Bubblegum
In the style of Alice Fortescue (Longbottum)
"Mommy whats that?"
Florean Fortescue turned her head to see what her little girl was pointing at. Alice was starring intently at a gum-ball machine. Her eyes wide and spark of curiosity danced about in her expression.
Florean smiled. "Oh Baby, that's a gum-ball machine. It's what muggle children put money into and out comes a sweet that they chew until it looses it flavor. It's called a gum-ball."
Alice furrowed her brow and bit her lip, and looked like she was concentrating real hard. She looked up at her mother with baby doe eyes.
"Mommy can I try one please."
"Miss. Fortescure no chewing gum in my class!"
Alice spit the gum into her wrapper – she would finish it later.
Alice unwrapped the package in her hands. Using her teeth she ripped off the cellophane cover and ripped open the package. Inside were sticks of hubba bubba gum.
Lily wrinkled her nose. "Alice do you mind not chewing like a cow. No offense mate, but I have an exam tomorrow and Im really stressed out-"
Alice blew a bubble in Lily's face. Her expression was priceless.
Sarah, one of Alice's best friend was going through Alice's trunk looking for an extra skirt since her's was still in the wash. What she found instead was ten packs of gum and eight empty ones.
Alice popped the bubble in her mouth. She chomped loudly, and chewed harder.
Alice rubbed her head on the sides. The stress was getting to her. Somedays it felt as if her entire life was surrounded by her studies. It was if the Professors thought that they had no life outside of school. She had a chapter test for Charms tomorrow and two quizzes for Transfiguration and Ancient Runes this week.
Alice chomped down on the gum and missed and bit her tongue. Hard.
"OW!" she cried out.
The gum had fallen out of her mouth
She sucked on her tongue to try to ease the pain.
Hidden in her drawers were packets full of sugary gum sticks and balls. Tucked in between in her socks, in between her books, even in her school trunk there was a special place for her sweets
"Alice have you seen my gum pac..." Frank stopped. Alice was sitting on their bed. Blankets wrapped around her. Gum and candy wrappers littered the floor. A container of chocolate ice-cream was in her lap. The t.v. was just sitting there playing some muggle movie with a singing lady cleaning a cottage, while birds and other animals helped. Frank would never understand muggle movies.
"Alice you ok." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her. She rested her head on his shoulder, and blinked back tears.
"Its...its just that your of fighting in a war, and i'm stuck at home with morning sickness. I can't fight, how I am I suppose to know if things are getting better, if I can't see for myself. MY mother is dead from this war and...and not to mention I have a freaking baby in my stomach Longbottum!"
Alice sat up and directed a firm gaze onto him. "What am I suppose to do, I can't even walk! I waddle Frank. I freaking WADDLE! You walk that look off your face this instant before I give you a first hand example of what I did to Bellatrix Lestrange before I got too pregnant to stop kicking her ass!"
"Alice." Frank began.
"Oh! Don't you Alice me!" She snapped. "You could die out there! And I won't even know, because Im sitting in our room eating sweets and chewing bubblegum. While watching muggle movies trying to convince myself that you're all right and that you know what your doing. That your not going to do something stupid and leave our kid fatherless!" Alice was breathing heavily now, and Frank was staring at her with wide eyes.
"Alice, I know exactly what Im doing, and I wouldn't be doing it if I wasn't confident I wouldn't be able to come home to you. Im a coward like that. I couldn't live without you. And soon I won't be able to live with my baby son." Frank pressed his hand onto Alice's stomach. "I love you." he told her.
"I love you too." she murmured, kissing him.
After they pulled away from each other.
Alice quickly took in a breath and Frank looked at her in concern. She cursed. "Freaking hormones messing with my emotions. I swear if I suddenly start crying in the middle of an order meeting..."
Frank pulled her into a hug and smirked at his wife.
"You know Al."
"Hmm" she asked as she snuggled into his side.
"I just came in here to see if you found my gum packet."
Frank was socked in the shoulder and fell off the bed.
Alice didn't really understand who he was. She recognized the man as her roommate and the one who would hold her. He was the holding man.
She knew the nurse was nice. She was the nice nurse lady.
The old lady who came to visit was the stern lady.
But the boy who came every now and then. She knew him as the gum-giver. She didn't remember why or how. But she somehow knew in her foggy mind that she had loved this sweet substance for a very long time. You see, Alice knew four things about this gum boy.
1. He always brought her a different packet flavor
2. He's name was Neville he told her that every time. She liked that name-Neville.
3. He called her mum.
4. He called the holding man, dad.
Alice didn't know what those meant but she hoped one day she could. She couldn't speak, but she could chew, and somehow her chewing the sweet and giving the wrapper to Gum boy Neville was enough for him. And for some reason it made her feel tingly in the stomach and her heart soar. Gum boy made her happy.
Hello sorry for the late update guys, but I have a pre SAT coming up so study study study!
XOXO -Bookworm Long
