ALL BUT ALICE
Chapter One: Hating Helena
The girls huddle together in the night, whispering, whispering amongst themselves…all but Alice, who pretends to sleep, her black hair draped over the white pillowcase, a brilliant contrast. Suddenly, everyone hears a bump. All the girls gasp and stir, all but Alice.
"Oh, don't be scared," a girl sneers, but all of them love her despite her act of superiority. All but Alice. "Bet everyone's too scared to look but me!" she teases. The other girls whimper, all but Alice. And even before Alice can jump up and say she's going – its her house and she deserves one moment in the spotlight, and its probably the silly old dog anyway! – Helena Ferris jumps up, sneers again, "Guess I'm going alone then!"
"Oh, no, we'll come too!" The other girls suddenly squeal. All but Alice…
And they leave, forgetting her existence, even though she's the one that invited them. All but Helena, who came along without asking, she fumes. Alice turns the other way, to watch the glowing moon through the window, and tries not to hear the giggling of the girls, audible even through her door. And tries to forget, that although she hates them, she wants to giggle too.
At least she knows she has something none of them ever would, she thinks desperately, and it will come soon, she knows, and she cannot wait until she can leave all of them, all of these silly people who don't even try to be themselves. People who she thought were friends!
Alice Hopper fumed at Helena silently, closing her eyes as she returned through the door, smirking, the small band of girls following behind.
"Look at Alice," Helena whispered, "Can't even stay up until midnight!"
"What a loser," Rondi giggled.
"I know," Helena sighed, as if pitying Alice, "I bet she invited me trying to be, you know, cool."
"Excuse me," Alice saied in a low, cold voice, biting back how badly she wanted to scream, rising slowly, "I'm worth twelve of you, Ferris, and I never would have invited you in a million years. I'd say you're the one parading around trying to be cool…and what would your mother think if I told her you crashed a party?"
"I'd tell her you forced me," Helena answered, but Alice smirked at the clear note of panic in her voice. Suddenly, Rondi, Carly, and Veronica screamed – Alice stepped back in surprise – Helena's hair had turned from a blonde to a dreadful florescent green!
"Omigod," Veronica gasped, "Like, Helena…what did you do to your hair?"
"What are you talking about?" Helena demanded.
"You've gotten a little makeover," Alice whispered, "And unless all of you want them, I'd suggest you leave."
Helena moved a lock of her hair where she could see it, eyes narrowed, and shrieked. In less than a minute, she and her new band of followers left the house screaming.
Alice was surprised herself, at what had happened, but she couldn't help grinning. Helena's parents would ground her for months, and there was no proof that Alice had done it…
Being born a witch had its perks.
Alice, ten years old, and eleven in only three days, was now hungering for her Hogwarts letter more than ever.