"Trinity?"

With wide eyes, Trinity turned to face girl who called out to her and came face-to-face with Alice. She was wearing such a happy, innocent smile that it unintentionally pissed Trinity off. Why was this stupid girl talking to her? Did she not listen to what she was told at school? And in front of her mother, of all people. So much for a dull trip to the store.

"I didn't expect to run into you here. How are you?" Alice took a few steps closer, stopping when the raspy voice of the older woman spoke.

"Who might you be?" her voice broke as she attempted to take on a sweet tone, but Trinity knew better than to believe her mother could be anything but selfish.

Alice turned her orbs to the woman at the cart with a curious gaze, smiling instinctively when they made eye contact. "My name is Alice Liddel," she said, giving a half-assed curtsy. "I just moved here from out of country and had the pleasure of being transferred into your daughter's class at school."

It was obvious that the blond was trying to make a good impression but something about it seemed forced, like it was really natural for her to be like this. Trinity prayed that her mother's observation eye didn't catch on to that slight difference. It would be her own self who payed for it.

"Is that so..?"

Shit...

"Mm-hm! I was hoping to get the chance to hang out with Trinity but unfortunately that hasn't happened yet," there was a self-deprecating smile on her face as she spoke.

"And why's that?" her mother turned to face her with a false smile.

Trinity refused to make any sort of eye contact with either of them, instead focusing her gaze on a box of instant pasta. Her hands here stuffed in the pockets of her hoodie, which only added to the tense posture Trinity was trying to deflate. This girl had the tenacity to insert herself where she didn't belong and it wasn't doing anyone any favors. She'd be sure to rip her a new one when her mother was nowhere near to see. But when the intense stare began suffocating her, she sighed, shrugging.

"Because she only transferred a few days ago and I hardly even know her. She's pushy, persistent and annoying and I don't have the time to deal with people like her."

The words were cruel, but were of an honest opinion in her eyes. Trinity attempted to say them with as much apathy as she could manage, and looked directly at the blonde with as much heated tension as she was feeling. Hopefully Alice was getting the message. The expression she wore with that stiff upper lip told her as much, hands tightly gripping the skirt of her dress.

"Trinity!" there was a hard slap at the pack of her head. "Don't be so rude! I now I raised you better than that. I'm sorry Miss... Alice, was it?" her mother flipped from pissy to apologetic as she eyed the blond yet again, getting a hesitant nod in response. Trinity knew just what it was that she was thinking. It happened every time someone called out to her in her mother's presents. She wanted her daughter to use these so-called "friends" for money and other various things. This was why so avoided people like the plague. Seemed that Alice was no exception, foreigner or not. She would have sighed if wouldn't have invited her mother to more abuse.

"Mother, are we done here? It's beginning to get pretty late," the monotone returned to her voice as Trinity turned away from the now silent girl.

There was a light 'tch' as the cart began moving again. "I don't need my own daughter mothering me."

The visit to the super market was quickly wrapped up, the rate of which alarmed Trinity. Her mother obviously had something planned and it didn't look like any of it was going to bode well. Sure enough, more marks were added to the collection on her body. On top of it, there was a nasty discussion circled around Alice. Her polite, proper attitude and frilled clothing, which hardly looked cheap, convinced her mother that her family was loaded. Demanding that Trinity squeeze as much as she could out of the blond as she could, it was drilled into her head for well over an hour. Laying down to bed, she couldn't help but wince at how tender her body was, no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise. Though in the end, it was OK. It was OK, so long as he wasn't here because this was definitely no place for a growing boy.

When early morning rolled around, most of the pain had died down. Quickly and quietly getting dressed and ready for the day, Trinity packed a bag and headed out. Long brown locks were tossed over a shoulder as groggy feet began down the pavement. She really should get a hair-cut, it was so much of a hassle. And she still needed some new shoes... All that would have to wait until a later date though, with all her money being freshly drained. On a brighter note, her younger brother was coming home today. That alone was enough to put a smile on Trinity's face. That alone was enough to make everything OK. She was going to meet him at three, their favorite time in their favorite spot, the gardens under the big clock tower with the many blossoming cherry trees. It was their "Zen" place, and that's exactly where she was headed. It was still far to dark out to appreciate the grandeur of the garden, but the scent that graced the area was present. Dropping her bag at the base of a tree, Trinity lay in the soft grass, her hands placed comfortably behind her head. Her brother wasn't due back until about three, so there was enough time for a decent nap.

Six o'clock. Nine o'clock. Noon. The clock woke her each time, letting her know that her adorable little brother would be there that much sooner with each toll. Just three more hours to go. As the three o'clock chime was about to toll, the happiness she was feeling began to flicker and fade when an annoying whisper was scratching at her ability to fall back asleep. It sounded like people were arguing while trying to be courteous to the sleeping girl. It was a thoughtful gesture, but annoying. She didn't want anyone to interrupt her special time with her younger brother. As Trinity turned to politely ask the people to go elsewhere, her eyes caught sight of the hem of a blue dress and red Mary-Janes standing behind the tree she lay at.

"Hey..."

Trinity sat up, holding her head as a fuzzy feeling enveloped her senses for a split second. "What are you doing here, Alice?"

At the sound of her voice, the half hidden body jumped slightly. Slowly, the familiar face appeared, a look of nervous delight in the smile she wore. Trinity would've thought that the event at the supermarket would have been enough to sway the blonde away from ever coming around again but from the looks of things, that wasn't the case. Receiving an expectant stare, Alice removed herself from behind the tree and stood beside Trinity, hands neatly folded in front of her. It looked as if she was at a loss though the look she was receiving that held an obvious question didn't change.

"I-I just... wanted to ask you something," she finally managed to say, sitting on her knees in the grass beside Trinity.

"And what might that be?"

"Are you happy here?"

"What do you think?"

"Well... I don't know. That's why I'm asking," Alice said. There was a pitch of irritation mingled in her otherwise polite tone.

Trinity studied her for a moment with an intense eye before turning her eyes to the blue sky above, relaxing herself. "I'm content."

"Huh?"

"I hate how things turned out, I hate how my life turned out, and I hate how it looks like things aren't going to get any better, but... As long as he's OK, I'll endure anything."

"He?"

"Mm," Trinity gave a small nod, never looking away from the one or two fluffy clouds that floated on by. "My little brother, Tobi. As long as I have him, as long as he's safe, I don't care how awful things get for me. As long as he's safe, I'm happy."

"But is being happy really enough to make everything OK?"

"For me it is. Tobi saved me, and I will keep him safe in return. He's all I need to be happy."

"Hey did you know?"

Trinity looked around when a hazy voice spoke in her ear, twitching slightly at the twinge in her temple.

"But what if..."

The twinge dull itself immediately at Alice's half formed sentence and she received a sharp glare. If looks could kill. The blond swallowed the words she was going to say. If something were to happen to her younger brother, there would be all hell to pay. Her older sister was already gone, and that alone caused catastrophic damage to her precariously perched family. Another death would only further destroy equally precarious bonds. And if it were Tobi... there would be nothing left for her. There would be no point in doing anything. Everything was for him. An education so that she could get a decent job, so that she could be able to take him away from all the drama and raise him the way a little boy should be. True, her older brother did well to take care of him and give him what he needed, but Trinity wouldn't be content until his wish of living with her was fulfilled.

"I see..."

Those were the only words that Alice could mumble with a sympathetic expression. The sharp glare softened if only the slightest bit when Trinity noticed that the blond's attention was divided between herself and the clock face high above them. It was almost three. Tobi was sure to be here soon. When Trinity turned back to tell Alice off so that she and her younger brother could play in peace, she was surprised to see not Alice but a small bunny. A white bunny in a red suit. He was looking right at her with an expectant smile some feet away. Blink, blink. She must still be sleepy, even after holding a conversation. Agreeing with this notion, Trinity closed her eyes, rolled over, and decided to nap some more. Tobi would wake her up anyways.

"No, no," came a voice off to her side. The same side the bunny was on. "You're supposed to follow me, not ignore me!"

Trinity's eyes snapped wide open as her head slowly turned to face the creature that was now right behind her, looking disappointed. Did that thing really just talk? Sure, it may have been wearing a suit, but people dress their pets all the time, don't they? When it didn't speak further, she turned her head back around and raced her brain for a possible answer. Was she just hearing things?

"You aren't leaving me much of a choice are you?"

There it was again! That tiny little voice. There wasn't a chance to investigate, however, as Trinity was swept off the ground and onto someone's shoulder. Her first instinct was to kick and scream and fight her way free, and she would have too, if the grip on her body wasn't so firm and if... Wait? Were those... bunny ears!? The man who was now in possession of her had silky white hair, which was strange enough being that he looked relatively young, and two long, white rabbit ears poking straight out of his head. Was this some kind of sick joke?

"Hey! Put me down! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Please don't scream in my ear. I'll be glad to put you down when we get there and make everything clear," the man spoke with such a happy expression it was hard to tell that he was capable of kidnapping. But that smile only added to Trinity's growing anger.

Taking one of his large ears firmly in both hands, she pulled it so that it was level with her lips. "PUT ME DOWN!"

It was made obvious that her actions shocked him with him jumping as bad as he did. While his steady pace faltered for a moment, it didn't stop.

"Why would you do that, my dear? That really hurt my poor ear."

"Because I'm being kidnapped! What do you think!?"

"Surely you'll thank me another day. But for now, the rules we must obey."

"That games always have rules."

"Rules..?"

"Yes, of course!"

In the distance, Trinity could hear the three o'clock chime of the garden clock and she seen the hazy outline of a blue dress. The figure of the blond girl almost looked... transparent. Attempting to see more clearly through the constant bobbing of the rabbit man's running, she could see a small hand waving. Was she waving goodbye? Like hell she'd let that happen.

"Put me down!"

"But we're almost there."

"I don't care! Lemme go!"

"It's decided from the beginning."

Just as Trinity was about to push off and cause the bunny ...whatever this guy is... some major pain, a feeling of weightlessness overcame her. Both her and the man were free-falling down a hole. Her scream was delayed long enough to see what stood at the top of the hole. Alice, still waving, looked like a bad static image of the worst kind. All her features were blurry and scratchy and... she looked at if she had no facial features, though she still looked so sad. When the final chime tolled, the two had already fallen so far down the hole. It was at this time that Trinity began to scream. Just how deep was this hole!?

"Are you suicidal or just stupid!?" she screamed at the man after successfully flipping herself around so that she could she where they where falling. And from the looks of things, that seemed like a whole lot of nothing.

"If it were by your side, it wouldn't matter how I've died. But don't worry. At this pace, we'll be there in a hurry," so he said. But where was 'there'? Six feet under? Well, it'd actually be far more than that. Trinity couldn't even see the hole they fell through anymore. She was definitely going to die at this rate. And it was all the fault of this stupid rabbit man.

"You knew that, right?"