Alice awoke with a distinctive sharp pain in her left side. Groaning in discomfort, she turned over but found that it made little difference. Removing her covers, she saw the large, ugly, purple bruise that was displayed on her stomach, bringing back memories of yesterday. Alice let out a vocal shiver and hugged her legs to her chest.
The Kirkland family doctor, who had checked her as soon as she got home, had said she had received a mild concussion and would be best to stay home and rest, which is exactly what Alice wanted to do. But when she saw her mother's disapproving face, and the words she spoke. "No way an offspring of mine is so weak as to fall ill from such a minor injury." Alice told the doctor she'd be fine and decided to go to school the next day, today.
Eventually getting up from her cushioned safe bubble of comfort, Alice grabbed her spare uniform to make up for her ripped one. Buttoning up her long white shirt and pulling up her dark pink and red overall dress slowly (long sleeved since in was still technically winter) Alice moved over to her mirror and pulled her hair into her regular twin pony tails.
"Alice?" Her brother's voice called from the other side of the door. The door opened and in walked her brother Dylan.
"What is it?" She asked from her seat.
"I don't think you should go to school today." He told her with concern. "You need a mental health day."
Alice rose from her seat from her desk and pulled on her red blazer jacket. "Thank you for your concern, but I won't let these events get in the way off my work." She responded and walked up in front of him to face her brother.
"Alice, your still so young." Her brother sighed and enveloped her in a gentle hug. "I wish you would enjoy it."
Alice smiled and let out a breath. "I know you're worried, but I'm fine." She murmured and patted his hair.
"That's what I'm worried about." Said Dylan. Dylan walked Alice to the table for breakfast and sticked by her side on the way to the Academy. He even went so far as to walk her to her first period class. Alice appreciated her brother she really did, but she wished he'd put a little more trust in her. Alice had always been close with Dylan more than any of her other siblings, and since she's his only sister, Dylan has always watched out for her.
Alice went in her classroom and looked around for Kiku, but then remembered they did not share first period. About to head to her desk, Alice was intercepted by a smelly Frenchman.
"Mon ami, I heard you had a run in with some punks yesterday." Francis mentioned as he walked up to her seat. Francis had known Alice since she was a toddler, as their parents were good friends and business partners. Although they butted head on more than one occasion, they both shared a general concern for each other.
"Where did you here about that, frog?" Alice demanded with a glare.
"Gil told me about it." He answered nonchalantly. Kiku must have told the band, and Lord knows Gilbert can't keep his mouth shut to save his life. France then reached out to her and pulled her into a side hug, wrapping his right arm around her waist. Alice yelped in pain and slight shock as Francis touched one of her bruises.
"My dear angel! How could anyone try to take away your innocence before moi!" He cried out in 'despair'."
"You aren't taking anything, frenchy!" The president yelled in disgust at him and tried to shove him off her back. However, Francis just held her tighter and started to pet her hair and coddle her. Earning several strange looks from their classmates. Alice really wishes she could punish him but the school board won't allow it, since the Bonnefoy's are a large part of their income. They had even given her a list of students who are not to be punished for various reasons of favor, even though the idea sickened her, she was one of them.
"You must be traumatized ! Come, big brother will help you forget-" Francis continued to declare until he was quite literally ripped off of her. Alice turned around saw that Alfred had stepped in between them. Taking a closer look, she noticed that he was wearing an eyepatch over his right eye. Alice felt a twinge of guilt, knowing she caused it, in a way.
"That's sexual harassment cuz." Alfred told him.
"Honhonhon, I didn't know the president had a guard dog." Francis laughed.
"I don't." Alice retorted.
"A pervert harassing a girl is a villain. As a hero, that's the only reason I need to stop you." The American clarified and fixed his glasses on the brim of his nose to look cool, though glasses on top of an eyepatch actually looked quite dumb.
"Will you two go your seats? Class is about begin." Alice groaned and sat herself back in her chair, keeping an hand on her side.
"Do your sides hurt?" Alfred asked as he took his seat in the row behind her.
"That's none of your concern." She said pointedly.
"Well I think it is since I saved your ass." He countered and rested back in his chair
'Well he did have a point...' She grumbled in her mind. "A bit." She mumbled with reluctance. Even if she was hurt and was secretly suffering from pain, receiving pity was the last thing she wanted from anyone.
Class commenced as the teacher walked in and went into their planned lecture. Alice tried to focus on the words that the old man were spewing, but found the pain in her sides becoming more and more distracting. Just as well, her head was also giving her a hard time. Her vision was spotty in some places and her mind was completely out of it. She wanted so badly to lay down her head and take a nap. However, just when her eyes began to close, the teacher called on her.
"Miss Kirkland, can you give me the answer?" The teacher called out.
Alice lifted her head from it's placement on her palm and blinked quizzicaly. She had not heard a word of what he had said.
"Uh, I'm sorry Mr. Goone, I did not hear the question." Alice confessed in slight embarrassment.
"I said, can you define a Epitaph style poem? Maybe if you weren't catching up on sleep, you would have heard me." Mr. Goone reported. Several laughs filled the classroom. Alice swallowed and grinded her teeth together. 'Stop laughing...' Alice begged in her mind. She felt to stares and disappointment of everyone around her. 'Don't laugh at me.' She felt as if she was suffocating underneath the glare from everyone within that room.
"Well if you cannot answer me, can anyone else-"
"A epitaph is a commemorative inscription on a tomb or mortuary monument written in praise, or reflecting the life, of a deceased person." Alice interrupted to answer the question originally asked for her.
"Well um yes, that's correct." The teacher let out a awkward cough. "But please remember to pay attention next time."
"Yes sir." She responded.
One by one Alice felt the gazes from her peers fall and leave her be. And with each one, she felt like she could breath again. Yet she continued to feel one pair of eyes on her, Alfred's eyes. But after a while, his too fell away from her.
It continued like this up throughout the next classes. Her head refused to give her a break and sleep seemed all too tempting. When she finally met up with Kiku in second, he showed signs of worry and asked of her condition. Naturally she told him she was fine. Although she knew he didn't believe her, as usual he made no further comment. For he, out of everyone around her, knew that Alice never wanted to be looked down upon.
Through math and history Alice slowly felt her strength begin to fade faster and faster, but she refused to give in. Her migraine just about skyrocketed, but she did her best to focus and listen. Through it all Alice felt Alfred's gaze on her, but that only caused for annoyance.
Now lunch, she was doing her usual work in the student council room. Problems seemed to just keep piling up for her, not letting her take a break.
"Alice." Lars called to her, Alice turned to give him her attention. "The school board has just sent in an issue to increase the payment for the innovations of our offices, by 20%." The Dutchman reported.
"What?" Alice questioned in annoyance. "It took , us for ever to convince the board to let us get new offices, and at a high price at that. Now they want us to pay more?"
Lars looked up from his laptop with his usual stoic facade. "Yes. They also increased their own quota by 10%. That means all clubs activity will be cut to a certain restriction." Lars announced, seeming to be unaffected.
"The board can't do that! They have to confront both the head of the Academy's Lenders Organization and me as representative for the students body and all clubs!" She shouted in anger and slammed her hands on her desk.
"Well the board just did it and now that money belongs to them." Lars replied simply without taking his eyes off of his computer.
Alice tightened the grip on her pen and stood from her seat, walking over to Ludwig's desk.
"Ludwig, do you have the archives of the school board's recent projects?" She asked the blond German.
"Not on me, all of our past archives have been moved due to the renovations. They've been stored with the school board's archives." He replied to her question.
"Can you get them?" She questioned.
"I'll see if I can." He sighed and got up from his seat and left the room. Alice sighed as well herself and plopped herself back in her own seat.
"Alice-chan." Kiku tapped her shoulder. Alice opened her eyes and looked up to her friend. In his hands he held a small stack of paper.
"It's request from several groups and clubs. They are asking for an increase in their quotas." He told her and handed the papers to her.
"More, huh?" The swim team wants new suits for their championship game; the computers class would like a new set of laptops; the library wants replacements for old and damaged books, the list went on and on about what others wanted but didn't have the money for. And almost each one of them a member of the Money Lender's Organization, which the ASB was also a member of.
"Alice-chan, maybe you should take the rest of lunch off. We can handle the work here." The small Japanese man suggested.
"No, I can manage." Alice refused, bobbing her head up and down, trying to keep it steady.
"Alice-chan." Kiku said strongly. Alice looked over to her friend and felt a chill run up her spin. Kiku held that one rare death gaze, to show he was serious, on his face. She sighed and nodded her head, not wanting to deal with Kiku when he's angry
"Okay then."
Alice felt her head ache only continue to increase and disrupt her. Seeing as she could no longer function properly enough to work, Alice decided to head to fifth early and sleep before class started, since lunch was sixty minutes long at this school, and only thirty-nine minutes had passed.
Walking through the hall alone back to class, as Kiku had to go and speak with the kendo club, Alice felt herself get lost in her thoughts. The amount of work she was receiving from her classes topped with her duty as president only seemed to grow as time passed, she felt like it would one day swallow her whole and leave no trace of her. Alice snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head. No, she couldn't think like that, there was no way she could fall behind work.
Coming to a halt, Alice looked out the Academy windows into the court yard to watch the other students. She watched as young children from building one played in the corner on the play sets. The kids from building two played sports together, such as kick ball. And the teenagers from her building, building three, the center building, conversed with each other across the court yard and fountain. Some goofing off, others simply talking. So many kids with different abilities and strengths, each with a different back story. Each coming from either brains or riches, either striving to do better, or sitting by and letting life take them wherever it chose. Sometimes Alice wished she could be like the latter. Even if she had not come from riches, if she had been born a commoner and been only average, she was sure she'd be happier.
Looking out into the yard, the outside began to grow larger and brighter. Alice slowly felt the world turn around her. Her legs began to collapse and fail to support her. She began to fall, but before she could make contact with the tiled floor, Alfred stepped in and caught her.
"Woah, you okay there Prez?" He asked as she fell into his arms. Alice quickly pulled herself together and returned to her own feet.
"I'm fine." She retorted and brushed off her shoulder. "What are you doing here?"
"Um, I go here?" He said in a somewhat snarky tone.
Alice rolled her eyes. "I meant why are you in this hall during lunch." She clarified.
"I have a club every Tuesday near here. I was just on my way to the bathroom when I saw you falling. Now are you really okay?" Alfred persisted to question her.
"Yes, I'm fine. I don't need your concern." Alice snipped at him.
"Okay fine. Just trying to help, geez." He quipped back with temper. Passing her he left her alone as she stared at her feet, her sides began to burn once again with pain, but was left ignored. Only when she was sure he was gone did she continue on to class. She knew that was uncalled for on her half, but she had no choice. Alice could not afford to appear weak to anyone, she couldn't ask for help, she had to succeed and achieve on her own. Fore she was told those were the very things that defined weakness. And that, was the one thing Alice was forbidden to be.
Climbing the stairs to the fifth floor science section of the building, Alice cursed under her breath that there were so many steps.
When the lunch bell rang, Alice was already in class and watched as everyone filled in. Kiku appeared and took his seat next to her. He fidgeted slightly and looked at her cautiously. He so badly wanted to ask her about her condition, and for her to be truthful and confide in him, she knew that. They were best friends after all.
"It hurts." She eventually spoke. "But nothing I can't handled." She offered him a light smile. Kiku smiled a bit and closed his eyes, fixing his unseen gaze at the table.
"You know Alice-chan, you could stand to depend on others every once in a while." He voiced and looked at her again. "You don't have to do everything on your own."
Alice paused at his statement and gave two quick blinks. It was subtle, but she knew what he was speaking of course he would know what's bothering her. After all, he knew her best didn't he. Even so, Alice couldn't afford to rely on him as she was.
The throbbing in her brain and the pain in her sides seemed to reach their peak of interference. Thinking became taxing and moving was worse. Set at their chemistry lab tables, the group's began their assigned experiments.
Alice moved to her lab table with Kiku where Alfred and the bubbly Feliciana were waiting for them as the other two members of their lab group.
"I'll go get the required chemicals, Feli-chan, do you want to help me?" Kiku spoke up at the table."
"Okay." The happy Italian smiled and went with him.
Alice looked at procedure and began to measure the weight of the different metal they were provided with, while Alfred set up the beakers and set up other useful equipment. But he was soon finished with that and the air became awkward quickly. Alice pretended not to notice and continued her recording. Black spots began to fill her vision and her mind began to buzz and feel fuzzy.
"You know your pretty bad at faking." The American said suddenly. Alice looked up at him but saw very little but darkness. "Its obvious that your not okay from what happened. You know if you don't take care of yourself you might-"
Alice failed to hear the rest of his lecture, but could tell he was still running his mouth. Tottering on her feet she felt the world began to spin around her as she lost balance. Her head roared with pain and snuffed out all noise. She felt herself begin to fall.
"Jones." She voiced and cut off the chatty American. Alfred stopped talking just as Alice fell down and collapsed on the spot, creating a sound with her body meeting the floor that made the whole class turn. She vividly saw Kiku run up to her and shout at her. She then felt weightless as someone picked her up. After that she was out cold and the world had been painted black.
...
"Slipping in and out of conscious, Alice heard several voices surround her. They spoke softly, so she couldn't determine who they belonged to.
"Mr. Kirkland, your sister is fine. She's suffering from a slight concussion as well as exhaustion and stress. She should be fine with rest." A light voice said, she guessed it was a woman. Suffering? What was she talking about? She felt fine, no pain at all. However, seeing as she had fainted, she guessed she was a little worse for ware.
"Thank you... I'll call our-" The second voice began to fade as Alice felt herself slip away again. She felt as if she was floating in blank space. The only thing she saw was black space, nothing else. Her pain was now apparent but was reduced to a mere flick. Alice felt herself rise in the space as a bright light began to grow closer. Twitching her eyes from the light, she shifted slightly in her bed. Bed?
"Oh, Alice-chan is waking up. I'll go and fetch the nurse." Nurse? Why did she need a nurse? Where was she?
Waking up once more, Alice looked around the room to find that she was no longer in her classroom. Blinking at the intense light, Alice looked around the white room and noticed she was in one of the private infirmary rooms. Alice attempted to sit up from the bed she was currently occupying, but stopped instantly when the stab of pain in her side reminded her of her injuries. Alice fell back in to the bed with a grunt of pain and curled up slightly.
"Careful, your still not completely healed from yesterday." Alfred's voice came from within the room. The brit turned on her side and saw Alfred sitting in a armchair to her left by the door.
"How about you? You were pretty hurt by those guys yourself." The blond stated.
"I'm fine. Those punks only got in a few licks, it was you who took most of the damage.
"Then what about that eyepatch? What's underneath?" Alice asked, a small tone of worry in her voice.
"Just a black eye. One of those guys got me there, but I made sure to pay him back ten fold!" He grinned at her like a goofball.
Alice smiled a bit herself before returning to a frown. She turned her head away and looked up at th ceiling. A moment of silence passed between them, not awkward, but not casual either. The air was tense with questions waiting to be asked.
"Why do you feel the need to do everything on your own?" Alfred decided to start off with his burning question.
Alice shrugged in return. "Just do." She answered simply and shortly.
"Oh come on, that's no answer!" The American complained.
Alice said nothing and continue to stare above. After another moment of silence she turned her head to look out the window, then opened her mouth to reply.
"It's how I was raised. Depending on others is weak. Failure to achieve is weak. The only acceptable path, is success due to your own hard work. Climb the ladder of power until you have the world at your feet. That, is how I was raised to be." She echoed her mother's exact word spoken to her when she was just seven years old.
"What a crap reason." Alfred said bluntly. Alice turned to look at him in surprise. "Who cares what others think? The only thing you need is to be happy, right?" He commented truthfully to his own opinion.
"Figures you'd think that." Alice let out a short giggle.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" He questioned with a pout.
"Nothing." She shook her head and smiled at him. "Tell me, since we're asking questions, what do you think of me?"
"A villain." He responded on spot with a serious face. Alice widened her eyes a bit, she felt something bubbling in her, but not anger. Without warning, she belted out in a loud fit of laughter, flailing weirdly in her bed.
"I-is that so?" She snorted. "Seems about right I guess." She chuckled and tried to regain her composure.
Just like Alfred to come up with such a childish answer out of thin air. Guess everything to him is like the comic books. Like life is just one big ride and he's front and center as the hero. That makes her his arch nemesis then. Alice lost her smile and closed her eyes. Then she must be a double agent, having two different faces and lives. Does that mean she's also the damsel in distress? Perhaps that would put her closer to Meg from Hercules, except she didn't sell her soul for a man.
"But that doesn't mean a hero like me has given up on you yet." Alfred's voice opened her eyes again. "Like Black Widow, your a spy from the enemy of my mighty nation, but you'll eventually switch over to th good side and join our team." He smiled at her again. Alice felt her face heat up, why is it that he smiled at her like that?"
"And what team is that?" She wondered aloud.
"I've been thinking of starting a hero club next year. I'll be the president and you can be my Secretary of justice." He told her.
Alice raised an eyebrow at him and chuckled. "We'll see."
"Nej." (No) A firm voice announced itself from the door. Both teenagers turned to see the lady of the Kirkland house standing before them. "Du har alt for mange ansvar at involvere dig selv med dette fjols." (You have too many responsibilities to involve yourself with this fool.) She mocked in Danish, Tuesday's language.
"Tilgiv mig, mor." (Forgive me, mother.)
"Du skuffe mig. Kom nu." (You disappoint me. Come along.) The old woman scolded her with an intense glare, then turned her back on her.
"Ja, mor." (Yes, mother.) Alice said solemnly and worked herself out of her bed to follow the woman, not sparing a glance to Alfred as she passed because she knew delay would only annoy her mother more. Alfred watched her go with a look on sadness on his face, because he hated the lack of freedom other received.
The ride back home was silent like always, her mother didn't even bother to look at her once. Dylan held her hand the entire time. When they arrived at home, a maid escorted her to her room then left to fetch the family doctor.
Alice laid down in her king sized silk covered bed and secretly cursed herself for not being strong enough. Strong enough to go against her mother. Strong enough not to be scared of becoming a disappointment. Her mother had always ruled her life as a dictator. She was the real reason behind all of her actions, her influence was just to strong.
The short tone of her phone snapped out of her depressing thoughts.
Gilbert: Ideas for band bash?
It read. Alice smiled to herself. 'That's right. I still have my band. And my band, is my freedom.' Her mother might be able to control her as Alice, but England, was irrepressible. Once again her mother an influenced an action, but not to please her, but to be free of her.
You: I have a few suggestions.
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My Lord that was long! But I couldn't find a place to end! I'm sorry if this story seems too cliche but I'm doing my best, please wait to see the plot unfold. I also apologize if the pace seems to fast, I'll try to slow down.
If anyone is wondering, Alfred has a black and white way of thinking, so first impressions are important to him, such as with his first encounter with both Alice and England.
I may be publishing less frequently (as if I ever did!) Since my finals begin next week. See you all soon!
P.s. Dylan is Wales fyi
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