DISCLAIMER: Sound of Music isn't mine!


"You what?" Alice's voice filled the room, making her slightly jump. She had anticipated this, but, sighing to herself, she didn't expect it to be this way. Alice shot her an accusatory look, and she had almost felt guilty, but she held her ground.

"Gosh, you sound as if I did something stupid yet grand… like, I don't know, have an affair with royalty, or something, which, thank heavens, I have not managed to do, and is not in my bucket list either," Maria rolled her eyes as she wiped a bead of sweat from her brow.

"This is worse than that!" Alice complained as she poured some milk into a gigantic pastel pink mug with the statement "I'm silently judging your grammar" written in fancy lettering on it.

"Alright, look, I'm sorry I didn't let you eat the raw cookie dough," Maria apologized as she grabbed the worn oven mittens sitting comfortably on the table, then slipped them onto each hand. "I'll really try to call you earlier when I bake again."

"You better!" Alice pouted as she hoisted herself on the countertop. Maria shot her an unamused look, and then pulled the tray of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies on the table.

"Or maybe, I can give you a batch of edible cookie dough that's sitting in the fridge just for you," Maria said as she pulled the oven mitts from her hands and tossed them onto the counter carelessly.

Alice's eyes widened and a smile began to spread on her face. She hopped from where she was sitting, and Maria swore that that was the first time she had ever seen Alice run that fast.

"You're such a child," Maria rolled her eyes and shook her head as she untied the old apron.

"Says the person who climbed down the ropes and climbed up trellises over the past few months," Alice tutted, and Maria could hear the sound of a microwavable container being pried open.

"Well, it wasn't my ide—"

"Excuses, ex-key-uses, darling," Alice smiled smugly as she scooped a chunk of cookie dough and shoved it into her mouth.

Maria huffed in frustration. She gently transferred the batch of cookies onto a cooling rack, and hummed a tune (she made sure to hum that one song Alice couldn't stand so that she would finally shut up) as she worked. Alice watched her friend with keen eyes. Something changed, she thought, but Alice couldn't point her finger on what changed. But she was certain that the said change was made within the past twenty-four hours—no, wait—the past twelve hours. But how—

"Oh yeah, where were you last night?" Alice asked as she

"Huh?"

"Where were you last night? I came by at around 3 a.m., and I couldn't find you anywhere. I thought you were having a Golden Girls marathon?"

"I—er—I went out," Maria said flatly. Alice eyed her curiously, and she attempted to walk away, pretend as if everything was fine when, Alice knew, everything wasn't.

"Went where?"

"Out," she repeated just as emotionlessly.

Alice glanced at her once more, and watched as Maria brushed her fringe aside and patted the ring attached to the chain around her neck. Alice nodded to herself slightly, and upon feeling her best friend's gaze on her, Maria cleared her throat, then—

"HA! You weren't alone last night, were you?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

"Oh, stop playing innocent, Ri. I knew it!" Alice exclaimed loudly, giving Maria a slightly triumphant look.

"Look, I can explain—"

"Oh my gosh, you weren't alone," Alice squealed as she danced around the kitchen. "Who's the lucky—"

"It's not what it looks like—"

"Either way, Ri, you weren't alone."

"You see, I was with Cap—"

"You were with von Trapp?"

"Yes, but—"

"Oh. My. Gosh."

"Listen, I—"

"It doesn't matter, Ri. You went out together in the dead of the night. Unchaperoned," Alice fake-fainted. "Oh, the scandal. I see the headlines on Lady Whistledown's Society Papers"

"You've been reading too many romance novels for your own good, Alice. Besides, it was for the effing book, for goodness' sake. You can't possibly"

"Mhm, surely you were," Alice rolled her eyes. "And let me guess, you talked about revisions, and spelling errors."

"Erhm, of course—well, isn't that what editors do, after all?"

"Ha! You fell for it," Alice smiled smugly at Maria's bewildered expression. "You told me two days ago that you had just finished revising his work, and you told me that he takes around two weeks to finish revisions. So, my darling Riri"

"Do not call me that, please," Maria (or Riri, you decide) shook her head and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and shot Alice an extremely unamused look.

"Fine," Alice crossed her arms in front of her chest. "My darling, Maria Augusta, it may have escaped your notice but you are a terrible liar. There's no use hiding now."

"I am under no obligation to tell you," Maria untied her apron and took it off, balling it in her hands angrily. Poor apron, Alice thought.

"Of course you're not," Alice snorted. "It's really not as if I want all the details"

"How dare you insinuate that he and I are—ohhh, if you should know, he came here to apologize, and next thing I know he's taking me on a road trip to clear our heads. And… and…" Maria's voice faded as she stared at Alice, who was leaning against the counter with a small smile on her face.

"I didn't insinuate anything, darling. Though I understand why you're so defensive," Alice brushed her perfectly-manicured fingers through her curls.

"Alice"

"You're not being fair to yourself, sweetheart. You cannot have both worlds. You can't move forward when you're facing the wrong direction."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Maria shook her head.

"You do, Maria, and don't you deny it," Alice said sternly.

"Do you really?" Maria shot back. "You don't know what's going on in my head, Alice. I'm not the same girl you knew back in college—I've changed. I've grown, I've matured since then."

"I didn't mention anything about change, darling."

"You don't know me"

"Yes, I do," Alice said softly. "And I know you know yourself better than I dobut I see things you cannot—you refuse to see, Maria. And you know better than I that I only want to help you. I know things have been difficult. I know you have a storm inside of you. I know you want to run. And I know that despite all the changes, that girl you claim I knew is in thereand she's holding you back," Alice moved closer to her. "You can't move forward when you're facing the wrong direction, Maria. You think you're moving forward, but you insist on burrowing yourself into the places you've already outgrown."

"I'm not," Maria answered indignantly.

"You're not what, darling? Attempting to move forward, or facing the wrong direction?"

"I"

She didn't know.


A/N

Hello! I'm back-ish with what, I think, is the second-shortest chapter (the first one, which was written a year ago, to this date, being the shortest. Yikes, it's been a year OOPS). This would usually be considered a "filler" chapter, but really, I think that this is a vital chapter. It generally highlights Maria's insecurities, whose (?) roots were identified last chapter, and I really wanted this one to be about her and for her, and how Alice plays an important part in her life. So, yeah! I hope you liked it despite its length. But don't worry, I shall be back soon (I hope), with longer chapters!

I also wanted to thank you guys for all the love you've sent my way the past couple of weeks, through this and through Abby's! It makes me so happy to see that you're enjoying these weird things I write, and that they make you smile, too!

Also, I wanted to express how, for a lack of a better word, sad I am upon hearing that Chris Plummer is no longer with us. Seriously, I still find it so hard to believe. He was (and still is) an inspiration to many, me included, and he will be greatly missed.

Anyways, sending warm hugs and schnitzel with noodles your way!

Love lots,
H