Summary: Friendships and love are confusing, especially when the two are tangled together.
Rating: K+
Warning!: Um...a crossdresser? Really mild shojo-ai?
A/N: This chapter is the backstory part you don't really want to miss. Just bear with it until the fluffy stuff.

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Most friendships go through a number of stages before reaching their peak. However, under large amounts of pressure, the stages can be accomplished very quickly. This is the story of Alice and Alyss.

Alice and Alyss were very different. They had grown up in different areas, in different families and in different schools. They had both been accepted into the same high school, and neither had a very good experience with middle school.

They went from strangers to acquaintances the first day they met. By the end of the week, they could officially be called friends, and were planning a get together. By the end of the month they knew almost everything about each other.

After three months, Alice and Alyss were inseparable. They were together as much as they possibly could, and hung out every weekend.

At three months and a week, Alice and the sophomore boy she liked were together and Alyss felt a pang of jealousy. She was relieved when Alice still spent most of her time with her.

At three months and two weeks, Alice was urging Alyss to confess to the boy she liked. Alyss did, and was happier than she had been in years. She had everything she had ever wanted. The two girls were now like sisters.

At three months and three weeks, Alice and Alyss were torn apart.

Alice's family was moving out of the city on account of work. She wouldn't be able to go to the school her "sister" or boyfriend went to again. The day she left, Alyss ran along side Alice's father's car until she couldn't run any farther. She collapsed onto the sidewalk, tears streaming down her face, and texted her brother to come pick her up.

Alice and Alyss were a very special case in terms of how their friendship progressed. Not only were they able to achieve the level of closeness they did in such a short amount of time, but their sisterhood was broken into a one-sided love soon after Alice moved.

Alyss had always been different, but she was not expecting to find that she was in love with her best friend. Her boyfriend had been ignoring her and pointing out her faults instead of being there for her, she didn't have the emotional support she needed from her parents, and she harbored a terrible secret.

Alyss was panromantic asexual.

Day after day, Alyss waited for word from Alice. When she got it, she was in shock.

On her first day at her new school, Alice had been thrown to the ground and kicked until she vomited. The offenders had left her lying there for the teachers to find.

Alice refused to tell her parents about the abuse. She held her head up and took the beatings she didn't deserve.

Alyss' heart broke for Alice for the first of many times.

But she knew she couldn't just sit around and do nothing while her friend, the girl she loved, was in pain, so she had to act.

Alyss took her scissors and cut off her long hair. She stole her brother's clothes and tried to lower her voice as much as she could. The next morning, she leapt on a bus at four in the morning so she would get to Alice's school on time.

Alice was surprised when the new boy entered the classroom. He introduced himself to her as Alex. She though his voice was a little high and his face was a little soft for a boy, but she decided not to judge him by his appearances.

Alice found Alex to be a perfect friend. He was interested in everything she was, and he even acted like Alyss sometimes. She was always worried about him, because he always had dark circles under his eyes. He brushed her off, saying he wasn't very good in school so he stayed up late studying.

Alyss had never felt happier. She never got enough sleep, her grades were slipping, and her parents were suspicious of her strange behavior, but every day she got to see the girl she loved. She made sure that all was well with Alice, and that was all that mattered.

Alice wasn't surprised when Alex asked her out. She had seen his flustered looks around her and how everything he did seemed to be for her sake. She was happy to tell him that she too, loved him.

Alyss was overwhelmed with happiness. She had everything she had ever wanted.

The police came to the school later that week reporting that a girl had gone missing. Alice worried nonstop that the girl was Alyss. The police said it was.

The police met Alice and Alyss as they exited the school that afternoon. The pictures they had were easily matched to Alyss' face. Alice was horrified.

She had fallen in love with her best friend.

Alyss turned toward Alice, tears streaming down her face. She kissed her on the cheek before running as fast as she could.

No one would take Alice away from her again. Not the law, not anyone.

Alyss ran until she couldn't run any farther. She collapsed onto the sidewalk, tears streaming down her face, and texted her brother to come pick her up.

He didn't come. No one did.

Alyss curled up on the sidewalk, hugging her knees to her chest as her cropped hair fell in her eyes.

This was it. She couldn't run, she couldn't walk, but she couldn't let them take her away from Alice.

If Alice even wanted her anymore.

Alice was hurt. Alyss had tricked her into believing she was a boy, and had gone as far as to make her fall in love with her. She felt as if everything had been a lie.

But somehow, she wanted to see Alyss again.

Not Alex, Alyss.

So she decided she would.

Alice texted Alyss, asking where she was. When she received no reply, she became frantic. She ran in the direction she had seen Alyss run until she couldn't run any farther. She collapsed onto the sidewalk, tears streaming down her face, and cried for Alyss.

Alyss saw Alice run down the street. She saw her collapse on the sidewalk. She heard her cry.

Alyss did what was only natural. She stepped out of the alleyway she was hiding in and called out to Alice.

Alice stood up and leapt into Alyss' outstretched arms, knocking them both down. Alyss cried, telling Alice about all her confusing feelings and her undying determination. Alice buried her face in her friend's shirt and thanked her for being there the whole time.

Because Alyss had been there the whole time.

That's what friends are for, right?

For Audrey, the love of my life, who's been my Alice whether she knows it or not.