Elliot and Alice both decided that it would probably be best just to keep our tour local, since it was really only my first day here and they didn't want to drag me around. Well, I was the one who said I didn't want to get dragged around, so Alice took my side. Poor Elliot was outnumbered, so he reluctantly agreed to hold off on the whole tour. I made sure to promise him that they could take me for the whole thing at a later time. Seeing as I didn't think I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, that promise would most definitely be fulfilled.
The center of town was a very interesting place, though by interesting I mean to say that it was a little...surreal. It was kind of unnerving to see so many people without faces walking around, especially in a setting that was kind of familiar to me. I can still remember walking around the center square of town back home as a little girl, holding Don's hand tightly so I wouldn't get lost. I felt a pang in my chest at the memory though and immediately pushed it aside. I didn't want to get sentimental and weepy in front of Alice or the trigger-happy hare.
As I'd said before, the center square's scene was very familiar. It was as if someone had taken one of the towns from home and made a copy of it to place here for my convenience. I found myself slightly comforted by the familiarity of the buildings and their merchandise. There were bookshops, clothing stores for men and women (I made sure to ask Alice about stores on the other side of the street to avoid her pulling me towards them), a few bakeries and cafes, and outdoor vendors selling various foods and material items. Alice knew a few of these vendors and greeted them with a wave.
After showing me some more highlights, Alice turned to face me. "What do you think?" she asked me eagerly, gesturing at the bustling square. Elliot, who had remained oddly quiet during most of the tour, glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, also waiting for my opinion of his home.
"It reminds me a lot of home, actually," I replied, stepping out of the way as two small children darted past my legs, obviously in the middle of a high-stakes game of Tag. "It's rather heartwarming to say the least." I caught a glimpse of Elliot's pleased smile and I felt my stomach do a tiny jump-it was as if I was happy that I'd made him smile like that. I snapped my attention back to Alice and gave her a little grin, focusing on her instead of the butterflies in my stomach.
"That's something I love about Wonderland," Alice told me with a grin. "Even though it can get really crazy here, there are some places that remind me a little of home." Her eyes suddenly lit up and she reached up and tapped Elliot's shoulder. "Let's take Ron to the sweets shop and get her some ice cream!" Alice said excitedly. My eyes lit up when she mentioned 'sweets,' and I got a big grin on my face when she said 'ice cream.'
Elliot opened his mouth to answer her, but he caught a glimpse of something over Alice's shoulder and his face fell. "I'd love to join you guys," he said, glancing over at me, "but I just saw one of Blood's business partners." I cocked my head quizzically at him and he sighed heavily. "Blood told me that if I saw him I needed to remind him of a business deal they're working on..." He was biting his lip nervously, glancing from me to Alice and back again.
I waved a hand at him airily. "Work comes before play, Triggy," I told him, the use of my nickname for him earning me a displeased glare. "Go on and talk to the guy," I rephrased, nodding my head at the man he'd seen. "You can meet us back here after you're done with your discussion, okay?" Elliot nodded glumly and I felt my insides twist a little bit. I had wanted him to come with us, but I didn't want him to get in trouble if he didn't follow Blood's orders. And yes, it was because I didn't want Elliot to get hurt or anything like that. I can be considerate sometimes, believe it or not.
"Alright then," Elliot muttered unhappily, his long ears drooping slightly. I felt my own mood dip a little bit when I heard the disappointed note in his voice. "I'll see you guys back here later then." He gave us a half-hearted attempt at a smile before walking around us and moving in the direction his target had disappeared to. I watched him as he moved farther away from us, trying to ignore the small knot of disappointment in my stomach.
"Ron?" Alice nudged me in the ribs to get my attention, which I quickly returned to her after blinking out of my daze. "Come on!" she said, pulling me to a shop with a sign that read 'Sugar Drop Sweet Shoppe.' "I have a feeling that you're going to love this place!"
'Sugar Drop' is like heaven on earth to anyone with a massive sweet tooth. Speaking as one of those people, I can tell you that my first statement is absolutely true. 'Sugar Drop Sweet Shoppe' is a gigantic ice cream, pastry, candy, and baked goods shop. Think of the largest ice cream store you've been to, then multiply it by two. Throw in an entire wing dedicated to all sorts of candies, some familiar and others that you could only dream about. Then add that amazing cake store you pass by with the beautiful decorations and the mouthwatering flavors.
And that's just the first floor.
There are two spiral staircases leading up to a second level, though you can see right through the ceiling because it's made of really strong glass. From what I could see (and what Alice would later let me explore), there was an entire bakery up there dedicated to delicious-looking pastries and even more candies. I could see workers making little biscuit-like cakes and swiping a brush with what looked like a sugar glaze over the top of it.
Like I said-this place is heaven on earth!
"This place is massive!" I exclaimed in delight to Alice, spinning around to get a good look at the place. I was feeling, quite literally, like a little kid in a candy shop. I was getting a sugar rush just looking at all the sweets in there. I was getting a few odd looks from some of the other customers, but I didn't care. This was completely and utterly amazing-it was Elliot's loss that he didn't come with us. Excuse you? a part of me whispered incredulously. Who was the one who told him he needed to work first?
Shut up, I told it. I was just saying that it sucks that he isn't here.
Again, whose fault was that?
...What part of 'shut up' don't you understand?
The shut up part, of course.
I can be super snide and annoying sometimes, can't I?
Alice finally managed to snatch my elbow and steer me over to the ice cream counter. "We'll come back and get you a bag of sweets later," she said with a giggle. "For right now, I want to treat you some ice cream!" Those words were music to my ears, and to my stomach. I bounced on the balls of my feet excitedly, my mouth watering as I glanced over all the delicious-sounding flavor names. Though I have to admit, some seemed a little strange. I mean, doesn't Fruity Chocolate Swirl sound a little much to you too? And Secret Breakfast sounds a little shifty too, doesn't it?
"Some of these taste a lot better than they sound, don't worry," Alice assured me, pulling out some money to pay for the ice cream. "But I think I'll treat you to your favorite-Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, right?" She giggled at my eager nodding and stepped up to the counter to order. After asking for my order she asked for her usual treat. The man behind the counter, another faceless with chestnut hair and grey streaks at his temples, accepted her payment and produced a rather colorful, triple scoop of what looked like Rainbow Sorbet.
A little bit later he handed her my ice cream, which I stole from her with eager haste. The delicious three-scoop creation was served in an elegant vase-like dish. Whipped cream and a candied cherry adorned the top of the last scoop, drizzled with some delicious fudge. I licked my lips eagerly-I could feel the sugar buzz coming on already, and I hadn't even taken a bite yet.
We made our way through the small crowd of people that had just come in from outside over to the sitting area. Alice sat down a little primly on her chair while I slid into mine, though it almost sent me off the seat entirely. I caught myself before I could completely fall off though, much to my amusement. After a small giggle fit Alice cried, "Eat up!" We ate our ice cream in pleased silence, occasionally letting out hums of delight. This was some seriously good stuff! "Uh, Ron?" she said, leaning forward and swiping her finger across the tip of my nose. "You had some whipped cream on your face."
I gave her a wicked grin, dipped my finger in my whipped cream, and dropped some on her cheek. "Well, now you have some too!" I laughed. She squeaked in outrage before taking some more of my cream and flicking it in my face, but I got the last word when I took my spoon, scooped up some more of it, and plopped it on her nose. "Ha!" I crowed triumphantly. "I win!" Chuckling, I took a big spoonful of ice cream and put it in my mouth. My eyes squeezed shut as a pounding headache suddenly sprung up. "AUGH!" I yelped. "My brain just froze over!"
Now it was Alice's turn to laugh. "Serves you right, Ron!" I joined in laughing with her after my aching head had settled down a bit. After a moment or two we started winding down. "You know, it's been a while since we've done this," Alice mused thoughtfully. "You know, just had some time together to laugh or do something together."
"Yeah," I agreed quietly. "It's been almost a month since we last had a day just for us girls." Alice nodded, looking a bit wistful. "Maybe we can do this again sometime," I suggested. "You know, since we're probably going to be here for a little longer."
"That's a great idea!" Alice exclaimed, her eyes lighting up happily. I saw her quickly glance over my shoulder and the light in her eyes suddenly died. "Oh, what is he doing here?" she muttered unhappily.
Confused, I turned in my seat to see just who it was that had caused my friend's sudden irritation. Aside from the brief glance of a man in a red tailcoat disappearing out of sight, I couldn't see anyone that Alice could have been talking about. There wasn't anyone watching us in the store or outside of it through the window. "Who were you talking about?" I asked, turning back to face her.
Alice sighed, biting her lip. "Never mind," she said quietly. "He's gone now-he was the man in the red jacket that just barely passed." I noticed that she looked a little bit upset, and her voice sounded like it was bordering on guilt.
My eyes narrowed slightly at this observation. "What's wrong?" I asked slowly. Alice shook her head, poking her spoon at her sorbet but not eating it. I leaned forward, my movement causing her to look up to meet my eyes. "Who was that man?" I murmured, trying to convey both concern and sternness.
Alice sighed and put her spoon down in her slowly melting sorbet. "It was Peter," she whispered guiltily. "He saw me and then he saw you, and I think he got jealous because he thought you were a new guy." She glanced up at me and gave me an uneasy smile. "He gets jealous when he sees me with anyone else but him. It's really annoying."
"I'll say it's annoying," I growled under my breath, stabbing my own ice cream with my spoon. There wasn't much left of it now, just a small little bit at the bottom in the middle of a chocolate flavored puddle. "Just how obsessed with you is this guy? Wait," I groaned, holding up my hand to stop Alice from answering, "I really don't want to know." I rubbed a hand over my eyes and sighed heavily. "Maybe I should have stayed in that stupid dress after all," I muttered unhappily.
"Ron, I could have told you that your getup could possibly cause us problems," Alice said, rolling her eyes. "People might think that you're my boyfriend or something like that." Her words reminded me of Boris' fairly awkward question (Had it really been just today? It felt like forever ago since I'd met the strange cat-boy.), and my head shot up so I could glare at her. "Well it's the truth!" Alice said indignantly. "You look like a boy, a boy close to my age nonetheless, and you look too much unlike me to be my brother," she said pointedly, reminding me of my close shave with Dee and Dum earlier. "What's the next most likely solution?"
I sighed heavily. "I guess you're right," I muttered, standing up when I noticed that neither one of us were going to finish the dregs of our ice cream. "I suppose I'd better start more like my gender," I said, "or at least keep my hair down or something." Alice stood up with me and we made our way out of the shop as an employee came and took our bowls and started wiping down our table. "Starting tomorrow, I will only dress in this particular outfit when I'm ransacking a house."
Alice rolled her eyes. "Since when were you a burglar, Ron?" she teased me, smacking my shoulder playfully. "You're about as stealthy as a bull in a china shop."
"Are you calling me clumsy?" I exclaimed in mock outrage, clapping a hand to my heart. The sugar in the ice cream was starting to make me a little more silly and more dramatic. And for the record, I'm not usually very dramatic. Sarcastic, certainly. Dramatic, not so much. "I'll have you know that I'm much stealthier than that hulking farm animal!" I protested to Alice, who was starting to giggle at my theatrics. "I'm sneakier than a lurking panther," I boasted, playing up the drama a little bit. "I'm quieter than a sleeping mouse! I'm-"
"Okay, okay!" Alice choked, trying to get control of her laughter. "I got it-you're pretty stealthy! I'll remember that!" She suddenly stopped mid-laugh, a flash of terror appearing in her eyes as her smile froze on her face. "Ron," she murmured, slowly starting to lose her color, "please tell me that you have your gun on you." She tried to force her smile to be a little bigger as she took my elbow and tried to pull me away from the alleyway we had paused in front of.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I stood my ground against her insistent tugging. "Have you ever known me to be without it?" I murmured before tossing back my head and laughing, pretending she'd told me something funny. From the way she was trying not to look behind me and the fact that the tingles on the back of my neck were getting stronger, I was guessing that we were being watched by someone. It was important to pretend that we hadn't noticed whoever it was, though I was worried Alice had already blown it.
"Alice, is there a gun being pointed at me?" I whispered softly to her. Alice tightened her grip on my elbow and giggled weakly. I swallowed hard-her silent confirmation, though frightening, had started the adrenaline pumping through my system. "Can you see who it is?"
"Their face is in shadow. I can't see who it is. I only saw the barrel of the gun."
Works for me, I thought to myself. "Go back to where we were meeting Elliot," I whispered, bending down to pretend to tie the laces on my boots, "and bring him here. I'm going to try and nail this guy." Alice bent down next to me, her frightened eyes begging me to just walk away with her. "Go on ahead, Alice," I said in a much louder voice. "I'll meet you in a sec. These laces really suck." I gave her a warning look, silently telling her to do as I said. I focused on my laces, watching her stand and walk off out of the corner of my eye.
Breathe.
I cursed casually under my breath as my laces continued to give me 'problems.' I slowed my breathing, focusing on the sounds around me instead of the pulsing in my ears. Time seemed to slow. Every sound seemed to be amplified, making my ears prick up at the slightest change in the pattern of footsteps and chatter.
Focus and isolate.
The sound I was listening for wouldn't be from in front of me. It would be from the alley directly behind me, and much slower than the bustle of the streets. I switched feet slowly, tilting my head slightly to pick on the almost imperceptible sound I'd heard just moments ago-the soft click of someone muffling the click of their gun being cocked.
Prepare.
Had I not been trying to locate them, I wouldn't have heard the soft footsteps approaching me. They stopped behind me and I pretended to slowly get to my feet. I kept myself bent over as I brushed dirt from my trousers, reaching down to get the knives from the sheaths in my boots. I really did have my gun, but I wanted to save it for the big finale.
3...2...1...
I rolled out of the way just as the gun went off. I jumped to my feet, raising my knives in an offensive position, turning to face my would-be killer before they tried to shoot me again. "Oh great," I growled as I got a good look at their face. "You were the last person I wanted to see right now," I spat, tightening my grip on the handles of my knives.
"The feeling is mutual," Peter White murmured, a smirk appearing below his ice cold eyes. "But," he went on, cocking his gun again, "I'm going to make sure that we won't have to worry about that anymore."
I sighed. "Why is it that almost everyone I meet here wants to kill me?"
*sheepish wave* H-hi guys. I'm back! I hope you really like this chapter-I think it's my longest so far. :3 I'm currently working on the next part, and I typed up the chapter that comes after it because...well, let's just say that music is very inspiring for me. :P Here's something to look forward to in the next part:
-Showdown between Peter and Ron!
-Ron showing off her skills during said showdown. :P
-An attempted rescue by Elliot. Do you think she needs it?
And a snippet from chapter 11:
"Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, you know."
"But I'm not talking to myself anymore, am I?" I countered with my own small smirk. "I'm talking to you now."
Hope to see you soon! :D
