Alice's Secret Obsession

Questions Best Left Unanswered: Athena Side Story

----Athena's perspective---- 

----Back at the dinner table---- 

I am a little sad that Alice did not take my hand and walk me to the table, but Ava is in her arms, so I am trying my best not to pout. As soon as Alice sits down at the table, Ava jumps onto Alice's lap, it is so cute!  The way Alice is smiling at Ava is such a rare sight for me, that I want to take a picture of it, but then Alice and her family might think I have grown to be a weirdo! 

When I look down at our plates, I see chicken chunks and long thin noodles covered in what smells to be a cheesy white sauce. I take a bite of it with caution. It tastes even better than my parents' cooking! 

I look up and meet Alice's gaze, but she almost automatically averts her gaze. I sigh, and I look at Charlotte and Jose. They both give me big adorable smiles! It is so hard to stop myself from reaching over the table and hugging them! They giggle when I smile back. Then I lock eyes with Mike, and he mouthes to me, "Bring it up." I nod, determined to announce that me and Alice are going to get married! I-I mean that we are dating! 

I smile as I look at Alice, and say, "Did Alice tell you that we are dating yet?" 

Alice's cheeks flush, and then she continues eating her food, but faster. Mike gives me a thumbs-up and a wink. Alice's parents look a little surprised, but then they smile. Her dad says, "I hope you are going to be happy together." 

Her mom says, "I wish you two can still be best friends if you both decide to break up." 

I look at Alice, she seems to be deep in thought, and uncomfortable. I look away from her, and say, "I am so happy to be dating Alice~!" I then smile as I say, "Alice always makes me feel safe, appreciated, and happy!" 

Alice is blushing a lot now. She is trying to avoid all eye contact, it makes me feel a little sad. 

I begin talking about how Alice protected me from Cain, and other little ways Alice has made me happy, feel appreciated, and safe. 

Then Alice asks how she got her scars as she puts her plate in the sink. I swear it feels like the temperature in the room dropped by ten degrees, and the room is overwhelmingly tense! 

Charlotte and Jose are the only ones who seem unaffected by this question. Claiming that her scars make her look cool. Her parents say that Alice fell and picked at her scabs a lot. And Mike says she was in a car accident... But I can tell it is a lie. It was obviously a lie, and Alice knows that. This doesn't feel right, but before I can say anything, Alice agrees, says thank you, and leaves. 

Mike clears his throat and tells Charlotte and Jose to go play Excavate Simulator in his room. They run off excitedly, and the real conversation begins. 

I ask, "Why does Alice really have all of those scars?" 

Mike's eyes start to become glassy as he says, "Alice has those scars because... Because I was not there to protect her...!" Then he bursts into tears. 

I feel a pang of guilt hit me, so I quickly respond, "I am sure it was not your fault, Mike." 

His mom embraces him and reassures him, "You could not have done anything, sweetie." 

Mr. Maduro tells me with a face full of sorrow, "My baby girl was taken... When she was in the seventh grade." 

My eyes widen in shock, I was not expecting that, but I can tell he is telling the truth, because why would anyone lie about something like that? I know I shouldn't ask who took her, but I do it anyway. "Umm... Do you know who took her?" 

Mrs. Maduro's tone turns icy when she says, "It was a disgusting bastard Alice trusted." 

"When was Alice kidnapped?" I ask worriedly. 

Mike says while wiping his eyes, "The fourth week of her seventh-grade year on that Friday..." 

I remember that Friday, I confessed to Mike that I was starting to get feelings for Alice. 

"So does that mean that the kidnapper cut Alice?" I can feel my eyes become glassy as I ask this. 

Mike nods with a deep frown. Then he bursts out, "He-- He forced her to act as his wife!" 

Mike's parents nod in agreement, and his father sighs as he says, "It took 3 months for Alice to trust even us, without Michael being present." 

Mike looks into my eyes as he says, "Yeah. Alice was hurt badly, she is forever changed by her experiences." Mike then sighs looking down at the table, and he adds, "But at least she doesn't remember any of it. But now she doesn't even feel safe when anyone but Ava touches her neck, by accident or not." 

Mrs. Maduro continues, "She has a false memory of a car crash, now she has motorphobia. We would rather her fear vehicles than remember the horrible things that actually happened to her. So we let her believe that all the time she lost was because she was in a coma."

I then ask, "Did she get therapy after that? And how did she escape? Did you guys save her?" 

Mrs. Maduro replies, "Yes, she got therapy to try to help her through her trauma." 

Mr. Maduro replies, "No, we did not save her, we found her, or actually Michael found her." 

Mike shakes his head as he says, "We-- I found her covered in bruises, blood, bandages, and... something else, on the side of the road..." His voice cracks as he continues, "It-- It was so scary, but I felt so relieved to have my twin back, that I screamed for my dad as I picked her up." 

Everyone is silent for a while, so I try to lighten the mood by saying, "I want to know all of my girlfriend's nicknames! What was a nickname Alice was given that she hates~?" 

Mike chuckles and says, "She hates the nickname I gave her: Alice ba-bait. She would always yell at me and punch me when I would call her that, because 'I don't like being referred to as bait!'. It was always funny. She also hates another nickname I gave her. I call her Sharpy because her nails are so sharp. Her nails always leave a mark when she accidentally scratches someone." 

Mrs. Maduro smiles and says, "Alice makes wonderful cakes, so Jose and Charlotte call her Cakey and Cake." 

I can't help but smile when learning Alice's nicknames. It is nice to hear about her for once instead of just talking about myself. Mr. Maduro brings up cute and funny stories about Alice and her siblings. It makes me feel as though I am a part of her family. It makes me wish Alice loves me back. Then I can really be a part of her wonderful family, continue to learn about her, and love her openly instead of just dancing around her, hiding behind my fear that she doesn't love me. 

After about an hour or two, everyone goes to bed. As I approach Alice's door, I notice that the light is off in her bedroom, and I remember what I was told about Alice being kidnapped. 

I slowly open the door, and the light switches on! When my eyes meet with Alice's, I forget how to smile. But seeing Alice's sad, guilty face for leaving me at the dinner table reminds me that I  should smile.