Perfection
Alec notices how Adelia seems chirpier this morning than most. He knew something was up the moment she offered him pancakes. No one else seems to notice, since they're too engulfed into a world full of calories, strawberry jam and a honey ocean in their plates.~ Two-shot. All human.
It's quite funny how things turn out at the end. It's as if as the adventure starts; whether it's a good beginning or not, you think that's how it'll remain on the whole journey. You don't expect any changes to happen and if it's ruthless there isn't much you could do but watch your nightmare unfold in front of you.
Be the king on the top of the world watching what used to be a seamless kingdom burn into pure ashes.
There are usually no tears, and no regret. What is compunction, either way? It's the feeling of wanting to go back in time and reset the past into the moment all the mess started. But why hope if you know it's no use? Suffering and accepting the deep dark fate is all that's left. If it's a happy start, you're still not satisfied. You start feeling greedy for more, more to perfect your life. Perfection, another problem about humanity.
It is an illusion of the human mind. It's really more like a vice than a virtue. Witty thought, the way we all let our stupid minds get in the way of awareness of what happens around us. We see, but we don't watch. We refuse to, and we decide creating our own small world is better than facing reality.
That's one of the problems with the Volturi family.
X-X-X
He heard it before he saw it. There was a huge loud smack coming from the other side of the wall followed by a yelp and a string of inaudible cusses. After letting out a sigh he walked out of his room, ignoring his roommate's snores, and walked downstairs towards the main hall. He refused to look to see what had happened in the room aside of his, since he had a fair idea.
"Good morning." He said solemnly, offering no further words before pouring himself cereal. The gray-haired lady turned around to look over her shoulder, her lips turning up to give him a smile.
"Good morning dear, do you want some pancakes?" She asked, and Alec raised an eyebrow in amazement. She never made something as complicated as that, since she'd have to make enough to feed the whole house. About 75 flapjacks, he calculated, without counting the extra ones she'd have to make after someone would rob some more when they think no one's looking.
"Thank you for the offer, Adelia, but I'll have to decline. I'm not very hungry this morning." He said with a curt nod. Adelia stared at him worriedly.
"Are you sure? Are you getting sick?" She asked and leaned the back of her hand towards his forehead to try and check his temperature. Alec dodged her hand and backed away with a sigh, shaking his head. As much as he appreciates the attention, he still felt overwhelmed with it even after all these years.
"Adelia, I'm fine." Alec started, but he was cut off as a large figure entered the big room while grumbling endlessly.
"What happened?" Adelia asked, and Alec wanted to roll his eyes. Is it wrong to suddenly feel hate towards someone just because they have given you more care than anyone else? Just because you refuse to get used to it? Alec thinks not.
Felix huffed and turned around; Alec couldn't contain his amused snort as he noticed his black eye.
"I got into a fight with my door. The door won."
Trust Felix to get a black eye for trying to open his goddamn bedroom door.
"Care to show me how you manage to do such rash things with the simplest actions?" Alec asked innocuously, his auburn eyes boring with innocence into Felix's. Felix glared at him and Alec gave him a confident and conceited smile, nodding for him to dare say something. When Felix didn't comment anything Alec gave him a smug smile.
The fact that Felix was older and physically more built didn't change that Alec could emotionally scar you and was known to be capable of anything, thus making others fear him. It was one of the reasons he didn't have much friends here, and it annoyed him to no end that he was forced to see everyone here as family.
Alec has no fucking family.
That is, without counting his blood-related younger sister.
"Enough." Adelia snapped, giving Alec a warning glance. Alec smiled and left the kitchen as she started going all 'You poor baby!' on Felix, leaving his cereal behind. He wasn't hungry anymore.
X-X-X
"No. But, dude! You should have seen it. It's, like, one minute he's pulling the door for it to open with all his strength while gritting his teeth, and the next he's on the floor on the other side of the room with his hand over his eye as if he was trying to keep it in his socket!" Demetri rambled, grin plastered on his face as he sat on Alec's bed with his legs crossed and using his hands to gesture movements, like smacking his hands together once he mentioned Felix crashing against the door and flying across the room.
"It was hysterical. I seriously didn't even have time to ask if he was alright before I started laughing my ass off." He continued, beaming and snickering. Alec nodded, listening politely and too respectful to tell Demetri off. That didn't mean he wasn't considering it.
Demetri was nice and all, knew when to make a corny joke to break an awkward silence and was nice, though maybe not tremendously mature. But Alec barely had known him for a year. And if he hasn't opened up to Adelia and others whom he's known since he got here, he wouldn't break the wall around Demetri anytime soon.
"Dem!" A shrilly voice called from far away. Demetri's eyes lightened up and his grin widened.
"Gotta go. See ya later, Alec!" He said, before running out of the room. Alec isn't stupid when he says he knows what's been going on around Heidi and Demetri. He's pretty sure they've been fucking for a while now, even though they're 'brothers'.
Alec notices how Adelia seems chirpier this morning than most. He knew something was up the moment she offered him pancakes. No one else seems to notice, since they're too engulfed into a world full of calories, strawberry jam and a honey ocean in their plates.
X-X-X
It's 2 pm when it happens. Adelia makes the loud bell sound throughout the house and everyone runs down the stairs to see what it's all about, since they all know the bell sound means important news.
They all either seem eager or afraid. Alec is among the few who calmly walk down the stairs, his roommate Afton at his side. Alec likes Afton. He's quiet –doesn't talk unless talked to- and doesn't ask questions. Alec wishes the whole house was like him.
"What do you think it's about?" His twin sister, Jane, hisses at him as soon as he finished walking down the stairs and walked towards the ball of people around Adelia. Alec shrugged.
"I don't know. But I'm sure it's rather big news after having us all come down here." He said. Jane nodded and turned in front.
Apparently, it was rather big news. Not enough to have everyone gasping in surprise but enough to make Alec raise an eyebrow. Certainly something he wasn't expecting.
Adelia had welcomed a new member to the 'family.' (Alec found it annoying she said that word. Really irritating considering that after escaping and being in the Volturi Runaway Children Shelter he didn't feel like having anyone but Jane.) The girl was medium sized and a nice fair skin tone. Her eyes were wide and a deep chocolate color and had plum lips that were naturally red. Alec tried to pretend he didn't notice.
Her arms were crossed defensively across her chest and as Alec noticed her judging gaze upon everyone in the room, Alec felt himself get a ordinary liking for her.
There were immediate whispers in the room as everyone stared at her. All were talking about her right in her face and Alec found it childish. Jane too, judging by the way she rolled her eyes and walked upstairs. Felix followed her along with Chelsea. Afton followed Chelsea. Heidi followed Chelsea as well. Demetri followed Heidi and soon all were upstairs again pretending they didn't care a shit about the newcomer.
"Her name is Isabella." Adelia had said.
But everyone had already baptized her as 'new girl'.
Alec lied on his bed, reading a book he had read many times already. It's not as if he could buy another.
Even though they never said it, Alec could tell. He could feel Felix's, Demetri's and others' envious stares as they passed his room and saw him through the open door reading. Most didn't know how to since they had left their home long before they were any older and had forgotten how to or because they simply never got the chance. But Alec had decided to escape him depressive home with his sister at his side three years ago, when he was fourteen. He still remembered and didn't plan on ever stopping. And he certainly wasn't going to teach anyone. He simply didn't have the patience.
Isabella had claimed the room aside from his and Afton's and Alec wondered how even after the shelter seeming full there was still room for more homeless kids. Adelia had too much heart to be stuck in this place taking care of all of them along with her husband, who worked to give them all to eat and clothes to wear. Alec almost hated himself for disliking them.
There was a knock at the entrance of his room and he looked up, surprised to see Isabella leaning in the doorway casually. As if she had every right to be there.
Alec sighed and stared at her. "Yes?"
Isabella stared back for a while before a wry smile spread across her face.
"Hey. Just wondering what the hell I'm supposed to do right now. You know, since I doubt the point in coming here was just sitting on my bed and staring at the ceiling." She said with a shrug. Alec pursed his lips to evade the smile that threatened to show. Instead, he watched her cautiously, daring her to take a step closer just like he does to everyone else.
"We work tomorrow morning. Today is a free day. You simply rest all day and do whatever you want to wake up early tomorrow to go out. Knock yourself out." He replied, turning back to his book and ignoring Isabella, thinking that was enough answer she needed.
"Work? I mean, I knew you couldn't just be here for freebut work. I thought we had to do laundry or something." She complained. Alec sighed and finally gave up on his book, looking up to her.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Isabella, but that's not the way it works here." He responded.
Her head cocked to one side and she stared at him, seeming a bit less threatening. Alec mentally snorted at the thought of everyone else in the house being frightened at her rigid posture. "What are we going to work on?"
Alec shrugged and began twirling his pen around his fingertips.
"We sell newspapers."
Isabella stills for a minute before relaxing.
"Thank god, I thought I was going to have to turn into a prostitute or something." She sighed with relief. Alec snorted and she took the liberty to walk into the room and lie next to him on his bed.
"You overthink things." He said shortly. She turned her head to face him and grinned.
"You're here too. So, don't we all?"
Like he had said before, he was taking a liking in her.