She was sitting at her desk when she got a text message. Penn, Alice thought of her three year boyfriend so kindly.
Hey, what's up?
When Alice began to type back, her sisters Leah and Annabel stormed in.
"Am I over stressed!" Leah asked as Annabel laughed in the back over the room.
"Alice! It's Leah! She's a stressed nut job!" Alice nodded passionately. Annabel was right she thought. Leah was a straight A collage student, she was going nuts over her major.
"But I don't blame you, Leah. I mean I would be the same way if I was in your poison. Engaged, trying to plan a wedding and aiming for a bachelors degree for social sciences. It's okay. Besides it makes you who you are." Alice was the sister who would tell the truth but put it to people lightly, that's when Peter walked in.
"You three could break windows. The party starts in four hours so everyone needs to take showers and do whatever it is they have to do before they are presentable." Peter snickered. He had always been on of those people who could commend a room. Alice had always been closest to her twin Peter, and had been jealous of the way he could take over everyone in a room with one word.
Of course, when everyone was out, Tristan walked in. Just when I was having a good day
"Oh em gee! Is it Penn? He's such a hottie!" Tristan teased Oh. Joy…God's sent me my life lasting punishment, my damn older brother.
"Oh em gee, get out! " She yelled and when he refused to move she picked up a black leather bound book.
"So help me I will tell them." Alice flipped through and looked up at her older brother.
"How do you know!" Tristan barked. Alice had to pick her words and battles against Tristan carefully due to is short temper. He had abused Alice for three years now, ironically around the same time that her and Penn got together. But at this moment she couldn't care less. It was a idiot prove question.
"Your so stupid sometimes! I have your book, you tell me how I know!" Alice hissed her answer out! But she knew when to run and when to sit. Alice had learned how to watch Tristan's knees and fists to time her sprint. Now would be the proper time. I must of sinned so badly in my mother than God gave me Tristan, I guess I'm never going to pay off my sin.
In the past, Alice would get a good two feet before Tristan sped up and got her. But now she was a track runner, in fact she had the world record for the mile sprint. She ran to Peter, he was like her savior and protected her from Tristan. Peter knew how to control Tristan's temper and console Alice.
"PETER" Alice yelled but when he jumped to her scream he was a little late. Tristan had already tackled her to the ground and began swinging.
"STOP-HIM" Alice shouted in between heavy breaths, Tristan had pinned her hip down with his knees and stroke at her wildly. She would have a bruise like line running down her face. What did I do to be put through this? She leaded helplessly on the wooden floor beginning to pass out when Peter pried Tristan off her. Through the years of abuse Peter learned a thing or two about pressure points and how to trigger them. It was his way to save Alice, without getting either of them killed. When he got his brother off of her, he picked up Alice and took her to his bed, where she would stay. What she didn't know was Peter went back to Tristan
"Tristan! You insane bastard! She's your sister! Why would you do this to her?" Tristan laughed at him.
"What a question! She's a hopeless brat. She had Penn and now she's depending on him. It's been three years she needs a better life plan."
"So you beat her?" Peter questioned as if it was indented to be a reality check. Alice been slightly awake when she had heard some of the conversation and was stung by the words said.
"You know how the saying goes. Beat common sense into the people who have none." Tristan answered with a even tone. Peter had always been aware on how he picked his words, but at this moment he had picked them in the wrong form.
"You should take some of your own advise. You, Annabel, and even Leah were just like Alice sophomore year." I saw Tristan's knees bend and I knew he was ready to fight Peter, on his bed he's phone started to ring and I went to go pick it up like Peter has told me to do many times before.
"Hello." I said to the person on the other line.
"Wonderland? It's Seth tell Peter to get his ass away from Tristan, I have to talk to him." Seth was Peter's best friend Tristan's (one of many) girlfriend's brother, and a brother to Alice as well. Whenever Peter wasn't around she could depend on Seth. When Alice looked out of Peter's bedroom door. Tristan had been on top of Peter, he had at least 20 pounds and 5 inches on Peter. So Alice ran over there.
"Get off of Peter!" She yelled and hit the one pressure point Peter taught her, on the collar bone close to the shoulder. When Tristan fell off Alice dragged Peter into his room and pointed to the phone to him
"It's Seth, he said he needed to talk to you." She said. "he sounds really worried."
"Put it on speaker, I'm a little hurt right now." Peter replied with a little trouble responding. "what's wrong, Seth?" He yelled at the phone
"It's Shelly, she's worried about Tristan cheating on her. Do you know anything about it?" When Peter looked over at Alice, he saw the color drain in her skin at motioned her to tell Seth what she knew.
"There's more than one," Alice told him. "I know one he seems to favor, her name is Tina. He's going to call her at six tonight." She said with an uneasy voice and heard Seth moan sickly in reply.
"Tina! She's such a nasty whore! She's dating four different guys." When Alice went to reply to Seth, she heard a bang from across the room. She looked at Peter immediately to see that he had punched the wall had broke his hand in the process. Alice hated to see her brother like this. Peter had always been a calm and caring person but when he was angry no one could be around him. Shelly was already like a sister to them because Seth had been so close to the family.
"I don't want Shelly to know, she'll be heart broken." Seth stopped short when he heard Alice gasp.
"What happened?"
"Seth! He went after Tristan, should I stay in Peter' s room? I don't know what to do!"
"Go unlock the door, I'm outside." Seth had to reassure Alice to keep her calm. While she walked through Peter's room to unlock the door she heard him yell.
"HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO HER! A GIRL WHO LOVES YOU!" Alice started to run through his room to the back door that lead to the house. When she opened the door Seth's face was red and wet but before she had the chance to ask him, he dragged her out the room.
"Peter! Leave it alone! There's nothing you can do." Seth yelled as he pulled Peter's arm to try to get him out the room. Peter however, wouldn't leave without a fight. Him and Tristan spat word at each other until Tristan noticed Alice standing in his room.
"Brat! You know better than to come in my room! Get out!" he barked. Naturally Alice backed out of him room when Seth grabbed her arm.
Whenever Seth was around and Alice obeyed Tristan, he would give her this scolding but tender loving look and his eyes would tell her 'Don't be afraid. I'm here'. Something always told her that she should be with Seth. He had been a protector to her and loved her tenderly. They have had time when kissing each other have almost happened and Alice secretly longed for those almost moments to happen. When Alice was with Seth, she totally forgot about Penn and their relationship.
Tristan hissed at Seth. "Who do you think you are! You don't control her, I do!" Seth had pressed Alice's back to pull her close to him.
"I won't let you control her like you control my sister! She stays her until I leave." Seth said proudly as Alice stood against Seth body, she could feel his muscles tense with his anger toward Tristan and relax at the touch of her on his chest. She loved the feeling and could move away, she felt the guilt run through her as she thought of her phone and the text from Penn she never got to respond too.
"Real bold, Seth but to tell you the truth I don't care of either of you. And you think I'm a cheater? Look at your beloved favorite sibling, she flirting with the family's best friend!" Tristan said to Seth and Peter, both looked at Alice and she hung her head. She hadn't been cheating on Penn with Seth, he had grabbed her and she simply stayed close. Alice didn't want to hurt anyone but she realized at that moment that she had been hurting Seth by just being best friends with him and Penn by being so close to Seth.
He let her go and walked out the room full of shame. Alice had to turn to Peter for the right answer to help her in this situation. Peter had took her out the room.
"You have to make this right Alice, who do you want to be with? Your best friend or your boyfriend?" Peter sighed as he went after Seth. "I can't tell you the answer you have to go on your feelings." he said as he walked away from Alice and left her there to think. She walked to her room and picked up her phone.
5 missed alerts, Penn? Why are you making this harder than it already is…?
She started a new message.
Penn come meet me outside of my house I have to talk to you.
Penn showed up at the down when as Seth opened it to walk out to his car.
"Can I help you?" Seth asked. He Didn't know who Penn was.
"Yeah, can you tell Alice I'm here, she said he had to tell me something." Seth nodded and knew it was Penn, but he couldn't believe that he was so much taller than Alice. He figured that Alice was at most five feet tall, Penn looked around seven inches taller than himself so he guessed six feet. Seth turned around and called for Alice.
"Seth, I have to-" Alice looked around to see Penn looking down at her. "Penn, you came. Lets go outside." Penn attempted a hello kiss when Alice turned.
"Seth, don't go hide anywhere I have to talk to you in a little bit." he nodded to Alice and pointed to his car. Alice walked to Penn and missed another kiss.
"Babe, why do you keep moving every time I try to kiss you?" Penn asked her confused of what was going on,
"That's just it Penn, I can't kiss you. We're done. I know what's running through your head but I thought about it today and I came to my senses about something; the one person I need isn't you. It's the guy that's been around for me before I could think of finding someone to love. I'm sorry Penn but I'd love to be friends, this isn't going to work anymore." Alice confessed to Penn, but the whole time she was looking at Seth, he was leaning against his car wait for her to finish up talking to Penn.
"You can go Penn, I'm done with this. See you in school." Alice said as she walked away from him and to Seth.
"Why are you going out with someone a foot taller than you?" Seth asked her, he had a hint of jealousy in his voice when Alice answered him.
"Oh, my boyfriend isn't six foot, he's five foot five." She answered
"That's impossible! I'm five foot five!" Seth looked at Alice who was smiling wickedly at him. "What are you saying?" Seth question as she looked up at him.
"Kiss me and you'll find out." Alice teased. Seth leaned over to her and she jumped up to her tip toes to get her lips to his. Seth didn't know what to do with his hands, this was he's friend's sister. What would Peter want him to do. So Seth just held her hands. Alice went back to her flat feet when she looked up at him.
"Um, what's Peter going to do to me?" Seth laughed nervously. When Alice bit her bottom lip, she hadn't even factored Peter in when she was thinking about what would set things right. She had assumed that everyone would be fine and dandy after she made the right choice but she didn't really consider her brother's feelings.
"Uh about that…I still have to talk to him, he'll most likely be happy but the fact that you're his best friend might bother him." Seth looked at her and watched her lips. He was worried about Peter's thoughts but he couldn't get her lips out of his head, he had wanted to kiss her for a long time and she had kissed him instead. He had to go for the kiss, he wanted to do it so badly he just dove in while she was talking. She arched toward him and felt her heart drop a million times, she couldn't believe that for so long she had resisted this. She felt so save and warm but at the same time he had taken all of her innocent and turned them around. She had pulled her arms out to get under his shirt and ran her fingers down his torso, he felt the rush and shot his hand to her back where he played with the back strap of her bra. She couldn't understand what was making her feel like this but the rush grew bigger and she continued to do more. She ran her fingers farther down to his boxer's elastic band, playing with it. Soon enough she ran her fingers down under the elastic band and continued lower until she felt smooth skin, Seth grabbed her hands and pulled them to the back of his neck.
"You were way to close, Never again." He smiled down at her when she bit her lower lip and gave him her big eyes.
"I'm sorry, but I just couldn't resist. I've never acted like this with Penn. It's so new, I like it. Do you?" He looked at her and couldn't lie. He had enjoyed her uncontrolled behavior, it was edgy and new.
"I'm not going to lie but you can't do that again." Seth paused and snickered. "Well in public at least." Alice giggled when she turned her head to see Peter. Alice grabbed Seth tight and hid her face in his chest, although she felt safe with Seth she didn't know what Peter saw or what would happen.
"Peter, we were going to tell you. It just…happened." Seth had spoken bravely against Peter and Alice waited to her the outcome.
"I don't care what or why it happened! She better stay a virgin and a happy one or I swear I will rip your head off and feed you to a dog." Alice flinched when she felt Peter's had on her shoulder and was spun out of Peter's arms.
"You heard me right? You better not do anything stupid of I swear I'll burry you with him." Alice nodded slightly and sighed.
"I'm sorry Pet-" Alice started to shake. "Tristan, he's at the door. He's watching us. He's coming here!" Alice had been so shaken by the whole situation that her knees gave in and she fell to the floor.
"Wonderland! Are you okay! Let me help you!" Seth had scooped her up off the floor. Alice kept thinking what Tristan could do to her and Seth. She knew he wasn't going to take this lightly because of the stunt Seth just pulled with keeping Alice his room. She saw Tristan walk down the street when she buried her face into Seth's chest again.
"Run Seth," Alice had mumbled in his chest. "Get in you car and run, your going to get killed." Seth looked down at Alice's body, it was shaking with fear he had to get her away from Tristan before she became sick.
"Peter, go get me some close for her. I'm taking her to my place, I'll bring her back in time for the party. Shelly's home she'll help me take care of her." Peter nodded and ran into the house when he grabbed Tristan.
"Do me a favor, can you go get the tables from down stairs? I think I'm going to put some stuff outside since it's nice." Tristan turned his eye's from the car back to he house and followed Peter in. Seth walked around the car to put Alice in.
"It's going to be okay wonderland. Tristan went back inside and I'm taking you with me. I wont let him hurt you." Alice curled into a tighter ball and sobbed out some kind of apology that no one could understand. All Seth could so is listen to her and feel his insides tighten with the pain of seeing Alice like this. He walked around the car and drove off, keeping one hand one Alice's knee.
"Alice, please wonderland, answer me." Alice rolled over to the sound of Seth's voice. She propped herself on her elbow and went to lifted herself to a sitting position when she felt a sharp pain.
"Alice! Please you have to rest, you became so upset over this situation that you made yourself sick and weak." Alice finally opened her eyes when she saw Seth's soft smile and his worried eyes when she noticed it.
"Seth, what happened to you?" He had a cut under his right eye and it looked like a three inch gash, he needed to have clean and stitches.
"Oh," Seth breathed and started to put the hair on the back of his head. "Tristan was here fighting with Shelly and I got in between them. He said something about you and Shelly and I went at him, he got the best of my anger." At this point Seth and put a white cloth full of blood on the cut. "He cut me with his key." Alice couldn't believe what happened when she began to rant aloud.
"You weren't suppose to get hurt because of me. This was suppose to fix everything! God, why is this going so badly! I did this for your safety and all I wanted was for everything to go smoothly and to be happy again but I'm hurting you. Tristan was right I'm-"
"Alice, are you insane! I did this to protect you form how wrong Tristan really is! I'll take any kind of pain if it means keeping you safe, I faced so many of my own fears before and my biggest one is losing you. Alice never say that again please, because I love you and I need you to be strong." Alice's eyes spilled over with joy when she reached into her pocket, she handed him the folded piece of paper.
"I made it that first time you saved me from Tristan, when you held me in your lap outside of the house under the oak tree. When you kissed my forehead and told me that you'd always protect me and I'd never have to worry when you were around. Now I know why I couldn't get rid of it." Seth unfolded the paper to Alice's art work. It was them, under the oak tree. Alice's cheeks blushed pink, holding on to Seth's chest as he kissed her forehead. Seth looked down at Alice who was still laying on her side looking up at him.
"I love you." He whispered softly when he pressed his lips lightly against hers and held her. And silently they both thought how it was meant to be like this and how they secretly hoped this moment would never end.