The Thieves Of Our Time

Hair Blown Away

Alice sat in her room, feeling guilty. She could see Nathaniel popping his head in her room every few minutes. She didn't mind. She just kept staring into space.

She should probably go check up on Diana.

No, she should go check up on Diana. Alice got dressed, pulling a turtleneck up to her chin and brushing her hair. She walked down the stairs, and Nathaniel offered to drive her. She declined. She wanted to walk. Sitting didn't do her any good.

On her way, she saw Jose. She suddenly realized they had never met up. She never apologized or told him she wasn't coming. It'd look like she'd just ditched him. She couldn't explain that she was being selfish.

She avoided him.

Walking was the easy part, it really was. When it came time for Alice to lift her fist up and knock on Christopher's door, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Alice walked away.

Alice walked back to the mansion. Her hair blew in all sorts of directions. She didn't even try to remove it.

She felt a strong hand wrap around her arm, but it wasn't rough and rude. She knew it was Nash. She didn't really feel up to talking to him right now. Actually, right now, she'd be okay if the plan failed and he killed her.

"Alice," he huffed as he tried to pull her behind him. He was looking away from her. No, not away from her, he was looking at something, or... someone. Alice followed his eyes and saw David and a few of his friends.

She also realized she hadn't been pulled into a secluded ally for no one to see. They were in broad daylight, in the middle of the street.

"What the hell, Alice," his tone had anger in it. "They were going to jump you." Maybe it was a different feeling disguised as anger. Did the criminal actually.... no.

Alice couldn't find the energy to respond. She just stared at him and shrugged.

His face softened at this, his eyes searching her face. Was He trying to find another injury? "Are you okay?" He asked, taking a finger and moving the turtleneck down, exposing the thin line. Now that she thought about it, it felt like she'd been branded or something.

"I'm fine," Alice sighed and swiped his hand away.

She walked away.

Nash stopped her, he wasn't a deflated and depressed girl like her. He was a quick thief. He moved in front of her swiftly, she tried to walk away again, looking over his shoulder, she only had another block or two to walk. He moved in front of her again. Alice gave up and stood. She couldn't bring herself to look in his eyes, though, so she stared forward.

Nash put his hands on her shoulders and screamed desperately. "Alice, I'm worried. And not because you're getting me into the damn ball. I worry for you because it's..." bis voice went low and gentle, "you."

Alice looked up, his face reminding her of Nathaniel's. She didn't like it.

He took a breath, hoping he'd finally gotten what he needed to say out. "What's going on with you? They were laughing, you should've heard them." He turned to look her in the face, but she diverted her eyes down. He sighed and removed his hands from her shoulders. "I'm not scolding you, Alice." He held his hand on his hip and the other rubbing his face. "I'm simply worried." He glanced at her, worry in those mud-colored eyes.

"Everyone is these days," Alice sighed. Then she really walked away, and for some reason, he didn't try to follow her.

////

Alice thought about Jose. She never did meet up with him. Apparently, she has been neglecting everyone these past few days.

She contemplating calling him and explaining. But how would she say that Alice knew Diana, and she was pretty sure she wouldn't want anyone to know about a miscarriage. Especially the fact she got pregnant in the first place.

Alice decided to occupy her time with something else, something more important. The dance routine.

The next ball was very soon. You needed to know a dance, and there was a color code. Somehow, Alice knew she could kill two birds with one stone.

Make Victoria happy, and retrieve dress. Her father told her to try and bond with Victoria more. How was she supposed to do that when Victoria was more like a sister and not a mother.

But all she could do was sigh and put her rest her head on her fist, looking out the car window as Victoria ran her mouth.

When they made it to the dress store, one with a Foreign work for it's name(you could always count on those ones to be expensive), they searched. Or how should she put it, Victoria searched. She claimed she'd gotten very good with color analysis after taking at least four for the wedding. She told Alice to sit down and let her do the hunting. And she did.

The only problem was the neckline. How the hell was she supposed to cover that up. Unless she didn't. She was pretty sure the scar would fade into near-nothingness by a year, but at the current moment, it was very noticeable. Alice just didn't know what excuse she would use.

Right, the scarlet five tried to kill me. Why, you may ask, well, because I'm working with a thief, who they kind of don't like, and since they think I'm his partner, they tried to kill me. That was a stupid response and one that np one would believe. They'd say she'd said something ridiculous to avoid punishment.

But what was punishment in this household. Is being stuck in it? Oh, what a tragedy. Stuck in a house with nearly every room you can imagine and a pool. What a horrible fate. That, or shopping with Victoria. In that case, she was already being punished.

Alice let out a small shriek when Victorias wide blue eyes popped right in front of Alice's view. She held a blue dress and pink dress up.

"I found these two, and I'm going to keep looking."

The first dress, the blue one, looked like something a mermaid would wear. It looked like it had scales and pearls sewn into it.

The second dress was a hot pink, slit in the side, no boob coverage - not like she needed any. Why wear shoes if you have no feet kind of deal.

Alice waited for further options.

The other ten to fifteen dressed were varying of length, texture, and look. The few that stook out to her the most was this ugly purple dress with an awkward length. Another one was a yellow beach kind of dress. They were looking for ballgown dressed. Where the hell we're they?

That's when she saw it. Black and red, goth dress and corset, with a black turtleneck-like component. Even Victoria saw it's potential and she was a yellow and pink pastel girl.

"We should let you try this on, Alice!" Victoria shoved the dress into her stomach. She hadn't known the woman was so strong for such a small frame. But determined shoppers made determined fighters.