Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The world is big enough to satisfy the needs of any human being, but too small to satisfy human greed.

The world is so beautiful in its openness, in its capacity to show you: how much you can manage, how much you can forget.

And the world is unbearably cold to you if you have not heard its pleas before. Missed the wind in his hair, scraped his boots through the barely blossoming leaves in someone's garden. He stroked his fingers indifferently over his polished clothes, backing away from the stray animal. As long as he didn't get dirty, didn't get himself dirty. And there was plenty of it here.

England had always seemed too grey to Eddie, too cold, too dreary. Just too much. Like those nineteenth-century paintings they'd been shown at school in their art history lessons - nothing supernatural, and sometimes you wanted to cover yourself with a blanket and not look into that emptiness.

 
Every day it's the same rain, the same alarm clock, the same housemates and the daily reminder of why he's here. Like it or not, you have to get used to it all. And he did.
Amun's school wasn't bad or particularly noteworthy. Plain brick walls, typical corridors, classrooms, section rooms, and various empty offices, allowing students to hide from prying eyes. However, the castle-like exterior façade and interior - like any other school in Liverpool - quickly grew tiresome. More important was the story. The one that sent shivers down your spine, gave you goosebumps and a desire to dig deeper, to dive into the stories of every person who had a hand in this place, to keep you guessing what was true and what was just a legend. The Anubis House hid a lot of things within its walls.

Eddie had studied almost every one of them as a young boy. Knew a lot of things, even things he shouldn't. And what he should know was carefully controlled by his father, Victor and their allies. And that was his whole conscious life: control of how to behave, control of what to say and to whom to say it. Eddie didn't complain, though. Well, he stopped. His father had made it clear to him what an important mission lay on his shoulders, and he wasn't going to let him or anyone else down. Even if it meant always being alone. 
Someone bumped into him as he walked on his way to school, snapping him out of his train of thought.

 
‘Sorry, Eddie,’ a girl apologised hastily, seemingly from the day faculty, but honestly, he couldn't even remember her name no matter how hard he tried. That she knew him was in no way surprising. Eddie was indeed very popular among the students and not only because he was the son of the headmaster, but also because of his appearance. Which he actively took advantage of. ‘Mr Sweet made me promise to bring my chemistry project in before class starts today and if I don't hurry, I won't get a good grade.’

Eddie smiled understandingly. Yes, his father was just like that: fair but demanding, always getting what he wanted, the kind of sometimes annoying but respectful headmaster. Eddie could hardly cross him.

Eric Sweet never shouted at him, but his melodic, slightly pressured and threatening tone of voice always made him want to fall through the wall and look anywhere but into his eyes. Eric Sweet had never hit him, but everything he said and the way he looked at his son - as a paragon capable of achieving what he wanted than as a son - had always hurt the little boy. The older Eddie, however, had grown accustomed, literally forced himself to look, to nod reverently and follow what his father said. 

‘That's okay,’ he replied instead, smiling the most flirtatious smile he could. ‘Just keep looking at him with your pretty eyes and he'll melt right away.’

 
Apparently it worked, because the girl blushed immediately and naturally averted her gaze, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘Thanks, I'll keep that in mind,’ she finally looked at him again, but caught herself in time, remembering that she had to go. ‘Sorry, but I'll see you later, okay. I'm really in a hurry.’

 
Eddie didn't hold her back, watching her run off in the direction of the school and wondering if he should remember her name or if it wasn't that important.

 
A familiar laugh could be heard in the distance, reminding him what was really important now. Eddie didn't want to turn in their direction, he knew who he'd see and how he'd feel. The fourteenth of September - he looked at the screen of his phone - the very day when nothing would ever be the same. The nagging feeling in his chest, something akin to guilt, was suppressed immediately, before it had a chance to emerge.

 
You'd lied to her and the rest of your mates for years, and now you're just going to blurt it out? Don't get your hopes up, Sweet.

Yeah, Dad wouldn't have liked that. And something told him it wouldn't be a good idea to mention his doubts to him anytime soon. 

***

He knocked before he entered.

That was the rule: always knock, then wait until you can. Otherwise you'd get a cold, judgemental stare, too long for a simple check or a hint. It made you want to shrink back and huddle in a corner somewhere out of sight. So Eddie did what was required. But there was no answer; not even voices. Could it be that he wasn't there? What was the point, then, of calling him to talk to him in the morning, only to go off somewhere else afterwards? 

But his questions were destined to go unanswered, so when Eddie reached for the doorknob, the door opened on its own. Or perhaps more accurately, by someone else.

 
Daphne Andrews wasn't his favourite person at all. Dressed to the hilt, she told his father everything, even the things she shouldn't. And that was why his father always kept her so close to him - sometimes even too close, if you asked Eddie. He didn't know if it was some kind of feelings between them, or if Eric just liked having someone so amiable in front of him compared to the perpetually disgruntled Victor or the rest of the faceless members of their community, but if he had the chance, Eddie would definitely stay away from her. From both of them, for that matter.

 
‘Come in, Edison, don't stand on the doorstep,’ he seemed to hear irritation in his father's melodious voice, but Eddie couldn't understand why. Had he interrupted something? If so, what exactly was it? Or was there something wrong with their plan? He would have been told by now, wouldn't he?

‘Hello Mrs Andrews, how are you?’ asked Eddie appropriately, out of politeness. Those were pretty much the only lines they exchanged at all, unless to count their conversations in class, where they had to pretend that, all they were to each other was just teacher and student, not an Osirian charged with a great task and a member of a cult of immortality wannabes. Either way, Eddie could hardly stand her presence.

‘Good morning Eddie,’ the woman replied just as politely, tilting her head slightly in greeting. ‘I'm fine, thanks for asking.’

And that was the end of it, but Eddie was glad. Idle chatter was of no use here.

 
‘Joy's dad will be here soon,’ his father reminded them, interrupting their little conversation. Eddie looked away, suppressing the bitterness on his tongue. If Mr Mercer was on his way here, that meant things would start soon. Joy would soon be taken away, leading to a line of definite events and what he hoped would be successful consequences. Because once it was over, they would be able to live a normal life again and maybe he could even forgive himself for everything. ‘Do we have everything ready for his arrival?’

‘Yes,’ Daphne nodded. ‘I'll stall for time by giving everyone a little test. By the time the kids are done, no one will suspect a thing if you take Joy.’

Eddie rolled his eyes, unable to contain himself. ‘We're going to kidnap her and her last immediate memory of school will be a French test?’ but noticing his father's stern look, he immediately hastened to rehabilitate himself. ‘Weren't we going to take her file? What's the point of having a test if she won't get a grade for it?’

Daphne Andrews didn't answer anything, but she didn't need to. ‘Do as you see fit, Mrs Andrews,’ already more calmly and even melodically, once again impressing - or frightening - Eddie with how quickly his mood and tone could change. Yes, favouritism on the face of it.

The woman only nodded in response, pressing her lips into a thin line. To be honest, Mrs Andrews was hardly different from Eric Sweet: just as meticulously quiet, with a cold outlook on life, throwing around expressions in a foreign language as if everyone could understand them. Sometimes it seemed as if they both lived in their own kind of world, not letting anyone but each other in, and it annoyed not only the younger Sweet but many others around them, though no one ever showed it vehemently. Perhaps only Victor, but he'd always been like that.

 
‘Patricia's going to be worried about her best friend,’ Eddie continued, ignoring the aching feeling in his chest. ‘She's not going to let it go that easily.’
In any other situation, he wouldn't have been able to hold back a smile. Anyone would have envied Patricia Wilmson's tenacity and strong-willed nature: always determined, stubborn, never afraid to speak her mind, and often got what she wanted. Or maybe Eddie himself let that fury twist him around as she wished. She didn't let him do anything. Which was more of a challenge than an annoyance.

 
‘It's your job, Edison,’ Mr Sweet reminded him falsely softly, causing another wave of unease. ‘I thought I made that clear.’

 
‘Yes, Father, I'm just saying that-’

‘I think you can handle it, don't you? She is your friend, after all.’

That tone - he knew. Knew his son's feelings, but he didn't say anything. Had once warned him to get close to them, but not to get attached. Knew of his failure, but didn't stop him in time. Why? Did he not care? 

‘Yes, Father,’ Eddie barely managed to hide his disappointment, but Mr Sweet, who nodded back with a bored look, didn't seem to care anymore. 

‘Great, I think you can go now, son,’ and there was nothing gentle about that address, rather go and don't screw up and Eddie heard it loud and clear. Father of the year, get it and sign it. ‘And you Mrs Andrews stay a while, please.’

Perhaps any other time he would have wanted to know why, but his lousy mood only encouraged him to leave the room as soon as possible. Eddie was about to touch the doorknob when his father's voice called out to him. ‘Edison! Data fata secutus, remember this.

‘Following what is decreed by fate,’ Eddie mentally translated, and with a nod, left the office.

 
Except that fate was a bitch.

***

Emotions are like an ocean that rages within us every day. Sometimes they're light, sparkling waves of joy that barely touch the shore, and sometimes they're deep storms of anxiety and doubt that tear us apart.

 
And Eddie had plenty of that. Which, to be honest, was unacceptable.

Barely anyone from the House of Anubis was in the classroom when he walked in. At least someone to talk to. At the very back of the desks, Jerome and Alfie giggling about something never really interested him. They couldn't be called friends, but they were perfect allies for some petty pranks. The kind of jesters his father never approved of; though Eddie had never been attracted to them. 
In front of them, Amber, with whom, if possible, he tried to spend as little time as possible. Something about her was strange. So repulsive. It wasn't even the lack of any intelligence, no; Amber Millington was from another world, as absurd-and very Alfie-esque as that sounded. If she hadn't been Mick's girlfriend, with whom Eddie was quite intimate, their meeting points would have been halved. Or maybe tripled.

 
‘Hi, Daddy, I'm calling about something very important,’ Amber's whiny voice sounded as if to confirm his thoughts. Eddie suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and sat down across the desk from her, covering them up.

 
The day promised to be a rough one.

‘You are on,’ came the familiar voice that always made him shudder. Only today it evoked something else entirely. Eddie suppressed the feeling and opened his eyes, to see Joy, Fabian and then Patricia walking in at once. The first one made him want to hide from.

 
‘On what?’ he asked, turning his attention to a pink object that resembled a box of film discs.

 
‘This, Joy cheerfully replied, taking the item from her friend, ’a collection of this year's best new films. Patty and I are going to watch it tonight. And getting ahead of your question - no, boys aren't invited. Best friends only.’

There was that wave of nausea again. He needed to stop reacting like this. He and Joy weren't that close. There was no point in reacting like this.

I'm sorry, Jo, but neither of you are going to see a film tonight.

‘Bo-о-о-оring,’ Eddie stretched out instead as the girls sat down in their seats in front of him.

‘Got a better suggestion, weasel,’ Patricia asked, turning to him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. In fact, she apparently never noticed how bright her eyes were during their light altercation. His eyes most likely had too. Eddie would stare at them forever.

 
‘Yeah,’ he simply confirmed, leaning slightly towards her and pretending not to notice the slight blush on her cheeks. ‘You can go out with me and have a great time.’

Fabian's smirk, sitting to his left and probably listening to their entire conversation, was ignored along with Joy's indignation.

It was just him and Patricia now. The rest didn't matter. Even if her obvious answer was to say no.

 
‘Yeah, let me know when you stop flirting with every girl in your sight.’

Eddie couldn't help but grin. ‘Done. So you'll go on a date with me?’

How serious his voice sounded probably surprised everyone who heard what they were talking about. He himself had been a little off expecting it. But it was Patricia, after all. A perky girl with coloured artificial strands of hair and a sharp tongue. 

However, despite a slightly fearful and incredulous reaction on her part, he never heard the answer because of Mrs Andrews entering the classroom. For the umpteenth time this hour, Eddie mentally berated the woman. ‘Good morning class, I apologise for the delay. Please take your seats and we'll begin class,’ the woman said, switching to French as she hung her coat on a rack against the wall.

 
Eddie was always annoyed when she or his father switched to another language, whether it was appropriate or not. They were all in England, after all. So just speak English. It didn't matter that it was French class now and she had every right to do so.

‘So,’ she continued, ’this afternoon, we are going to have, as promised, a practice exam.’

Eddie joined in the general indignant groans of the other students, for which he received a closer look from Mrs Andrews. What was she expecting? He had only recently voiced his displeasure, his reaction was nothing new.

 
‘But daddy, you have to accept my credit limits,’ came Amber's voice behind him again and he couldn't help but giggle.

‘Go ahead sister, assert your limits,’ he backed her up with a laugh, even if Amber wasn't paying attention to him. Another glare from Mrs Andrews was again ignored.

 
‘Phone off, Amber,’

‘But I've seen a pair of really important shoes,’ Amber continued, completely ignoring the teacher. And normally Eddie might have supported the slight irritability in Mrs Andrews' voice, but as long as the one causing such emotion in her wasn't himself, Eddie was willing to side with anyone. Even if it was Amber Millington.

‘Very important shoes, Mrs Andrews,’ he picked up, putting on a serious look. But this time, fortunately for him, the woman was not given an opportunity to reply in any way.

 
‘Daddy, I have to go, I'm in school,’ Amber said with a change in her face and quickly hung up the phone. This change of mood made Eddie look at exactly where the girl was staring and he realised immediately. The only thing more important to the blonde than money and clothes was her boyfriend. ‘Mick, you're back.’

Mick, for his part, threw the ball into the bin for some reason and made a jubilant gesture when the object hit the target. ‘Sorry I'm late,’ he uttered a sincere apology, stepping closer to them.

 
‘You might have changed first,’ the teacher grudgingly replied as she continued handing out test sheets to everyone. ‘Just try not to perspire all over the paper.’

‘Could it be any hotter?’ at first Eddie thought Amber was asking him, so he was going to make some sarcastic comment about how even though he thought his friend and roommate was handsome, being sweaty after a workout didn't make him mega hot. Though he understood why Amber was head over heels for Mick. Understood it too well, even.

What a surprise it was to him, however, to finally notice Mara sitting next to Amber. And Eddie, for the record, wasn't stupid or blind. Her feelings for Mick were as obvious as Joy's for Fabian, and he couldn't help but sympathise with her. Just a little. The quiet grey mouse Mara Jeffrey didn't stand a chance of Mick paying attention to her. And it wasn't even that he was in a relationship with Amber — they were just too different. And it's not like Mara would have the courage to change anything.

 
‘Dude, where have you been?’ Mick tugged at him, trying to speak as quietly as possible. ‘You said you were going to be on the team this year. To do that, you could use showing up to practice.’

‘I know, sorry, mate. Sweetie yanked me in early this morning. Slightly late instruction for the school year that's already started,’ he lied as if nothing had happened. Though technically it wasn't really a lie - his father had indeed given him a clear picture of his son's behaviour at school, it was just that in reality it was a week ago.

His friend only threw him a sympathetic glance, but Eddie ignored it. Mick didn't know how much it mattered.

‘Right, you have exactly one hour to complete the paper,’ ranted Mrs Andrews, drawing everyone's attention. ‘The time is six minutes past to two.
Eddie barely had any problems with his studies - he wasn't a scholar like Fabian, but he wasn't stupid either. His father had made it clear to him that the headmaster's son was expected to set an example for his classmates and to do well. At least Mr Sweet didn't force him to be excellent at everything, letting him do what he liked, but the main thing was not to forget about his mission. 

And Eddie didn't.

Even though he found French boring, he couldn't fail this test. Not when he knew Mrs Andrews would scrutinise his results and report back to his father. He had his hands full right now, and he didn't want to worry his father with his grades, especially at the start of term. So he had to give it his best shot.

‘Mrs. A?’ came Alfie's questioning voice, but the teacher didn't seem to care much.

 
‘Yes, Alfie?’ 

‘Nose-bleed. It's a gusher,’ Alfie continued pitifully, causing Eddie to turn round to face him. It was honestly hard to believe that he'd gotten a nosebleed accidentally during a French test. And Jerome's face, trying to suppress a smile, only confirmed it. 

‘Infirmary quickly. Come on,’ shouted Mrs Andrews, who for some reason had bought into the prank. She had seemed like a smart woman to Eddie up to that moment. 

Alfie, however, didn't need to be told twice. He stood up immediately, hoping that no one would realise his little prank, and ran for the exit. However, just three seconds later he showed everyone that it was just a prank, thus confirming Eddie's hunch. He couldn't help but laugh with everyone else. Alfie may not have impressed him much, but it sure lifted his spirits. 

However, it quickly dropped once his classmate crashed into the headmaster. ‘Festine lente, boy,’ the man reprimanded him and immediately translated. ‘More haste, less speed.’

To everyone's relief, Eric immediately let go of Alfie, allowing him to walk away. ‘ I'm sorry to interrupt mrs Andrews,’ he immediately apologised, but Eddie knew it was only a faux pas. ‘Joy, there's someone to see you in my office.’

Eddie watched helplessly as his friend gathered her things, having barely begun the test, but he couldn't say anything. He wanted to scream for the adults to leave her alone, to let her live a normal life, protecting her instead of caging her. But he didn't. It was the right thing to do.

And as soon as Joy and his father walked out of the classroom, Eddie already knew.

There was no going back. 

Chapter Text

Sometimes we feel like time is on our side. That we have our whole lives ahead of us, and there are still plenty of opportunities to do mundane things like tidying our room another day, doing homework that doesn't seem so urgent, or asking that guy or girl we like out on a date. We think we can do all of this tomorrow.

However, sometimes it is too late and nothing can be done — the room is already too dirty, the homework should have been handed in yesterday, and someone else has already asked your crush out.

Eddie put off talking to his father for a long time. He could have done things differently, persuaded him to take care of Joy right here, right under their noses. Eddie was an Osirian, after all, he was her protector. But time passed and the conversation never happened. Only silent testimony of how his friend was taken away and he could do nothing about it. Or rather, he could, but he didn't.

And now all that was left was to watch the annoying ticking of the clock; there were only five minutes left until the end of the test, and in that time he had to decide whether to talk to his father at all.

Time was definitely not on his side.

Not when Patricia flew out of the classroom like a bullet, as he suspected, in search of her best friend. And not when that girl, Stephanie — he finally managed to remember her name — bumped into him for the second time, completely separating him from Patricia.

‘Hey, what a coincidence,’ she exclaimed, smiling happily at him. In any other situation, Eddie would have given her his full attention, flirted with her about how fate had brought them together, and perhaps even asked her why she was in such a good mood, but now he simply didn't have time for that.

‘Listen, Stephanie...’

‘By the way, you were right,’ she interrupted him, not even noticing his wandering gaze.

Seriously, since when did people stop understanding hints?

‘I gave your father my work, was polite to him, and he gave me a good grade. Surprisingly, it all happened within five minutes. Although Mr. Sweet usually nitpicks every little thing.’

Of course. He was too busy kidnapping a student your age.

‘You were just lucky today,’ he said instead, finally finding Patricia with his eyes as she walked away from Jerome and, most likely, Alfie in a lion mask. Those two were usual. But again, he didn't care about that at all.

Stephanie didn't seem stupid either; she apparently noticed that something was wrong and slowly stepped aside, as if to let him pass. Great, that meant he still had a chance to catch up with Patricia. ‘You're right, thank you, I hope to see you again.’

‘Definitely,’ he gave her a sincere smile, genuinely thinking about seeing her again soon, and then quickly headed towards where Patricia had disappeared, most likely heading for Anubis's house. To be honest, Eddie wasn't sure why he was doing this or what he expected to see there, because Patricia would see for herself that Joy was no longer in the house and then be told that her friend had left for good. So I would be the one to support her then, Eddie thought.

Even if he himself was partly to blame for her disappearance.

***

On the stairs, he already heard arguments and cursed quietly. He was too late — his father, who had appeared in the hallway at the wrong moment, was the second person to delay him, and now he was too late. Although it was not yet clear for what exactly.

‘Patricia Williamson, what is going on here?’ Victor's voice rang out, prompting Eddie to hurry upstairs. The scene he saw was quite something: his best friend, some girl, Victor, and bedding on the floor. Judging by the angry look on the former's face, it was easy to guess what had happened.

‘That's what I would like to know,’ Patricia replied, turning to Victor.

"Where is Joy?"

‘Joy isn't here?’ asked Eddie, already knowing the answer. He wanted to slap himself in the face.

‘Joy has left,’ said Victor calmly. Eddie wasn't even surprised by the man's indifferent tone: he never cared about the students' dramas, he had his own goals.

‘What do you mean she has left?’ the question was quite reasonable, and if Eddie didn't know the whole truth, he would have been outraged too.

Instead, he put on a surprised face and moved a little closer. ‘Where?’

‘Her parents came to school this afternoon and removed her,’ Victor was clearly bored with this conversation, and Eddie felt like he was going to throw up looking at Patricia's shocked face.

‘But that's impossible. Why would they do that?’

‘I have absolutely no idea,’ Victor said, looking around at everyone present, and Eddie could swear that the man lingered on him.

‘But Joy never leaves without saying goodbye,’ Patricia's sad voice made him feel even worse. Although how much worse could it get? ‘Or without her phone! Or Bunsy Bun!’

In general, the arguments were convincing; they really needed to make it less suspicious, but what was done was done.

‘Give them to me and I'll forward them onto her,’ said Victor, reaching out to take the items, and Eddie knew immediately that it wasn't true. At the very least, no one would give her the phone, otherwise Joy would try to contact them, but Eddie wasn't sure about her favourite toy and the photo. Perhaps he could convince his father to give them to her, or at least allow his son to keep them for a while. It was the only thing he could do for Joy in this situation. ‘Give.’

Patricia obeyed and handed over the items, even though she was clearly unhappy with the answers. He wouldn't have been happy either, but none of them had a choice.

‘And now clear all this stuff back into the room,’ the man continued, looking at the mess on the floor, which Eddie had, to be honest, already forgotten about.

‘No way! I'm going to phone Joy and find out what's going on!’ Patricia exclaimed before running down the stairs.

‘Patricia! Come back here!’ the caretaker shouted, but she didn't listen to him. Eddie, to be honest, couldn't blame her for that. He would have reacted the same way if Patricia or Mick had disappeared.

Victor turned to him, giving him a completely unreadable look, and then to the new girl, whom Eddie had also forgotten about. ‘Supper will be ready in 10 minutes.’

Then he left, leaving the two of them alone, and Eddie couldn't help but feel awkward. It was a terrible welcome to the new house, and he really felt sorry for her. The new girl definitely had nothing to do with Joy's disappearance, so finding herself at the centre of drama on her first day would certainly leave a bad impression.

Eddie bent down and picked up the things from the floor, just to smooth things over a little.

‘Thank you,’ said the newcomer, still a little shocked.

The American accent greated on his ear, and Eddie was taken aback for a second. It wasn't new to him — he had a couple of friends from America, and, let's face it, he was half American himself — but it was new to Anubis House. There was something strange about her, but he didn't pay much attention to it, only slightly shaken by the turn of events.

‘I'm very sorry,’ he continued, although what had happened was not his fault. Well, almost. ‘Usually things aren't so bad here. It's just not a very good day.’

"Yeah, I noticed. I didn't expect this kind of welcome," five points to her for trying to appear indifferent, but Eddie could see in her eyes that she was horrified by who she would have to live with. His best friend certainly knew how to make an impression.

‘I know, right,’ he nodded, smiling, and then pointed to the doorway. ‘Let me help you.’

The new girl nodded in agreement and they both entered the room. Eddie paused for a second, looking at the empty bed that was no longer cluttered with Joy's things. Maybe he would miss her more than he thought.

‘Were you close?’ The girl's voice behind him made Eddie flinch and quickly put the things on the bed. Were he and Joy close? It was a good question. He knew a lot about her, but more because he had to than because he wanted to be her friend. It was just a nice bonus.

‘Something like that,’ he said instead, turning around. ‘Joy is Patricia's best friend, and Patricia...’

‘Your girlfriend?’

Eddie smiled. It was a good guess, and he would have loved to say yes, but unfortunately, that would have been a lie.

‘My best friend,’ he corrected, immediately noticing how embarrassed the new girl looked. To be honest, it was kind of cute.

‘Sorry, I should have listened before jumping to conclusions.’

‘It's okay. You're not the first one here,’ but as soon as the words left his mouth, Eddie immediately heard the hint of Patricia in them. Well, it was true, no arguing with that. ‘Listen, I'm sorry this happened to you on your first day. The British aren't as bad as they seem.’

‘I believe you,’ she said with a smile. ‘Right now, I feel like I'm at Hogwarts. Everything is so huge and old.’

Eddie couldn't help but laugh. ‘Tell me about it. When I first came here, my younger self had culture shock.’

‘You're not from around here?’

‘Yes and no,’ he replied, leaning against the doorframe. ‘I moved here from America when I was five, to live with my father. My mother is American. I don't remember much about life there, though. But I'm not complaining. Like I said, Britain isn't so bad.’

And he wasn't lying. Yes, it was boring and grey, but he had friends, goals and responsibilities, so he had to make do with what he had.

The girl just nodded, but didn't say anything, which was his cue to leave. ‘I'm Eddie, by the way.’

‘Nina,’ she said, smiling again. ‘Any tips for surviving here, Eddie?’

He couldn't help but laugh at the question. After what had happened to her, she really did need some advice on how to settle in. "Just don't judge a book by its cover, okay? At first glance, everything may seem terrible, but I think you'll like it here."

It was good advice, and Eddie was even proud of himself. He needed to hear something like that when he was a child, long ago, but unfortunately, no one but himself helped him adapt. But that didn't mean he couldn't help someone else.

‘I believe you,’ Nina said again, and once again he was really pleased to hear it.

‘See you at dinner, Nina.’

‘See you at dinner, Eddie,’ she said before he rushed downstairs.

He had another conversation ahead of him. Perhaps not such a pleasant one.

***

‘I can't believe nobody got Joy's phone number,’ he heard Patricia's voice as he entered the living room. No one really noticed his arrival, but Eddie sensed Patricia's tension as soon as he looked at her.

‘Just because this is her home. Just call her,’ Eddie couldn't take his eyes off Amber in astonishment. He was very curious about what was going on in this girl's head. 

‘Amber, keep up. I told you she left her phone behind,’ Patricia insisted, but Eddie already knew it was useless.

‘Then text her,’ Amber said, and Eddie couldn't help but laugh, ignoring Patricia's comment. The blondie didn't appreciate his laughter. ‘What?’

‘So they already got someone else in her bad?’ Fabian asked, making Eddie tense up. 

‘Yes, that girl we saw in a taxi,’ Patricia replied, and he sensed contempt in her voice. ‘She is American and she is totally obsessed with it. She said it like a hundred times.’
Eddie had no idea that Nina's nationality had anything to do with why Patricia was so annoyed, but he chose to remain silent because he was already on the verge of getting into trouble. 

‘And Joy is just gone?’ Mara asked, and Eddie nodded along with Patricia. Perhaps he should have shown a little more enthusiasm about Joy's disappearance, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. ‘That really is weird.’

‘Maybe she was abducted by aliens and this girl is one of them,’ Alfie suggested, and Eddie couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity.

‘Nah, she's too pretty to be an alien,’ he interjected and immediately regretted it because everyone stared at him. 

‘Wow, our heartbreaker has already tested the waters and assessed his new target,‘ Jerome said sarcastically, to which Eddie just gave him the middle finger.

‘So that's what you've been doing all this time,’ Patricia said indignantly. ‘Flirting with Miss American while I was trying to figure out what happened to our friend. Well done, Edison.’The smile faded from his face, making Jerome laugh even harder. He really should have kept his mouth shut. 

‘Patricia, I...’

But she wasn't listening to him anymore. ‘We were planning a romcom set box marathon tonight. You know about Joy's romcom obsession. How can she be gone just like that?’

And another wave of guilt washed over Eddie. He knew there was nothing else he could have done, but that didn't mean he didn't feel sorry. 

‘Patricia, you've disappeared more than enough times,’ Jerome said, and Eddie couldn't help but agree with him. It was hard to count how many times he and Joy had searched for her on campus or in the woods when she was angry or upset. Only after some time did they learn Patricia's usual hiding place, but they almost always gave her time to be alone. 

‘She would have called me!’

‘Yeah, I know she would, but...’

Eddie stopped listening to the argument because his eyes immediately caught sight of Nina entering the room. The others also stopped talking and immediately turned their attention to her. To be honest, the silence was quite awkward, and if he had been in her place, he would have immediately felt uncomfortable.

‘Hi, I'm Nina. I'm from America,’ Nina exclaimed with the friendliest smile in the world, and Eddie couldn't help but smile back, even though he caught Patricia rolling her eyes out of the corner of his eye. They really needed to talk. He didn't want to argue with her about the new girl or anything else for that matter. 

Fabian greeted her too, which was not surprising. Alfi's behaviour was not surprising either. ‘Welcome space girl. Or blurp bleep blop as they say in your language,’ the sounds mimicking aliens made everyone, including Nina, laugh. Although Eddie could still feel the awkwardness in her eyes. Of course, he had told her not to judge a book by its cover and to try to accept all the residents of the house, but now, looking at this scene, he suspected that it would be much more difficult than it seemed at first glance.

Fortunately, Trudy saved the day by shouting that dinner was ready, which naturally had an immediate effect on everyone. Although Patricia hardly looked pleased, judging by her reaction, and Nina seemed to notice this immediately, given how quickly the smile disappeared from her face. Eddie wanted to support her, but he didn't know what else to say. 

‘That's my seat,’ he heard Amber's voice, pulling him out of his thoughts.

What difference did it make whose chair it is?

However, Nina, like a polite girl, immediately began to apologise, but Amber didn't let her finish. ‘Where's Mick?’

‘I don't even know who you are, so...’ Nina joked, although it was true. Eddie still didn't understand why Amber had asked Nina that question in the first place, but there was a lot he didn't understand about Amber, so maybe he should just stop being surprised. 

‘You heard what Amber said,’ Patricia said indignantly when Nina sat down next to her again. ‘It's her seat.’

‘Yeah, but she's not here right now,’ Eddie could clearly hear the irritation in Nina's voice. To be honest, if the seat next to him had been free, he would have offered her to sit with him, but something told him that might not be the best idea. 

‘That's your way, isn't it? Someone's gone for five seconds and you've already moved in,’ well, that was too much even for him. Nina really wasn't to blame for what happened to Joy, and even if Patricia didn't know the truth, she shouldn't have said such things. 

However, Fabian surprisingly beat him to it. ‘Patricia is the head of the welcoming committee. Take it or leave it, just sit wherever you like.’

Well, it seemed that Nina now had another friend in Fabian. Eddie didn't want to think about it too much because it wasn't his business. 

***
For a while, dinner proceeded in near silence. The only exceptions were the clinking of dishes and quiet conversations between him, Alfie, and Jerome. But overall, everyone behaved well, which was rare, to say the least, but didn't last long. 

‘Look at that,’ Alfie said a little louder, drawing attention to himself, and then stuffed a huge portion of spaghetti into his mouth, making some people laugh and others grimace in disgust. Eddie, of course, was among the former, and reached for his own portion: the challenge had been accepted.

‘No, watch this, mate,’ he replied, trying to stuff an even larger portion into his mouth, making Jerome laugh even harder.

‘Alfie, Eddie, stop it, it's disgusting,’ Mara intervened. ‘And you are probably going to choke on it.’

In general, she was right, but neither he nor Alfie listened to her. 

‘But it's delicious this way,’ Alfie could barely say with his mouth full. He was right too.

‘Alfie, don't play with your food,’ Jerome said, seemingly scolding his friend, but then hei threw a small handful of pasta from his fork, making some of them laugh. Even Mara couldn't help herself. Eddie knew this was only the beginning, so he moved a little further away, pretending that it wouldn't hit him. And as it turned out, he was right: Alfie immediately responded to his friend in kind, unceremoniously grabbing two handfuls of pasta and throwing them straight at Jerome, completely ignoring the outrage. And then the natural response, leading to a food fight that affected all the unfortunate people sitting next to them.

Eddie couldn't help himself either, throwing a bun at Fabian. ‘Ah! Really guys? Every meal?’

Eddie laughed, about to respond with something sarcastic or possibly repeat what he had done, but he was interrupted by Nina's sharp scream. One glance at the jug of water in Patricia's hands and the shocked Nina, and everything became clear.

"Yeah, she does that", he whispered, but nobody noticed it.

In fact, he could admit that it was funny when she ‘punished’ someone like that, especially Alfie or Jerome, when they really deserved it. But Nina hadn't done anything wrong; she just happened to be here at the wrong time and in the wrong place. ‘Yacker, what the bloody hell?’

‘Classy Patricia,’ Fabian confirmed in a condemning tone, and this time Eddie supported him.

Patricia just smiled, turning it into a joke. "What?! It was an accident? 

‘Are you okay?’ Eddie and Fabian asked at the same time, and it seemed that everyone except Nina paid attention to it. Judging by Patricia's tense glance in his direction, she remembered it too. 

‘Yeah. Except I think my sweater is shrinking to my body as we speak,’ Nina complained, drawing attention to herself again. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Fabian getting up to get something to soak up the water. For a second, he wondered if it was just politeness or if he was really that interested in the new girl. 

‘So Nina,’ Patricia began again, and Eddie already knew that this tone did not bode well. ‘When are you going to tell us what you know about Joy's disappearance?’

‘I guess when I actually know something,’ Nina replied, and Eddie heard the resignation in her voice. He really felt sorry for her. Patricia was his best friend, but she really did go too far a lot of the time. 

‘Yacker, stop it,’ he interjected again, but she didn't even pay attention to him. 

‘Oh, come on! One minute I'm sitting next to Joy in class. And the next she's disappeared. And you've taken her place. Bit of a coincidence don't you think?’ 

‘I guess it is,’ Nina agreed resignedly, ignoring Fabian's attempt to help. 

‘Maybe she's snatched her and locked her in the cellar. Whoooooh!’ Alfie joked, but no one appreciated it, especially Patricia, who shut him up. The atmosphere was heating up, and to be honest, it was all starting to get annoying, but Eddie didn't know how to behave. He rarely went against Patricia, knowing her cheeky nature, and often helped her play pranks on someone who really deserved it. Although there were exceptions. But the situation with Nina was different; she really wasn't to blame for Joy's disappearance.

Patricia turned to Nina again, and Eddie found himself walking towards them. 

‘Listen, I don't know anything about Joy or her disappearance!’

‘Patricia, stop,’ he put his hand on her shoulder trying to calm her down. ‘I think she's telling the truth.’

‘Oh, is she?’ Patricia flared up, turning to him. ‘Are you her defender now?’

‘Come on, Yacker, you can see she's not lying. This isn't some spy film, or worse, a film about aliens and abductions.’

‘You never know,’ Alfie retorted, but Eddie ignored him, trying to withstand Patricia's fierce gaze, which he had never been able to do before. Fortunately for him, she turned away, returning her attention to Nina. However, that didn't mean they were done; on the contrary, it was only just beginning. 

‘I'll get it out of you,’ Patricia threatened. ‘Eventually.’

None of them had time to respond because Victor entered the dining room, startling Eddie. ‘Nina, phone call for you,’ but he quickly realised that something was wrong and looked around at everyone else. ‘What is going on?’ 

‘Nothing,’ Patricia said innocently, then sat down as if nothing had happened. ‘Just Nina spilled water everywhere.’

However, for some reason, Victor was hardly bothered by their mess, because he didn't say another word, just ushered Nina out and left himself. 

‘What was that about?’ Eddie asked, staring at Patricia, who continued her breakfast as if nothing had happened. He usually didn't care when she splashed someone else, because in ninety percent of cases it was deserved, but Nina hadn't done anything wrong. 

Patricia obviously didn't think so and even continued to look at him with her innocent gaze, as if she didn't understand the reason for his dissatisfaction. Or maybe she just wasn't interested. ‘I don't understand what you're talking about.’

‘Yes, you do,’ Eddie signed, suppressing his disappointment, and that was probably the last straw, because the smile faded from her face, giving way to anger.

‘Do I, Eddie?’ her voice changed to yelling. ‘What I don't understand is how you can be so chill about everything. Both of you!’ she gave him and Fabian angry looks. ‘It's Joy we're talking about. Our friend! Why am I the only one who seems to care about her?’

They argued at the same time:

‘That's not true, Patricia, don't exaggerate.’

‘Nobody forgot about her, Yacker.’

‘Oh, really? It seemed to me that you quickly shifted your attention to this new American girl. Although I probably shouldn't be surprised. It's easy to distract you with a pretty face, isn't it, Edison?’

Something unpleasant stabbed Eddie in the heart, but he didn't have time to say anything because Patricia looked at Fabian again. ‘And you, you just can't help playing the hero, can you? Kind Fabian rushes to the rescue with a glass...’ Eddie only now noticed that he was indeed holding something in his hands. 

‘Patricia, it's ridiculous,’ Fabian said indignantly, rolling his eyes. ‘You attacked Nina for no apparent reason, completely ruining her first impression of us, and I'm trying to fix the situation somehow, so please spare me your senseless accusations, please.’

Patricia didn't answer, just snorted in disappointment and stormed out of the living room, leaving Eddie completely confused. Did she really think so badly of him? Yes, he flirted and hung out with girls from time to time, but did he really deserve such a comment from his best friend? 

‘Damn, that new girl is hot,’ Eddie heard Alfie's satisfied voice and Jerome's giggles behind him, but didn't want to figure out what exactly this idiot meant, so he also left the dining room and headed for his room.

He was simply done for today.