Alice

I'm with you

"Alice! Its time to go," her dad came running in, "you're gonna be late- whoa, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just fell."
"Okay. Let me clean your hand up, I'll just drive you to school."

She winced, "Yeah thanks."

"It's what I'm here for."

On that note, she felt a little better. She came in and sat with her crowd as usual.

"Alice! Hey!" Her friends shouted in unison, with small variation of, "what's up?" And "yo!" thrown in at her.

"Hey guys.." She sat down next to Jeremy and poked him, "How are youu?"

"Oh, hey..." He continued playing away on his iPod.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Its a Pokémon emulator."

"Nice, which one?"

"Red. Except its messed with and everything is yellow. I'm a pikachu for some reason.."

"Fun. Where'd you download it from?"

"Agh. Dammit, I don't know. Alice can you not talk to me right now-"

"Yeah..sure. Sorry," she turned to Addison, "What are we talking about?"

"Do you mind? it's like...not always about you, Alice! God."

"Right. I just-"

"Can you leave!?"

"Sure thing.."
Just then, Bella and Arise came in, and all was well. A smile stretched across Alice's pathetic face.

"Wanna go to breakfast?" She asked, with a hushed tone of, "get me the fuck out of this place" in her voice.

"Yeah. Chocolate muffins!!" Arise said enthusiastically.

"What happened?" Bella asked, motioning to her hand.

"Oh this..? Mirror fell."

"And it, only hurt your hand?"

"Yeah..." She trailed off.

"Well, let's go guys!" Arise was always the best to change the subject.

They talked all morning until it was time to go to home base. This was the only time the trio really saw each other all at once. Arise dropped out of the honors classes they had together, and Alice and Bella were forced to get closer in her absence.

In the eighth grade hall, they parted. Alice and bella went into Mr.smiles with Lucas and Sam, and arise went off to ms.Joyce. Lucas was his normal obnoxious self.

"You're still reading that book? You're so stupid!"

"Its a good book!" Shouted Sam defensively. Harry Potter was her favorite series, too.

"Yeah, i-"

"Shut up, no one cares." Lucas shot back.

Alice turned in her seat to face Bella, "So-"

"What really happened to your hand?" Isabelle whispered under her breath.

"Okay, it did fall," She croaked with a smile, but she could tell Bella was not amused, "only after I...punched it?"

"Alice!"

"I just, I can't-" she started to cry. Not right now, she thought. Not here.

"Alice, you're beautiful. Way prettier than me.."

"Don't say that!" She snapped back.

Lucas shifted, "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing," Alice and Bella said at once. Bella blushed.

"About how hot I am?" He fanned himself metaphorically.

"Sure, whatever you say," Alice muttered with her signature eye-roll. They went off to first period.