Alice's Secret Obsession

Chapter Four: A Normal Sleepover?

I turn around and start walking away, but I realize I do not know where I am. Well, until I am outside. When I turn around to see what building I was just in, I cannot help but giggle when I see that it is the creepy, abandoned house that I pass by on my way to find the Demon Lady preying on victims near the cemetery when she is not in the park or near the woods. 

My face feels warm as I whisper, "I have found out where my sexy, evil lady lives~... She can't hide as easily anymore... It was so hard keeping a straight face seeing her so close to me..." My face burns even more, my breathing begins to get heavy, and my heart pounds a little faster as I continue to whisper. "Oh, the way my dear, Demon Lady looked at me, as if I am a mere bug, and stupid was so... Horribly intoxicating. I need more...!" I frown as I remember what she said, "Your mind is in a state of detachment, because of him." I do not fully understand what my lady meant by a state of detachment, but it makes me think she might be talking about my depression and feelings of emptiness. My curiosity only seems to grow as my brain puzzles over who that man was, whom she blames for my mind's sense of detachment. I sigh and decide to stop thinking about him. 

I frown even more when I whisper to myself as I walk home, "My darling does not seem to like me, yet she continues to let me live...? I wish I knew more about her." I am deep in these thoughts when I hear the frightening sound of a car approaching me, which startles me. And then I... My clumsy self tripped over one of my siblings' outside toys. "Okay, that was very idiotic of me. I need to pay attention when I walk. It is not like that car was going to hit me." I tell myself in a harsh tone. I am surprised when I hear someone call out my name. "Alice! Are you okay?" 

I slowly turn my head to see who said that, and I see Athena getting out of her parent's car with a worried expression on her face. "Alice, are you okay or not?!" Athena asks, slightly annoyed that I did not respond to her. I avoid looking into her eyes and reply, "I am fine. I simply tripped because I was lost in thought." 

Athena huffs, "Then why are you still on the dirt?" 

While facing her, I get up immediately. "See? I am fine."

Athena walks closer to me and says, "You are not fine! Your leggings are ripped at the knees, and your hands and knees are bleeding." Athena is making me feel like I am a little kid in trouble. I look away from her and say, "Let's go inside now." So I reach to open the door, and Athena pushes my hand away and opens the door for me. I follow Athena inside, and she immediately asks my mom, "Mrs. Maduro, can you please show me where your first aid kit is? Alice fell again." I look down at my hands, now realizing that my palms and knees sting. 

I silently walk to my bedroom to wait for Athena. As I wait for Athena, I whisper, "Why is Athena acting so mature and angry? She does not normally act this way." I see Ava sleeping on my bed, which causes me to smile. Guilt washes over me as I sit on my bed because I did not intend to wake Ava. I merely wanted to admire her cuteness closer. Ava opens her big beautiful eyes, stretches, sits on my lap, and licks my fingers. I cannot help but laugh. 

After a few minutes, Athena comes into my room with the first aid kit and sets it down on my bed. As I try to clean off my wounds with rubbing alcohol, Athena stops me, saying, "Stop. I'll do it." She then takes the rubbing alcohol out of my hands, wets a cloth with it, and starts gently rubbing the cloth against my scrapes. I feel weird and object, "I-I can do this myself. You do not need to do this for me." 

Athena frowns and says, "But I want to do this for you, Alice Senpai." 

I smile sheepishly and stutter, "Y-y-y-you don't have to call me Senpai...!" 

Athena puts the bandaids on my scrapes and smiles as she asks, "And why would I stop when I made a promise to call you Senpai as we date~?" 

I look away from her and reply, "But it is embarrassing." Athena ignores what I have just said instead, she looks around my room curiously and spots her thermal bottle on my desk. She smiles and asks, "You kept my thermal bottle, Senpai?"