The silence that passed between the two of them felt as if it would stretch out and last for a lifetime. Her mother's stilled gaze pierced through Alice's will, her powerful stance demanding absolute obedience. Alice had to struggle against her nature to give in to her mother's wishes and fight to stay standing where she was with her head held high. Even so, despite Alice's faulty confidence, she could sense her insides churning about under that gaze. The gaze that had subjected herself to become a puppet of her mother's desires, that had shown her no love, and nothing but disappointment. Alice wondered at times if her mother even truly loved her.

Perhaps that's why she had allowed herself to become so obedient. She had thought that by doing only what her mother wanted that she'd someone also gain her love and approval, something she shouldn't have to earn.

Alice waited in excruciating anticipation for how her mother would respond, expecting the worst. Well, whatever transgressed between them today, her mother could not stop her.

She fiddled around with the signal button in her jacket pocket, an SOS signal that would notify Kiku if she needed backup or if she decided that she couldn't handle the situation alone. Kiku had wanted to be by her side from the beginning, but she told him that she needed to be alone with her mother when she delivered the news. So, as of now, he was waiting at a nearby booth in case she decided she needed backup.

At last, after moments that seemed to stretch on forever, he mother replied.

"Nej du er ikke, du glemmer dit sted. Hvem skal du selv bestemme det?" (No you're not, you forget your place. Who are you to decide that for yourself?)

"No Danish!" Alice suddenly declared in a fit of anger and frustration. "No German, Korean, no nothing! I'm done with you forcing language on me, speak English like any normal person."

"Vi er ikke normale, Alice, vi er ikke som alle andre." (We are not normal, Alice, we are not like everyone else.)

"English!" Alice commanded, overriding her fear with years of bottled anger to gain the confidence she once lacked. "Or else I'm walking away right now."

"Du er min datter; jeg vil ikke tillade sådan noget." (You are my daughter; I will not allow such a thing.)

"I'd like to see you try," Alice challenged, "I'm a person, not a doll; and legally you can't stop me."

Her mother became silent and calculating, eyeing her up and down. Her gaze wasn't the same cold one from before, but it wasn't warm either. If her mother was surprised, she certainly didn't show it.

"Where will you live and who shall feed you?" She eventually asked, heeding to her daughter's words and switching to English, their native tongue.

"Kiku has already offered me his home and support, and his mother agreed to this arrangement as well."

At that, her mother lost her tall stance and let out a deep sigh, relaxing her body to appear less stiff and tall. She looked like a tired old woman; nothing like the heartless woman she knew that couldn't even bear to hug her.

"Why do you want to leave? You have everything you need at home and at this school, you're coming so far." Her mother inquired in a small voice, appearing hurt, but not by Alice's words or actions, but by her own.

"This school can't offer what I truly want," Alice responded, "To be a musician. I want to go to London's Music Academy!"

"That will make you happy?"

"Yes."

…

"This will make us happy!" Her father told them as he stood by the door, his bags packed, a guitar in its case in his hand. Margaret stood on the staircase with her two siblings, hiding from their parents sight as they argued at night.

"You being here will make us happy!" Her mother begged her father. "We have what we need right now, don't do this."

"Look around you Alice, no family of mine will live in this kind of poverty." Her father disagreed, pointing to their worn down and broken house with chipped walks, creaking floors, and a leaking roof. "I'll come back when I've made enough money to bring us to the very top."

With those last words, their father left them and walked away into the night. For a while he would send letters every now and then with money and an update on his life and asking about her mother and the three girls. Then, slowly one by one, they stopped coming, and their father was never seen from again. Three months later we received news that he had been mugged and shot. Margaret's mother broke apart and shut herself away, her two younger sisters didn't understand what was going on, so Margaret had to step up and care for them.

She got a job at a gas station, but income was low, eventually all four of them had to get a job to support the family. Her mother worked at a movie theater, her little sister as a baby sitter, and her kid sister as a dog walker. Each of them too busy working, Margaret never went past secondary, settling will brainless jobs anyone off the street could do.

But one day, one of her managers saw her hard work and gave her a promotion. For the first time in her life she found herself above others and not among them. Her check became handsomer and it allowed for her two younger sisters to stop working and focus on their studies.

This created a realization in Margaret. The one mistake her father had made in his quest for wealth was that he didn't search for it in business.

After that Margaret became determined, promotion by promotion she would make herself indefensible to her company. Four years later, when she was 24 she became president of the Kirkland Manchester branch and was invited to a gala held by the head of the company. He was an old man in poor health, but had an unmarried son only five years older than her. She saw an opportunity and took advantage, seducing his son and becoming his wife two years later, along with having a son.

Seeing her child for the first time she swore upon her life that he would live a different life than her. He would want for nothing and have the best possible education, taking on life by the horns, not starting under its hooves. One after another Margaret kept on having sons she thought males were all that she could bare, until her fifth child, when she had a daughter. Margaret names her Alice, so that when other looked back on her lineage, that name would not be one of ridicule.

The first time she held her baby girl n her hands she saw both the possibility of struggle and the road of greatness. Fools would judge her solely on her gender, as they did to her. The day her one and only daughter was born Margaret resolved to be her guide, to show her how to survive and thrive in the upper class, and how to rise above the rest.

In order to do that she could not be like her mother, she had to be strong and dignifying, she cannot allow her children to see her pain or tears.

"This is the life of wealth that will make us happy." Margaret told herself. "This is what father would have wanted."

…

Margaret let out a soft chuckle, she guessed she got too distracted in her desire for her children to be well off, that she forgot to make sure they was happy. Even her father would have said that family was more important.

"Well then, you can go to your music school, but you have to stay home." Margaret told her daughter regaining her seriousness. "I can also pull a few strings to make sure you succeed."

"I think my playing some strings can do just that." Alice grinned, her eyes sparkling in a way Margaret hadn't seeing in such a long time.

"I'm sure you can." Margaret smiled, surprising her daughter by pulling her into an unexpected hug, burying her face in her daughter's soft blond hair. "Forgive me, I was so deluded with my own past to see your future, you don't have to marry someone for money as I did. I'd rather you be happy."

"I already am." Alice wrapped her arms around her mother's back, pulling her closer. "Thank you mum, I love you."

Margaret felt tears fall from her eyes at her daughter's words, she hadn't said those three words since she was a little girl.

"I love you to Alice." She said back as she pulled away. "I'm sorry I was so blind to it before, go and play your guitar, but…" Margaret looked down at her daughter clothing, "please consider getting a longer skirt."

"Just as long as it doesn't go past my knees." Alice joked.

Margaret smiled, finally seeing her daughter for the young woman she truly was. Why had she ever tried to change that?

…

Alice had to say… she did not think that it would go so well with her mother. She was half expecting to be disowned on the spot, but something she said must of somehow had an effect on her mother for her to allow her transfer. Alice didn't know what it was that convinced her mother, but she's happy that it happened.

Practically skipping over to where she last saw her best friend, Alice bounded over in a fit of clear jovial energy. Spotting him by the cotton candy cart, she called out.

"Kiku!"

Said young man looked up from his clipboard, previously taking over her job while she went to talk with her mother, and gave her a wave.

"Alice-chan, how did it go?" He asked in turn.

A large grin ripped across her face at his inquiry, both static and eager to tell him the news. Surprising him, Alice leaped into his arms and pulled him into a swift hug. Kiku instantaneously flushed red at the sudden contact, and stumbled back a few steps to keep them from falling over.

"She said yes!" She cheered joyfully, "With some conditions laid out, I'll still be living at home, but I can go!"

"Wonderful, I will file in my registration right away." Said Kiku.

Alice's smile faltered into a face of concern and she took a step back, letting her arms fall away as well.

"That's a really sweet sentiment, Kiku. But I don't want you to go into something just for my sake. Without me here you could easily become president and take over in my place."

"Alice-chan." Kiku said sternly but with compassion, stopping her. Alice met his gaze and was surprised by the amount of warm emotion that was held in his usually blank eyes. He took her hands in his, holding them gently. "As long as I'm by your side I will never be unhappy, no matter the location, no matter the task," He paused, as if the next words were a pill for him to swallow, "and no matter the relationship."

A shock went through her body, an electric pulse derived from the warm hands that were holding hers. Her heartbeat sped up, but it was more from surprise than anything else. After knowing Kiku for ten years, a decade, and approximately seventy percent of her life, she could never stop thinking of him as a friend; the fact that he was in love with her was still something she couldn't wrap her mind around. However, as a friend, she couldn't bear to be without him as well.

"Kiku, I-"

"Alice."

Shit. Always when she's talking about something serious.

"Alfred." She greeted back and turned half way to face him. He looked between the two of the, eyes narrowing suspiciously. Alice fought the urge to roll her eyes. 'Jealous as ever' she mused in her head.

"The festival is about to end in thirty minutes, I was wondering if you wanted to go on the Ferris wheel before it closes?"

"Sure." She replied, looking back at Kiku with a worried gaze. Kiku waved her off and gave her an understanding nod.

"Daijōbudesu, watashitachiha-go de hanashimasu." (It's okay, we'll talk later.)

"Sate,-go de aimashou." (Okay then, I'll see you later.)

"Sayōnara."

"Sayōnara."

Alice waved goodbye and walked off with Alfred, whom immediately started to tell her off on using other languages, but she just ignored it. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty for leaving Kiku like that, even if he did understand; he was still her best friend. She should have asked Alfred to give them a minute, but she didn't, so she felt a little bad about that. But most of all, she felt guilty that she couldn't return his feelings like she knew he wanted her to. Even if he was the one she came crying to, and the one person she trusted above anyone else with her very life, she still couldn't see herself as anything other than his friend. It killed her to know she was the source of the pain that he refused to show her.

"Alice?" Alfred's voice suddenly pulled her out of her thoughts, him snapping his fingers in her face also contributed to that.

"Huh?"

"You were spacing out." He told her, setting his arms back down to his side. "We'll be getting on the next ride."

Alice looked up at the ride before her, spinning passengers in their seats round and around at a smooth pace. The colorful light of the ride shined multiple hues of blue, yellow, and green, conflicting with the dazzling light of the waning sun that spread a spectral of red, pink, and orange in the air; creating a clash of colors and forming a rainbow right before her eyes. The line in front of her only held five couples in front of them, and four behind; they would indeed get on at the next cycle of riders, which would also most likely be the last.

"Sorry," Alice apologized, "just lost in thought."

Alfred agreed and conversation became lazed and mundane. Alice could tell that there was a lot on his mind as well, many question it appeared. She could not wait for this ride to come any sooner, because she needed to talk to him in a place where he would be forced to listen. After a five minute ride the wheel came to a stop and began to let people off, a thirty second interval between each seat. After about another two minutes in line, it was their turn to board the ride. Alfred let her choose where to sit first, the right side, and then sat down next to her, after being locked in, the ride began to move before coming to a stop again to let the teens behind them on.

"So what did your mom think about your music?" Alfred started, looking at the grounds below them.

"I could tell she didn't approve of the way I dress." Alice giggled, giving her rather suggestive, but toned down, punk outfit a glance. "But she said as long it made me happy that she was okay with it." Alice half-lied not yet telling Alfred of her plans.

Alfred scoffed at that. "Really? From what I've seen she's not the most loving."

"True." Alice sighed. "But I sensed that something I said may have had something to do with it."

"Something you said?" He echoed curiously. Alice confirmed, but told him that she wasn't sure what it was exactly, which only seemed to make him more curious.

"You said you had something big to tell your mom, was that it?"

Alice shook her head.

"No, there was more to it… and I've been meaning to tell you too for a while now as well."

Alfred perked up and turned to face her in his seat, asking what it was he gave her his full undivided attention.

"Well, uh, I've been making a plan, starting only last week really, that I want to study music rather than business. Which means that… that I'll be transferring out of World W. this summer."

Alice waited with much anticipation for Alfred's reaction, waited for him to get angry, upset, or questioning; but he remained silent, which concerned her.

"The school's not far!" She tried to console him quickly. "Just on the other side of the city, so we'll still be able to meet after school and on the weekends."

"But we won't be together all the time, I won't be able to visit you in your office, or bug you in class."

"Well who's to say that you would be able to do that next year, we could have different classes, and I already planned to resign as council president."

"But why didn't you tell me this?"

"I did honestly try to, but we kept on getting interrupted, and the timing was never right. I'm telling you now aren't I?"

"But why do you have to go? There's a music program here, can't you stay?"

Alice sighed and looked out at the school grounds, at the massive multi-floored buildings.

"Truth be told I've been wanting to go get out of here for a while now, way before we met, this is my chance to go after my dreams and not conform to my family!"

Alfred looked out with her at their surroundings, eyes sad, but knowing. Letting out a sigh, he grabbed her hand and looked back to her, and she did the same.

"This has always been forced, hasn't it?" Alfred asked, using his past meeting with her mother and brothers to make a judgment on her home life. Alice nodded in agreement. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to crash your classes." He smirked.

"Don't you dare." Alice mock gasped.

The two shared a heartfelt laugh, Alfred wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she rested her head against his. Their laughter died out gradually, but the air around them remained relaxed and sweet. Alice let her eyes close, lulled by the steady movement of the ride rocking the seat back and forth. After a minute or two Alice felt a large hand lace itself in her hair, coming through the slightly tangled locks. Alice let out a contented breath of air and allowed herself to sinking further into the comfort of his arms.

"Alice?" The man besides her eventually called out in question.

"Hm?"

"Are- are we ready yet?" He asked vaguely, though she knew exactly what he was implying.

"Do you trust me again?"

"Yes."

"And I trust you; I'd say we've both healed since then."

Well then," Alfred said and undoing his arms and sat her up, turning both of them so that they were sitting facing to face as much as they could in their bench seat. "Alice Kirkland, would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Alice smiled warmly, her heart thundering loudly in pure happiness.

"Yes, I'd like that."

With those words said, the two of them felt as if all their past shed tears over one another had been wiped away, and replaced by the bliss of that moment. Slowly they began to gravitate towards each other, no longer able to resist what they had been previously holding back for weeks on end. Her lips met his first, and a static shudder spread down her spin at the soft touch of his warm lips against hers. Taking it slow and steady, they two hurried nothing, learning from their past mistake, and giving each other time. The kiss was pure and full of adolescent love, their hearts ablaze in ecstasy as they got lost in each others arms.

Alice could not remember a time she felt more free and complete. Once and iron-hearted queen holding up a wall to hide her insecure and week core, every brick had been laid down had been torn away by this bumbling American idiot. He saw her in both her states, as a rebel and a rule-maker. He brought out her independent spirit into the open and offered her a connection between the two. Now she was free to follow her passion, and free to love the man that had once infuriated her, but now held her heart.

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I am crying inside, so sad to see this story end. But I happy with the way it turned out and for all of your AMAZING support, this story couldn't have gotten done without you guys, thank you so much, love you.

Shout out to:

Cone of Depression- I'm always so happy to see your comments, they give me encouragement to keep writing and I love how frequently you reviewed. Thank you for your support towards this story.

Youngbountygirl- You've been here since almost the beginning and have offered me tips and support, I appreciate it a lot, thank you.

This story will always be dear to me, especially since I relate to the characters and what they went through. This is the official end of the story, but if y'all want an epilogue let me know and how far in the future you'd like it to be. Thank you all, love you!

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