Little Miss Alice

Good morning, Alice!

7 am, you hear birds chirping outside your window like every other morning. Today is your 12th birthday. You slide out of bed and slip on your favourite blue dress before heading over to your mirror and start doing your hair. 

"How fun, another year of nothing but numbness." You tell the person in the mirror as you finish powdering your face and tying your bow in your hair.

You pull on your boots and head for your door just before you can open it, your little brother Asher bursts in looking at you with a huge smile.

"Hurry up, Momma and Daddy have a gift for you!" He says, and you flinch at the word 'gift'.

"Just give me one more minute please."

"Fine, but be quick!" He says, leaving your room once more.

You grab your day bag and a light cloak, after you are done preparing for a day with your friends you head down stairs.

"Oh, good morning sweetheart!" Your mother chirps as she pulls you into a tight hug.

"Good morning mother." You respond back.

She smiles and then leads you to the sitting room, your father is sitting with a box with a blue bow next to him.

"Thank you Father, Thank you Mother." You say, slowly removing the blue bow.

You slowly remove the lid, placing it on the couch beside you. Staring back at you is a doll with golden hair and blue eyes. A tag with your name is tied around her ankle, you pick up the doll taking a closer look at the tag, it reads, "Alice meet your new friend, her name is Lilly. Take good care of her. ~Love Mom and Dad."

"Do you like her?" Your Mother asks with a big smile on her face.

"She's perfect." You confirm, not taking your eyes off the doll. You hug her, she's yours.

"I'm glad you like her honey," your Father chimes, getting up from the couch, "Should we go and eat?"

"Yes!" Your little brother shouts.

"Yes please, Father." You say as well.

As you are sitting at the table in the dining room, you start to play with Lilly's hair. It's very soft, like a kitten. Her dress is a beautiful shade of periwinkle, her shoes a ruby red. You love her, the first bit of love you felt in a while, and you hug her again. You place her in the chair next to you, but she can't see the table so you get a few of your mother's cookbooks and set her on top of them. Perfect, now she can join the meal.

"What a good idea Alice, Lilly is always welcome to join our meals." Your Father smiles

Asher hops down from his chair and runs to his room, a few minutes later he places one of his teddy bears at the table beside Lilly. After a few more minutes of waiting, breakfast is served. Pancakes, sausages, and lemonade are placed on the table. You are handed the plate of pancakes, you place several on your plate, and you do the same for the sausages, pouring syrup over your pancakes. Your mother hands you a tall glass of lemonade. Everyone digs, light conversation floats around the table. It's peaceful, the best part of the morning. After your meal is finished, you help your mother clean up.

"Mother, I'm going to spend the afternoon at the Abney house if you don't mind."

"Not at all sweetheart," she affirms, putting the last of the dishes away, "Just be home for dinner."

You nod and then make your way to the front door. As you walk down the front step of your family's manor, you have Lilly in hand. Your best friend Alexander is waiting for you at the end of the driveway, he's waiting with Mason, Annalise, and Lucas.