11
Alice wakes the next morning to a pile of papers on her desk and an empty dorm room. She sits up and stretches, cracking her back a little with a satisfying snap of bone. The clock reads 8:30. Damn. Well, at least it's only Astronomy. Professor Alden can sod off for all she cares. She sighs when she sees the size of the pile. She'd just gotten herself caught up. On top, there's a blue sticky note from Tarrant. The message is brief.
Iracebeth knows. Talk later.
T
Shit.
She crumples the note and tosses it into her wastebin before stripping out of yesterday's clothes. She needs a shower to wash off the dirt and grime of simply spending any time at the asylum at all.
The hot water rains down on her skin, rolling off her shoulders, down her back, peppering her face. She massages shampoo and conditioner into her hair, letting the tension drain from her, at least for a moment. After a few minutes the water starts to run cold, reminding her that she has to get on with her day.
She towels off, taking considerably less time now that she's got shorter hair, and pulls on a pair of jeans and a shirt Iracebeth had given her a few days ago — a black long sleeved shirt with a red collar, button line, and cuffs. It's meant to help her fit in with her gang — they all have some form of red and black on their person at all times. This means that she can't wear her favorite jacket over it, which annoys her to no end. Unfortunately, as of yesterday, Tarrant still wants Alice to play along with Iracebeth. Mirana, of course, has no idea, but Alice will have to tell her eventually. The last thing she needs is for Mirana to think that she's betrayed her… again.
God, Mirana. While their kiss had left her wanting more, the way it had made her feel both shocks and excites her. She didn't think she'd fall for her so fast and so soon, and now here she is, head over heels. At first, she'd thought she'd be stiff like the first time, but then she started kissing back, so unsure, yet so willing. The way her soft skin felt under her fingertips, cupped in her hands, her lips moving, molding against hers like a long lost puzzle piece, her vanilla scent sending a heady feeling rushing to her brain.
She wonders if Mirana will ever feel the same.
One thing's for sure: Bumby needs to pay for what he's done.
Alice slides into History class, barely caught up, and makes to sit in the back with Tarrant and Mally, but Iracebeth flags her down first.
"Alice! Come here!"
Alice reluctantly walks over to her table, opposite from her friends, and tries to hide the grimace that threatens to take over her face. She keeps her eyes trained on the floor and takes the suddenly empty seat next to Iracebeth. A particularly scrawny senior gets off the floor. Alice tries to mouth an apology, but he just flips her off.
"Traitor!" Mally yells.
Alice's ears burn with embarrassment, but she says nothing, unable to look up at anyone right now.
"Miss Pawel, please!" their history professor pipes up. "We are in a classroom setting!"
"But Iracebeth —" Mally protests.
"Mally," Tarrant cuts in gently. "Let it go."
Mally lets out a hiss through her teeth but doesn't say another word.
No, Tarrant had clearly told no one that this is all a facade.
"Thank you, Mr. Hightopp." the history professor says. "Now, I'd like you all to take out your textbooks…"
"I can't believe she's back." Iracebeth grumbles. "I heard somebody busted her out."
Alice glances over at Mirana, and their eyes meet across the room. Mirana's dark eyes widen with confusion, then shine with hurt. Alice tries to tell her with her eyes that this isn't what it looks like, but it's no use. Mirana opens her book, raising her eyes every now and then when the professor makes to write something on the board. Her heart clenches. She's got to talk to her.
"It doesn't matter anyway." Iracebeth says, disturbing Alice's thoughts. "I've got total control. No one is going to even think of defying me as long as I've got the Bandersnatch and my precious Jabberwocky."
Alice raises an eyebrow. "What about Stayne?"
"Oh, yes, he's useful. He did give me the best advice the other day."
Curious, she asks, "What was it?"
"It is far better to be feared than than loved. Don't you think that's the best advice?"
"Ye-es." she forces out.
Iracebeth twists in her chair so she's facing Alice fully. "My colours suit you well. I'm pleased you joined the right side. However, I only keep useful people. Getting rid of Mirana was genius, of course, but now that she's back I don't see what else you can do for me." She pouts her lips and looks at Alice expectantly. "So?"
"So… what?"
Iracebeth scoffs. "Do I have to spell it out for you? What can you do for me now?"
Shit shit shit! Alice hasn't really thought that far ahead. She'd assumed that once she brought Mirana back she'd be able to stop this fraternization. Tarrant had better have come up with a better plan by break, but until then Iracebeth's expectant expression reminds her that she still has to come up with a decent response.
"Anything you want?" she offers.
Iracebeth smiles, and Alice gives a mental sigh of relief. "That's what I like to hear." she says.
They spend the rest of class in silence, Iracebeth texting her gang and Alice pretending to follow along in the textbook, fiddling with her fingers, anxious to get to Mirana and Tarrant as soon as possible.
They end up in the library. It seems the safest place to meet after Alice had given Iracebeth the slip.
Mirana arrives first, gliding to Alice's table with the grace of an angel, as usual. She gives Alice a mournful look but says nothing, sitting a chair away from her. Well, now's as good a time as any.
"Mirana, this morning, it wasn't what it looked like." she begins.
Mirana refuses to look directly at her. "You wear my sister's colours and go to her side when she calls you. Tell me what that was, exactly, if not a blatant declaration of your allegiance to her."
"First off, that is the only red and black I own. I wasn't even the one who bought it." Alice points out. "Second, I would never do that to you. Your sister needs to think I'm on her side for a little while, at least until we figure out our next moves." Mirana remains impassive. Alice decides to take a chance and lightly covers Mirana's hand with her own. Mirana gives her a quizzical look. "I," love you. "Care about you very much, Mirana. I promise you, no matter what it looks like, I will always be on your side."
Mirana hesitates, then turns her hand over to give Alice's a gentle squeeze, the tiniest smile appearing on her face. "I'm sorry, Alice." She pulls away, and Alice immediately misses the warmth. "It's just… difficult sometimes. Walking down these halls, everyone with their heads down while the Bandersnatch and the Jabberwocky terrorize everyone." Mirana peers over at her. "What kind of names are those anyway? They seem a bit silly, really."
"I think they're meant to be from a poem." Alice muses, remembering her mural. Funny, the creature she'd once idolized now takes a human form.
"How do you know?"
"I read a lot of Lewis Carroll." she admits. "At my old school, I actually added Jabberwockies to a mural of Noah's arc."
"Alice!" Mirana gasps.
"Yeah, well, they expelled me. That's how I got here." Alice laughs. "Justice, right?"
"I suppose." But she's smiling. Alice can see it in her eyes, even though she keeps her lips pressed to to the top of her hands.
Tarrant arrives then, out of breath and gripping his shoulder. He collapses into the chair between Alice and Mirana, panting.
"What happened to you?" they ask him.
"Bloody Bandersnatch!" he bellows. There's a small chorus of shushes, to which Tarrant rolls his eyes and obnoxiously shushes them in return, spraying Alice's sleeve with spittle. Regardless, he drops his volume. "Foond me in th' close an' grabbed me. Tauld me Bloody Big Heed wants a hat gart fur 'er. Weel ah said, it'll be a braw day in Hell afair ah hat 'at monstroos sair. He didne loch 'at, naturally. Gae me a solid blaw oam mah arm. Woold've given me mair tay, if thaur wasnae teacher roond th' corner. Dobber, ah swear, when ah fin' heem I'll —"
"Tarrant!" Alice grips his arm tightly, bringing him back to reality.
He slumps over in his seat, but the burning rage in his eyes has dissipated significantly. "I'm fine." he mutters.
"Let me see, Tarrant." Mirana says, rolling up the sleeve of his rainbow striped long sleeve. Her eyes widen. Already, the angry red mark is darkening, a stark contrast against his pale skin. "Tarrant, you need to go to the nurse!"
Tarrant rolls his eyes. "For what? A bruise? There are others who're getting a lot worse than I did. That's why we're here: to talk about our next move." He pushes the sleeve back down and tugs his arm away from Mirana. "Alice, Iracebeth doesn't suspect a thing?"
"No."
"Good. That's the way we need it, for now."
"I'm not exactly sure what I'm meant to be doing." Alice admits. "I thought once we brought Mirana back I wouldn't have to do this anymore."
"You might. It may be our only chance to bring her down."
Mirana starts. "Bring her down? This is my sister you're talking about!"
"Who wouldn't hesitate to do the same to you, if given the chance." Tarrant points out. "She's already dismantled most of your work. Taking her side has become vital to survival, and anyone else who's still loyal to you is in hiding. Alice acting as our double agent is our best bet."
"You've got a plan already, then?" Alice asks.
"A vague one of a sort." Tarrant says. "While you're getting information, I'm going to try and find anyone else who isn't wearing red and black." He looks at Alice, then quickly adds, "No offense."
Alice shrugs. "None taken. What sort of information am I looking for?"
"I know my sister. She's not much of a threat on her own." Mirana says, leaning past Tarrant to talk to her. "It's all these men she surrounds herself with. It's how she protects herself. If you can dismantle that, then I'm sure we can reason with her."
"Reason with her?" Tarrant bunches his fingers into fists. "She tortures freshmen for fun, Mirana."
"It's just her way of feeling strong." Mirana says, still insisting on defending her sister. "She's really insecure underneath all that, I'm sure of it."
Alice sighs. "I don't know how you can still defend her."
"No matter what Racie may do, I will always love her." Mirana says firmly. "Nothing will change that."
"That thinking right there," Tarrant says. "That thinking, is why we need to get you back into power."
Alice meets Iracebeth for lunch. Avoiding her once was hard enough. Twice, and she'd start looking suspicious.
Still, that doesn't stop her from looking wistfully over to where Tarrant, Mally, Thackery, and Mirana are sitting, all huddled together. Nivens had gone home to recover, but there are doubts as to whether or not he'll come back. Chess is nowhere in sight, and neither is Bayard. They must be the few that are hiding, waiting everything out. The dining hall is a sea of red and black, broken up by a small section of white.
Well, except for one pair of twins.
Tommy and Timmy Dee sit beside Alice. She's surprised to see them there, wearing matching red jumpers and black corduroys. She hadn't really paid them any mind since she'd first met them in the beginning of the year.
"Hello, Alice!" they say cheerfully in unison.
"Er, hello." She turns to Iracebeth. "They sit with you? I thought they didn't have a side."
"I told them it was the smart thing to do." Iracebeth whispers to her. She eats a bite off the spoonful of chocolate pudding Stayne's been feeding her for the past ten minutes. "It was so easy to convince them."
The Bandersnatch arrives then, dragging the Jabberwocky with him, who is currently fighting to break free of him. It looks like a bear trying to restrain a snake, and the bear is currently losing, badly.
"Let go, Bandersnatch!" the Jabberwocky snarls.
"It's not worth it!" the Bandersnatch growls back. "You almost got caught last time! The place is crawling with staff right now!" He wrestles him onto the bench and gives Iracebeth a pleading look. "Your Majesty, tell him to stop!"
Iracebeth fixes the Jabberwocky with a cold glare, and he immediately stills. She rewards him with a malicious smile, then digs into her bag and produces a Jelly Baby. "Good boy." she says, pushing it to his lips. He tears it from her hand and grins at her, that hopelessly devoted gleam in his eyes once again with the gummy in his teeth.
Alice feels sick. To see her treating her friends like animals… if they can even be considered friends. They're more like her subjects, her guard dogs. Unbidden, a wave of pity washes over her. They don't deserve this.
She quickly snaps herself out of it. No, they're awful. They beat up everyone who disagrees with the Red Queen, and even if they don't, they'll still find a reason to hurt someone. She notices the dried blood on the Bandersnatch's knuckles and the fresh drops smeared across the Jabberwocky's and fights the urge to slam them both on the table and beat them into submission. They deserve it, after all they've done.
The Jabberwocky notices her looking and flicks his tongue out at her, like a serpent. Alice doesn't know whether to laugh or be disgusted. "So, you're still here?"
Alice holds her own, meeting his eyes with her own challenging stare. "Yes, I am. Did you think I'd go away?"
"Just remember where your loyalties lie." he grumbles, digging into his plate, which consists mostly of fish.
"Of course she does." the Bandersnatch says, stacking his meat onto his fork. "She's wearing the colours, isn't she?"
The Bandersnatch, of all people, sticking up for her. Hmm. Maybe Alice'll start with him.
"It's been —"
"So long —"
"Alice."
"How are —"
"You?" The twins finish. It's a bit like watching a tennis match, but instead of seeing the ball going back and forth you're hearing it.
Iracebeth cackles. "Oh, they're so funny." she says before Alice can answer. "I love my Fat Boys."
"I'm fine, thank you." Alice raises an eyebrow. "Fat Boys?"
"Everyone here has a new name." Stayne says, as if he's explained this a thousand times before. "Which brings me to the question: what's yours?"
Alice frowns. "Um…"
"Um?" Iracebeth furrows her brow. "I suppose that could work."
"Um?" Stayne starts laughing. "Your name is Um? You're a joke, Alice. Might as well admit it now."
Iracebeth swats his arm, leaving a red mark. "Quiet, you!" She thinks for a moment. "Um. Yes. That adds a bit of uncertainty."
"Clever —"
"Really clever —"
"Really, really, clever —"
"That's enough!" Iracebeth shouts, halting the twins. "Too much of that and you'll give me a headache." The twins hang their heads in shame, and the Bandersnatch smothers a chortle.
Um. Well, now she's stuck with it. Great move, Kingsleigh. She straightens her collar, trying to distract herself from this latest embarrassment. "So, any of you want to fill me in?"
"On what?" The Jabberwocky rips apart his fish with his fork. "We're already sorted. I still don't know why you're even here."
"She did what the three of you combined failed to do." Iracebeth says while Stayne dabs her face with a napkin. "You've no room to talk."
The Jabberwocky grumbles into his fish but doesn't retort.
"I'll fill her in." the Bandersnatch says. "We've taken over most of the school, as you can see." he says, gesturing at what has now become, essentially, a uniform. "But there are still others that we need to convert. Our Queen wants total submission. Mirana will be forced to concede defeat before prom even happens."
"But prom's not for another —" Alice starts to count, but Iracebeth cuts her off.
"Eight months. Yes, I know, Um." she says with a dismissive gesture. Alice tries not to reel at the sound of her new name. "But I need to secure that scholarship as soon as possible. If I get it now, it means Mirana will have to suffer for eight months knowing that I've won, and she won't be able to lie her way out of it this time."
The Bandersnatch produces a list. "These are all we have left. Seventeen in total, which isn't much considering how many go here."
Alice takes a look at his blocky scrawl, which has several lines through most of the names. There are only six she recognizes, and three that sound vaguely familiar. Tarrant's name is at the top of the list, written as Hatter, horribly misspelled.
"Why is the Hatter's name at the top of the list?" she asks.
"Because Um," Stayne says, clearly lording it over her head that she's stuck with perhaps the worst alias ever. "He's Mirana's biggest ally. He'll never admit it, but it's so obvious. If we can take him out, the rest will follow, and we won't have to waste so much time hunting everyone down individually."
That last bit is a clear dig at the Bandersnatch and the Jabberwocky, but if they realize that, they certainly don't show it.
Alice manages to survive the rest of her classes, the new information weighing upon her heavily. What they're after is simple — Tarrant. With all of them presumably working together, they'd break him for sure, or at least reduce him to a crumbled state, a shell of his former self. It had taken all her strength not to dash off and warn him immediately when the Jabberwocky started describing, in vivid detail, the schemes he'd been dreaming up for new poisons to test out on the Hatter.
She stops at the door she's been dreading entering the most today: Art.
She never thought there'd be a day when she wanted to skip it more, but if she wants Professor Flora to stop worrying, then she'd better go.
She finds Mirana already there, her arms around Chess, who, Alice is relieved to find, looks perfectly well. Her eyes meet Alice's from across the room, and she gives her a tired smile. Well, that's a start. She makes her way over and crouches beside Chess, who immediately curls deeper into Mirana.
The sting of his open rejection still holds power over Alice, and she immediately begins trying to set things right with him. "Chess, whatever you think, it's not the way it looks." she says to the back of his powder blue head. "I'm doing this for you." She looks into Mirana's eyes to tell them both. "All of you. It won't be forever, I promise."
Chess turns in Mirana's arms, facing Alice partially now. He pulls out his phone and types something out.
"How long?"
"I don't know." she says honestly. "But it's going to be okay." She places a hand on his shoulder, and when he doesn't pull away, she gives it a gentle squeeze, trying to tell him in that one gesture how sorry she is. Chess looks at her for a moment, then pads off to another corner of the room.
She straightens up just in time for Professor Flora to enter. Much to her surprise, she has Mason with her, the latter keeping his head down with the rugby cap pulled firmly down, shielding his face. He catches sight of Alice, and the beginnings of a smile spread across his face.
"Sorry I'm late, everyone." she says, her wild pink hair considerably tame today. Her eyes look tired, but she does her best to maintain that same cheerful tone. "I was just retrieving our new student. This is Mason." She nudges him forward. "Go on," she says sweetly. "Say hello." He raises his hand and waves it a bit, but Professor Flora beams at him as if he's given the most charming introduction in the world. "He's a little shy, but that's alright." She moves to the center of the room, giving him a chance to run over to Alice and Mirana and plop himself between them. "Today, we're going to try this wonderful idea I found online. It's called Partner Painting. You'll all pair up with someone and create a piece of art. I know we're already a month into school, but it's never too late to have a chance to get to know each other. And to all you solo artists out there, we can always arrange a three-way if there aren't enough people." That earns a laugh from the entire class, including Professor Flora, chuckling to herself. "Alright, I stumbled into that one. Go on, pair up!"
"Let's be partners, Mirana!" Mason says eagerly.
Mirana smiles at him fondly. "I'd like that, Mason, but I think there's a boy who needs you a bit more." She nods towards Chess sulking in the corner by himself. "He's a wonderful artist. I'm sure you two will get along."
"Okay! Who's your partner going to be, then?"
Mirana turns to Alice. "Would you?"
"Of course!" Alice says, a bit too eagerly. She flushes. "Yeah, that'd be great."
Mason looks between them for a moment, studying them, then goes to talk to Chess.
"He's adjusting well." Mirana says, getting up off the floor. "I'm glad." She dusts herself off, though there is no offending dirt to be seen. "I suppose we'll decide what we paint after we get some materials."
Alice follows her to the cabinet where Mirana picks over the canvases. "Do you know what's going to happen to him?"
Mirana hands the canvas to Alice, a nice white landscape. "I want to find him a good family. Not mine, of course, he'd be in danger all the time. My parents are lovely, it's just that there are some things that they have strong, er, feelings about." She selects a few brushes. "I used to share their views, but I find mine are changing. I only hope that it's for the better." She leads them to the next cabinet. "You choose the paint."
Alice finds a rainbow pallet tucked all the way in the back, then grabs tubes of black and white paint. She can't help her next question; her curiosity gets the better of her. "Views on me?" she asks hopefully.
Mirana colours. "I'd rather not discuss that right now. Maybe some other time."
"Right. Of course." Alice does her best to conceal the disappointment in her voice, but she has a feeling that it shines through anyway.
Mirana takes the canvas from Alice and sets it up on the easel. "So, what did you find out?" she asks.
Right to business. Wonderful. "They're after Tarrant. They're going to try to hurt him or something to get him on their side. They're hoping that once he's given up, everyone else will too."
"Anything else? Any cracks in her system?"
"The Bandersnatch, I think." Alice says, grabbing a stool to set up their paint. "He's not as awful as the others. I'm going to try to talk to him at some point."
"Did she give you a name?"
"Um."
"Um? Um what?"
"Um."
"Do you really not remember?"
"Um." Alice says, more insistently.
"It must have been really long if you can't remember it."
Alice sighs. "The name is Um."
"Oh." Mirana quirks an eyebrow, smirking. "Um? Why on earth would she give you such a silly name?"
Alice stares down at her shoes. "I gave myself that name."
"Really?" she giggles. "Points for creativity."
"Oh, stuff it." Alice grumbles, but she's secretly pleased at making Mirana laugh a little. "What are we going to paint?"
Mirana thinks for a moment. "Maybe something abstract? We could do a background and then just add to it individually."
"Sounds easy enough."