It was weird how quiet it seemed to be when Matilda wasn't at school spazzing about shoes. Although Alfred hadn't noticed her until two, three days ago,
now he began to notice. He had thought about going to one of her classes to see if she was just late or not, but then it dawned on him that he didn't know any of her classes at all. At lunch, he decided to go to where she sat with her friends; He only knew it was where she sat from seeing that the albino was sitting at a lunch table. He walked over and sat next to the albino, who didn't seem to notice him at first.

"I'm telling ya Ludwig, it was HUGE! And-..." Gilbert stopped and turned to see Alfred sitting there next to him, grinning. "Why're you over here...? Shouldn't you be sitting with your friends?"

Alfred scratched the back of his head and sniffed abit before replying.

"Actually, I was kinda wondering where Matilda was. Usually she's running around the halls early in the morning, but I hadn't seen her today, so..."

Gilbert blinked and stared at Alfred as well as Ludwig. Although it was part of Matilda's plan to befriend the blond Gilbert didn't like him; There was just something that bugged Gilbert about Alfred, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"She has a cold. Didn't want to spread it to anybody, so she stayed home," Gilbert shrugged, "But when I talked to her on the phone she didn't sound that bad. Must've gotten worse or something." He raised a white eyebrow at Alfred while opening his soda.

"Anything else ya need?" Ludwig shook his head and got up to leave when he heard a certain Italian call for him. Waving him off, Gilbert looked back at Alfred, who looked up at the sky before facing Gilbert and replying.

"Not really. So anyway, do ya know her number?" Ok, he could've waited until Matilda herself was here to ask that question, but what's the worst that Gilbert could do? Say no?

Gilbert's eye twitched along with the frown on his pale face.

"Did he SERIOUSLY just ask me that?"

"Yeeah, I know it. What about it?" Maybe he would get the hint to go away.

Alfred leaned in to the albino and puffed out his cheeks in annoyence.

"And what is it?" Gilbert sighed in anger before pulling out a Sharpie and scribbling it on the American's right arm, popping the top back on rather harshly before throwing it back into his backpack.

"Go away now. You're so unawesome." Gilbert crossed his arms while turning in front of Alfred. Alfred simply smiled, unaware of the atmosphere, and jumped up from the bench.

"Thanks! See ya!" Running off into the cafeteria he decided to go find Yao to borrow money. Watching Alfred run off, Gilbert threw his soda in the trash before going off to find Feliciano and Ludwig.

Meanwhile, a certain Chinese teen was glaring at a certain American who had sat next to him at the lunch table and had started begging for money. AGAIN.

"Come on Yao! I just need 10 dollars! Maybe 11, but mostly 10!" Alfred started pawing at Yao's shoulder while whining loudly.

"No! You still owe me 50 dollars! And for the record that's only PART of all the money you owe me, aru," Yao pointed a long-sleeved covered hand at the American before continuing, "Not to mention food for lunch you owe me for all the times I've given you MY lunch, my jackets I've lent you only for you to lose EVERY one of them, and my CDs that you lost as well! 50 dollars is like a penny in this situation, aru!"

Alfred put his pinky in his ear and twisted it, trying to help his ear that had been hurt from Yao yelling in it.

"I don't owe you that much! You totally forgot those video games I borrowed and that awesome artbook you lent me- Wait. I wasn't supposed to tell you that." Well crap. Now he probably had to give those back! He had been planning on keeping those just a little longer, too...

"That's my point, aru! I swear, you're just like a little child," Yao took out a 10 dollar bill from his pocket while fumming, "And this is the LAST time I'm lending you money! Go ask someone else for a change at least, aru!" Alfred pumped his fist in victory before putting the money in his pocket and poking Yao's cheek.

"But you're stuff's really cool! And you always keep your money neat and clean, too. But, anyway," Alfred stood up and adjusted the collar of his bomber jacket, "I'll totally give you some money tomorrow, promise!" Yao rolled his brown eyes before getting back to his food. Kiku, who was sitting next to him, opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again and started to resume eating as well.

oOo

Matilda blew into a tissue before groaning and throwing it in the trashcan next to her bed. She rubbed her forehead and sniffled before rubbing her eyes and sitting up, hair messy and nose as red as can be. It wasn't fun getting sick, that was for sure, but she still had things to do.

"Ok, here we go..." She swung her legs to the right side of the bed before standing up on the plush red carpet. Walking over to her closet she opened the wood doors and stared at the row of shoes before her, taking a deep breath through her mouth since her nose was stuffed up, and began to reorganize them. Matilda was always reorganizing her shoes,
cleaning them, and making sure that they were rowed up perfectly.

"Uggh, why are these shoes over here? They're supposed to be on the shelf!" Grabbing the pair of shoes, which where plaid pumps, she got back up and placed them onto the shelf located to the left in the closet, positioning them perfectly before scratching her red nose and walking out of the closet, shutting it behind her.

"Maybe later. I totally can't do this now." She began to walk around her room, dragging her feet behind her and hands clamped behind her back loosely. Shoes on the floor in rows,
on the bookcase, on the desk, on the table placed near her bed, on the shelfs on her walls, even a pair on the windowseal. Maybe it was time to pack some shoes up so she'd have more room to place new shoes. She stopped infront of a pair of brown pennyloafers and picked them up slowly.

"I remember these. I always wore these in 9th grade. I can't believe I've forgotten about them..." The pennyloafers weren't placed in the front row infront of the wall; They were placed near the back, even almost covered completely by a different pair of shoes. They looked alittle wore out and just a tad dirty, a very unusual condition for a pair of Matilda's shoes to be in. Tilting them to the side abit, Matilda placed them back down and started out of her room and down the stairs.

The house was empty, seeing as she was the only one home. Francis was at school, and her dad was working at the office. He had wanted to stay with his "Maple-Kins" but had to go even so. Opening the fridge, Matilda picked out a brownie before heading into the living room and turning on the T.V.

"Oh, Urban Legends! Just in time!" She grinned as she turned up the volume, making herself comfortable on the leather couch as the show started. But just before the show got into the 8 minute mark the house phone rang, making the Canadian groan and reluctantly get up, irratatied that someone interupted her show.

"Hello?" She answered rather stuffed up, sniffling before adjusting the phone into her other hand.

"Heey, Maddie! How's it going? You weren't in school today, and I was told you were sick, so I, being the hero I am, decided to check up on you! Doing fine? Not getting experimented on by any aliens, right? Ghosts not trying to kill you? Ca-Cause, you know, if they were I would totally jump in heroicly and beat them up! Unless they were bloody, or-"

"I fine, just alittle stuffed up. No aliens, no ghosts! Just a normal house. Anyway," Matilda raised her eyebrow, "How'd you get my number? I never gave it to you."

Alfred, who was sitting on his bed, fell back and grinned. Matilda could hear him grin, in fact, through the phone.

"Gilbert gave it to me. And he's the one that told me you were sick," Alfred looked left and right, thinking he heard something, "And you're SURE there's no ghosts at your house or anything? Cause if there is, you might've passed them on to me, cause I've been hearing these noises, not that I'M scared or anything, and if you did-"

Matilda laughed, which made Alfred stop, and replied before he could start up again.

"The great Alfred's scared of ghosts? I would have never thought that. Isn't someone home with you?"

"Noo. Mom's out shopping and my dad's at the workshop. Well, actually, my grandpa's here-" Before Alfred could continue an old man wheeled into his room, wheelchair slightly creaking. Alfred's grandpa had thin grey hair, styled exactly like Alfred's hair, curl and all, glasses, and had an American flag blanket covering his legs.

"Suzy May, what you doing laying around? Get cleaning!" Alfred gave a long, heavy, drawn out sigh and turned his phone on speaker. Matilda blinked, not knowing what was going on at all. Alfred, while still holding the phone, got up and walked over to his grandpa, frowning.

"Grandpa Tim, I'm Alfred, not Suzy May. I'm your grandson, remember?" Grandpa Tim squinted his eyes angerly at Alfred before wheeling closer to him.

"Shut the hell up Richard and block the doors! I heard sirens! Them Nazis are coming again!" Alfred looked up and sighed once more. Matilda couldn't help but giggle a bit at Grandpa Tim.

"Grandpa, the war is over. There isn't any more Nazis, and Richard died 12 years ago. And that "siren" was the ice cream truck. AGAIN."

"...Shut the hell up Alfred." Alfred gasped and almost flung the phone down.

"Grandpa, you got my name right! Say it again!" Grandpa Tim had...problems. He was actually Alfred's great grandfather, and had been in alot of wars, inculding, according to Grandpa Tim, Vam. The old man glared and slammed into Alfred's legs, making him almost fall over.

"Oww, Grandpa! Stop! Come oon!"

"Alfred? What's going on...?" Matilda, who was trying not to laugh, covered her mouth while waiting for the American to reply. Jumping back from his grandpa Alfred hopped on the bed and scooted over to the headboard, trying to get as far away from the old man as possible.

"My grandpa has, uh, problems. Still thinks we're in war and everything! He can't even remember my name or me, but sometimes he'll say it! . . . When I piss him off that is."

"Really? Sounds exciting. My papa isn't that energetic anymore."

"In a nursing home?" Alfred laughed abit, from his little joke and from watch Grandpa Tim trying to ram into the bed to knock Alfred off. Matilda walked into the kitchen and got a maple syrup bottle, popping it open and putting it to her lips.

"No, he's deeead." She began to drink straight from the bottle while waiting for the American to reply. Alfred bit his lip and blushed a bit in slight embarassment.

"Oops. Heheh...I didn't, uh...I'm going to shut up now." Taking a big gulp, Matilda closed the bottle and switched hands, a little smile twitching on her face.

"It's fine, don't worry about it! Anyway, did you and Gilbert get along at lunch?" Alfred puffed his cheeks in thought.

"I guess. He was sorta all like, "EHHH" at me." Matilda giggled as she pushed her glasses back up.

"I was hoping you two'd get along. That means he doesn't like you much."

There was silence between the two for a few minutes after that. What else could they really say? To others the conversation might have seemed to be going ok, but to the two it had started to go just a tad akward. Alfred was the first to break it.

"I guess it's a good thing that he has such a good girlfriend! I mean, you understand 'em and everything!" Matilda gave a gasp, making Alfred jump on the other end.

"What? You think we're d-dating? I mean, yeah, we look like we are, but I never really thought we were offical or anything! I, uh, um...Maybe?" If Alfred was infront of Matilda, he would have stared at her with the most blank-dead look that he could possibly muster on his face. MaryEllen was wrong? How could she be? She knew EVERYTHING on EVERYONE in the school!

"You're...not? Whaaat?" Alfred closed one blue eye in thought and puffed out one cheek. Matilda's face was completely red, and her nose could be compared to that of a tomato.

"We are, we arn't. On and off. Kinda, sorta yeah, but no." She wasn't even sure what was coming out of her mouth made any sense at all at this point! Her and Gilbert were indeed very, very close, and although they kinda were dating, they weren't sure if it was serious.

"Ahaha, got it," Alfred looked at his clock: 4:45. That could be a good excuse to end this akward conversation for the day! "Anyway, I gotta go and do my homework, so, ah, yeah."

"Yeah, I understand. Guess I'll see ya later?"

"Sure. Me, being the best hero around, promises!" Matilda rolled her violet-blue eyes at that, and brushed her bangs away from her eyes.

"Ok, I'll keep you on that. If I'm not at school tomorrow, call me. Trust me, I don't have anywhere else to be!" Alfred laughed a bit until he remembered another reason why he called her.

"Oh, what day do you wanna come with me to get those boots?" Matilda scurried over to a calender and began to scan it.

"Today's Thursday," she placed her thumb on her lips, "Friday or Saturday?" Alfred thought over if he was taken on those days: Sunday he knew he was going over to Kiku's, but he was pretty sure that Friday and Saturday were open. But which day? Suddenly he snapped his fingers.

"Both! Friday you take me to the shoe store and Saturday I'll take YOU somewhere!" Matilda bit her thumb before adjusting her glasses.

"Where would you be taking me...? No where scary, I hope."

"It's a secret! But, like I said, that's the plan! See ya Maddie!"

" ALFRED, WAIT-"

But he had already hung up on her, probably so she wouldn't have any time to change her mind about the whole thing. Taking the phone away from her ear and staring at it, Matilda sighed and hung it up back in its charger.

"Oh geez."

oOo!

I FINALLY UPDATED. YOU GUYS CAN KILL ME FOR TAKING SO LONG D;

My computer was acting up and bluescreened, so for a few weeks it was GOOONE. But it's fixed now :D Hazaa!