Living Without A Heart

The Masquerade Ball

It was six thirty in the morning. The night sky still loomed over head and the birds (along with most humans) still slept peacefully in their beds. However Alice sat at the island in the kitchen. Dark circles hung beneath her eyes. A small cut lay beneath her right eyebrow and another on her cheek bone. Her ankle still pained her but it was nothing too serious...

A glass of white wine sat in her hand half drank. Typing away on her computer, Alice worked on another exposé. A few days ago she heard talk of 'a big delivery' coming to Riverdale. Curiosity peaked, she followed the truck; it was filled with dozens of crates and a contract proving a deal had been struck between the supplier and  some well-known Ghoulies. Each crate was filled with straws of blue, red, green, yellow, and white stripes (Jingle-Jangle).

Noon arrived before she knew it and Mary came over to the house with Archie. Hal had left for the Register early that morning.

"Hey  Alice- What happened to you?  You look awful!"

"Hey Mary, what do you mean? and thanks!" she shot sarcastically.

"Your face is as red as a slapped backside, you've got cuts, a limp and massive bags under your eyes!"

"Oh it's nothing - I fell over and didn't go to bed last night."

"It doesn't look like you fell over..."

"Well I did," she smiled "I can be quite clumsy."

"When you're drunk?"

"What?"

"Well it's only just turned twelve and you've already been drinking..."

"Oh, that's from last night..." she lied.

"hmm," she said disbelievingly "So are you excited for the masquerade ball?"

"Oh I'm not sure I'm going."

"Why not!?"

"Not in the mood."

"You've got to, it will be fun!"

"Hardly."

"Spoil sport." she remarked "Please!"

"Fine!"

"Yay!"

"We'll grab some lunch and then we'll start getting ready."

"Great! Then you can tell me how you really got hurt,"

"I've told you,"

"No you lied to me,"

"I-"

"Did Hal do it?"

"It was an accident and completely my fault!"

"Tell me what happened."

"He found out that Elizabeth told her teacher I never said I love you to Hal and that we were distant. He's always cared more about his reputation than me so he got scared and angry that people would start thinking the truth."

"Then what happened?"

"I told him I didn't love him and that I lost my world when I went on a date with him and he hit me and a fell over and twisted my ankle. The cut on my eye was from a piece of glass that flew at me when he threw his mug at the wall."

"Jesus Alice! Why are you still with him!? What if he gets frustrated with the kids?"

"It was my fault! I provoked him. My lack of love or even tolerance for Hal is putting a strain on my family. This is all my fault - and he would never hurt those girls, angry or not."