"So I start in one week?" I asked.
"Mmmhmm!" Shinigami chirped. He decided I would join the Academy, as a transfer student with no memories. (My idea.) I would stay with Kid until I got my own dorm.
"There's some people I want you to meet." Kid said. We were walking from the school and down to the mall, I would get some new clothes. I looked at my kimono. I washed it while I was in the bathroom, but compared to everyone's modern clothing, I was an outcast.
"Who?" I asked. The sandals I wore were a pair Shinigami fashioned for me. They fit snugly. I wonder how he was able to make sandals in such a short period of time…
"A few of my good friends, and my partners." He said.
"You have partners?" I asked. "What are they?" I somehow felt jealous that he had partners and I didn't.
"Liz and Patty Thompson. Twin sisters, also twin pistols. Perfectly symmetrical!" he said dreamily. I gave him a look.
"Haha… who else?" I laughed at his OCD.
"There's Maka and Soul…" Kid began.
"Soul? I like that name…" I stated. "Soul"… It sounded… cool.
"Yeah, then there's Black*Star and Tsubaki. Be aware of Black*Star, though. He's… self-revolved." His face got a tired look on it, making Kid rub his temples.
"I see." I whispered.
"Then there's Roxas."
"Roxas… nice name." I liked that name, too.
"Mmhmm. He's quiet, like you. Just as stubborn."
"Is he a meister?" I asked, angry that he said I was stubborn.
"Weapon, actually. I don't know what, though. I never saw. I met him like a month ago." Kid glanced at me. "Transfer student. Like you." He poked my shoulder. I glared at him. I confessed my hatred for physical contact, and this was his way of literally "poking fun" at me.
"Is he partnerless?"
"Yes. No one can match wavelengths with him, from what I heard."
"I see." I looked ahead, lost in thought.
'Find the key that will unlock your madness.' A red heart appeared in my head, a keyhole in the center, it shined a pretty silver. Suddenly the right side of it was drowned in black goop.
'Found half. Find the other half, and your true name will appear, Alice.' The shadow gave me a Glasgow smile. It freaked me out.
"Alice, you okay?" Kid stopped. I had dazed out.
"Huh? Oh… yeah, fine."
"We're here." We were in the supermall I've been in here so many times before, mostly with Mother and Aki to buy things for Father. No one knows me here, thankfully. I had no friends when I was Himari... memories flooded. I stopped at a clothing store. The name "Super-Chick" was in gold letters above the giant opening that led into the store.
We walked in. I was looking at the big sale signs when Kid was dragged away from my side. A saleswoman spoke into his ear.
"Would you like to give your girlfriend new clothing?" She dragged Kid to the "Hip" section of the store. I followed. She left us alone, smirking. We started looking at the racks.
"How about this, girlfriend?" Kid joked as he held up a tiny little bra with no wire. A training bra? I gasped at him. He's been staring at my chest! That lecher! I stuck my tongue out at him, covering my chest by crossing my arms. I ran into the changing room. I closed the curtain behind me.
"What did you get?" Kid asked.
"I hate you! Leave me alone!" I snapped at him. I sat down on the bench. I hadn't grabbed anything to change into, I felt stupid sitting there.
His hand popped in with a regular pop tee with jeans. "Here, these look good." I snatched them from him.
"Ow, you scratched me! So unsymmetrical!" He whined. I cackled evilly.
"Revenge!" I put on the outfit. They fit perfectly. The pop tee came down to my shoulders, so you could see my tattoos, but not much. The jeans were baggy, and went down over my ankles. I came out, not looking at Kid. I was still mad at him. They said you could wear the stuff out if you paid for it. Kid held out a pair of flat slip-ons and socks. I slipped them on.
Kid placed a cute hat on me, with a checkered pattern on it. We went over to the accessories, quiet as the wind. I got a heart necklace, and a black and white checkered band. I got a black belt to go with my jeans. I got my old red ribbon that held my hair (Kid had held on to it for me) and tied it around my neck. I made a bow. I turned to look glare at Kid. He looked pleased, checking me over.
"Cute as a button." He winked at me. I felt my face go red. We paid for my clothes and left. I threw away my old kimono. I looked at Kid. He smiled back at me.
"I'm still mad at you."
"Whatever. My apology was that outfit. You're an expensive date." I couldn't help but blush. I hit his arm as hard as I could.
"Cute as a button." His words echoed in my skull.
I felt as cute a button.
We finally got back to the dorms when it got dark out. The dorms were apartments where the meister and weapons live together. There were three floors. Kid was in room 8 (yet it was on the second floor). Perfectly symmetrical, he said.
When we got to his room, I kinda gawked again. Everything was placed symmetrically. The kitchen was in the back, counter's making an open square shape. The living room was next. There was no tv, but two couches up against each other with bookshelves on either side. There were two halls on either side. Each had two bedrooms and one bathroom, Kid explained.
Kid showed me to my room. It was on the left hall, second down to your right. There was a large queen sized bed there, with a million pillows. (Keep in mind this is all symmetrical.) There were no windows, and two bed stands stood on either side of the bed. There was a cabinet placed perfectly in the middle, opposite of the bed.
"Do you like it?" Kid asked. All I could do is nod. I walked over to the bed. I touched the covers. It was a checkered design, black and white. It was softer than kitty fur, too. I sat on it. It was pushed down against my weight. Heaven… I laid down and kicked my feet up. I spread my arms out. I laughed, enjoying the softness.
"Come on, let's go make dinner for Liz and Patty." Kid chuckled. I forgot he was here. I slowly got up and walked over to the kitchen with Kid. I was sort of dragged, though, because I was going so slow thinking about the bed, that Kid had grabbed my hand and walked me faster to the kitchen.
"You gotta make extras for Patty, she's a big eater." Kid reminded. I nodded.
"How about stir fry? We got the ingredients for it." I mumbled, looking at the assortments of spices and vegetables, pans and pots galore.
"Sure."
I was used to cooking for my family when Father was too drunk, Aki was too young to touch anything, (I was scared she'd burn herself,) and when Mother was too high. Kid did okay, but I eventually started helping him by flipping the stir fry better. (He tried to make it land symmetrically.)
"You're good at this." Kid laughed. "Where'd you learn it?"
I didn't answer. I just kept looking at the sizzling veggies and added more oil, making a big spurt of fire. As the cooking died down I noticed Kid kept glancing at my shoulder. It made me uncomfortable, seeing how he was able to see the black markings.
"Kid, we're home!" An older girl's voice suddenly appeared. The door opened, and two girls walked in. The first one was an older looking girl with a red shirt and jeans. Her eyes were a pretty blue, and went perfect with her long, straight, honey-colored hair. The second one that came in was shorter, but had a bigger chest, surprisingly. She wore the same things as her sister, except her jeans were bouncy crop shorts. Her short, sunshine color hair made her blue eyes shine.
I ducked under the counter. Just out of instinct. I would've hid from Kid and Shinigami when I met them, if not under the fact that I was in extreme pain.
"Alice?" Kid looked down. I looked up to meet his eyes. I gulped. What if they don't like me? What if Kid doesn't like me because they don't like me? Kid was my first friend, I thought. At least I hoped so.
My first friend?
I never had a friend.
What did it feel like to have a friend?
I thought of Aki.
"Who's Alice?" The older girl called. She seemed drawn to the food and sat on the counter. Once she turned her head I'm found. I crouched down lower.
"A friend of mine. She needed a place to stay so she's staying with us for a while. She's just shy." Kid crouched down with me and grabbed my collar. He picked me up. "Ta-da." He laughed, dangling me in the air. He's really strong…
"Kid's girlfriend! Kid's got a girlfriend!" The younger sister called. She made kissy faces. My face went pink. Kid still held me by my collar, laughing. Aki's nothing like this… I thought. I kicked my shin for thinking about that.
"She's just my friend, who's indeed a girl. She's the newest transfer student at the Academy." He finally set me down where I crouched back down, away from their eyesight. What am I doing? I'm such an idiot!
"We don't bite, Alice. Alice, was it?" The older sister hopped from the counter to the floor, and crouched down beside me. She held out her hand. "I'm Liz, this is Patty." Patty waved as she ran across the room. Liz smiled. Her smile made me less afraid. She's so nice, I wish I had a partner like her… I got on my knees. I took her hand.
"I'm Alice..." I chuckled. Kid and Liz laughed. Patty was simply bawling her eyes out laughing.
"This is your cooking, Alice?" Liz asked. We finally all got settled down, and eating dinner on the two couches.
I nodded. "Yeah."
"It's so yummy! Where did you learn it from?" Liz asked.
"Uh…" I didn't know how to answer. Kid placed a hand on my shoulder, taking action.
"Alice really has no memories of her past besides her name. She remembers things here and there, like cooking recipes, but no memories." Liz looked at me, concerned.
"Oh, well I guess you're even more special than I thought!" Liz said happily. I turned my head to look at hers, grinning. When I turned back around Patty's upside-down face came inches between mine.
"Look, look, big sister!" Patty almost poked my eyeballs out. I used the block move by putting my hand in front of my nose to where her scissor fingers get stuck and don't touch my eyes.
"Look, look big sister!" Aki's voice rang inside my head. My head ached.
"What is it, Patty?"
"One of her eyes are purple, the other one is blue!" She hopped over back to her sister. "It's so pretty!"
"It's so pretty, big sister!" Aki's voice came again. I stopped eating. Kid stopped to look at me. My eyes went cloudy. "Aki, forgive me!" "You're prettier than the fireworks and stars and bunnies combined!" "I love you, Mari!" "Aki… I'm sorry!" "Ma-ri… Mari! Mari!" "Where's my big sister? Who are you? Where's my sister?" "Aki… forget about me."
"Unlock your heart."
"No!"
"Sister?"
I fell off the couch, onto my knees. It was like I was pushed. My plate rolled around the carpet. Stir fry burned my legs, I was practically sitting in it. I crouched down. I held my ears with my hands.
"Shut up… shut up, shut up, shut up…" I said quietly. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" I said, louder.
"Sister… what's wrong?" Patty asked, worried. "Something's wrong with…" I couldn't hear her. I drowned Patty out with screams and moans.
"Are you okay, sister?" "I'm fine." "You're bleeding…"
Suddenly, a boy's voice came in.
"Alice! Are you alright! You're bleeding!"
The mirror…
'Find the other half of your madness.'
My blue eye burned. I closed my eyes.
"Who are you?"
"Someone who doesn't want to see you hurt."
"Who are you?"
"I hate you!"
"Don't you trust me?"
"Sister…"
"Who are you?"
"Augghhhh!" I screamed. "Who are you?"
I opened my eyes. I was sitting on the couch. My plate was in my lap. Patty and Liz were talking about shoes, and Kid was looking at me concerned.
"You okay?" Kid whispered. I nodded and went back to eating, slower, smaller bites. What just happened to me? I hid my face away from Kid. I knew a scared expression was carved into my face.
"So, Alice, have you met the whole gang yet?" Liz bonked my head with the back of her fist.
"She hasn't." Kid replied for me.
"Alright! Tomorrow, we go out with them! Get ready, Alice!" Liz got up and punched the air with her fist. She then walked over to get seconds. Patty followed.
"The whole gang? Soul… Maka… Tsubaki… Black*Star… Roxas?" I recited the names Kid told me.
"Yep, that's all of 'em." Patty chimed in.
I got up from my seat and walked over, past Liz and Patty. I placed my dish in the sink. I turned the water on.
"I'll get it, Alice." Liz and Kid said together. They glared at each other, secretly fighting who will be the better host.
"I can do it." The steaming water poured onto the plate. I got the sponge that was in the sink and started scrubbing. The boiling water didn't affect me, I was lost in deep thought to think of the burning.
"I'm gonna hit the hay, you boring people." Liz yawned. Patty yawned too.
"Nighty-night." Patty said as she dragged a sleepy Liz into their rooms. I was reading a book while Kid made the kitchen symmetrical again.
"Alice fell down the rabbit hole…" I whispered. I loved this storybook. Kid thought I was weird reading about someone with the same name as me, but I didn't care. I flipped through the pages. I had read several other books from his shelf, and they were scattered all around the couch
"Do you wanna take a shower before you go to bed?" Kid asked. He was walking toward me. I closed the book and nodded. Yes, yes, oh God yes, a shower? How long has it been since I've been fully clean?
"Follow me." I got up and followed Kid to the bathroom. He handed me a gray fluffy towel and bathrobe.
The bathroom had one spa shower in the back of the room, directly in the middle. A toilet was also aligned opposite of the shower, with more perfect symmetry. There were sinks too, in between the baths and toilets.
It was one big bathroom.
"Take your time." Kid said, and left me alone. I locked the door. I stripped myself of my new clothes and walked over to the shower. I turned the handle and the door flew open. I stepped in. I turned the knob that hung on the wall. I was enclosed in two shower heads spraying me on top, and three on the sides. It was pure heaven.
"I want to live here forever!" I said happily as I lathered my hair with expensive shampoo and conditioner. I washed my body with bubbly body wash. I fingered my curling black tattoos. A thought came to my head.
How can he PAY for this?
Well… Shinigami is his father… and he's the headmaster at the Academy… Hmm…
I put the thought aside. Suddenly I just stood there. I started to sing, like some people do when they're happy.
"Do not be afraid… your heart is here." I don't know why I remembered this song, the words I called out in rhythm as I walked the steps of the Academy.
"Do not worry, your heart is fine…" I stepped out of the shower. The robe was on the floor near my clothes. I walked over to it.
"You are your soul, I am your heart…"
The door opened. I didn't see it. I thought it was locked. I slowly bent down and grabbed my robe.
"For I have stolen your-" I stopped. I turned to look at the open door, and a frozen Kid.
"Uh… Alice… uh… you were in there for a long time so I thought… uh… you're… naked…" Kid sputtered. I took action. I screamed with all my might.
"You PERV!" I screamed. I put the robe over my shoulders and chest, then quickly walked over to him. He looked at me with wide eyes. I was about to kick him when he suddenly fell on the floor by himself. His nose was bleeding.
"Alice… naked… uh… Sorry…" I ran back, grabbed my clothes and stepped over a bleeding Kid. I kicked his head on my way out. I walked out and into the hall and into my room. I realized I had no pajamas, and I didn't want to bother Patty or Liz, they probably weren't my sizes anyway.
Kid was at my door, plugging his nose with tissues. "Sorry about that. You were in there for over an hour."
"Oh…" It felt like five minutes. "Sorry for kicking you." I stared at my bare feet.
"Do you have anything to change in to?" he asked. I shook my head.
"Stay here." He walked away. I sat on my soft bed. I suddenly realized my face was pink. Kid came back and tossed me a soft white shirt.
"It may be a little big." He turned around and held his hands to his eyes. I slipped off the robe and grabbed my underwear. I put it on and then the shirt. It was one of Kid's undershirts. It had his scent. It was a little big, it went all the way down to my mid-thighs. I buttoned up the shirt. I covered my tattoos.
"You can turn now." I called. I sat back down on my bed. He turned and walked over to examine me.
"Baggy, but still cute." He winked at me and sat down on the bed next to me. I was suddenly so tired I placed my head on his shoulder. He flinched a little.
"Alice, how old are you?" he suddenly asked.
"Why do you…" I yawned. "Ask?"
"Just wondering." I didn't see it, but his ears turned pink.
"13. You?"
"14."
His warmth felt nice. I wrapped my arms around his arm and squeezed him with all my might. He winced in embarrassment.
"What were those tattoos?"
My eyes widened, but quickly slumped back down tiredly. I couldn't understand his question properly.
"Tattoos of the older sister… in a Japanese family." I yawned. I didn't know why I was telling him this… I just felt warm and safe.
"But I thought they stopped that a long time ago. Plus, I thought it was for twins only, but they have them for firstborns too? I don't get it…"
"My family was descendants of one of the Great Families. It was required, even though we stopped the practice of our family's art many generations ago." I closed my eyes.
"Oh." We sat there in silence for a long time.
"Kid…"
"Yes?"
"Thank you." My arms drooped. I opened my eyes. I closed them again. I felt my head fall forward, but Kid caught me and placed me under the covers.
"No… thank you… friend."
A/N Hahaha... I have my first fan! She's literally yelling at me when the next chapter will be out. Soooo I had to post it today! Ugh... I really wanna post the cool thing that's coming up BUT it's a good 2 other chapters away. . DUN DUN DUN CLIFFHANGER! But yeah... REVIEW! I NEED criticism! Please don't go easy on me, the harsher the better! -Soul