- A Beautiful Tomorrow - An Ambient Generation

. . . Fallen Embers . . .

Whew another chapter complete! I feel like the most sinister evil force writing this one. –cackle -Read, my followers!

Alice limped home. Her wrist was shooting pains down her arm. When she and Yuri fell, she had stuck out her hands to break the fall. Alice had a guess that they were sprained, fractured, or broken.

She let out a soft vulnerable sigh and gently rubbed her wrist. The gift she had bought for her mother was lost. Well not exactly lost; more like ruined. Alice had bought her a music box, but when the accident occurred, it had hit the ground forcefully and was smashed to bits.

There goes 75 dollars down the drain, She thought glumly. Her large house came into view and Alice quickened her limping pace.

Confusing thoughts chased each other in her head.

Yuri saved her because…?

Because it was the right thing to do, She told herself. If HE was about to get hit by a crazy taxi, you know you would have saved him too.

"You should thank him. He saved your life."

Alice guiltily lowered her head. Not much of thanks she had given him. Instead of; Thank you, she could have said; thank you, Yuri. I owe you my life. Or… would that have been too… cheesy?

It was weird. Ever since Alice had started high school, she had never thought she would owe YURI HYUGA a favor. She slowly climbed up the driveway to her house, still lost in thought.

-

Alice faced another problem by the following morning. Her hand had swelled, and around the wrist of her left hand, there were dark bruises. Every time she bent her hand, a strong pain would jerk inside.

It had to be broken. Or sprained. Or fractured. Alice panicked, wondering what to do. Maybe the school nurse could fix it? She doubted this. The only solution was to go tell her mother and get yelled at for not informing her when it had happened OR go to the hospital herself.

Yes, Alice thought nervously. Go to the hospital—AND MISS SCHOOL? No way. It had to wait. After school, Alice decided, wincing lightly. I can stand it till then.

-

Something was different.

Alice sensed it the minute she stepped into the school building. The minute she did, everybody within 20 feet looked at her. Their lips curled into knowing smiles and smirks.

She slowly started walking down the hallway, trying to appear unaware that everyone was staring at her. Whispering, laughing, and giggling.

Finally, she heard the first call; "Hey Elliot! You wanna gimme some!" Choked laughter followed after the comment.

Alice was swimming in confusion and dread. She was starting to slowly feel irate. Did they always have to bother her? And what the heck was the rumor this time? She felt sick with repulsion. She already felt sick because of her wrist-

Focus, She commanded herself, Just get to your safe.

More people started jeering. Calling things that didn't make sense. Alice merely quickened her pace and tried to ignore them.

"Hey I'll be waiting tonight, Elliot!"

"Hey slut, we're talking to you."

More yells.

Finally, she reached her locker. Somebody was waiting for her there. Karin. Her lips were twisted in disgust. Her eyes were narrowed with fury.

This can't be good, Alice contemplated whether to continue to her locker or just to make a run for it. But before she could decide, Karin opened her mouth.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Alice stared at her, nonplussed. "Excuse me?"

"You know what I'm talking about!" Karin snapped, "Don't you dare try to deny it."

"Deny what?" Alice asked slowly.

The ex-cheerleader threw her head back and let out a short, nasty laugh. "Oh please. You know what? Ever since I met you, I thought that you were just some nerdy loner. You know? Quiet and innocent? Psht, innocent my cute ass."

Alice stared at her.

Karin took a step forward quite arrogantly. "I want you to leave my boyfriend alone. He doesn't like you okay? He HATES you. And don't you DARE ask him ever again to screw you!"

"I-I don't-"

"I SAID LEAVE NICHOLAI ALONE!" Karin shouted as loudly as possible.

Nicholai?

Alice gaped at her before flushing from the mistaken thought of Yuri. "I have nothing to do with your boyfriend."

Karin let out a derisive snort. "No, you just asked him to fuck you."

Alice's mouth fell.

"He told us. Everybody. The whole school knows." Karin pulled her face close to hers. "Now leave him the hell alone, you little tramp." She roughly shoved the girl aside and strode down the hall.

Alice's hand stung as she tenderly rubbed it. Fear pounded in her chest. What did Nicholai tell them? She didn't want anyone to find out what had happened, but now… He told them she begged him to do it? Begged him to rape her? Did they really think she was that psycho?

But Alice couldn't help but wonder which was worse; him telling them she was asking him for it, or him telling them that she was… well almost anyways. It never happened.

Neither sounded good.

People around her continued to smirk and grin. Alice kept her eyes on the ground as she made her way to AP English.

-

Miss Iasant wasn't there when she arrived, but most of the class was.

It was remarkable how just in one morning, Alice was branded school slut.

It seemed as if everybody knew. As if everybody agreed that she was one. As if everybody believed it. It was tearing her apart. She couldn't even look at Kurando, knowing he must've heard, but not knowing if he believed it or not.

Alice made her way down the rows, head down. A few guys reached out to grab her clothes as she passed by and a few made some subtle comments but Alice only half heard them. In her head she was fiercely telling herself to ignore it.

Finally she reached her seat, and sat down. Almost immediately she leaped off her chair, crying out. One of the guys had sneakily put their hand on her seat, palm up and she had sat on it.

The whole class roared with laughter and Alice reddened with humility. Her sub-conscious was telling her to leave the room. Which she did. Alice practically ran from the room, almost knocking down Miss Iasant who was entering. She fled the school, blinded by her own tears.

Half of the tears were because of the unbearable pains jutting in her hand, and the other was because of everything else.

-

Alice had run down the hall, out the school, through the parking lot, and down the sidewalk. She didn't stop until she came to an old, abandoned corner shop.

She had no idea why everything affected her so much. It was only a rumor after all, and people tend to forget after awhile.

But she knew it would be after a long while before they forgot. Until then, she'd be tormented. Misery starting building stabbing pains in her chest and her tears slid effortlessly down her face.

Alice hated her life. She hated school. She hated everybody.

She hated her mother especially for inviting the homeless in and allowing her daughter to suffer like this. And anyway, even if the homeless people did leave, they'd still make fun of her. All because of the stupid 'Help the Homeless Foundation'.

Alice slumped against the dirty stone walls and gave a small sigh. She had just ditched Miss Iasant's class for no good reason and was probably missing a very important lesson, which they probably going to get tested on where Alice was probably going to fail.

She could just imagine Miss Iasant asking the class what had happened to her and then everybody would start laughing like crazy and-

Alice closed her eyes. Now what was she going to do? Go back? Go back and get tormented all over again?

No. No way.

Even if it meant missing school, Alice wasn't going back to that hell hole. Nicholai's face suddenly appeared in her head, and she felt her fingers clench together.

I hope he dies, She thought bitterly, I hope his dads' taxi business gets bankrupted and they go homeless, then—

She quickly dismissed the ill-ridden thought. Yeah right, if they go homeless, Mom probably going to invite them to live with us…

Alice sunk to her knees and buried her head. Her chest was no longer heaving and she was no longer crying. Alice was about to drown in her despair when she felt a light touch of a hand on her shoulder. The first thing that came to her mind was murderers and rapists. After all, she was by herself behind a deserted store.

Alice cried out and tried to jerk away when she looked up. Her dark blue eyes were locked with amber ones.

-

Yuri wasn't honest all the time. He wasn't nice and often his pride usually forbade him to do something nice and make him look like a wuss. But at some points, he did do something right.

Of course he didn't want anyone to know what he was doing, so he pretended to have to use the bathroom before going after Elliot. This way, no one would find out, see?

"You okay?" Yuri asked worriedly.

Alice's mouth was slightly open and her eyes were wide and etched with fear.

"Y-you scared me," She sputtered, "I thought you were s-some murderer or something."

Yuri restrained himself from rolling his eyes. She was really paranoid about all this.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned with apprehension.

"Looking for you."

"Why..?"

Yuri didn't know what to say for a second before coolly answering, "I'm in the same class in case you forgot."

Alice's pale face went pink but she quickly looked away, "I meant why you are here? Why'd you come after me?"

"That's a good question cuz… um… uh…I don't really know why I did." Yuri said, scratching his head as she looked up at him. "You're… well… I dunno, strange."

He gazed at her, waiting for her to speak.

"Maybe… maybe you changed." She whispered as she hung her head low.

Yuri's lips bent into a snicker. Oh great, now she thought he had changed and would be best buddies with her. Not happening. Or was it?

"I-I don't know what the hell you're talking about but we need to get back to-" He started nervously before she cut him off.

"I'm not going back there." Came the female voice flatly.

"But you're gonna miss an important class." Yuri mocked with his hands on his hips.

"So are you."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on." To his surprise, she slowly stood up.

"I'm not going to school,"

"You have to go to school."

"No I don't." She brushed past him angrily.

Yuri stood there for a second before turning around. "Then where're you going?"

"Hospital."

Her answer took him by surprise and he went to go catch up with her. "What?"

Alice held out her left hand. "I think I broke it." She stated bluntly.

"How'd ya do that!"

"Yesterday… when-when you know…. When we were-when the taxi came and-and after the mall, we crashed-I mean-you know!"

"Uh-huh." Yuri said, dryly, "I know. C'mon."

"Huh?" Alice gave him a quick confused look.

"Come on." He repeated, "You wanted to go to the hospital right? I mean you're not going to walk are you? The hospital is probably 5 miles away. I'll drop you."

Alice stared at his retreating back with her mouth slightly agape. Hastily, she closed it before running to catch up.

Aww isn't that sweet? Too bad everyone now thinks she's a lil skank. There always has to be some problem! And the winner for the Margarete / Lucia poll is…..

Lucia.

She got the most. Don't worry for the people that wanted to see Margarete she still will be in the story. Didn't want you guys to go in a wild state of depression and hang yourselves for her not winning. Haha like you would do that. Sometimes… I just don't know. lol

aegis – You lose! –menacing laughter occurs –

Pyaara Wala – I was thinking about Alice saving him. Who knows? Maybe in the future you can expect it.

bitterSWEET-love – I'm glad you liked the little itsy bitsy flicker they had in the last chapter. You must like this one also then! And yes, bad boys are hott! And Yuri is beautiful, awww so cute! –pinches his cheek-

Asnee – I never read Dark Seraphim's profile. I hardly use that creepy thing. Nasty long toenails and beefy to the max. I've always been scared of Seraphic Radiance.

Angelic Kamaria – Look he's embarrassed again. Oh! –fangirl squeal-

Vi3t Gurl MOMO- I was wondering where you were. Dick form? That sounds wrong. XDDD But well YOU HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE, jeez peeps. Ha-ha

Tiger5913 – Yuri's manner will change before the next 15 chapters. I hope… XD I may change it though to make it more suspenseful! Ha-ha-ha. Anastasia will appear a lot in soon chapters so don't worry about that, Kurando appears as well. No need to worry they are a big part of this story! I miss talking to you, babe. I really really do!

Bella – Ha-ha it was so random of me to put Wugui in there and make Lenny say "Dawg" Or was it Wugui? Bad memory! And sorry for the short chapters I feel if I write too much it'll give away most of the story and I like leaving you on a cliff. The evil way of Nadia. Another mutt! So awesome! I heard mixed people are hotter as well so, we can both be hot together. I thank my mother for the retch worthy miso soup she gave me and disgusting cold borscht my father gave me on those sickly days back when I was a child. Okay I'm joking about that soup thing. XD - smooch –

psychedelic aya – Yuri helps her out again. He-he-he I gotta stop all this corny crap. And it's okay if you didn't review the other chapters as long as you read it and liked it, I'm a happy camper!

MikoNoNyte – I really need to read Dark Backward again. I'm sorry for not reviewing because of all this damn homework I have to do. Argh and getting ready for college is so stressful. Love ya!

KallenKoenig – Are they gonna get cute…. What do you mean by cute? Aren't their faces already cute? lol

Reader - Thanks for pointing it out. But I have been busy lately and I usually just rush this so the people don't have to wait. But from now on I'll give its punch back.