Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis
Note: I'm not sure about this story yet, so, it might be a slowly updated multi-chap (check my twitter for updates!) or 4-5 part story, depending on how my flow goes!

"I bet this time of night you're still up. I bet you're tired from a long, hard week. I bet you're sitting in your chair by the window, looking out at the city and I bet sometimes you wonder about me."

-Taylor Swift, I Almost Do

"Amber! Are you almost ready?" Nina Martin shouted down the hallway to her best friend and roommate of almost four years now. The two became best friends when Nina transferred to Amber's boarding school at the start of junior year. After that they went to the same college and were roommates there as well. "Eddie, Jerome and Alfie will be here to pick us up in fifteen minutes!"

"I'm coming as fast as I can!" Amber Millington screamed, moving the blow dryer quicker as if it would dry hair faster that way.

"Well it's not fast enough!" Nina argues as she enters the bathroom, collecting her toothbrush and toiletries that couldn't be packed until last minute. "I told you to be up earlier!"

"I need my beauty sleep." Amber pointed out, putting the drier down and apply her eye shadow.

"You could have slept on the train." Nina told her.

Amber responded to this with a glare.

"I know, I know," Nina muttered, "The seats aren't good on your back."

The sound of a knocking on the door made Amber apply her mascara quicker as she simultaneously threw her toiletries in her train case, as Nina dashed to the door.

"Took you long enough," Eddie Miller told her as he paraded himself into the apartment.

"Hello to you," Nina muttered, "You know I haven't seen you in like a month and yet you still leave me hanging?"

"Chill, baby sis," Eddie said, "You're already giving me a headache."

"Me too," Jerome Clarke commented as he hugged Nina hello.

"Aww leave little Nina alone," Alfie Lewis said in a baby voice as he ruffled Nina's hair, "She's just a baby."

"Hey, do you have any beer?" Eddie asked.

"It's eight in the morning Eddie," Nina said, slapping the back of his head and kicking his feet off the coffee table.

"It's never too early for beer."

"Okay!" Everyone turned toward the shrill voice, coming through the door way with a duffle bag, a four wheel suitcase, and a hand case. Plus, her train case, toiletry bag, and carry-on. Amber Millington's total baggage= six pieces.

"Amber," Alfie said, "You're insane."

"We're going away for a whole month!" Amber argued, "I need to stock up!"

Amber and Nina both went to UCL. Eddie, Jerome and Alfie went to the University of Manchester. They had the dates off for winter break. They got a month, which was generous. Oxford had the same dates too.

"So, it's a two family house," Jerome said, "So, Eddie and I invited Patricia and Mara to take the other part of the house, and they brought three more friends.

Eddie and Jerome had been dating Patricia Williamson and Mara Jaffray for some time. Both we're extremely nice and kept them in line. Nina and Amber had graduated boarding school with Patricia, actually. Mara graduated with the rest of the boys. They'd all attended the same boarding school, but Nina, Amber and Patricia graduated two years later.

"Who are they bringing anyway?" Jerome asked.

"Patricia invited that girl she's been friends with since the beginning of college, the one who'd gone to high school with but didn't get close to until college… I always forget her name. Pam or Jan or something. And she's also bringing Pam or Jan or whatever's cousin, Fabian Rutter, who graduated with us and is bringing his friend Mick Campbell. The guy who Nina dated in high school."

"I remember him!" Alfie shouted, "Fabian I mean! We had physics together and I was partnered with him. Dude did the entire project."

"Oh yeah I remember him!" Eddie sighed, "What did they used to call him?"

"Stutter Rutter," Jerome laughed, "I made that one up myself!"

"Guys, let's get to the station," Eddie said when he stopped laughing, "I promised Patricia I'd meet her there at eight thirty."

They made their way to Eddie's car, piled all Amber's stuff in and swiftly headed off.

"Fabian!" Joy Mercer shouted, banging her fist on the door to the flat he shared with Mick. Mick and he where two years apart in age, but they'd met when Mick was a freshman and they just got close. Mick went to the University of Manchester, while Fabian attended Oxford. "Fabian! FABIAN JAMES RUTTER OPEN THE DOOR THIS-"

Joy was cut off by a shirtless Mick, standing with a lopsided smile, holding the door open. Joy's words fell off her lips, "Instant," she finished lamely.

"Hey," Mick smiled, flashing his white teeth and blue eyes at her. Even since high school Joy thought Mick was completely irresistible. It was one of those things that she never let go of.

"Hi there," Joy smiled, grabbing the hair tie off her wrist and putting her hair in a pony-tail. "Where's my cousin?"

"Singing his ass off while he showers," Mick snickered as he held the door further open for her to come in, "The dude can sing, but after a while it gets annoying."

"Yeah, I know," Joy laughed, hearing Fabian's loud singing reverberating throughout the flat. "God what song is that?"

"Our Story by Graham Colton," Mick responded.

"Oh," Joy muttered, "Wow. Anyway, are you both all packed? We have to meet everyone at the train station in forty five minutes."

"Oh, yeah." Mick said, holding up his suitcase as proof, "Fabian just wanted to rinse off."

"Patricia and Mara will be here any minute." Joy added, "So, do you know who else Jerome and Eddie invited by any chance?"

"No idea," Mick sighed and the shower turned off. Fabian emerged a minute later in a dark blue towel.

"What are you staring at?" Fabian asked, "I'm not allowed to take a shower?"

"Whatever man, we're all ready except you." Mick smirked as he opened the door, bringing Patricia and Mara in.

"Umm, Mick? Aren't you forgetting something?" Fabian asked, mirroring Mick's smirk.

"What?"

"Your shirt." Everyone said.

Mick blushed, and took the walk of shame to get a shirt in his room.

"Hey!" Joy smiled, turning around and hugging her two closest friends. "Are you guys excited?"

"Totally." Patricia smiled, "I haven't been to that old house in forever."

"What is it?" Joy asked.

"It's this house in the middle of nowhere called Anubis." Patricia said, "It was built in 1890, so it's really old. I used to go with Eddie when his dad took us back when we were just starting college."

"Sounds nice." Fabian said, joining the group. "Who's driving?"

"No way." Nina muttered, as she, Eddie, Amber, Jerome and Alfie approached the group of five standing before them.

"What's wrong Nina?" Amber asked, grabbing the arm of her best friend as she pushed the trolley containing some of her suitcases. Alfie was pushing the trolley with her others.

"Look at that girl." Nina hissed, pointing in the direction of Joy.

"No way." Amber mumbled, "What are we gonna do?"

"Just act natural."

"Hey babe!" Eddie smiled, enthusiastically hugging and kissing his girlfriend. It had been just a day and a half since he'd last saw her, yet they hugged like it had been a lifetime. He saw Nina peering at them over his shoulder. He smiled at her. Nina called herself a hopeless romantic. Eddie called her a psycho. Nina wanted to find what Eddie and Patricia had. She thought she had that with Mick, but that was high school.

Despite the fact that there was no blood relation between Eddie and Nina (she was adopted) they were closer than a real brother and sister. Eddie defended her whenever he could when they moved from America to England. Eddie had decided to attend the boarding school his father was headmaster of (his nickname was junior when the students found out about that) but Nina opted to go the public school for a while, just to say close to her adoptive parents. After a while she decided to join the school, but of course, the year after Eddie graduated.

Nina smiled, noticing Mick in the corner. He gave a small wave, but Nina was never one for awkward smiles. She groaned playfully and hugged him, hearing him laugh in her ear.

"I missed you Neens," Mick smiled, taking in the familiar scent of her hair. Lavender and Vanilla.

"Hey," Nina said, cracking a small smile as well as she broke away from him, "You said it best. We're mates, not dates."

Mick smiled remembering the words and still agreeing with them. Nina was a great girl, but they weren't meant for each other.

Joy was fuming.

Nina looked away from her and took in the sight of a tall man with dark hair and bright eyes. He gave her a small, almost shy smile. She didn't know him, but she smiled anyway, holding out her hand. She held her breath suddenly. They locked eyes for the first time. She kept smiling. Her heart was beating faster in her chest as she spoke, "Hi, I'm Nina Martin. Eddie's step sister."

"Fabian Rutter." He smiled, keeping their eyes locked as he shook her hand, sending shocks and sparks up her arm, "Joy's cousin."

Fabian watched as shock filled her eyes for a moment, but it was gone in an instant as she resumed her smiling. She let her hand drop, and went to say hello to the others.

After getting acquainted, they were soon boarding the train. After the train they would take a cab to the far country where Anubis House stood.

The seats were huge. Ten per compartment. Although, there were only four people on each seat, even if they fit five comfortably. Eddie opted to sit on a blanket on the floor against the window, with Jerome next to him.

"So," Joy smiled, "Eddie, what Anubis like?"

"Oh it's gorgeous," Eddie raved, his eyes lighting up as he spoke. "See my dad bought it from this lady Sarah Frobisher Smyth. He knew her through a friend, who also wanted the house, but she wouldn't let him have it for some reason. So my dad took it. We don't use it as much as we did when I was little, but it's still amazing because it's pretty big and it's really nice. The place it old, sure, but it's got this special thing going on. Patricia! You know how you like you're vintage jewelry?"

"Sure…" Patricia muttered, not sure where her boyfriend was going with this.

"Well, it's like this vintage house." Eddie said, making some weird gesture with his hands. "I can't describe it. Patricia, you try."

"It's an old house. With old furniture and stuff, but it's well preserved and beautiful." Patricia sighed, wondering why Eddie couldn't just put it that way.

"You'll see it when we get there."

Nina laughed at Eddie, along with the others. She let her laughter die off as Joy caught her eye. They both glanced at each other for a moment, before looking away.

Once at Anubis, everyone began to get settle into their rooms. Nina and Amber shared a room upstairs, as did Jerome, Eddie, and Alfie. Downstairs, Patricia shared with Joy and Mara, then next to them Fabian and Mick.

"So, Joy's here." Amber whispered, "What are you gonna do about it?"

"Nothing," Nina shook her head, folding one of her sweaters away in a drawer. But, what's done is done. We can turn back the clock."

So I'm hoping this'll be a full-length story, so keep your fingers crossed. What do you think happened between Joy and Nina?