The Alternate State

chapter 1

It's 7 oclock on Friday and my maid Valerian wakes me up.
"It's time for school miss crescent." she says sweetly
"I told you just to call me cress." i say with a laugh, for the millionth time, this has become a private joke for us now. Rubbing my eyes a little harder than necessary, I sit up, I HATE Fridays, the day teachers give you loads of homework before the weekend.

"Sorry..cress."

She has always been so kind, Val is the only person who understands me. She asks if I want my food in bed with the rich accent she still has, what a wonderful mercy for this dreary Friday morning. I don't know why she still asks, i have it in bed almost every morning, I've never been much of a morning person. She smiles sweetly and leaves the room with a nod. With that I get up and begin to get dressed, jeans, a tank top, and a worn, well loved jacket, a gift from a dear friend. He gave it to me to borrow, just something to wrap around my shoulders one cold evening when I'd forgotten mine, but he's gone now. I shudder at the thought. He's been gone for 3 years, it was his grandfather's jacket too, so it meant a lot when he gave it to me at the arcade that night, I still treat it with the kind of care you only have with something precious, something sacred, something that really isn't yours. I smile sadly, as I think of him. His brown hair that was always a mess , his sad solemn green eyes, forever bloodshot, but it never distracted from the depth of them. I've always felt it was my fault he's gone, I tried to help him catch up, to get his grades up, but it wasn't enough. I start to tear up at the thought. I could've prevented this, saved him. no. I can't think that way, it's not what he would've wanted, and I've drifted too much, too deep, too far down this rabbit hole before. In the beginning these guilt spirals would last days, and I couldn't shake it. So now I never let myself look at that thought, never open the box full of regret I keep locked away at the back of my mind. I hear a knock on my door and wipe at the tears I feel burning at the rim of my lashes, the ones I won't let fall.

"Come in, val" I say as evenly as possible.
"Oh come on!" I look over at the familiar face opening the door. My best friend Lincoln's boyish face greets me to my surprise.
"Link!" I sit up and give him the biggest smile I can muster at this hour.
"You still mistake me for val after all this time? I thought you were better than that." he says sarcastically, "besides we look nothing alike, and I would hope we sound nothing alike either." He bends down to give me a quick hug, as
I look up at him while still hugging him, I smile, puberty had been good to him I think, now they sounded nothing alike, and they certainly didn't look anything alike if the lingering glances in the hall at school were any indication.

"Oh I'm sorry your highness. I didn't hear you." i shoot back at him, sarcasm dripping from every word. Val walks in and sees us hugging.

"Well I'm glad this was a pleasant surprise, I was going to tell you miss cress, but he insisted on surprising you," she shifts towards Link momentarily uncomfortable and looks at him, in a way that says told ya. "would you like breakfast too mr Lincoln?" ahh val always thinking of others. That's what i love about her, she's been my maid since i was 12. She's not much older than me being only 21. I've always thought of her as more of a friend or maybe a sister as I am an only child.

"I'll just take some from cress' plate." i glare at him and slap his arm. "Oh it seems you've woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." he laughs while attempting to hit me back. I dodge it just in time.
"Shut up." I say smiling
"Seems like you need some coffee princess." princess, that's what he calls me. He knows I hate it, which of course only encourages the nickname to stick. I turn around and grab a piece of bacon from the plate val left, as i go to hit him with it, i realize val left. We must have scared her off. In the second im distracted he snatches it from my hand and eats it

" why thank you." he says with his mouth full of bacon and a smooth smile.
"I hate you" I chuckle. He goes to reach for another piece and I slap his hand away playfully again.
"No. the rest is mine" i smile broadly
"Aww come on now, just one more?" he says making a puppy dog face
"Val!" I call as i snatch the plate up and go sit on my bed laughing, knowing full well I'll never get full at this rate.
"Oh no, am i in trouble now" he says sarcastically
"No, I'm getting you food. You're welcome." he gawks at me sarcastically
"Wow i didn't know you were capable of being so nice." he laughs as his stomach growls audibly.
"You know you can always just ask for food you-" val walks in with a tray of food.
"I'm assuming Link actually wants a meal." I nod and thank her. taking the plate and handing it to link. I sit down at my vanity, and start brushing my long silver hair, realizing how knotted it is. I look so much like my mother these days, the resemblance is shocking, the same high cheekbones and deep grey eyes, we have different noses though, hers is so petite and turns up a bit at the end. My father looks like a raven, jet black hair and eyes so brown they're almost black.