Chapter 10 - No One Understands

Leah POV

When I woke up my head was throbbing painfully. But thanks to Nightmare and his fears, there was no medicine.. I wasn't sure where I should go to, I had no intentions on staying at the Clover Tower for the day and not Hatter Mansion. Actually, I should visit the Circus!

"Leah!" Suddenly the door to the tower burst open, letting in snow, Peter, and Rikki. "We came to pick you up." Rikki giggled mischeviously and was obviously up to something.

And by pick up, she meant it quite literally as Peter lifted me up and started carrying me out of the tower. "We're going to go see my precious darling, Audrey!" Peter exclaimed happily.

I started to kick and punch Peter, but he didn't faulter. "No! I don't want to go!" Why couldn't they leave me be? Why do they not understand I'm scared of Hatter Mansion?

"Why in heavens not? You don't want to see Audrey?" Rikki asked, stunned by my rebellion.

"Not if it means going to that place!" That place was now infront of us and I was quickly silenced as Audrey and the Bloody Twins were infront of the gate, which was entering hearing distance. Peter placed me down, knowing I would no longer try to run.

Audrey spotted us first. "Peter?" She exclaimed, quite shocked in seeing the white rabbit at Hatter's territory. "Hey Leah, Rikki!" Audrey waved.

"Stupid white rabbit." Dee grumbled.

"What are you doing here?" Dum growled.

"To make sure dear Leah and Rikki got here safely! And to see darling Audrey!" Peter scoffed.

"See? They're safe. They're fine, now leave." Dum waved him away but Peter was stockstill.

"Yeah. Leave. Unless you wish to face Boss." Dee stuck his tongue out.

"Y-You're right. He shouldn't be here, I'll take him back to Heart Castle." I volunteered, grasping Peter's wrist.

"No, it's fine, my job is done. Stay with your friends. Goodbye my dear Audrey." Peter sighed as he headed back to Heart Castle. D*mn, he was my last chance to leave.

Rikki dragged me so we were closer to the gate, therefore, closer to Audrey and the Bloody Twins. Their scythes glistened dangerously in the sunlight...

"Boss and ginger rabbit will be back soon." Dum started.

"When they come back we can play!" Dee finished, both wearing large smiles. Fear crawled into my stomach at the thought of their kind of 'games'.

"Yeah, and I had to stay out here with them 'les they were going to ditch and run off again." Audrey laughed. How could she laugh? How could she stand these brutish men?

"That's fine. We're in no hurry!" Rikki smiled in encouragement.

"Ah. There's the boss now!" The twins booked it through the gate at first signs of Blood, with Audrey and Rikki close behind.

I stood there dumbly, then shook my head, my friends were idiots. "How can I keep up with those two?" I whispered, mostly to myself.

"Leah!" On impulse, I turned to see who called my name. Elliot called my name, waving at me. I hesitated slightly waving at him.

"What are you doing here Leah?" Blood asked as the two approached me. The fear in my stomach continued to bubbled when these two were near.

"Ah. I was with Rikki, Audrey, and the twins, but they ditched me." My voice barely came out, it came out crackly like I had a sore throat.

Elliot's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Are you alright? You sound sick." He placed the back of his hand against my forehead to see if I had a fever, I didn't. But a nervous blushed creeped onto my cheeks.

"Eh? No, no! I'm fine! If, uhm, you c-could point me out to where, uhm, my friends are. That'd be great!" I stammered. Great, now they're looking at me as if I did something wrong.

Elliot looked at me suspiciously, frowning. "Are you sure nothings wrong?" He insisted. "If there is, you could tell me." He voiced his concerns.

I waved it off. "Naw, I'm fine! Honestly!" I laughed nervously. Though it does not convince neither Elliot nor Blood.

"Very well, they're most likely in the twin's room, you remember where that is?" Blood informed me.

"Yes. Thank you!" I rushed through the gate and into the mansion. Why would they go back to the twin's room? Especially after what happened? Are those two insane?

I finally found the twins room, I only cracked the door open slightly to see Audrey, Rikki, and the twins laughing. Without me, they seemed happy. My shoulders sagged, why did Rikki even bring me here forcefully?

A hand brushed at my eye's lower lids. "Why do I always find you crying?" Elliot whispered. His face showed his sincere concern. I didn't want to see his concern, his sincerity, I didn't want to show him my weakness.

"You come at the worst times." I accused, rubbing my eyes quickly. Stupid emotions, always getting in the way.

"Really? That's not how I see it." Elliot frowned. "Why don't you go in? Don't you want to go and be with your friends?" He asked gently.

"No! I don't even want to be here! It's because of Rikki I'm even here!" I snapped. Why can't people understand I don't like it here? I just want to go home, where I belong, where I feel safe.

"Oh... that's how it is..." Elliot continued to frown, his ears pressed flat against his head. Then something sparked in him, something snapped. "Fine! If you hate us so much- just leave! No one's going to stop you!" He snapped. "See if we care!" He yelled, his eyes a purple fire.

"Fine!" I yelled back. "I dont give a d*mn anymore!" I stormed out of the hallway and out fo Hatter Mansion, leaving a frustrated Elliot behind. No one understands me! Why can't they just leave me alone?

I had found my way back to Clover Tower, I didn't feel the snow as I was still burning with frustration. I slammed the tower's door behind me, shocking Julius and Nightmare.

"Leah? What happened?" Nightmare asked. He had jumped up as soon as I slammed the door.

"Nothing." I heaved a heavy sigh as I sat beside Julius, Nightmare sitting down as well. "Nothing.. just... ugh!" I held my head in my hands.

"Where's Rikki? I suspected she would've dropped you off." Julius muttered, shwoing only the littlest bit of conern through a raised eyebrow.

"Still at the Hatter's." I grumbled. Frustrated tears burned my eyes. Did they not want to go home? They sure as h*ll didn't seem to be taking things seriously...

"Leah... haven't we talked about this?" Nightmare asked me carefully. Right. This is just a dream. A dream we'll wake up from, but does that mean they shouldn't take this seriously? What if we got dooped and couldn't get home?

"You know. Some people would take this as a gift, not a curse. To escape reality." He continued.

"Atleast in reality my friends were by my side." In this world, they didn't need me. I was neglected, cast aside, by my two best friends.

"What are we?" Gray had joined the conversation with a displeased look across his face. "Do we mean nothing?' He frowned, sitting at the table with us.

"This is just a dream. You're just figures of my imagination, I can't get emotionally attached." I scoffed, as if it wasn't obvious.

"But is wasting time, not having fun, really what you want to do while you have time here?" Gray asked. He seemed to be forcing his words, his eyes glistening in pain.

"Fun?" I scoffed. "My two best friends are hanging out with the most dangerous people here!" I exclaimed. "And they don't even care!" I started to shake with my frustration and annoyance.

Someone wrapped their arms around me, and I realized it was Gray. "You need to calm down." Gray whispered in my ear, rocking me back and forth.

"Breathing is good. Breathing is good." Nightmare nodded, chuckling slightly.

"Try to lighten up a bit Leah. Enjoy your time here. Make new friends if your friends are 'ditching you' as you say. Though I assure you, they aren't, they're just enjoying... the new ride they're on." Gray chuckled nervously as he tried to explain through a metaphor.

"They... don't even... care a-about going h-hom-!" I continued to sob heavily. By now, Julius is frightened and tries to avert his eyes. Nightmare just sits there, staring at me apologetically.

And then Gray, who lifted me up. "I think it best she goes to sleep and rest now." Gray sighed, taking me to my room. "Go to sleep Leah. Think things over, and calm down." Gray layed me down on my bed, and ruffled my hair.

"Goodnight Gray." But he was already out, closing my bedroom door behind him as I tried to fall asleep. Maybe they're right... I should think things over...