Can

You SNAPPED

See CANADA

Me

NOW?

"Well, maybe we should group together to try this!" A loud voice chimed into the stupid arguing. I looked at the owner of the daring comment. He was standing over the table, hands placed on the black wood, and his eyes glowing with triumph of grasping the attention of the others. "Since I'm the hero, I'll lead the group!" He laughed a mocking laugh. I glared at him disapprovingly. But, of course, I was invisible.

"America, you idiot!" The one named England fiercely hit the "hero" in the back of his head. America yelped and rubbed the spot where England smacked him. "I think I should lead the search party." His thick eyebrows furrowed as if he were thinking.

"Oh-ho-ho… Britain?" My gaze traveled once again, but to the long, blond-haired man named France. "I think I should lead the group."

"In your dreams, Frog!" England (Britain) shouted, pushing the man dressed in blue over the table. Suddenly the Frenchman and the Englishman were on the floor, trying to pull each other's hair out.

"Don't you think I could be leader, da?" The silver-haired man, Russia, spoke up, his arm wrapped around a horrified China.

China just shivered, looking like he didn't want to upset Russia or say "no" in any way. He nodded, and then tried to pry the younger country off of him. "Aiyaa! Russia, please get off me, aru!"

Russia just stood there unblinking, but took his arm off China. "Da…"

All I did was watch as the chaos unfolded. It was all I could do. What was I supposed to say? "Hey, guys, will you notice me? I'm part of the Allies, too…" Well I have said that—and it doesn't work. I've tried screaming, but I'm not very good at that. I'm just so quiet. The only time people notice me is when they need something or mistake me for my brother, America. Sometimes I wished I could punch something. That feeling was new. I didn't recognize the flaming inside me; I had thought it was just nervousness or something. But then I cracked my knuckles and dove my fist into a pillow, and the feeling bubbled and made me feel better.

Rage. That's what I thought it was. I still wasn't sure, but I was going for it. I had never felt true, unmasked rage before, so I kept going over it in my head. But rage was the only idea I had.

It was only when the clock struck three o'clock when I realized I was alone. I had been staring into space and everyone had left while I once-again pondered my mixed feelings.

Sighing, I stood up and talked quietly to my polar bear, Kumijirou, "Why don't they notice me?" I was shocked by the sudden loudness in my own voice. It must just be the emptiness in the room… I told myself. Yes, of course.

"Who're you?" The white bear replied. I wanted to hit him. He never remembered my name! At least I had finally learned his name.

"My name is Canada! I'm your owner, you stupid bear!"

A gasp escaped my lips. Had I really just called my pet stupid? Had I really just yelled? I had just yelled. I had just called Mr. Kumijirou stupid. "I—I'm sorry!" I quickly held my bear tight and sort of cried into his fur. His paw landed on my arm, and he licked my arm. I grinned as I pulled away. "I'm sorry."

He flicked his ears to acknowledge that he heard me, then licked his paw to clean his fur. "It's ok, Canada!"

Those words had made my day.

Later that night, I lay curled in my bed, trying to sleep. Trying. I couldn't get my eyes to shut. The new found skill of being able to yell frightened me. But what was worse than frightening me was the fact it amazed me more. I trembled with contentment over the new-found "power"—if you could call it that.

I glared over at my brother's bed below me. I was sleeping on the top of a 3-story bunk bed. America was right below me, and someone who I had never met and always snuck in late was on the lower, ground level bed. I thought I heard America mention his name was Mexico once. I shrugged and just felt like watching the "mighty" U.S. of A. sleep. Why? I didn't know.

"America, why don't you notice me?" I asked, even though I knew for a fact he wouldn't answer me. "America, you're my brother. You should realize when I'm in the room." I then noticed my voice was gradually getting louder and louder, and Kumijirou was starting to stir. "Oh… sorry again," I sat next to him once more and sank into the covers. I didn't want him to know what I was doing. I didn't want anyone to know how I felt. I didn't want anyone to know I was changing.

"Dude! Wake up!"

I shook my head, unwillingly opening my eyes. What I saw horrified me.

My brother.

"Check it out, yo!" America swung his arm out to show me what he was pointing at. He slid down the ladder and landed on the floor with a thump. He flapped his arms wildly, trying to get my attention. Attention? Grabbed. It was enough for him to just wave his arms because it made me crack up. He looked like a dodo bird.

"What?" America cocked his head to the side.

"Oh, nothing," I held back a laugh. "Now, what did you want to show me?"

It looked as if a light had been flicked on in my twin's head. "Oh! Dude, you are not going to believe this. C'mon, follow me," He started marching out the door. Literally.

"Er… Okay," I grabbed Kumijirou and ran.

If I hadn't known my way around the vacation house so well, I would have gotten lost because of how fast my "guide" was sprinting. It took me a while to circle through, but when I got to the large, dark-bronze/green doors, America was holding them wide open for me. The light was blinding at first, so I waited impatiently for my eyes to adjust.

"Well?" America chuckled, "Isn't this the best? I mean, dude, I've wanted something like this to happen since, like, forever." He suddenly jerked my arm forward and I stepped fully into the sunlight. I grabbed my bear tighter and he squirmed underneath my grip. I almost wanted to squeeze him tighter, make him cry. The thought lasted a second, but made me feel as guilty as the time I kicked Tony, America's alien-thing. I shook my head to clear any unwanted thoughts and swiped back a couple of my bangs. "Hello? Dude. Yo. Earth to Canada!"

"H-huh? O-oh, y-yeah. Sorry. Um…" When my eyes finally adjusted, I noticed the people around me first.

Japan, who was standing next to America, held up his camera and snapped a picture of my face. Somehow I expected it because my expression was priceless, judging from how France was trying to hold back a chuckle. America got my attention first—he once again made me believe our mother was part bird or something with the way he motioned his arms; China kept trying to inch farther and farther away from Russia, who was trying to get closer and closer; France keeled over in enjoyment; Japan was taking picture after picture; Germany was… straight faced; (North) Italy was hugging the German's arm while laughing softly. England was—the object of the picking.

He was as read as a maple leaf, blushing from utter embarrassment. He had his eyes in a shadow of dirty-blonde hair, his hands clenched in fists by his sides. His whole figure clearly shouted desperately, "Save me! Help me! I'm surrounded by idiots!"

He had white sandals on over his bare feet, a…skirt…on that only covered high on his thighs and up, a white tank-top-like shirt with a frilly neck, and a golden headpiece that reminded me of a halo, almost. "This isn't fair." England kept muttering, along with a few British words that I figured were insults or curses. "This wasn't part of our bet."

"Now, Mon Angleterre," France had a cat-like smile glued to his lips, "Do as I've said. Like we practiced," He snapped his fingers.

I tried to hold back a laugh as England held up his left hand and waved around a pink fairy wand tipped with a star and threw it in the air. He caught it perfectly and started treating it like a baton: spinning, flipping, wagging it. Then he lifted his leg half-gracefully behind him like a ballet dancer, started twirling, and jumped into the air. He landed easily, almost like he had done this before. I started to wonder if he had…

"I hate you, Frog." England snapped, "Even more, you son of a wanker."

"I am a wanker, England, not a son of one." France was still laughing.

"How did I know?" The Brit retorted sarcastically, then leapt up and landed legs out on either side, a painful-to-me-looking split.

America was holding his stomach and crying from laughter, so I went over, laughing as much as him, and patted his back. "Y-you're right, A-America, this is a-awesome…"

"Told you, dude." He coughed then shortly caught his breath.

Kumijirou started pawing at me, his rough tongue scratching my arm. "Canafalala, I'm hungry."

I took a deep breath, patted his head, and nodded. "Alright, Kumifigi."

"Men! Up! Now! We've spent too long resting! Get up and ready in five!" A door slammed shut.

I sleepily yawned, rubbed my eyes, and turned over. I slid down the ladder. Why did we have to do this over our vacation?

I threw a pillow over America and shook him until his eyes half-opened, glazed with fatigue. "Brother, you need to wake up. Switzerland's getting mad. We've 'spent too long resting', as he says. Come on." I walked out to get ready.

"That was over five minutes!" The former mercenary shouted fiercely at us, his gun loaded and by his side, grasped firmly in his hand. "We have absolutely no time to waste! She could be dead. And I don't want to think about that." Switzerland looked as if he had had no sleep in the past few nights, from when his sister had gone missing. "Search party. I will lead the main, center one. Who will lead the left flank?"

France raised his hand and approached the shorter-but-scarier blonde man, practically dancing. "Moi! Angleterre and I had a bet, and I won. And he danced for us as his hoata form and—"

Switzerland raised his hand to stop France short. "You do not have permission to speak. And, otherwise, I don't give a damn about your sex life." The Swiss man coughed, and then motioned for the offended Frenchman to stand on his left. "We have bigger problems. My sister's alone out there. I don't have time for these games! Or do you not see?"

A shot rang out and everyone jumped. A shiver wiggled its way down my spine. Swiss had fired his gun, but only as a warning. "Now!" He commanded and motioned to our group. "Right flank leader."

Germany stepped up. "Me."

"Good. An assertive."

The Allies went with France and the Axis, Lithuania and Poland went with Germany. Austria, Hungary, Prussia, Belarus, and Ukraine went with Switzerland. I, myself, attended with France.

"Alright, troops," Switzerland barked out orders and we eagerly listened.

The groups started going towards their separate ways, and I thought I heard Swiss murmur, "It's going to be fine, Liechtenstein. I'm going to be the hero this time. I'll save you."