Chapter 1

Is this what insanity feels like? Alice wonders as she walks down the road. Looking around, she saw them again. Them being the characters out of Alice in Wonderland. No one believes that she sees them, but there they are, walking along, just as oblivious to the as the rest of the world is to them. Am I the only one who sees them? She wonders, staring at the Cheshire Cat, who is walking beside her, still clueless. His ears prick up, and he looks her direction, and smiles a sweet, dangerous smile. Okay, maybe not as oblivious as I thought… She smiles back, but her smile was tentative, afraid even. Am I really insane? Or am I dreaming again? No, defiantly not that. I clearly remember waking up to Mother howling up the stairs that I'm going to be late. I also know that tint of remorse… no it was more like bliss and impatience to be rid of me, her insane sounding daughter. To just dump me on my teachers and classmates, like she couldn't take it anymore. I snap back to reality when I hear a low, boyish chuckle coming from the side of me—the side with the Cheshire Cat.

"Oh, dear me. Miss Alice, we're all insane here. Come have a little look!" He says, smirk at me, holding his arms out wide. Can he read minds or something? I thought, after stopping for a moment looking at him as he stops along side me, still grinning crookedly, and then continuing on walking, not looking at him, head down.

"Oh my, Miss Alice, you didn't know that we can read your mind?" The Cheshire Cat states, looking shocked, obviously faking.

"Oh, of course not!" I shriek, making everyone around me look at me weird. I look around, smiling sheepishly. In a quieter voice, I hiss defiantly, after I turn towards him again, "How could I when this is the first time one of you have talked to me!"

"What do you mean by that? No one else has talked to? Not even the Humans?" Smirking, he leans closer to me while interrogating me.

"Humans do, not you Wonderland creatures!" I lose my temper and hiss 'wonderland'. I'm completely exasperated with him now.

"Really? I didn't think I was the first!" The crooked smile is back. Something in my chest fluttered, only slightly, though.

"Yes you're the first of your kind to talk to me."

"Wow. What are you doing?" I am walking faster now, trying to get to school as fast as possible, not wanting to continue this stupid conversation. He is running to catch up with me.

Go away, go away, go way! I'm yelling in my head as I break into a full out sprint. I am only a few blocks from school, a place where I can ignore them easier because of classes. I can't believe how badly I want to get to school today. Normally, I hate to be there, because of my classmates and teachers… I contemplated as I ran even faster, almost knocking down everyone in my path as they lump out of my path, yelling loudly. The Cheshire Cat still hot on my tail. (No pun intended)

"Hey! Wait up!" now he's yelling after me, too, with a slight tinge of amusement in his voice. I glance behind me quickly, to see how far away he is, and find him right behind me.

SHIT! Is all I can think at that moment, running even faster if that's possible? I hurtle l around someone with their back turned, almost colliding straight into him. As I turn my eyes back again, I see him, too, yelling at me to slow down.

"Sorry!" I yell, bolting down the street again. Once again, I revolve my head around again, to see the Cheshire Cat jumping right over the pour man, now on the ground because he didn't jump high enough. I dash around the last bend to a straight-shot to my school. I tear down the street. Almost there, almost there! I cry in my head, picking up even more speed if that was even possible anymore, becoming a blur to the individuals around me. Maybe I should try out for track and field after this, seeing as how fast I'm running… I laugh in my mind while still hurtling down the road. Okay, maybe not… I think after this I've run far and fast enough for two lifetimes… I laugh again, just out loud this time. Now I'm wheezing heavily, slowing down to turn into the school yard, but only slightly. Slowing down even more as I near the school yard. Just about there, just about free… Gasping now, I decelerate ounce again. Very suddenly, I feel something thump into my side as I turn to run into the school yard.

"Oof!" I grunt as I'm knocked over by something completely solid and about the average weight of a boy my age. I hit the ground with a very large thunk, something or someone on top of me. I try to look up, finding I could. While looking up I realize that it is the Cheshire Cat that knocked me down. I try to say something, but when I do all the wind in my lungs comes rushing out. I lay my head down, looking up and expecting the sky, not faces. Both familiar and unfamiliar, staring down at me. I hear whispers, excited and scared. Now I realize that they aren't looking at me, but the heavy object on top of me. A person with cat ears and a tail protruding from his body, sprawled out on top of me. He seems just as shaken by the collision as I am. He is lifting up off of me, looking down at me. I can't see his face because of the sun being right behind his head, but I would say it seemed genuinely worried as it looked at me. So, to ease the owner of this face's worries, I smile sheepishly, a smile that doesn't quite reach my eyes, something the face's owner notices, its brow furrowing even more. I wonder why I want to ease this person's worries… also, who is this guy and why is he on top of me? I wondered, eyes giving of a blank look, face still smiling. I look at the face that still isn't quite clear, seeing as its current position directly in line with the sun blankets it in shadows. Also, I hit my head pretty hard on the ground when he knocked into me. Okay, I remember running… Alright it's all coming back… I was running from the Cheshire Cat that nobody else could see, trying to get to school, when something or someone ran into me. Now I'm in this awkward situation… Okay, who the hell is this guy on top of me and why is he staring at me? Also, why are the people around us staring at him?

"-ey! Hey! Are you okay?" A voice that sounds oddly like the Cheshire Cat sounds above me.

I, pulled out of my thoughts, look up and answer in a wonderfully ladylike manner, "Huh? Who? Me?"

"No, the ant that your head smashed. Yes, you!" The boy answers me sarcastically, obviously irritated. He continues, "Who else is on the ground underneath me? I only see you."

"Oh, Sorry. Yeah, I think. Now I have a question: Who are you?"

"Umm…Later, Okay?" He answers, sitting up finally. Allowing me to my elbows so I could see his face clearly. Though, at first, all I noticed is the fact that he is sitting on my waist, obviously not moving anytime soon.

Now looking at his face, I realize who he is, why people are staring, and why I saw triangles on his head earlier. It's the Cheshire Cat, arms crossed over his chest, my age, sitting on my waist while I'm propped up on my elbows, staring dumbstruck, at his face now blanketed by amusement. Another question came into my head, and being in the state I'm in, I blurt it out.

"Why can they," I say, pointing around at the people, "see you?"

"I'm not even sure myself…" He mutters more to himself than me.

"Oh, great! Happy Day, my worst nightmare has come true!"(sarcasms intended)

"I know, right?" He replies, laughing now.

"Yep!" I can't help but giggle along with him. The crowd was giving both of us that what-in-the-world-are-they-doing look. We keep on having hysterics as they watch, confused. Soon, though too soon(Wait, too soon?), he gets up off me and holds out his hand, suppressing laughter. I place my hand in his and he pulls me up onto my feet easily. The ring of bodies around us parts as he pulls me toward it, not releasing my hand. I'm looking around, realizing that I am still in front of my school. Unluckily, the principal and vice principal where walking down the lawn, first looking concerned and then looking very, very angry. Apparently, one of my classmates went and told the people in charge that I was knocked down by some guy at top speed.

"U-umm… W-we might want to b-book it…" I stutter as he tries to pull me through the larger crowd of adults, who appear not to want to move. The Cheshire Cat look-alike seems to be losing his temper and is starting to hiss at them, teeth beared. He looks back at me, the look in his eyes confused, face blank.

"Why?" He asks the simplest question ever.

"Because my principals are coming down the front lawn, straight at us, seemingly furious." I state matter of factly.

"Oh."

What a highly intelligent answer… passes through my head as he tows me through the crowd around us even faster, pushing and shoving the people out of the way. Once out, he breaks into a full on sprint down the street, the opposite way of the way we came. At the same time, he's pulling me unto his back so he can run faster, faster than he was earlier when he was chasing me.