Hello peeps! Sorry about SUPER late update... -_- blargh. I haven't been able to write for SO long... But anyways, if you don't want to read the bloody part I put I'm a summary of it at the end so if you really, really don't want to read it (that's okay peoples!) than it's fine. But just a warning, it is a really, REALLY big part of the story (thus the summary) and was actually the main point of this chapter, so yeah... Next chapter will be funnier, I promise!

{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{ }}{{}}{{}}

Alice shifted uncomfortably in the silk nightdress, the soft cloth felt strange on her skin. Not uncomfortable, but definitely strange. She rolled over onto her side, enjoying the way her body seemed to sink into the cushions. She was only on the sofa (as Vivaldi had taken the bed) but she could definitely tell that this was the definition of luxury-and that her house was not. Not that she was complaining, of course, but the difference between classes was stunning. Her own home was smaller, two stories with an one-roomed attic and barely any furniture. The only reason that they had such a large house was because before everything, before the accident, her father had worked. He had been a lawyer, and a very good one at that. But then, when that happened... He would rarely go to work, and when he did, it was usually under the influence of alcohol.

Alice shook her head, attempting to clear any thoughts of her family from her mind. Right now, she needed to worry about just exactly what was going to take place tomorrow. She was fully aware of the school field trip Vivi so badly wanted her to go on, a supposedly relaxing 'educational vacation' to the beach. She had been planning on skipping. Maybe she would have used the extra days to work overtime on her job. Or do homework in the park. Whatever she was doing, she was definitely not planning on going. Although the teachers claimed it was educational, the last time they had done this she had made the mistake of going along (a field trip to the same beach- the school did the same one every year to get a discount and save money) and the entire time had consisted of watching her female classmates putting on skimpy bikinis and parading up and down the beaches, lying on beach towels to 'tan', and organizing late night dance parties. How all of this was educational, Alice had yet to discover. She had spent the majority to the beach trip locked up in hotel room reading a book and drawing.

Sighing, she rolled over so that she was facing the back of the couch, pressing her face into the cool leather. She was absolutely positive that this beach trip was going to go just as badly as the first. That, and she was not going to stand for another encounter with hat-man who, she was beginning to think, was just as perverted as Peter, if not more so.

And he had the nerve to call me a-! ...that word that he said.

She felt her face begin to heat up as she remembered their kiss.

How dare he do that?! But of course, it didn't mean anything! After all, it was just a kiss! An open mouthed kiss, but still!

She began to mutter under her breath, pulling herself into an upright position and punching the couch with each word, "Stupid... Jerk... Hat-man... Hope he dies... I'll beat him up if he tries anything...!"

After a while, when she had finally exhausted herself, Alice lay back down onto soft leather sofa and gazed up at the high ceiling.

What am I going to do about tomorrow?! Oh well... It doesn't matter now... I'll just explain it to Vivaldi later... She'll let me go home... Right?

Sighing, Alice inhaled the musty, rose scent of the couch. She then buried her face in her arms, and eventually drifted off to sleep...

This Part Is A Little Bit Bloody

{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{ }}{{}}{{}}

"Onee-san! Onee-san, watch me!" A little girl spun around and around, dancing on the sidewalk, her blonde hair flashing in the sunlight.

"Alice, be careful, baby, there are a lot of cars over here. This is a very busy intersection and you shouldn't be playing near the side of the road!" A woman who was a few paces behind the two girls called to her.

"M'kay!" Completely ignoring her mother's warning, the child edged closer and closer to the curb.

"Alice-!"

"Mom, calm down!" A brunette girl a bit older than the blonde one smiled up the woman, her eyes shining, "Stress is bad for the baby!"

The woman's eyes softened as she looked down at the now-distinct bulge in her stomach, "You're probably right, sweetie, but I need to get Alice away from the road. She could get hit!"

The woman, with that determined maternal passion whom only mothers possess, strode toward her youngest daughter, "Alice! Alice get away from there!"

The girl was now balanced on the edge of the curb, leaning dangerously from one side to another, "Eh?!"

Her mother had surprised her, and she lost her balance, falling into the street, "Ouch!"

"ALICE!"

The little girl looked at her mother in confusion from where she was sitting on the street. She was perfectly fine, "Mom? Mom, calm down, I'm fine. See?" She held up each limb with a smile-

And watched in confusion as her mother rushed toward her, hair flying about her face.

Lorina's expression of horror.

She quickly rose to her feet, worried now, "M-Mom?"

Her mother had reached her and she was being pushed-

Blood, shining in a crimson river sliding down the side of the truck. Lorina clapped her hands over her mouth.

No.

Tears were running down Lorina's face now, but Alice's eyes stayed dry.

Oh, please, please no...

The edge of the curb she had been playing on was stained with scarlet. The cars windshield and front looked like it had been splattered with a can of red paint.

And there, beneath the wheels, was a pile of something. It was red, and bloody. Almost like raw hamburger meat. Except, right next to it, was a necklace made out of spaghetti. Alice had made it for her mom a long time ago, in one of her classes.

She bent down and picked up the necklace in confusion.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no...

The necklace, already broken, hung limply from her hand, and as she watched the noodles slipped off the end, sending the already-stained-red noodles to fall to the ground, only to skid in the pools of blood that were beginning to collect, but there was already red, red. Red everywhere... And the pile of something that was-

"M-Mom?" Alice whispered.

Somewhere, faintly in the distance, she could hear her older sister screaming.

{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{ }}{{}}{{}}

Alice awoke with a start, panting and gasping for air.

Mom...

She felt a sharp pain in her chest, either from missing her mother or from the bruises that decorated her midriff.

It's just a dream... Just a nightmare...

A nightmare that she saw when she saw both when she was awake and when she was asleep. No matter where she was, or who she was with it was always that same dream.

That same dream of the accident.

Anything, anything would be better than just reminiscing on this for the rest of the day!

And with that thought, Alice climbed determinedly off of the sofa and went to wake Vivaldi.

Little did she know, she couldn't have been more wrong.

{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{ }}{{}}{{}}

"Um... Vivi, are you sure this is okay?! After all, since this is a school field trip, shouldn't we be riding on the bus with the rest of the school?!" Alice asked, shouting over the roaring wind and blaring music.

"Of course it is!" Vivaldi yelled back, "This is way better than the service we're be getting on that disgusting, mustard yellow monstrosity!"

The two girls were riding in Vivaldi's cherry-red convertible limo, something that Alice had not even known existed. As soon they had gotten into the car, Vivaldi had insisted on rolling all of the windows and the roof down, before cranking up the music saying: 'if We do not practice listening for intruders our stupid younger brother will get angry at Us!'

Somehow, Alice didn't think that hat-man had quite meant that, but she kept silent, fearing for her life... and her ears.

"Vivaldi! Can we please turn down the music?!"

"What?! I can't hear you!"

Alice moaned and sunk down into the sink, tugging down on the front of her hood. It was going to be a long ride.

And she still hadn't succeeded in forgetting about her dream.

{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{}}{{ }}{{}}{{}}

So... The big secret is revealed! Though there are still some more to come... Sorry about the (mostly) boring chapter! The next one will be MUCH more exciting, promise! Oh, and a summary of the violent part... So Alice, when she was younger, was playing in the edge of the street in this very busy intersection where (despite mother's warnings) she accidentally fell and landed in the street. She didn't notice that anything was wrong, but her mom saw that a car was coming at her from behind and shoved her out of the way, getting hit in the process. Her mom was also pregnant, so yeah... That's why everybody blames her for it.