CH 19
"Lily! Wake up!" I opened my eyes to see Tiffany and Crystal staring at me with wide smiles.
"What?" I groaned and plopped over to the other side of my bed.
"Come on we have to get ready for the party tonight." I felt arms pull me off the bed and I fell with a plop.
"The party?" I watched Crystal shake her head.
"The thing we had been practicing our song for, for a week now."
"Oh…right…that" I rubbed my leg. It was now just a pink line where the stitches had been. That medicine had been awful, but it sure could fix you up in a jiffy.
"Yeah now get dressed lazy butt or your mom is coming in after you." They both bolted out the door. I fell back on the bed and began to close my eyes.
"Lily dear I hope you're up." My mom's voice traveled through the hall. I jumped up slid into my outfit with my jeans and jacket then waited in the room for her to come in. She opened the door and covered her smile with her hand. "Did you forget you had hair to brush?" I reached up to my hair and sighed. "Here let me help you."
Hatter and some sewers were able to make multiple outfits for us based off of what we came here in. They actually did a very good job considering they don't usually make these kinds of clothes nor have the same kind of fabric, but what they used was a lot softer and pretty comfortable.
I sat on my bed and let my mom brush my hair. She brushed it softly and slowly. It was very soothing and I was starting to doze off.
"Mom, I don't think I can do this." I felt the brush top for a moment then continued.
"Why not? You have performed before and your voice is beautiful." She kept brushing my hair but I knew my hair was done now, but she wouldn't stop.
"I think this is as good as my hair is going to get mom. We keep brushing it and it might start falling out." I tried to change the subject "Wouldn't want a bold daughter would you?" I grinned.
"Wouldn't change anything, you would still be my little Lily." I looked up and she gave me a kiss on the head. I got up and went to the door.
"I think I am going to go to the garden." I tried to smile at her.
"You need to get breakfast first." She elegantly stood up and returned my brush to the dresser.
"I will grab something on the way down." I waved and left my mom in my room alone. After I turned the first corner I started running. I ran as fast as I could to my cherry tree. Once I got there I grabbed some cherries and sat under it as I thought about tonight.
"Hello Lily, feeling alright?" Angel came up to me.
"I guess, how did you know something was wrong?" I bit into the cherry and watched her lay down next to me.
"I'm a dog, I can sense things." She gently smiled and laid her head on my leg. "So, how's the leg?"
"Alright I suppose, still a little sore, but much better." I ate another cherry.
"Why do you keep leaving you mother like that?" I looked down at the wolf's big blue eyes.
I shrugged. "I guess because everyone I get close too I either loose them or they die. I don't want to loose her again and if I do loose her I'm afraid it will hurt too much like Sarah all over again." I wiped away a tear. I started to rub her soft white fur.
"Sarah was not expecting a creature to come after her. If the thing didn't kill her I am sure it would have scared her to death anyways." Angel made a good point. "Too many strange things are associate with Underland it is rather strange. Alice Kingsleigh didn't call this Wonderland for nothing. Isn't that what you call your band?"
I contemplated the wolf's knowledge for a moment as I ate my cherries. Everyone has been able to handle themselves better here than that attack in London. Sam would have never jumped onto that bird if we had been in London because it was too unreal to him. Here, though, everything is unreal, yet it's right in front of us. They have taken care of themselves since we had been here and they can do it again. Comfort and joy overtook me.
"Thanks Angel, you're the best!" I kissed her head and jumped up.
"Where are you going Lily?" The wolf smiled.
"First I have to go see my mom, then I have a show to get ready for!" I waved and ran off.
Red Queen's Castle
"Your majesty, why didn't we do this a week ago?" Knave asked as he held a letter in his hands ceiled with the Red Queen's mark.
"Because I needed Lily to heal, can't very well use her if she is dead." Her evil grin crept over her face. "Now Lily is all fixed up and can accompany me in my plan. The one destined to protect this Wonderland will be at my every command. Now go on and make sure that letter gets to her." Knave was waved away and he departed.
Marmoreal
I ran down the halls asking guards and maids if they had seen my mother lately. All responded with a shake of their head. I began to check the rooms. Nothing. The thought of her still in my room hadn't occurred until now. I ran to the hall that led to my room, but walked to the door. I peered inside and saw her looking out the window of my room towards the garden.
"Mom?" She turned around with a kind smile. "I'm afraid of loosing you again." Her smile fell. "Every time I realize I love someone, something bad always happens to them." Tears started fall. "I am terrified of something happening to you and I don't know if I can handle it a second time." She rushed over to me and held me tightly against her soft white dress as I cried. We just stood there for a long time holding each other and I didn't want to let go.
"Lily dear I am so sorry that this has been happening to you. These kinds of things never crossed my mind when I thought about raising a child." I looked up into her kind, gentle face while a tear made its way down her cheek. I hugged her once more.
"I think I need to make sure everyone is ready for that show, huh." I smiled up at her.
"Sounds like a wonderful idea." She kissed me on the forehead. "They are in my room with the mirror. They wanted to see what people thought happened to them."
"Ok" I moved to the door and saw her standing in my room "You coming." She smiled and held my hand as we headed towards her room.
"Lily, guess what they think of us?" James caught me and moved me to the mirror with a news reporter on it. My mom stood behind me.
"That's right the once famous celebrity band called 'Wonderland' went missing after the murder of their agent and Legal guardian Sarah Star. They were last seen at Sarah's tombstone exactly 4 weeks ago. They never returned home. After a month of searching for them, the police are declaring James Star, Brandon Star, Crystal Star, Tiffany Star, Sam Star and Lily Star dead." Our pictures appeared with the announcement of our names.
'A memorial service has been set up on Saturday afternoon in remembrance of them. They were kind to their fans and the kids who looked up to them. They donated every month to those in need. 'Wonderland' we will miss you. Now back to today's weather…"
The mirror cut off, but we continued to stare at the screen. They gave us Sarah's last name even though we all had different last names. They considered us as a family. I couldn't believe we were that big of a deal and that they are considering us dead. I looked over at my mom who seemed to be a little confused and shocked.
"Well, can't go home now." Sam sighed. Tiffany looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Why not?"
"They are declaring us dead. If we go back it will raise too many questions." Sam pointed at the mirror emphasizing about the reporter and the world.
"We could just tell them we needed some space to get over our loss." Brandon spoke up.
"They will wonder where we had gone and how we managed to hide ourselves that well." I commented as I kept eye contact away from my mom. Honestly I missed home. I missed our movie nights, the amusement park, and our concerts. Music was our life.
I saw crystal slide down against the wall and pull her knees up to her chest. "I don't know about you guys, but I miss home." I looked from Crystal to James who was still starring at the screen.
"Did you hear what they said about us?" We looked at James quizzically. "They gave us Sarah's last name. They made us seem like an official family." He rubbed his eyes. We were quiet for a while just taking in what had just happened. My mom silently glided out the door and left us.
I heard Sam sigh again "We'll never get to perform there again. We are stuck here."
I finally took a deep breath "Look guys we can't go back unless we have Nivins to dig us the hole back to London and he was captured by the Red Queen. As for performing, we still have a show to put on tonight for Marmoreal so let's straighten up and deal with this later." Their mouths dropped, but the finally nodded. "Good now lets get ready."
Red Queen's Castle
"Get the cat. Its time to let him go, but make sure he has the letter to give to Lily." The queen motioned for Knave to let the cat out. "As for the rabbit, well he will be what persuades her."
Knave opened the glass box for Chessur. "Here cat, and if you want to see the rabbit alive again" He pointed to the now feinted rabbit "I suggest you don't fail." Knave's grin reached all the way to his heart eye patch. The cat sadly nodded and disappeared with the letter.