I'm ALIIIVEEE~

Chapter 7

"Thanks for driving me home." Alice thanked after they stopped at her house and he grinned his signature grin. Alice got out quickly and for some reason he followed but it was probably so he could sneak a peek inside. Alice was about to ask if he wanted something to drink, when she noticed something. Or rather, not noticed something.

"Hm, I wonder if he's tired," Alice muttered to herself, not taking notice of Xerxes' look at her but opening the door. Her parents were probably both home in the living room or something.
"I'm home!" Alice shouted and opened the door to await the running dog. But he didn't come. Alice looked around and Xerxes stayed outside after she didn't say anything.

"Mom," Alice asked as soon as she spotted her mom in her office. "Where's Bander?"

"I don't know, in your room?"

"He would've come down. Is he feeling sick?"

"How should I know Alice, it's your dog." Alice frowned at the reply and looked at the emptied grocery bags.

"You did the groceries?" Her mother nodded, typing something on her keyboard and Alice breathe hitched. Her mother tended to leave the door open when she packed in the groceries… and when Alice wasn't home, Bander had a horrible tendency to walk outside to sniff her out.

"You left the door open, didn't you?" Her mom shrugged, muttering something along the words 'probably' and Alice gaped. "Mom, you know Bander walks away then! Didn't you see him?"

"Jesus Alice, I'm trying to work here! I don't know if Bander walked out or not, but yes, I haven't heard of him quite a while now. Rather than screaming to me here, go try and find him. I'll tell your father to help when he gets home, all right?"

Knowing any reply would be futile Alice groaned and sped out of the house again, taking the leash with her. Surprisingly, Xerxes still stood there and he looked up at her sniffing.
"Something the matter?"

"Bander's out somewhere." Alice replied miffed before walking out onto the street. Xerxes walked after her, leaning on his car when she whistled thrice.

"Your dog, right? Didn't you train him?"

"Yeah, I trained him to be with me. So he runs away if I'm not there to be found, I guess. Oh, I have to go and search. Maybe the park. At school, maybe he went that far… Oh, he wouldn't have run off to the city, right?" Alice started panicking and moved to run across the street when Xerxes stopped her.

"Oi, you're not going to search for him this late, that's dangerous. Besides, he might be sleeping somewhere and come back tomorrow."

Alice glared at him. "He's an old dog Xerxes, he's probably scared out of his wits! I need to find him before he gets hurt!"

"And get yourself hurt in the process? No way."

"Just leave already, I got better things to do." Alice muttered angrily, snatching her arm back. Xerxes sighed and with a soft beep he locked his car.

"Fine, I'll come with you. The park you say? Let's start there, and take it slow. Panicking doesn't get you anywhere." He began walking that direction with his hands in his pockets and Alice frowned before following him quickly.

"What does he look like?"

"Dark-colored boxer." Alice replied quietly. He smiled.

"Boxers, nice taste. They're great friends."

"To humans yes. Most of them, including Bander, can't get along with other dogs."

"Tell me about it. My mother had one when I was a child and I could do everything I wanted, but hell would freeze over if I'd give another dog attention." He chuckled at the memory and Alice looked at him.

"Your mother seems like a kind person."

"I guess she does." He shrugged and winked at her. "But that's not manly of me to say. What do stereotype teenagers say now? She's an annoying hag who can't stay out of my business?"

Alice snickered lightly and shook her head. "That's what idiots say. Real people dare to say they love their parents."

"Sure, I love 'em."

"So do I. My parents then." Alice added quickly, wondering that if she didn't he'd take it the wrong way. He nodded and they walked on silently for a while before entering the park after ten minutes. Alice, having thought of her leash, wiggled it around so it'd make a recognizable noise. Sadly, it didn't get any response except for a bird to fly away from it's hiding place.

After a quarter Alice gave up and started to get teary again. "Oh what if he's hurt! What if a car ran him over and he's dead or dying and I don't even know! I shouldn't have gone out tonight; it's my fault!" Hugging herself Alice already grieved for her dog, who was probably still alive. Xerxes sighed and scratched the back of his forehead.

"Calm down, you're overreacting. My pets ran away thousands of time and the only thing that happened to them was a scratch on their noses from a cat."

"But, but…"

"No but. Look, I suck at comforting someone but I know it wouldn't be necessary because with an owner like you, that dog ought to have an attitude and is probably enjoying himself a warm meal somewhere now."

"That's exaggerated." Alice mumbled. "And what do you mean owner like me? I'm a perfect owner!"

"Exactly, dogs running away isn't the fault of their perfect owners." He looked her over before raising his hand and patting her on her head.

"Come on, lighten up. And if you're going to cry any longer I'm going to tape it and put it on YouTube."

"That's mean! Idiot!"

He chuckled amused at her antics and Alice huffed, looking away embarrassedly. Well, she did stop crying. They were silent for a while before Xerxes cleared his throat and pulled his hand away, stuffing it in his pocket.

"Well… let's continue then." He said quickly and Alice blinked, snapping back to the situation and nodding. He grinned at her and Alice sniffed a little. She was going to tie Bander on a long rope that didn't reach to any doors to the wild outside from now on. But she'd probably weep all over him when they found him.

That is if they found him. They'd been searching for two hours and ended back up at Alice's street. Said person was now positively crying, judging from a whimper now and then. Xerxes walked ahead of her, and she was partly glad for that. Well, she wasted his evening now.

At her house he stopped and sighed, slumping his shoulders. "Wow, we really wasted an evening." Alice felt a little hurt at that, but he had read her mind.

"Yeah, I guess." Looking up at him, Alice saw he had a big grin on his face. "What are you smiling for?"

"Someone's waiting at the window~"

Alice whirled to the window and, surprise, surprise, Bander was staring outside rather miffed. When Alice began to move he barked and left, presumably to walk over to the door. Normally a dog jumps his owner when it comes back but as soon as Alice opened the door she grabbed her dog and squeezed it against her.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid dog! What do you think you were doing, mister? You scared the hell out of me! Oh man, you're gonna get it now! No snacks for a week! And you're not sleeping on my bed tonight! Oh no, don't make those eyes at me!" Alice immediately scolded, having dropped to her knees and nuzzling in his fur.

Xerxes leaned on his car and grinned amusedly, wondering if the girl knew how cute she could be sometimes. Honestly, the dog wouldn't understand a word and would do all those things while she would approve it anyway. She was really just that predictable.

He nodded to a man who appeared in the doorway (probably her father) and unlocked his door. "Oooi, Alice, I'm leaving!" He shouted over to her and Alice looked up from Bander's fur, to happily give him a bright smile.

"Thank you very much!" He looked at her with a weird expression before he nodded and got into his car, looking outside again to see Alice walk back inside with her dog following obediently.

The next week went by pretty much without any out of the ordinary problems. On Friday Alice was late for school. This already got her on the bad side of her teacher, but she had a chance to make it right again! So she sat silently throughout the whole lesson. On the end of the day, she had the same class with the same teacher… only because popular guys never show up first hour (or something), Oz wasn't there first. And now he was.

"Hey Alice!" Oz greeted happily and Alice, too caught up in her memory of how Xerxes started a food fight with some of his friends and how she was almost caught up in it, but got saved thanks to Lottie who wandered by. Of course Xerxes didn't even apologize when Alice scolded him for it.

Anyway, she was distracted when he called and in response, dropped the books she had been pulling out of her bag. Oz grinned widely and sat on the seat in front of her, in the meanwhile grabbing her books from the ground.

"Uhm.. Elliot sits there." Alice quietly said but Oz shrugged; he knew Elliot was not here today as well, because of P.E.. He must've heard when Alice told the teacher he was at the hospital all day.

Seeing class hadn't started yet and he was still turned to her, Alice felt uncomfortable and made some small talk.

"How is Lily doing?" The teacher walked in but didn't say anything yet so Alice didn't open her books.

"Fine, I guess. She has a cold so isn't showing up today or tomorrow." He shrugged indifferently and Alice wondered if they broke up already, so soon.

"I talked to her on the phone, this morning. She seemed kinda angry." Alice decided on saying. Well she didn't really talk to Lily but she got a text from her.. and the text sounded a little distant. He smiled slightly.

"Yeah, but she should know I don't like real relationships. I'm a free man, y'know?" Alice frowned. Oh, she hated it when people thought that. Either just bind yourself to someone or don't, don't let them keep waiting or hoping.

"But have you asked how she fe-"

"Miss Alice. I would like it if you'd open your books and seeing you got late today, you better behave." Alice bit her lip and nodded solemnly, opening her books quickly.

"Chill it, we were only talking. It's not like anyone is paying attention yet."

"For that comment Oz, you just got yourself and Alice an hour of detention. And don't bother to forget because I do know your parents too well."

"Cranky." Oz muttered when the teacher turned around and snickering went around the class before it started. Alice leant her head on her desk and pouted angrily. Now she had to be in this building for an hour more! She already had such a headache…