Alice

I opened my sleep heavy eyes, and saw the others laid out on the couches and chairs, sound asleep. I glanced to my side a little, and saw I was leaning against Shun, who was asleep himself. My face heated up, and without thinking, I quickly moved away. That caused him to fall over since my body wasn't leaning against his to support it.

He was awake now, and he looked around the room and said, "What the?" The others started to stir as well, and tried to figure out what all the commotion was. Murucho was in the little chair, and was leaning forward to stretch. He asked, "What time is it?" Dan took out his phone and said, "Like, almost nine at night. We've all been out for a while." Were Shun and I next to each other like that all that time?

I turned around to face where Shun was sitting next to me, and saw his spot was empty. I found him standing in the doorway to the hall with all the rooms on it. Dan asked, "Where are you going?" Shun said back to him flatly, "Bed. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm still tired." Dan looked at his best friend and said, "Yeah. I guess I'm still beat from today too.

" The others nodded, but I felt wide awake after the surprise of having Shun that close to me when I woke up. It was a truly unexpected site for me. But just because it was unexpected, didn't mean that I minded it. I kept wishing that I hadn't spazed out and woke him and the others up so that way we could all still be asleep, and I could still be in close quarters with Shun. Murucho broke my thoughts when he said, "You all can get some more sleep, but I have to check and make sure everything is in order for the party in a few days."

I had completely forgotten that the party was in less than a week. Murucho had scheduled it five days before Christmas Day itself, so that way people that wanted to go back to their families could, or stay and celebrate with us. Dan said, "Murucho, you work too much. The party is in what? Six? Five days? And it's late at night. Just take a day off for once."

Murucho was shaking his head and said, "I wish I could just take a night off, Dan. But there is still a lot that needs to be done." Dan shook his head and walked out of the sitting area and down the hall to his room. Murucho then turned around and headed for the stairs that led down to the main lobby. The others were going to their rooms, and I was the only one left in the room.

I could go to my room and hope I fall asleep. Or I could go downstairs and help Murucho to waste time. The second option sounded much better to me. I found the short blonde adding little adjustments to the decorations. "Hey, Murucho." He jumped up, and dropped the hooks he was using to hang ornaments and such with. He snapped at me with, "Don't sneak up behind me like that, Alice." I held up my hands in defense, and said, "Sorry. My bad. I thought you might want some help, so I came down here."

He was picking up the hooks and said, "Thanks for the offer, but I've got it." I watched as he kept poking himself with the hooks and said, "It doesn't look like you've got it to me." I knelt down beside him and picked up some hooks with my thumb and index finger and handed them to him. I said, "Here. At the rate you were picking them up, you'd look like Captain Hook." He smiled at my little joke, and took the hooks and put them back in their little plastic box. "Thanks, Alice."

I smiled and said, "No problem. So, what all were you thinking about tweaking with down here?" He stood up and said, "Well, I was going to hang up some more wreaths, ornaments, and just a few others things. I was going to call up a few people, but it's kind of late to do that now. That will have to wait till tomorrow." I nodded my head, and said, "How about since I'm a little bit taller, I hang up the wreaths, and you handle the ornaments?"

Murucho glared at me about my height comment, but then said, "Sure. The wreaths are in the box by the sound system." I nodded my head and walked over to the sound system, and knelt beside the box. I could still see glitter on the floor from the fiasco a few days ago. I giggle, and pulled a medium sized green wreath out of the box. "Where do you want it, Murucho?" He pointed over to one of the walls and said, "Over that door if you would."

I nodded my head and grabbed the same stepladder that Shun used to get the adapter to the sound system on that shelf, and ended up getting covered in glitter. I hung up about four wreaths, when I ran out of them at the same time Murucho put up the last of his ornaments. We stood in the middle of the room and marveled at our work. He said, "Thanks for your help. It would be past midnight before I got done if I were by myself. You want something to drink?"

I smiled and said, "A glass of water would be nice." Murucho nodded and said, "Then follow me into the kitchen." I had never been in the kitchen, so when I saw the massive cooking area I was at a loss for words. Murucho opened the door to one of the massive fridges, and pulled out two glasses full of ice. He then filled them up with water from the filter on the front of the fridge door.

I sat down at the counter, and he sat across from me and slid me my glass. I caught the cold cup that was sweating from the melting ice and took a sip from him. "So, what's up with you and Shun?" I almost did my signature drop-the-cup-cause-I-was-in-shock move, but lucky for me it was on the counter.

"What do you mean, Murucho?" He finished the rest of his water and said, "Well, you like him don't you? I was just curious if there was anything going on between you two. I mean, it's plain to see he likes you, Alice." I looked up at the ceiling and said, "Honestly, I haven't given it much thought. Yeah, I like Shun, but I don't know if I like him enough to risk our friendship. As for him liking me, I know that much but I think he feels the same way as I do. I just don't want to lose a friend."

Murucho nodded and said, "I can see where this would be a predicament for you, but you won't ever know unless you take a chance." A humming radiated from the room as the heater cut on, and Murucho looked at his watch. "Well, it's getting late and I'm getting tired. Thanks for helping me, Alice."

I told him goodnight and watched as he left the kitchen to go up to his room for the night. I stayed in the kitchen for a little while longer and thought. Was it really putting our friendship on the line for something as uncertain as our future?

All of the confusion in my mind started to agitated me. I said under my breath, "Why did Julie have to volunteer me for getting Shun in the holiday mood. If she hadn't done this, then I wouldn't be so confused." But if she hadn't, then I wouldn't have had all those moments with Shun. Did I hate it? Or enjoy it? The weight on my mind became too much for me to ponder any longer, and I retired up to my room for the night.

Shun

My stopped up nose kept me from getting any sleep, and to try and wear myself out, I had decided to walk around Murucho's mansion. But I made sure to go only in places that I was familiar with enough so I wouldn't get lost. I saw Alice walk past the hall I was on. What's she doing up this late?

I knew by the direction she was walking, that she was going to her room. A shiver went through me, and I started back towards my room. Whether I couldn't sleep or not, I needed to be resting to my best extent. When I started back to my room, I went past Alice's and saw her door was closed now. I sighed and went into my own room and shut the door behind me. My head hurt, and I laid down on my bed to try and help it.

I made a mental note to ask Murucho for some medicine to try and knock this thing I was getting out of the way before I ended up feeling like the living dead. Which I was sure I was halfway there anyway. My thoughts went back to Alice and how she had reacted when she woke up. That answered my question on whether she was aware she was leaning against me or not.

I sighed and pulled my blanket up to my shoulder when I rolled over on my side. I couldn't tell how she felt about me, and I was supposed to be an expert in seeing peoples' emotions and feelings. It always seemed like one day we were having a moment, and then the next she acted like she had not interest in me whatsoever. I was always one that wasn't good at playing games like this.

I sneezed, and felt the room spin along with it. That one or two doses of cold medicine didn't seem to be doing their job at all. This is why I hate getting sick. I knew I'd be better in a few days, but I'd suffer till then. I started to sweat under the blankets, and wanted nothing more than to get out from under them, but knew it would be best for me to stay under them and try and sweat this thing out.

I went ahead and made the decision to stay in bed the next day. Main reason was that I didn't want to hear my friends' loud mouths and let them antagonize my headache. And by friends, I meant Dan. I started to think about the party in a few days. Did I really want to go?

I had been going on all of those outings with Alice just because of that. Alice. I could have cared less about the holidays. And Alice would be at the party of course. That would be the only reason I'd go to it. But with being unable to fully know how she felt about me, I was starting to question if I still even wanted to go whether she was there or not.

I might stay for a little while then go on my way or something like that. But that would mean all of those days Alice had spent trying to convince me to go, would have all been a waste. I'd hate for her to feel like she wasted her time. I sighed as I felt my common sense, guilt, and conscience fight each other in my thoughts.

well, i feel the story is rounding its in. sad face. but i will soon have to get started back on The Anthem Of The Angels and The Puppetmaster. so, read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~