Yeah. I'm back. Summer has officially started for me (well, since July 1) and I'm in 11th grade come September. Woohoo! More stress!
By the way, I've been scanning my previous chapters and I've noticed something extremely embarrassing. I haven't thanked my few reviewers publicly yet (I've only done that in private)! So, thanks to , AliceGI, and Lucy. Also thanks again to AliceGI for supporting my other story, Behind Closed Doors.
Without further ado, I give you the fifth chapter of this fic. Enjoy.
Italics for emphasis, thoughts, and a flashback.
FAMILY?
Alice pushed the large double glass doors of her workplace open. Her heels clicked along the shining, sterile tiles. She went up to the front desk where she was greeted by a warm smile. "Good morning Alice. How has your break been?" a woman with blue eyes short blue hair and a charming smile asked.
Alice sighed deeply and leaned against the granite counter. "I wish it was longer. I got no rest at all." Her nimble fingers removed the lanyard with her identification card from around her neck and the lady accepted it gracefully.
She entered a code into a small device and swiped Alice's card through a slot. While she returned it, worried blue eyes met with tired chocolate ones.
"How is that?"
Alice froze then smiled sadly. "There's nothing to worry about." She took the card from the receptionist and replaced it around her neck.
"But…"
"Mylene." Said woman shut her mouth instantly as Alice shook her head slowly. "I'll see you later, okay?"
Mylene smiled and before Alice left, she told her where to find her schedule of appointments and files on each case.
Alice walked swiftly down the hallway, took an elevator, and then some more hallways. It was early, so the place was still relatively empty. As soon as she entered her office, she sucked in the air. A fond smile framed her features as she took it in. There was her oak work desk in the middle – dusted with files neatly piled on it; in one corner of the room was a metal examination table and a metal cabinet stood nearby. Diagrams of animals' body systems decorated the walls and a bookshelf was laden with veterinary and animal care books. Apart from the typical layout, hers was one of the few rooms which had warmth and personality. She inspected the leaves of each of the indoor plants that she had and, when satisfied, glided over to some vertical PVC blinds which hid a set of sliding doors that led out to a comfy balcony with a beautiful view.
She toyed with the blinds for a bit while eyeing her cell on her desk worriedly. She hadn't exactly called Martin to check if he was okay…
Just then, her work phone rang. She moved across to her table and perched on it while answering the device in a professional tone.
"Oh. It's you Mylene."
"…" Alice checked the very first file on her desk then nodded.
"Yes, yes. Send them right in."
The call ended and Alice took her place around her desk and began leafing through the file. The patient had been examined before and was only being returned for a shot and a final check-up.
In a few moments, three sharp knocks came on the door. Alice pressed the buzzer to let them in.
A middle aged woman led her son inside. The boy's face was lightly splayed with freckles. In his arms he held a fleshy Beagle – white with brown patches.
"Well hello there," she sat forward in her chair and eyed the trio with enthusiasm.
"Hi Miss!" the boy greeted cheerfully. The lady gave her a friendly smile.
"What's your name?"
"Zane Gilmore. This is my dog Rufus."
"Aah. So you must be Ms. Gilmore." The lady nodded. "Can I borrow Rufus for a bit Zane?"
"Sure Miss. He's a bit sick, so mommy and I took him here so you could make him better." All three rose and went over to the examination table. She spread the paper over it and placed Rufus on it. As she slipped on some gloves she began talking with the boy to distract him while his mother kept him a safe distance away from the table.
"You know Zane you remind me a lot of my son." A sad smile rested on her lips, however, her eyes were cold and her hands worked expertly.
"Really? You have a son?"
"Yeah. A daughter too. A picture's on my desk." Zane rushed to her desk to scrutinize it.
"I don't look anything like him. What's so similar between us?"
"Well for one thing, he has freckles too, but they're on his neck. You have the same initials – ZN – Zachary Grendahay and Zane Gilmore. He loves Beagles too."
Zane chuckled. "You're a really funny doctor."
Ms. Gilmore stared at Alice's back knowingly. She spoke with such a faraway tone in her voice. She watched intently as Alice glanced into the file, then methodically reached into the filing cabinet and prepared a dose of Cartrophen for Rufus.
"This will only sting a little." Rufus whined and fidgeted for a bit during and after the injection and only after Zane hugged him and rubbed his fleshy tummy did he calm down.
Alice turned to the mother and son and said, "Now I want you two to listen carefully. The vet that checked on Rufus before might have already told you this, but, he has arthritis. I gave him a shot of Cartrophen, but you'll need to come back one day in each week for three weeks for another shot. You also need to make sure that he's eating healthy, and judging from his age, ensure that he does some mild exercise."
Zane looked up at his mother, who was busy scribbling away in a notepad. When she had finished, he thanked Alice with a toothy grin and started out of the office. Ms. Gilmore waved farewell and mouthed something about good luck with the family.
The young woman stood dumbstruck when the door swung shut. Am I that easy to read?
And so the day lazed on. Alice dealt with two more patients before heading down to the common room for lunch. She snapped her fingers to an upbeat rhythm that rang from her earphones (something quite uncharacteristic for her to do on the job) and through her ear canal. The common room could get pretty lonely if you didn't have many friends to chat with, and unfortunately for her, not many of her good friends worked where she did.
Walking past all the doctors, janitors, nurses and secretaries white coats and suits, Alice filled her plate with an assortment of seemingly tasty food and only retreated when she found the perfect bottle of milk in the refrigerator. She plopped down at one of the tables and started her meal.
While she was in the middle of munching a cheese sandwich, Hydron and Mira sat before her. "Hey Alice. Nice to see you back at work."
She raised her head from her plate and waved a hand at them.
Mira pouted as she stabbed a piece of beef. "You're so lucky. You get to have time off to spend with your family."
"By the way, how are they?" Hydron inquired, twirling a lock of his silky hair.
Alice slowed her chewing and gulped. "Okay. The whole family's doing great," she lied. "Lucas just returned, so we're all going to a reunion in about two or three days."
"That's great."
Mira was about to speak when her phone rang. She excused herself and fumbled about in her pocket to answer it. Meanwhile, a sharp pang ripped through Alice's chest. She tightly gripped the milk bottle with a sweaty hand and bit down on her lip.
Hydron raised an eyebrow but thought against asking any questions.
When Mira hung up, the woman had recovered a bit. "Hey Alice, now that you're back and free for the rest of the day, Head Doctor Zenoheld wants you to join us after lunch."
"We're making our special blend of medication for our sister branch in Otake."
Alice smiled at them gratefully. "Sure. I was getting pretty bored anyway."
"~One more spoon of cough syrup now. O-oh~" Mira hummed softly as she poured a clear liquid into a beaker.
"I really don't see why you like that song so much," Hydron snorted.
"But it's so suitable for the occasion." Alice chuckled.
Mira ignored both of them and continued singing. "~If I could find a way to see this straight, I'd run away…~"
"Mira!" He levelled the woman with a cold stare. She swung around and practically shrieked the following chorus.
"~I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down!~"
Hydron carefully placed his things down and Mira did likewise. She tackled him and he bumped into the counter. The redhead thrust her hands into his hair and pulled him down to her level. He winced but obeyed, interested to see where things were going.
Mira rest her head on his chest and closed her eyes, tugging harshly on the strands. She kept on singing.
"~Life's too short to even care at all, oh~"
Alice smiled at the two. Just then, the words replayed in her mind. Life's too short…Life's too short. The pain in her chest resurfaced and she turned away so that the couple wouldn't see the panic and pain in her eyes; the way she clutched her chest; the way her lips trembled slightly.
Hydron kept pleading with Mira to stop, but seeing that she was unrelenting, he lowered his head and kissed her softly on the lips.
The woman's eyes snapped open and her face coloured. "Stupid Hydron! You can't do that here! Alice is in the room too!" She released his hair and he smiled sheepishly.
At hearing her name, Alice forced herself to regain her composure. Swinging around to them she said, "Sheesh. Are you guys really adults?"
Hydron returned to his station instantly and muttered something about Mira being dumb and Alice being mean.
They worked for the rest of the afternoon without much chatter until closing time.
Alice stretched her back when she had placed the last tube of medication into the refrigerator. "Well, that's the last of it." She checked the time then turned to Mira and Hydron. "Are you guys leaving now?"
"Not yet. I'm staying behind to help Mira with some files she has to look over." Hydron flexed his wrists.
"Alright. Just be safe, okay. You know how dangerous it is at night…" Alice started for the door.
"No problem Alice. We'll be fine. See you tomorrow?"
"Not exactly. I haven't really told anyone yet, but Zenoheld and I agreed that I'd just come in today to see how things were going. My leave isn't exactly up."
Mira choked. "Unfair!" she wailed. Alice grinned and scratched the back of her head.
"Shut up baka," Hydron teased. "Anyway, I hope you have fun at your reunion, and if there's anything you need, then remember we're always available."
"Oh, and Alice, before you go, here." Mira handed her a gift bag. "Just a little something for the kids. Take care."
"Thanks guys and bye."
Alice held the gift bag tightly and smiled the whole way out of the building. Those two and Mylene were some of the few people that actually made her life at work more enjoyable than she could possibly imagine.
The warmth that enveloped her slowly dissipated as she drove home, and when she got inside, even though she lit the fireplace and turned on all the lights, shivers still coursed through her body.
As she sat around the dining table, she could hardly find it within her to finish one of the microwavable dinners from her stash.
Ugh. Things weren't supposed to be this difficult. I mean, it'll all work out in the end. I at least have to put on a brave face for the next two weeks. That shouldn't be too hard.
With new found determination, she forced the rest of her food down and marched into her room, dragging out a suitcase and two travelling bags.
Lucas paused for a moment and wiped some sweat from his brow. Carla and Zachary were playing in the front yard and he had just completed the task of weeding the flower garden. His clothes were a mess and he was starting to get a headache – not only because of heat and exhaustion, but also of mental stress.
Sure his brother-in-law had told him to try to relax, but it was easier said than done. Alice would be coming later that day and he just couldn't shake off his dependence on her. It was so pathetic that it embarrassed him and badly cut down the confidence that he developed over the years.
He felt intimidated by anyone and it was just so frustrating. He disgusted himself so much that he didn't even want to see his own reflection. His high school nightmare was returning and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Deep down he knew that she was the cause of all of this, but he couldn't stop loving her. There was no way that he could hate her, and trust me, he sure did try. That only pushed his weaknesses in his face more and more and he began hating himself more and more.
Nowadays, he was feeling very emotional and sometimes even masochistic, and if it weren't for his children by his side, maybe he would have sent himself to a hospital or taken up residence in a mental institution.
With a sigh, he wiped his dirty hands on his pants and went inside for a shower. It's not like his children couldn't take care of themselves for a bit, and besides, nobody else came that way.
Lucas moaned as the cool water poured in cascades down his skin. He just stood there, letting the spray purify his dirty body. His mind involuntarily flitted to the little scene that played out back at his house. He remembered how flushed Alice had looked. He remembered how far away her eyes had seemed. He remembered the trail of love bites that riddled her neck and collarbone and how she stood with her legs slightly further apart.
In addition to being a horrible father and a suckish husband, I couldn't even satisfy her sexually. I guess Father was right. I don't deserve to be called a man.
He laughed bitterly and closed his eyes. After about ten minutes he got out and dressed himself, avoiding the mirror completely and smoothing his hair with his hands.
Carla and Zachary had moved into the kitchen downstairs, waiting to be fed.
Lucas leaned in the doorway and watched them fondly. Carla was playing with the unusual turquoise streaks in her hair. When she got bored with that, she started teasing Zachary about his missing tooth and the freckles on his neck. He pressed his small hands to his ears and hummed one of his favourite Disney songs.
Sighing again, Lucas strolled in and playfully tugged on his daughter's turquoise streaks. She stuck her tongue out at him and started to complain about how hungry she was.
"Carl, we get to tasthte Daddy's cooking!" Zach bounced happily in his seat.
Carla tried to hide her excitement. "I said to stop calling me that! Pappa isn't that great a cook anyway."
Zachary kept bouncing and turned his light brown eyes to his father who took out some groceries Chan had gotten for him the day before. "You're just a big meanie Carl. Sthtop trying to act like a grown up. Daddy's cooking is the bestht."
Carla frowned. What he said was true. In fact, it was true for both of them. Zachary was just five and Carla was eight and both of them acted older than they really were. That was one of the reasons why Joseph was able to tolerate them.
They rambled on and on while Lucas listened to them. He actually felt a shard of happiness when they were there and chatting away innocently. Well, at least until they heard a car pull up the driveway. The two stopped talking and turned to the entrance. A key turned in the lock and the person entered.
"Afternoon," she greeted.
Lucas nearly chopped his index finger clean off. The children rushed to their mother and whimpered about how much they missed her.
"Mommy, Daddy is making lunch for us. Don't you want some too?" Zachary led her to a seat, eyes shining.
Alice stole a glance at Lucas who tensely arranged sandwiches on a platter. "Sure."
Luckily for him, Carla and Zachary dominated the conversation with their mother. They didn't notice how stiff he was when he placed the platter of cheese sandwiches and bowls of tomato soup on the table. When done serving, he left the room and went outside for some fresh air.
He had lost his appetite. Whenever he cooked anything, he didn't really feel like eating after, but before Alice came he was planning to stuff a little down. Now that she was here, his stomach was so unsettled that he feared that anything that he ate would just come right back up.
Staying around her was doing him no good, so he decided to go for a walk. A long one. They could talk in the night when the children had gone to bed.
He moved briskly, hoping that the exhilaration would clear his mind at least a little. He passed vineyards and wheat fields, and one or two orchards. Eventually, he decided to scale a picket fence and climb up a grassy hill not too far from the road. There was a cluster of apple trees near to its crest and he settled under the shelter of one of them.
It was a beautiful afternoon. Wind whipped his hair about his face and even broke the stems of a few apples on the trees, causing them to fall to the ground. It was so peaceful and quiet that he dozed off.
Alice laughed melodiously. Her yellow sundress flew about her and she had to place a hand on her head to secure her hat. She carried a picnic basket in the other hand while Lucas followed close behind, leading two horses – one grey and one brown. He unharnessed them and helped Alice to set up the picnic area. They ate and told jokes and after some coaxing, Lucas had managed to get her to tell him one of her stories. She always told him ones with happy endings – never bittersweet or sour. He ended up falling asleep beside her...
Lucas' eyes slowly fluttered open. There was a moist, tickling sensation on his scalp and his hair was being tugged on gently.
"Alice quit it," he moaned. He tried swatting her hand away, but instead of smooth flesh and fingers, he felt warm leathery skin.
Alice handed the startled boy a mirror and when he looked into it, he saw that his grey horse, Mitch, was nibbling happily on his hair.
"Mitch! You know well enough that my hair isn't food. Let go!"
The horse spitefully tugged on it before leaving the humans alone to attend to its partner. Lucas winced and Alice kneeled in front of him massaging his scalp with both hands. "That was Mitch's way of telling you to wake up."
At that, Lucas looked around him and slapped himself on the forehead. It was nearly evening and the sun's rays were growing softer and weaker. His action had made Alice lose her balance and fall onto him. Both of them lost their balance. Alice's body stretched out on Lucas' and her hands were on either side of his head.
Her face was flushed "I-It's okay, really. You've only been out for about thirty minutes."
Lucas shook his head. "No. I invited you here, so I shouldn't have fallen asleep." His eyes slipped down to her lips for a moment.
"Let…Let me make it up to you."
He supported her back with his hand and sat up. Ever so slowly, he inched closer to her lips. Alice didn't move. He closed the distance between them and kissed her passionately. After hesitating for a bit, he parted her lips with his tongue and explored her warm mouth. She kissed him back fervently, letting him pull her closer. He ran his hand down her spinal cord and she arched her back and moaned into him. Alice bit his lip lightly and he sighed into her before deepening the kiss.
However, he soon pulled away and dragged his nose down her throat. Alice smiled down at him as he hid his face in the crook of her neck. His lips were tinted pink and heat radiated off his face. She stroked his hair gently, knowing that he was nowhere near ready to go any further. It was the first time that he had ever initiated a kiss, much less a French one. She was always the one to start because he was too shy and unsure of himself to do so.
"You're making progress I see," she teased. Lucas' head snapped up and he reddened even more in embarrassment.
She laughed and kissed him on the nose. "You're really cute when you blush." Lucas pouted and turned his head away, earning another laugh from her.
I sincerely apologize if there are any spelling or grammatical errors in this work.
Notice:
I have never kissed a guy before. I have never seen anyone French kiss for real (only in the movies). In addition to that, I have never had intercourse with anyone or asked anyone what it was like. I just happen to be a mature 15 year old who reads a lot and has a vivid imagination. By the way, sex before marriage isn't cool, so all you virgins, try not to fornicate.
Just thought that I should tell you that. :)
I also said before that I really don't like little kids, that's why Carla and Zachary are mature.
If you're wondering why I make mention of sadism or masochism in most of my writings, then it's because I have this weird fascination with them. No. I am neither sadistic nor masochistic nor a serial killer.
I love horses.
To bring an end to all of this randomness in my AN, here art thy thought:
'One reason why birds and horses are happy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses.'
~Dale Carnegie
Sayonara mina! ~Anne Callendar
Oh... Reviews are welcome you know. Just saying...