Chapter 10
Life, Happiness And Shadow
After the 'welcome party' from the Umbrella, everyone expected another attack. Fortunately, the weeks passed peacefully. The people started to feel at ease and went back to normal ( well, sort of) .
Claire, JD and Rain also relaxed a bit but stayed alert. Kmart went back on hanging around with the other kids. LJ and Betty started to take their relationship on a higher level. Mikee and Kaplan were inseparable in the computer room, sharing ideas. Everything was going fine, well almost. Alice and Carlos also went back on ignoring and avoiding each other. Except for a few moments when Carlos will be caught looking at the blonde, the soldier seemed to hold back, too.
It wasn't unnoticeable but everyone decided to leave the matters to the two of them.
Alice was at the rooftop again, thinking, when she heard someone coming. Her heart began to beat fast. Even if her heart was secretly pleading for him, she was still not ready yet.
"Please, not him…" she prayed.
She finally gave a deep sigh when she saw a long blonde hair.
"Kmart?"
"Hey Alice! Mind if I keep you company?"
"Of course not. Come here."
"The stars are beautiful!"
"I know."
"How could you!"
"What? What did I do?"
"You're keeping this all to yourself!"
Alice gave the kid a puzzled look.
"The stars! Why didn't you tell me about them!"
"Oh! I'm sorry I thought you were enjoying so much with the other kids. Besides, I don't know you love the stars."
"Are you kidding me! You should've known from the first day you laid eyes on me that I was born a star! Therefore, I must love my own. So I really love the stars!"
Alice burst into laughter.
"Hey, stop laughing! It's true. My father always tell me that…"
The blonde stopped laughing and turned her face to listen to the kid.
"That I am his little star…"
"You are, I mean look how you can brighten up everyone's mood when you're around… just like a star."
"I am? Well, of course I am." Kmart flashed a proud smile.
Alice also smiled.
"So did I brighten up your mood?"
"I'm not sad…"
"I know. I think you're more of the puzzled one."
"And how did you suddenly turned from a star into a mind reader?"
"Well, some mind readers get their interpretations from the stars."
"I see what you did there…" the blonde smiled.
"Can I try my powers on you?"
"Be my guest." Alice extended her hands to Kmart.
"Uh, I don't need your hand. That's too mainstream."
"Oh! I'm so sorry Madam K."
Kmart giggled.
"Now all you have to do is look into my eyes."
"This is exciting that I thought."
Kmart rubbed her eyes and began to look at Alice straight in the eye.
"So what do you see?" Alice asked.
"Shh! I need time."
"Oops. Sorry."
"You are sad."
"I thought you said I was only puzzled?"
"And so? I said that a while ago. Are you questioning my power?"
"Of course not. Please continue."
"Good. Now look into my eyes again."
Alice moved closer, focused on the blue eyes staring at her and waited for the kid to speak.
Kmart made different kind of faces while looking at the blonde's eyes. After a couple of minutes, she suddenly started to walk away.
"Hey, what?" Alice exclaimed.
"You adults are so freakin' boring!"
"Oh. So you can't read me."
"Of course I can."
"Then what did you found out?"
"Nothing exciting."
"Hey! So I'm boring?"
"Pretty much, yes."
Alice let out a loud laugh. Suddenly, Kmart's face turned serious.
"Life isn't that hard or complicated as it seems. It only appears that way because that's how we look at it. But when you come to think of it, everything is plain and simple. It wasn't hard to follow ones heart when it already knows what it wants but we still keep on complicating things with bad memories, the past, when it's supposed to be buried and forgotten. "
"Well, that's right…"
"We know where we can find our happiness but instead of pulling, we keep on pushing it away. "
"Love isn't a bad thing, Alice." Kmart continued. "It's something that makes the world go round."
Alice finally got the strength to speak.
"I think you've been reading a lot…"
"I know right! I feel like a genius! Anyway, got to go! Too many stars out here, I think they need one downstairs."
"Thanks, Madam Kmart!"
The girl giggled again and gave the blonde a wink.
"My pleasure." Kmart answered then started to go down.
Alice smiled. The kid definitely made her feel better. It has been a couple of weeks since she let her heart pour and found out that it still belongs to the one she wishes to forget, Carlos. She can still remember the soldier's tender lips on hers. Thinking about it just makes her crave for more but there's still that sharp pain inside her. She will remember all the good things they've been through but the bad things follow, shortly. Reminding her of the pain, overwhelming the good memories.
"You're right." Alice whispered. "Life is not complicated. I know what I want. I know where my happiness is. And I know love is a good thing."
Alice smiled at herself and took a deep breathe. She turned to go and find her happiness when she noticed a shadow near the door leading downstairs. She melted.
A/N: And I'm back! :D Sorry for being taking SOOOOOO LONG I've been very busy with being a college student. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. READ AND REVIEW!