"Hey, what are you so happy for?" Liz asked. She was talking to Patty when I came into the large apartment. I was still smiling. It wouldn't erase off my face, much to Himari's displeasure.
"Oh… nothing!" I knew them too well to know that I shouldn't show off my present. "What do you want for dinner?"
"Hmm… I dunno. Thinking of going to Maka's to eat?" Patty rubbed her stomach. I shrugged.
"Sounds good… if they'll have me, of course." Thoughts of Shinigami's invitation to their group came to mind. I kept silent about it. I'd talk to Kid.
"Where's Kid?" Patty jumped up and down on the couch when I went to sit down.
I looked up at the ceiling. "Went to talk with his dad."
"Were you there too?" Liz poked my shoulder. I nodded. "What are you talking about?" She winked at me.
"He was worried what happened to me. Had to go reassure him." I laughed. I felt my head, and found a small scar that wasn't there before. I remembered the giant Kishin, and I shuddered.
"You cold?" Patty got up and reached under the couch. She pulled out a long, colorful blanket and wrapped all three of us in it. I fingered the soft cloth. It was the middle of April, but it did get windy and chilly sometimes.
"What city is this?" I asked, enjoying the heat the blanket provided.
Liz turned to me, shocked. "How long have you've been here, exactly?" I counted with my fingers. I lived outside of a city, on the outskirts, so… One… Two…Three?
"I'm sure this is the third day." I spoke to myself more than to the sisters. Their eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Mmhmm… now answer my question, please?" I shrugged a little.
Patty responded. "Death City!" It was like I set off a bomb. She began yelling and running and jumping around the room, off the walls, more or less.
"I see." I was right. Our house wasn't far from Death City.
"Why do you ask?" Liz finally had gotten up and got a grip on Patty's wrists, and was now dragging her laughing twin back to the couch.
"Curious."
"So do you mind hanging out with Maka and Soul?" Liz asked once she finally settled down on the couch again. I nodded.
"Like I said before, don't care, but they have to say yes first." I folded my hands back behind my head.
"Mmmk! Yeah… yeah… at, six maybe? It's four thirty now… take out? Sounds good. Oh, and…" Liz's voice dropped down to a whisper. "Yeah! Sounds perfect!" Her voice went back up. I looked to she was talking on her phone. I wondered who it was. "Mmm… yeah! Okay… call Tsubaki definitely! Yeah you do it! Alright… oh nice! Okay… At six!" She hung up the phone.
"So…"
She smiled at me and winked. "We're eating at their place!" There was a twinkle in her eye and it made me suspicious when Patty slipped into the left hallway. I gave her a look.
"Oh really." I stared at her. She waved at herself, fanning herself.
"It sure is hot in here, huh!"
"It's the middle of April." I raised a brow at her. Liz shrugged.
*-.-.-.-*
"Yo." Kid called as he opened the door. Liz and Patty were in their room, and sometimes I heard them giggle and yell. I was spread out on the couch, legs up on the arm rest, head lolled to the side as I flipped the pages of "Soul Wavelengths". Other books were on my stomach and above my head, such as "Origin of Weapons and Meisters", "Meister Abilities", "Souls for Meisters".
I didn't even reply to him. I was interested in the paragraph my eyes were glued to. I rolled onto my stomach, dropping two books onto the floor. My legs slowly fanned the air back and forth. I didn't notice, but Kid walked over and picked all the books I read and put them in a neat stack at the end of the couch.
"Alice?" He stood over me. I never realized how tall he was. I marked my page with my hand before closing the cover on my wrist.
"Yeah?" I looked up at him, straining my neck to do so.
"You're a mess. Unsymmetrical mess…" He covered his eyes with his hands. I glared at him and went back to reading. There is no certainty whether or not a meister/weapon will be born, but it is common that if an older sibling is a meister/weapon, the younger siblings will most likely be the same. If it is a family of meisters/weapons, there is a good chance the offspring will be the same. I thought about it. I'm a meister… was Mother or Father one? And what about Aki? I wish she was normal… I went back to reading.
"Hey! Alice!" Kid put his hands on my back and started shaking me back and forth. I smiled while I ignored him. He lifted his hands away and then did something completely unexpected.
He sat on me.
The air whooshed out of me. He was awfully heavy, despite his skinny appearance. He laughed while I squirmed, attempting to roll him off.
"Are you going with us to Maka and Soul's?" He poked the back of my head. I nodded.
"I think so. Wait, how'd you know?" I would've turned to look at him, but my neck would only go so far without the ability to turn my back.
"Liz called me when I was walking home."
"Oh." My phone was in my pocket. "Get off of me?"
He wiggled around to get comfortable. "Why? You make a good pillow." I kicked him by bending my leg back. "Ow!"
"That's for calling me ugly." I went back to reading.
"I never called you ugly, you're just so unsymmetrical!" Kid sighed.
I closed my eyes and sighed also. "Would you get off me if I let you made me "symmetrical"?" He gasped.
"Y-You would let me?" He jumped off me and started jumping up and down, like Patty. "Oh joyous days!" He grabbed my wrists and dragged me into the bathroom. He left the door wide open. I rubbed my wrists as he pulled a stool out from the cabinet under the sink and set it down behind me. "Sit." He grabbed my shoulders and sat me down. I noticed he had grabbed a small bag full of combs, brushes, and tweezers.
"You're not gonna… tweeze me, are you?" I looked at him pleadingly. Kid stared hard into my face. He shook his head.
"Nope! You're eyebrows are perfectly symmetrical!" He clapped his hands twice before zipping the bag open and furiously brushing my hair, and then using a ruler to measure the width and length. He grabbed the scissors. "You're ends are uneven." He looked at my bangs. "These too." He held them up with two fingers, and was about to cut them until I screamed loudly.
"Liz! Patty! Help!" I jumped up and ran out of the bathroom. I didn't care what he did, but cutting my hair was going way too far. I heard loud footsteps as Liz and Patty ran down the hall towards me.
"Oh my Shinigami! What happened?" Liz asked, placing her hands on my shoulders and shaking me. I squirmed out of her grip and hid behind her. Thankfully she was much taller than me, so you couldn't see me.
"K-Kid tried to cut my hair!" I grabbed my bangs as if they were my life-source. Patty gasped, and suddenly an angry look spread across her face.
"I'll kill him!" Patty yelled, almost dashing off into the bathroom, but thankfully Liz grabbed her collar, holding her back.
"W-Why? You said I could make you sym-symmetrical!" Kid cried as he slowly walked out of the bathroom. He was literally crying.
"I'm sorry! I just…" I became quiet. I didn't tell them why I didn't like my hair being cut.
"I just what?" Liz turned to me, still holding onto Patty's collar. I stepped a few steps back and wringed my hands.
"Nothing… I just don't like my hair cut." I looked at the ground.
Liz cocked her head at me. "Eh? But haircuts are cute if they're done yet."
I couldn't tell them why. It would blow my cover. I could've told Kid, but not now… I decided to give them a short explanation. "I-I never had my hair cut before."
Kid laughed at me. My face went pink. "Oh come on, getting it trimmed isn't so bad! Please?" He asked. I shook my head. I looked up at him and gave him a "I'll tell you later" look. Kid fell silent.
"Oh… Look at the time!" Liz let go of Patty, who stopped rampaging. "It's 5:50! Better get going!" She must've noticed the tension between me and the symmetry-obsessed boy.
"Fine, let's go…" Kid sighed. He still wanted to make me symmetrical.
*-.-.-.-*
Me, Kid, Liz, and Patty all went down to the first floor, room 13. Black*Star and Tsubaki were already there, with Roxas going to get the food. Soul and Maka's place were about the same size as ours, with a kitchen to the left and the living room directly to the right. The hallway had one bathroom and two bedrooms, and on the immediate left as soon as you enter. I felt bad for Kid. I found not one thing symmetrical.
I saw his eye twitching. Liz was patting his head while talking to Maka. I was hiding behind Tsubaki, who was conveniently near the corner. As soon as I had entered, I hid. Thankfully no one noticed.
"So how are you, Liz?" Maka chuckled. Liz shrugged.
"Eh… the normal... you?" I noticed Black*Star and Patty were talking off to the side. Both of them were laughing. I wondered what they were chatting about. Tsubaki quietly talked to Soul.
"So, how are you guys?" Tsubaki asked. Soul shrugged.
"H-Hey! Where's Alice?" Kid suddenly came out of his symmetry-obsession to notice I wasn't anywhere to be seen. I sucked my stomach in order to shrink myself. Thank goodness Tsubaki was a good five inches taller than me. But sadly, Soul literally saw right through me. He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me out from behind. Everyone was staring at me.
I wrung my hands together. Great… just what I didn't want, attention. Suddenly Back*Star and Patty were laughing louder than a siren.
"Hey, Alice! Teach me how to find good hiding spots like that!" Black*Star pointed at me. "You'd make a good assassin! Not as good as me, of course!" He pointed at himself. I stared wide-eyed.
"What?" I whispered to myself. I finally noticed that Soul was still touching my shoulder. I shrugged him off and glared at him.
"What did I do?" Soul returned my stink-eye.
"I don't like people touching me." I snapped quietly back at him. He rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. Stop being so distant. Go socialize. God." He walked over to Maka and the talking began again. I felt another, softer hand placed gently on my other shoulder. It was Tsubaki.
"You're awfully quiet." She smiled at me warmly. I blinked. "Maybe Soul's right… you're a sweet girl, you need to just be more sociable, and I wouldn't be surprised if you had a million friends." I smiled back at her. I felt like crying. She was so sweet, Tsubaki made me want to go meet a million people, compared to Soul, who made me want to punch him.
I laughed softly. "So… how are you?"
"I'm fine." She covered her lips with her hand while giggling. She was so lady-like, I was kinda jealous. "So how's life with Kid?" She winked at me.
"What do you mean?" She slipped her arm off my shoulder finally. She looked at me.
"I thought you guys were…" Tsubaki came in close to whisper into my ear. "Dating."
"What?" I said, surprisingly very loud. No one turned to stare, thankfully.
"Oh!" Her eyes were round. "I just assumed! I'm sorry!" Her face went pink. I started laughing. I put my hand on her wrist.
"You thought… with Kid?" I laughed harder. "That's gross!" I put my hand to my mouth to muffle out the sound but I couldn't help myself but keep laughing. Soon Tsubaki was giggling, with her hands around her thin waist. She bent over slightly. Tears squeezed out of our eyes and rolled down our cheeks. As we were having our giggle fit, I didn't notice Soul turn his head to look at me. As I straightened and wiped my wet face dry with my hands, he smiled, showing off his pointed teeth. I barely caught a glimpse of him turning back around to chat with Kid.
*-.-.-.-*
Soon me and all the other girls were talking and giggling. The guys were on the complete other side of the room, spread out on the large couch. Roxas had returned with three boxes of pizza, and we were all eating gooey, cheesy Italian food. I was barely on my second when all the pizza disappeared from the boxes. I chewed slowly, I haven't eaten since we were at the café. I wasn't talking much as the others, but a smile had plastered on my face and wouldn't go away.
"Yeah, Alice is could be your twin, Maka, from how much she reads!" Patty slapped my back. I blinked.
"Eh?"
Kid overheard us and spoke loudly. "I can agree with that!" The guys laughed. I was paralyzed, not knowing what to do.
"I'm not sure… her hair is too different." Maka shook her head as she spoke. I nibbled on the crust, staying silent. "What about you? Think we're anything alike?" I shrugged and swallowed.
"I don't know." I went back to nibbling on the small piece of crust that was left in my hands.
This time all the boys chimed in together. "Alice is too… big to be like Maka!" All of the girls including me snapped our necks at them.
Liz slowly turned hers and whispered. "Get your partners… Alice, get Roxas… on three." I finished eating and wiped my hands together.
"What should we do?" I asked softly, still glaring furiously at them.
"Anything..."
"Wrestle them!" Patty nodded at me.
"1…" I said.
"2…" Tsubaki and Maka chimed in.
"…3!" The sisters screamed together. We rushed toward the boys. Maka got a book and began chopping Soul over and over, while sitting on him. Liz was playfully slapping Kid on the left side of the cheek, leaning over him and laughing. Patty was behind the couch ruffling his hair, making him unsymmetrical. Tsubaki was also leaning over Black*Star, hitting his chest very hard. I sat on the arm rest hitting Roxas on the shoulder and sometimes a soft blow to the head.
"H-Hey! Soul!" Maka squealed. We all turned our heads to see Soul wrap his arms around Maka and kiss her. The book was in her hands above her head, but because of Soul's sudden action, it didn't come down on his head. I also noticed she didn't pull away. When Soul finally stopped and leaned back, her eyes were as round as quarters. She quickly stood up, not knowing what to do. Liz quickly grabbed her collar and ran back to our corner in the room. Tsubaki scooted away to where Liz and Maka were, and Patty grabbed my wrist and dragged me over.
Maka was still in shock. I whispered to Liz. "Is this the… first time?" She shook her head and whispered back at me.
"No… they say they're not dating but… they do love each other… it's not the first time Soul… to Maka… but not just in public… not so suddenly." We all sat down. Maka's face had gone back to normal.
I noticed she was blushing. I looked at everyone. Even Patty stayed silent. I turned my head to see Soul quiet as the boys looked at him.
"No one's going to do anything?" I said loudly. The guys turned to look at me. The girls blinked at me. I got on my hands and knees and crawled over to Maka. I placed my hands on her shoulders and shook her back and forth. Her head bobbed.
"Come on!" I said, louder this time. I stopped shaking her and got up. I grabbed her wrists and picked her up onto her feet. I tugged her over to the couch. I picked up the book that was on the floor and brushed the dirt off it. I handed it to her and winked. As soon as she grabbed it, the life went back into her eyes.
"Don't shock me!" She yelled loudly at Soul. The book went behind her head. I crossed my arms in pleasure. "Maka… CHOP!" She slammed the book down hard, but not on his head, next to it, on the couch. It thumped. She leaned in and returned Soul's kiss, smiling. I covered my eyes with my hand, since I was to only one who was able to see them. I heard Liz and Patty cheer. Kid clapped. Tsubaki smiled and giggled.
*-.-.-.-*
"Liz, truth or dare!" Maka laughed. When the couple broke off they're kiss, everyone got lively. We were sitting in a circle, playing truth or dare. Kid was at my left, with Black*Star at my right. To the right of Black*Star was Maka, then Soul, Liz, Patty, Roxas, Tsubaki, and finally back to Kid.
"Um… Truth!" Liz replied.
"Let's see…" Maka thought for a moment. "Have you… ever… skinny dipped?" All the girls burst out laughing, especially me and Patty. The boys simply stayed silent.
"Oh, no, no, no! Never!" Liz shook her head, whipping her hair back and forth. She finally stopped. "Okay… Kid! Truth or dare!"
Kid shrugged. "Dare?"
"Make Alice unsymmetrical!"
"Never!" Kid yelled. I was laughing my guts out.
"I can't get more unsymmetrical, Liz!" I said, pointing to my eyes and hair.
"But what about your clothes?" I shrugged.
"I won't do it! She's unsymmetrical enough!" He wailed disgustingly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked angrily. "At least I don't have three white stripes coming out of only one side of my head! I don't think that's very symmetrical!" Everyone gasped.
Tsubaki leaned over Kid to whisper. "We don't talk about the lines…" She retreated. I bent to look at Kid.
"Hey- I'm sorry…" I whispered to him.
"No! You're right! I'm a-symmetrical garbage! Throw me out on garbage day! I don't deserve the title "Shinigami"!" He crawled up into a ball, his left fist pounding the ground. I looked up at everyone.
"I'm sorry!" I whimpered. I turned and patted Kid's back. "You're not garbage! You're…" I thought. "You're the most symmetrical person I know! Compared to everyone else, you're the best symmetrical shinigami!" He sat up quickly and turned to look at me.
"Y-you really think so?" His voice sounded strained. I smiled and nodded.
"Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" I was wrapped around in a pair of arms. Kid pulled me into his warm chest. His suit was soft against my squished up face. It was difficult to breathe. I attempted to flail my arms, but failed in doing so, since they were squished against Kid and me.
"K-Kid!" I gasped. He squeezed me harder. "I-I can't… breathe!" I tried to pull him away.
"Get off the chick!" Black*Star yelled. I felt him pry Kid's arms off of me, and he pushed him backward. Black*Star gently helped me straighten and patted my back. "Now thank your savior!" I turned to look at my 'savior'. He was grinning from ear to ear.
"Thank you!" I laughed. Soon everyone except Kid and Black*Star were laughing.
*-.-.-.-*
"Good night, everyone!" I waved as the four of us returned to our dorms. Roxas already left, but Black*Star and Tsubaki were still there. It was well past 10 o' clock. As we got through hugs and waves and goodbyes, Kid shut the door.
We walked up the stairs slowly. The smile on my face had yet to fade. Kid noticed and smiled too.
"That went perfect!" Liz stretched as we neared our doorway. "Don't you think so Patty?"
Patty nodded. "Don't you think so, Kid?"
Kid shrugged. "Splendid. Don't you think so, Alice?" I had closed my eyes, and didn't hear his question. "Alice?"
"Huh?"
"Haha, never mind." He opened the door for us. We stepped inside. He shut the door behind him.
"What do you mean?"
He ignored my question. "Well, I dunno about you guys, but I'm tired. See you tomorrow morning…" Kid yawned as he walked off to his room. Liz and Patty had already gone to their rooms, they were nowhere to be seen. I followed him.
"Oh, I forgot!" Kid turned as soon as we were in the hall. He grabbed my hair and gently yanked on it. "Tell me." Oh no, I completely forgot about it! I walked into my room. There, on the messy bed, Kid's white shirt laid there, pressed, folded, and cleaned. There was a note on the bed-stand. I walked over and read it.
To Alice- From Liz- "Best pajamas ever!"
I smiled and set the shirt on top of the pillow. I sat down. Kid was leaning at doorway. I beckoned him to sit. As he settled down on the soft bed, I explained my sad tale.
"My family keeps their hair long and never cuts it unless their mourning someone, or dishonor is brought to them. We consider long hair a symbol." I shrugged. I laid myself down on the bed, my arms above my head twirling strands of my hair, and legs swinging and banging up against the bed frame.
"I always learn something about you every day." Kid turned and touched my nose with his finger. "Is there anything else?"
"What do you want to know about me?"
"When's your birthday?"
I kept silent. Eventually I spoke. "Liz said that to me today."
"Oh really?" Kid played with my hair. I didn't like it.
"Why do you keep touching me?" I asked angrily. He looked at me.
"I thought you didn't mind."
"I hate people touching me." I closed my eyes and sighed. "You know that."
"Hmm." He kept twirling my hair.
I rolled onto my side to where I was facing Kid. He didn't look at me. "Am I unsymmetrical garbage?"
He still refused to look at me. "You're unsymmetrical, of course. But you're not garbage. Why would you ask that?" I shrugged. Sleep attempted to get me, but I was enjoying this bonding time with my shinigami friend.
"Alice?"
"Yeah?"
"What do you think of me?" Kid looked up at me. I noticed how golden his eyes were.
I turned back onto my back, and stared at the ceiling. "Well… I think you're smart, funny, kind, really strong, witty, and I think you take symmetry way too seriously. You're really tall, too." I turned my head. He was smiling. "What about me?"
"Hmm… you're unsymmetrical… mysterious, really confusing, strong, smart, shy, quiet, and I think you're too innocent for your own good." He poked my stomach. "You're also the one of the best friends ever." Memories of what Shinigami said flooded my said.
"They were one of the best friends I ever had."
I smiled. I couldn't help but smile.
I held my wrist out in front of me. The black charm jingled.
"So I see Father gave it to you." Kid's smile was erased from his face. Mine wasn't.
I nodded. "He said it was your idea." I turned to look at him. "Kid…"
"Yes?"
"You're the first friend I ever had." Tears welled up. My lip quivered.
"Really?" Kid's eyes looked shocked.
I nodded slowly. "When I was… before Alice… I was alone…" "Except…" I whispered softly.
"Except?" Kid asked. I was surprised he heard me.
I shook my head. "Some things are left unheard." I looked at him.
"Are you sure? Me and Father are here, always. Liz, Patty, and everyone else."
"I'm sure." I wished I never brought it up. It was starting to get difficult to keep my eyes open. Kid must have noticed. He stood up.
"I guess I'll be saying good night." He bowed slightly. Again my face went pink to his formality. "Good night, Alice." And with that, he left, closing the door behind him. I got up too, putting on Kid's shirt, now my official pajamas, and slipping under the covers. The only light was the lamplight. I kept it on. I liked the golden light.