As I was heading downstairs, I stop when the lady from before is before the door to the attic offering me a warm motherly smile. I flinch back when she disappears, when I mean disappears I mean fades before my eyes and disappears. What's even weirder and creepy is a voice telling me "In the attic you'll find the necklace"

Shaking my head, I head downstairs to hear a bunch of people complaining. They all stop when I walk into the room, offering a smile I wave my hand "Hi, I'm Emily" they just stare at me "and your names are...I'm not a mind reader"

"Why should we give it to you?" Patricia demands crossing her arms over her chest "Where's Joy?"

Rolling my eyes crossing my arms "I don't know where your friend is, did you try calling her?"

"She never answered" pointing her finger at me "I know you have something to do with her disappearance, now where is she?!"

"I think" instead of telling her where her friend is, I don't know where but who cares "I know why your" putting my fingers up air quoting "friend left"

She scoffs as the two guys on the one couch make noises "What is that supposed to mean?"

"If I have to tell you" I say "it says quite a lot but to dumb it down—Your friend Joy" saying loud and clearly "left to get away from you" she goes to slap me, but I grabbed her wrist twist my body to flip her over onto her back landing in the foyer. Her friends go to her side, well it's clear I won't be making any friends anytime soon. Maybe I can switch houses?

"Supper's ready!" We hear Trudy's voice, everyone goes to their seats and I take the one farthest from Patricia as possible since she's just glaring at me. She's at one end of the table while I sit between two guys and across from me the other three. Two girls and a guy.

We eat silently as the one blonde leaves "I never got any of your names"

"Why would they give it to you?" Patricia demands

"Unless they want me to give them a nickname" I suggest "also it's common curtesy to give your name when meeting a new person, also the word curtesy means"

"I know what it means" she snaps

"Doesn't seem like you do" we are in a glaring match before the one guy between us speaks up.

He has dark hair, dark eyes and sand colored skin "I'm Fabian, this is Mara" he motions to the girl across from me with honey colored skin, dark eyes and long black hair "that's Alfie" he motions to the boy with golden colored skin, dark eyes and short black hair "that's Jerome" the one with sand colored skin, green eyes and dirty blonde hair "the one who left is Amber" the blonde with warm ivory skin and blue eyes "she probably went to get her boyfriend Mick"

"Thank you Fabian" giving Patricia a look "at least someone is a...nice person"

"What are you saying?" She demands "I'm not nice?"

"No" tilting my head "your a bitch"

We are silent before going to eat, Patricia is probably thinking about ways to end me right now. I don't care. When you've dealt with people like my cousin Bella or Darla Shannon—this major southern bitch—you can deal with just about anyone.

"Alfie!" Mara exclaims when she sees Alfie grab huge amounts of spaghetti to eat in one sitting "that's disgusting! You're probably going to choke on it!"

"But" he complains "it's delicious this way!"

"Alfie" Jerome scolds him "don't play with your he food" he tosses food at him laughing. Alfie grabs his food and tosses that them causing Mara to gasp in shock. A food fight reigns out and stops when Patricia throws water into me.

"Patricia!" Fabian exclaims

"What?" She innocently asks "it's just some water"

"Guess what Patricia?" She looks at me "my dad is in the military, which means if I asked he could find your friend" she looks interested then "but because you've been such a bitch to me, I'll let you wonder"

Victor enters the room then "What's going on?"

"Patricia starting a fight" I stand up "by any chance could I switch houses?"

"Patricia clean this up" he orders "and if you wish to switch houses Emily you'll need to speak to Mr. Sweet about that—for now, someone is phoning you"

When I go to the phone, I answer it "Hello?"

"Hey!" I hear my sister's voice "How's Hogwarts?"

Letting out a laugh, some tears prick my eyes "Hey Jessie"

"Do you have pictures?" She demands

"Yeah" I answer looking over when I feel a hand on my shoulder, I see it's that woman from before giving me a comforting smile "it's so weird"

"You know" she says "dad can pull you out anytime you want"

"I know" I agree, looking around "hey, by any chance is dad around? I love talking to you but I need to ask him something"

"Hold on" she says, after a moment I hear dad's voice.

"Soldier" he greets

"Hi dad" I smile hearing his voice

"Jessie said you wanted to ask me something" that's dad, right to it.

"There's this girl" I said "my new roommate's friend, her parents pulled her out of school and everyone here thinks I had something to do with it. Can you see where she went? Like use your military contacts? Like before I kill my new roommate" bitterly adding

"Kill?" He asks

"You know mom's niece Bella?" I ask "someone Jessie and I unfortunately have to call family?"

"Yes" dad doesn't like her, only Uncle Charlie and her mom likes her. I'd be surprised if she has any friends "I remember her—I'll see what I can do soldier"

"Thanks" leaning back in the chair "so, how's torturing the new recruits?"

|Next Day|

Heading to school early, hopefully to talk to Mr. Sweet about changing houses I run into this elderly lady. She has short white hair, warm beige skin and blue eyes. She's in this long floral night gown.

"Are you alright?" I ask giving her my jacket

"Sarah!" She exclaims placing her hands on my upper arms "My name is Sarah!" Looking at the house pointing to it "that's my house!"

"That's your house?" I ask, she must be lost and confused "Where did you come from? Before coming back to your house?" If I can return her then yeah, it's the right thing to do. Get her back to someone who can help her.

She nods her head "It's you isn't it?"

"Me?" I ask

She nods her head again "I knew you'd come, I knew it!" Pointing to the house "it's there"

"What's there?" I ask

"The necklace!" She exclaims "your necklace!"

"My necklace?" Oh this will be a long day.

She nods her head again "Beware the black bird, he is always watching"

After a few minutes, I'm able to return Sarah back to the elderly home "It's not like you to go wandering off Emily" Emily/Sarah motions to staying silent. Why?

"Her name's Emily?" I ask, she nods her head "how ironic  my name is also Emily"

"Oh!" She smiles. This woman has brown curly hair, honey colored skin and blue eyes with glasses "That is ironic! Emily" she motions to the elderly lady "is rather confused, you've probably realized but she's not normally a sprinter"

Nodding my head "Yeah, she kept saying her name was Sarah"

"Sarah?" She asks "well, it is possible. See we don't know much about Emily, she one day appeared with her nephew who told us her name was Emily"

"She must be thinking of someone else then" I suggest

"Possibly" she agrees with me "do you have time for a cup of tea?"

"A cup sounds lovely" nodding my head "thank you"

"I'll phone your school" she places a hand on my arm "but first I must bring Emily back to her room"