Shout out to OtakuFledgeling for my very first review! You made my day! :)
Alice had compiled a mental list of things she liked about living on land during one of the many boring school day's she'd endured her first year of human high school. Books and tea were still tied for first place. The runner up was hot baths. Hot baths in a bath tub just full enough so as not to slosh any water over the edge. Throw in some lavender bath salts and she was in heaven.
This was her Alice time, when she could ignore everything from her less-than-stellar GPA to her royal duties. That said, she wasn't opposed to talking on the phone, so long as she kept it from getting wet. Then again, when she had used the phone before she'd always been talking to the calm and collected Yuki.
Mer folk were peaceful creatures, most of the time. So long as they were in the water, anyway. But Elizabeta had Alice contemplating letting the landline 'accidently' fall into the bathwater.
"I don't know," she said for what felt like the dozenth time, pinching the bridge of her nose. "For the last time, I know next to nothing about him. He's not my type, too stuffy."
"Come on, Alice, please?" begged Elizabeta from the other line. "Anything, any details at all?"
"What little I know I've already told you," sighed Alice. If she hadn't vented so many of her own boy troubles to her friend she would have hung up long ago. "Last I checked, he wasn't dating, he's an only child, and he's a music prodigy. He practically lives in the music room, and is more stuffy than my father on a day at royal court. The only reason he doesn't get picked on is because the last time it happened he rigged the guy's phone to sound like a screeching violin. It did it whenever he got a call, text, whatever. The guy had to take it to the store to get it fixed."
There was a brief silence, and Alice envisioned the brunette pouting.
"When I left you were still watching him. How long did you stay here?"
"Until he stopped."
"How long did that take?"
"A hour, I think. It might have been two."
"You stood there for two hours?" Alice demanded incredulously.
"I've never heard music like that before, Alice."
"If you like him so much then why didn't you ever go in?"
Elizabeta huffed. "You're one to talk. I don't supposed you got within shouting distance of Alfred today?"
Alice made a face. "The only class we have together is gym, and you know how I am with that."
"That reminds me, I sincerely apologize for all those times I wanted to laugh when you told me about it."
The high school was small enough that gym was a requirement all four years, a fact Alice loathed with a passion. Apparently Elizabeta hadn't faired much better. Alice felt guilty, but honestly she was glad someone else was able to feel her pain.
"How about we make a deal?" suggested Elizabeta. "I will speak to Roderich if you speak to Alfred tomorrow. I'm not going to wait around pining after a boy that may or may not be my life-mate."
Alice took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Normally she would have turned her friend down flat, but her options were running out. All the eligible mermen were chased off or rejected, and she'd searched out any and all human boys that had caught her attention. It wasn't like she'd been dead set on a single person this whole time. Her excuse of 'let me see if another one works' was no longer valid.
"Fine. You have to at least go inside tomorrow and say hi."
"Deal. And if you catch Alfred without any of his friends around, you have to do the same."
Hoping she wouldn't regret this, Alice said, "Deal."
BREAK*BREAK*BREAK
Thirteen hours later, Alice was kicking herself for making the deal.
"You should talk to him."
"No," hissed Alice, glancing around to make sure no one was overhearing.
"He's right there," said Elizabeta, pushing Alice a step closer.
Alfred was sitting at one of the picnic tables between the parking lot and the school buildings, going back over some math homework. It was one of the few times Alice had seen him alone, without at least one other person around. He was every bit as sociable as she was back in Atlantica.
"You don't see me shoving you at Roderich," hissed Alice.
Elizabeta blushed, but gave her one last shove all the same. Alice stumbled, and then continued at a more manageable rate towards the table. Half hoping someone would go over to him, half hoping no one would, her gaze was locked on her target.
Finally, she stopped a few feet away from Alfred. The human didn't look up, eyes on his work.
"Hi," she blurted at last.
His attention left the homework, blue eyes that matched the cloudless sky overhead locking on her. It was universally, silently agreed amongst the female population that Alfred was good looking. He had a tall, athletic build with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and the muscle that came with being on the football team. His skin was tanned, his face handsome, and his slightly shaggy hair a honey blond. A strange, but not unpleasant cowlick stood tall and proud near the front.
"Hi," he returned, a bright smile on his face. "What's up?"
Alice opened her mouth, closed it, and looked down. "That's it. I just wanted to say hi."
She tried to make her escape, her confidence zapped. She'd never had the chance to really speak to him before, and she considered it a mile marker that she had. How could her life-mate be someone she couldn't speak to?
"Hey, wait a minute."
Alice froze as he turned, catching her wrist. His hand was warm, but she felt the strength behind it. Even so, he put just enough in the grip to stop her, not enough to hurt her. Her eyes snapped back onto his.
"What?" she snapped, her temper resuming its place on the surface.
Alfred continued to smile. "Alice, right?"
"Yes," she said, frowning.
"I'm Alfred."
"I know."
"Right, um-
"Could you let go of me?" snapped Alice. A tiny voice in the back of her head demanded to know why she'd said it. It wasn't as though he was hurting her, quite the opposite.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly, releasing her wrist. "Listen, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. You know that art festival they have at the end of the year?"
Alice eyed him. She'd heard of it, yes. She'd helped Yuki manage her collection of anime-themed pastels, even. The idea of the festival was to promote the student's talent by selling their work, and to help raise money for the art program. She'd quite forgotten Alfred was a member along with Yuki.
"Yes," she said carefully.
"Well, see, Mr. Vargas thought I should branch out a little bit this year, do some portraiture-
"If it was his idea I want no part of it!" she blurted, taking a quick step back. Alfred or no Alfred, the twin's grandfather was known to be a bit risqué. His idea of a well rounded art program included an entire section on Roman and Greek art. Since he believed in learning through practice, this section also included bringing in a nude model or three. When the principle had found out he'd banned models, nude or no. This had resulted in the teacher had taking to posing himself, strategy covered of course at the begging of his students.
"I'm not doing anything like that!" blurted Alfred, face turning a bit pink. "He mentioned it, I'll admit, but there's no way I could do...that. My theme is well rounded portraiture, getting a variety of models. All you have to do is sit still for a few hours, I promise. And you can wear whatever or however much you want."
Alice took a moment to digest that. "I...you want to use me as a model?" she clarified.
Alfred nodded, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, if you don't mind. I can't pay you or anything, and it'll probably take up a full Saturday."
"No, that's alright. I'd like to."
"Really?" he asked, perking up. "So you'll do it?"
"I don't see why not. Did you have a date in mind?" Alice had no idea how she'd gone from tongue tied to seaweed-loose in the space of a few heartbeats. She assumed it had something to do with the warm, floating sensation in the general vicinity of her chest.
"There's a game this Saturday, how about the one after?"
Alice nodded, the easy words escaping as quickly as they'd arrived.
"Great! Thanks Alice, I owe you one."
Alice didn't quite hear the bell, just mumbling what she'd intended to be "my pleasure," as she turned and drifted back to Elizabeta.
"Well?" her friend asked eagerly as she started pulling Alice towards the school.
"I...think I have a date," she said, blinking as she half walked half stumbled into the school.
As she got her feet under control, Elizabeta squeezed her arm and giggled. "See! That wasn't so hard, was it? All you had to do was say hi."
Alice poked her in the shoulder. "Yes, and now it's your turn."
Elizabeta grimaced. "Don't I get a year to think about it too?"
"No. We had a deal, Lizzy. I did my bit, now you need to do yours."
BREAK*BREAK*BREAK
Elizabeta sat on the chair closest to the door, as silent and as un-disturbing as possible. She'd managed to get Alice not to hang around to make sure she didn't skip out, and while she was glad not to have an audience she found herself somewhat stuck. When would be a good time to say 'hi'? What would he do? Just give her a look and keep playing? Say hi back? What if he made her leave?
She came back to herself as the music ended, Roderich taking one of his periodic breaks and turning to a new sheet of music. Elizabeta opened her mouth, but when nothing came out she closed it again. Maybe after the next song. As she watched, Roderich lifted his hands, about to start again, but paused.
"Those seats are very uncomfortable."
Elizabeta almost jumped out of her skin. As it was, she started with a squeak, and lurched to her feet. Tripping over her own limbs, she grabbed her backpack and started to back up.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll leave now. Sorry, again."
Roderich turned to her, a contemplative look on his face. "On the contrary, you're the only one who hasn't disturbed me. You're quite and you simply listen. You may stay, if you wish." He turned back to his music. "But as I said, those chairs are uncomfortable, particularly after an extended period of time. If you're going to be here a while, you may sit here."
Elizabeta's heart skipped a beat. Trying to be as graceful as possible, she went to daintily perch on the edge of his piano seat. It was indeed far more comfortable than the hard chair had been.
Feeling almost giddy, but managing to hold completely still, she listened as Roderich started a new piece. Just wait until she told Alice! Oh but Alice could wait. This was a particularly soothing piece...
BREAK*BREAK*BREAK
The next day, Gilbert was lounging in his stool in Biology, talking with Antonio when the teacher came in.
"Alright students, I prefer to do this on the second or third day of class so that's one less thing you have to remember on your first day," he said, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. "Now who can tell me what science is?"
Alfred, perched in one of the back row stools, raised his hand. When Mr. Green pointed at him he said, "Knowledge."
"Bingo. And the best way to gather knowledge is through study, investigation. Scientists are natures detectives. I'm sure you all have a favorite crime show, right? Put yourselves in their shoes for the rest of this class, and I mean until spring, not until the next bell."
He was pacing now, clearly exited about his topic. "Step one is to remove familiarity. You get comfortable, you assume, you miss details, you miss opportunities. I'm sure you're all sitting next to someone you're comfortable with, right? Well, that's about to change. Everyone in a left side seat, move back a chair. Everyone in a right side seat, move up one."
Students groaned, but did as they were bid. Gilbert dumped his things on the table behind him, draping himself in the stool. A minute later, wondering where his new partner was, he looked over and almost jumped.
He hadn't heard her come up, but there she sat. A notepad and pen dutifully ready to take notes.
"Alright, you'll spend the rest of the class getting a feel for your new partner in investigation. Make a list of everything you find out, and yes that includes their names. Yes, this is to turn in. I'm pretty sure I'm the only teacher who say's this, but get chatting."
Gilbert brought out a clean sheet of paper and a pencil, giving his new partner a more thorough look. She was a bit smaller than him, fair skinned and slight. Her long honey blond hair was held behind her ears with two maple leaf shaped berets, a pair of oval shaped glasses perched on her nose. She wore red converse high-tops with black doodles of maple leaves, blue jeans, and an oversized red Canada jacket, her hands almost disappearing inside the sleeves.
"So, the name is Gilbert Belishmet, but you may call me the Awesome me," said the albino Mer, grinning. She struck him as shy and smart, the perfect partner who would probably take most of the work. He sucked at this science stuff anyway.
The girl looked up at him for the first time, her eyes a warm shade of violet. Gilbert was surprised when he was struck by the word cute.
"Oh, um, okay," she said in a quiet voice, and wrote all this down. 'Gilbert Belishmet, aka the "Awesome me"'.
"What's your name?"
"Madeline Williams."
Gilbert scribbled this down. "Okay, where to start? I'm awesome, for one. I have a slightly less awesome little brother. I know the Awesome me doesn't look like it, but I was born and raised in Miami. I was born on February 2nd, seventeen years ago."
"You're supposed to listen as well as talk, Mr. Belishmet," said Mr. Green as he walked by.
Madeline finished writing down the last of Gilbert's rant, and hesitated.
"Well, um, I have a brother too, but we're twins. I was born here, and I spent ten years in Canada after our parents divorced before I came back here. I have a dual Canadian citizenship. My birthday is July 4th."
Gilbert wrote all this down, and then frowned thoughtfully. What else could he say that wouldn't give him away as a Mer?
"What's his name?"
The albino looked back at the girl, Madeline, who was looking up at him with patent violet eyes.
"What?"
"Your brother, what's his name?"
Why hadn't he thought of that? "Ludwig. What's your twins' name?"
"Alfred."
They both wrote this down.
After a moment's thought Gilbert asked, "So, do any sports?"
Madeline shook her head. "No. Well, I do a little hockey."
Gilbert wrote 'dabbles in hockey'. "I do a lot of swimming."
She copied this down, paused, then asked, "Got any hobbies?"
"Uh-
"Get creative people! I don't want the humdrum stuff. Strengths, weaknesses, fears, phobias, investigative partners have to know. It could mean life or death in the field."
Gilbert scratched his head. "The Awesome me doesn't have any phobias, or weaknesses."
Madeline regarded him, and then wrote something down. Gilbert glanced down out of habit, but then a double take.
"Hey! I didn't say that."
"It's implied."
Gilbert glared at the 'Has a massive ego' note.
"I do not."
"Yes, you do."
"I do not!"
"I think you do."
Gilbert glared at her. Madeline glared right back.
"Are we having problems?"
The albino stabbed a finger at the last note. "That's an inaccurate observation."
"You refer to yourself as the 'Awesome me' and manage to cram 'awesome' into more sentences than I thought possible," said Madeline coolly.
"She has a point," said Mr. Green wryly. "Observation deemed accurate. Next one."
Once he was gone, Gilbert glared at her even harder. If he had been a cartoon, steam out have poured out his ears. Madeline met his glare with one of her own.
"My awesome ego is just fine," he snapped.
Madeline regarded him, and then crossed out 'massive ego' in favor of 'massive, incredibly inflamed ego'. Below that she added 'has a temper'.
"I do not!"
"I think she's getting more out of you than you are her."
Gilbert shot a glare at Mr. Green, and scribbled 'stubborn as a mule'.
'Vengeful'.
'Touchy'.
'Sore loser'.
"That's it!"
Gilbert lunged for the paper. In the water, it would have been his. But now between his slowness and the surprising speed from the girl, the paper was off the table and held well out of reach by the time he got to its previous location.
"Give me that!"
"Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it isn't right."
"Enough! Both of you, the principal's office, now. And bring the assignments."
Gilbert, a scowl set in his face, slipped off of the stool and marched out the door. Muttering about stubborn girls, it wasn't until he glanced back to make sure she was following that he really noticed the affect Mr. Green's words had had.
"You gonna be sick or something?"
The color had drained from Madeline's face, leaving her as white as a sheet. She was shuffling along, hunching in on herself.
"No, I don't think so."
Her voice was a wisp of what it had been when they'd been arguing.
"What's with you?" he asked as they turned down the hall with the main office.
"I've…I've never gotten in trouble before." Her voice was so soft he barely caught it. "I've never been sent to the principal's office, and now of all times. Oh man, oh man oh man. Maple, maple, maple."
Gilbert frowned down at her, but said nothing as he led the way into the office, keeping his usual swagger. Feminine theatrics usually just made him uncomfortable, but now there was a strange tugging deep in his chest. He wanted to sooth her, protect her. He wanted to coax her back out of her shell, to bring out the stubborn girl he had fought with. She'd been fun, reminding him of Elizabeth, his cousin and best friend in their younger years.
When they were sent into the principal's office, he dropped into one of the chairs as though he didn't have a care in the world. Madeline perched on the edge of her seat nervously, as though poised for flight. The principle, Mrs. Truman, eyed them both strictly.
"You do realize you two are much too old for this tomfoolery."
Madeline flinched.
"Look, Truman," said Gilbert, sitting up and bracing his hands on his knees. "I really don't know why Green overreacted and tossed us up here. We were doing the assignment, see?" He set his up on the desk, Madeline delicately doing the same. "I didn't like some of the stuff she put down about the Awesome me. The Awesome me is the one who should be here, not her. She was making accurate observations or whatever. If you're gonna mark up a permanent record or some other junk, mark me up and let the Awesome me get back to that stupid science class."
Mrs. Truman examined the papers, and then the two of them.
"Two demerits for misconduct, Mr. Belishmet. Dismissed. You'll want to turn these in before the bell, I think."
They took their papers, walking back out of the office. Only when they were back in the hall did Gilbert hear a soft voice ask, "Why did you do that?"
He glanced down, trying to ignore the violet eyes. "You looked like you'd have a heart attack if she went after you, and the Awesome me didn't want that on my awesome conscious. Besides, nothing I do here is going to matter after graduation."
They didn't speak another word to each other, and got back not long before the bell rang. Gilbert noticed her writing something hurriedly at the bottom of the list, a frown creasing his face. What was she writing about the Awesome me?
Before he could ask or peek, the bell went off. She was one of the first out of her seat and out the door, her paper near the bottom. Gilbert stuffed his things into his bag, but once he'd set his paper at the top of the stack he riffled through the bottom, slipping out the sheet filled in neat, flowing script.
The frown eased as pale eyebrows rose in surprise. There, written directly under 'Sore loser', was a single word: 'Kind'.
Wordlessly, Gilbert replaced it at the bottom of the stack, and went into the hall. He scanned the now crowded halls, but he didn't see any sign of the violet eyed girl.
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