara, thoroughly irritated at this point said, "Oh stop it Alfie, that's disgusting! And you could choke on it."

"But it tastes better this way!"

"Alfie, you shouldn't play with your food," Jerome said, but with a smile on his face. Georgie could speak for the whole table when thinking that they all knew what was coming next. Jerome flicked his spaghetti straight at Alfie's face.

"Oh not again," Georgie mumbled, sharing an annoyed look with Fabian.

And, as what usually happens, Alfie and Jerome started pelting each other with food, hitting other people in the process and also straight at Amber when she walked back in the room, which did, admittedly, make Georgie giggle.

"Really guys, every meal?" Fabian said, wiping Bolognese off of his face.

Some had hit Nina; Patricia picked up a jug of water and threw it all over Nina, saying, "Oops! Sorry!" It was her most sarcastic, nasty voice which Georgie hated.

"Classy Patricia," Fabian scowled, as Nina jumped up in shock.

"What the hell was that for?" Georgie shouted at Patricia.

"What? It was an accident," Patricia said, grinning like a chesire cat.

"Are you okay?" Fabian asked Nina.

"Yeah, except I think my sweater's shrinking to my body as we speak." Fabian and Georgie, who suddenly wasn't hungry anymore, stood up from the table to grab something that Nina could clean herself up with.

"So, Nina," said Patricia, in a fake voice. "When are you going to tell us what you know about Joy's disappearance?"

"I guess when I actually know something," Nina said, sounding completely fed up of the whole thing.

"Oh, come on," said Patricia, standing up too. "One minute, I'm sitting next to Joy in class. And the next, she's disappeared and you've taken her place." Fabian handed Nina some napkins for her face, whilst Georgie did her best to dry the water off of Nina's sweater with a cloth. "Bit of a coincidence, don't you think?"

"I guess it is," Nina said, sounding more and more upset.

"That's enough Patricia," Georgie said in a low voice.

"Maybe she snatched her and locked her in the cellar!" Alfie said, laughing at his own joke.

"Shut up Alfie," Georgie and Patricia said simultaneously. Patricia turned back towards Nina. "Well?"

"Listen, I don't know anything about Joy or her disappearance!" Nina said desperately.

"I'll get it out of you. Eventually."

Georgie just could not believe Patricia. She was completely not making any sense anymore—how would the new girl know anything about old students leaving? Even she was surprised at how horrible she was being tonight—it made Georgie almost hate her guts, and she wasn't her biggest fan before this either.

"Nina!" called Victor, who entered the dining room. "Phone call for you...what's going on?"

"Nothing," Patricia quickly said in a sickly sweet voice. "Just Nina spilled water everywhere."

Patricia, who looked extremely pleased with herself, sat back down. Nina looked at her sadly and began to follow Victor out. "That's not what happened!" Georgie said, outraged, but Victor ignored her and they both left. She sighed in annoyance at Jerome and Alfie continuing to flick spaghetti at each other.

"You are a right nasty piece of work sometimes, do you know that?" Georgie shouted at Patricia.

"My best friend has gone missing, what do you expect me to do?" Patricia yelled.

"To not blame the innocent new girl?" Georgie said, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. "She's in a different country and far away from home and you're treating her horribly! What the hell is the matter with you? Couldn't you see how upset she was?"

At this point, even Jerome had stood up and stood in front of Georgie. "Alright, Georgie, just calm down—"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" she said to him. "She's being a horrid cow!"

Jerome placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't want to flare up your asthma, do you? Just calm down."

This thought must have even worried Patricia as she had suddenly silenced. Georgie sighed and nodded, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. She opened them to see a concerned-looking Jerome staring back; despite everything, she smiled at him a little, at his soft and caring side which he so rarely shows. He gave her a small smile back.

"Hey, Georgie," she heard Fabian call from the door. "I'm going to see if Nina is okay, do you want to come?"

"Yeah sure," she said, tearing herself away from Jerome's gaze and following Fabian out. They soon stopped, shocked and almost saddened by the sight of Nina crying by the telephone.

"Is everything ok?" Georgie asked quietly.

Nina sprang up. "Oh! Yeah..." She wiped her eyes. "It's just allergies. You guys have cats, right?"

Fabian shook his head. "Er, no."

"It's just me, in this soggy sweater then—" She quickly got up, and left to go upstairs.

"It's just awful what Patricia did to her," Georgie said.

"We all know what she can get like but even this is unusually nasty," Fabian said quietly. "What should we do?"

Georgie thought for a moment. "I'll go up and talk to her. I'll let you know how I get on."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll see you later."

Fabian re-entered the dining area and Georgie ran up the stairs, knocking on Patricia and Nina's door. "Yeah?" replied a shaky voice.

Georgie opened the door and popped her head round. "Hey, it's only me."

"Oh, hey," Nina said, smiling sadly. "Thank you for sticking up for me today...I really appreciate it."

"That's okay," Georgie said, entering the room and sitting by Nina on her bed. "Patricia and I have never really seen eye to eye before but even this is incredible by her standards. But just don't let her give you a bad impression of us, we're a nice bunch, I promise. You'll see that, in time."

"I hope so," Nina said quietly.

"Come on, let's get you into some dry clothes," Georgie said, jumping up. "If you go and change in the bathroom, I'll take your wet ones to the laundry room if you like."

"That would be great," Nina admitted. "Thank you so much."

"It's no problem," Georgie said. "Oh, and by the way, I'm Georgie Carrington."

Nina for the first time since Georgie had known her, genuinely smiled and laughed a little. "Nice to meet you. I'm Nina Martin."

"Go on then, into the bathroom with you," Georgie said playfully, re-opening her bedroom door. "And you might want to clean your face, as you've still got a little Bolognese on you."

"You know, I might just take you up on that advice."

A few minutes later, after Nina left her wet clothes outside the bathroom, Georgie quickly made her way to the laundry room, and put Nina's clothes in with all the others to be washed.

Re-entering the living room, Georgie was greeted straight away by Fabian. "So? Is she okay?"

"Sort of," Georgie replied. "I think I managed to cheer her up a little bit."

He nodded. "Good."

"Anyway," Georgie said, "you'll have to tell me about your history book later, seeing as we were interrupted before."

His eyes lit up. "Absolutely. But I am on chores tonight, so I'll tell you later."

"Sounds good." Fabian left to presumably wash up, and Georgie sat by Mara and Amber on the sofas.

"Hey, Georgie, what do you think," Amber said the moment she sat down. "Is Mick over me?"

"What on earth makes you say that?" Georgie asked.

"Well he went for a run without me today," Amber told her.

Georgie felt like she missed something. "Yeah...so?"

"She's just insecure," Mara said. "Her biological impulses are triggering her insecurities."

"Okay..." Amber stared at Mara as if she was talking in Latin. "Whatever that means."

Georgie looked up to see Nina re-enter the room, waving awkwardly to Amber and Mara, who just looked down. Nina wasn't put off though, as she sat down and began reading a magazine.

"Guys," Georgie hissed. "Not you two as well!" They didn't say anything so she walked over to talk to Mick, who was eating his late dinner at the table. Maybe he'd act normal tonight.

"Hey," she said, sitting down next to him. "What is that you're eating? Rabbit food?"

He laughed. "You kill me Georgie. I've got to eat properly, you know. Oh no, you wouldn't know, as you're not a proper athlete like me." He winked at her, and Georgie knew he had a heart of gold, and they were always joking around about their training.

"Ouch Mick, I didn't realise you could be so mean!" Georgie joked, punching him lightly on the arm.

"Hey, d'you want to hear some gossip?" He asked her, turning his back to check something first. Georgie turned too, to see Mick look at Fabian washing the dishes.

"Always."

"I asked Fabian what he thought of the new girl," he said. "And he said she looked nice."

"Oooh, maybe he has a crush," Georgie grinned, as she spotted Nina and Fabian share a look from across the room. "He's cute like that."

"Is he?" Mick said, but they said no more as Fabian came back in, to collect some more plates from the table.

Georgie caught Amber staring at them and sighed. "Come on, have you finished yet? I think Amber is desperate for your attention."

Fabian, when he had finished his chores, still kept sharing looks with Nina; Georgie was now sitting right next to him, reading a book about the economy of the Roman Empire over his shoulder, and was sure that Fabian had forgotten about Joy a little bit in favour of Nina. Georgie had asked him whether he liked Joy in return; it turned out he didn't, but Georgie did have to admire Joy's constant attempts to get him to notice her.

"Mostly A's! You're the shy and retiring type," Amber said to Mick, as they completed a silly quiz from a girly magazine. "That's hilarious because it's so wrong!" Georgie smiled at Fabian who had rolled his eyes at the couple.

"I can't believe that creep won't give me Joy's home number," said Patricia, who stormed into the room. She sat down. "At least she should get her stuff back the day after tomorrow."

"That's good," Mara said. "You'll be able to ring her then."

Patricia initially smiled at Mara, but her attention was, once again, turned to Nina. "I know you've got something to do with this, Newbie. And I'm gonna find out what it is!"

"So you've mentioned. Ten times." Georgie chuckled at Nina standing up for herself.

"What did you say?"

Nina smiled slyly. "Nothing."

"Oh my God Patricia, just leave the poor girl alone, she's only standing up for herself," Georgie snapped.

"When I get hold of Joy I am going to tell her just how worried you are about her," Patricia sneered.

"You do that."

That evening, Georgie was in her room, reading Fabian's book on her bed, when Mick entered. "Hi guys."

"Mick I've only got one eye on!" Amber exclaimed, as Georgie giggled to herself. It took Amber a while to even show her and Mara her make-up free face.

"I like the panda look," Mick reassured her.

"Aw, thanks bubs," said Amber. "And it's sweet of you to come and see me."

"Actually, it's Mara I've come to see," Mick said awkwardly, turning around to face her. Georgie looked up sharply at this; she has of course noticed a change in Mara towards Mick this term, and was worried for Mick and Amber. Amber's mouth dropped open in outrage.

"Me?" Mara asked, surprised.

"Yeah. I was kind of struggling on that Biology assignment and I wondered, since you're the Biology babe, whether you could help me out?"

Amber mouthed babe to Georgie in even more outrage. "Um..." Mara hesitantly looked over to Amber before saying, "Yeah, sure! Why not, a friend in need. Tomorrow evening?"

"It's a date." Georgie snorted at his poor choice of words, whilst Mara laughed nervously. "In a manner of speaking," he quickly added.

"Yeah..."

"Catch you later babe," he said to Amber. "See you Georgie."

When the door was shut, Amber gave Mara an annoyed look. "What? You want him to fail Biology?"

"Probably not, but why doesn't he ask me to help him with his homework?" The look Mara and Georgie gave her told her the answer. She sighed. "Okay, but I don't like him asking another girl. Even when it's you."

"Amber, relax! He only wants me for my brains. And you? You're textbook gorgeous. He's crazy about you."

Georgie wondered whether Mara was lying through her teeth about this, as she was obviously quite happy Mick asked her for help. But Amber was appeased, for now. "You're right, as usual. After all, what's not to like?"

"Anyway Amber, Mick and I sometimes do fitness stuff together, so it's no different, right?" Georgie said as Mara gave her a thankful look. Although Georgie remembered when Amber did protest to even that a while ago. She was always a jealous girlfriend.

"Very true," Amber said thoughtfully.

"It's ten o'clock!" came the distant voice of Victor. "You should be downstairs by now." The girls guessed it was Mick he was talking too. "You have five minutes precisely, and then I want to hear a pin drop."

"It never gets old," Georgie sighed, closing her book.

Suddenly, Patricia burst into the room. "Guys! Come quick!"

"What is it?"

"Joy!"

All three of them leapt up, and followed Patricia into the bathroom. They opened the door to see Nina cleaning the mirror of steam. "What are you doing?"

"Cleaning the mirror," Nina said casually.

"Didn't you see what was on it?" Patricia asked her, her voice rising.

"Er...steam?"

Patricia growled. "She's wiped it off!"

"What did it say?" Mara asked.

"'Help me! Joy'," Patricia told them. "And she's wiped it off so now it looks like I'm going crazy!"

Georgie rolled her eyes. "Already there."

"Take it easy Patricia," Mara reasoned.

"This is what she wanted!" Patricia cried. "She's involved, I'm telling you!"

"I didn't see anything when I wiped the steam off of the mirror, except for myself, I swear!"

"Patricia, think logically," Georgie said. "Why would Joy sneak in, write a message on the mirror and sneak back out again? Surely she would have gone straight to you?" The others thought for a moment. "Isn't this obvious to anyone else? It's Alfie or Jerome's doing."

"Why are you girls not in your rooms?" asked Victor, who was walking down the hallway towards them. "You know the rules."

"I don't want to share with her," Patricia told him, pointing to Nina.

"You know what, I'll move," Nina said quickly. "Half of my stuff is in a pile on the floor anyway, or I can just sleep on the couch."

"No," said Victor. "Nobody is moving anywhere. Now get to your rooms immediately."

Georgie said goodnight to Nina as Patricia stormed off, and then returned to her own room with Mara and Amber.

"Patricia is seriously having a meltdown over Joy disappearing," Amber said, as they got into bed.

"She can't possibly think that Nina is involved," Georgie said in disbelief. "I mean, she's new, from the USA and trying her hardest to fit in. Which, by the way, you guys aren't helping. She's new, not an alien."

"Look, you and Patricia never really got on before this anyway," Mara told her. "She is one of my good friends and I didn't want to upset her by being buddies with Nina."

Georgie stared at her. "Whatever helps you sleep tonight," she mumbled. As she settled down, switching her lamp off, she thought of Nina, sharing a room with her current worst enemy. Everything had changed, and the residents of Anubis House were in some sort of chaos with the unexpected change.

And she didn't know it yet, but things will change even more. Her own ancestors are linked to Anubis House and this will affect the adventures she will have in the future. And then there's the question over her relationship with Jerome, her current unbreakable bond with Mara and Amber...

It's all going to change.

Author's Note:

Well, there you go! My very first House of Anubis fanfiction :) how did you guys like my OC, Georgie Carrington?

Some trivia: The titles for this story are Ancient Egyptian proverbs, which I thought would be apt. And when Amber gets "Islamic" and "Iambic" mixed up, I got this idea from a website which has funny exam answers.

So please leave a review if you can, and thanks for reading :) I am excited to delve further into my House of Anubis story!