How it Began

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Senior Year: 1992

"Alice, what a nice surprise. Come on in" Mrs. Andrews greets, stepping aside to let the blonde inside.

"Good morning, Mrs. Andrews, how are you?"

"I'm good. Yourself?" She says, gesturing with a hand for Alice to follow her into the kitchen.

"A little sad summer vacation is over but I'm good." Alice says, taking a seat at the table. Mrs. Andrews laughs and hands Alice a freshly baked muffin. "Thank you. I take it Fred's still sleeping?"

"Yeah, you know him, the boy never likes to get up." She says, joining Alice at the table.

"FP's the same way. No wonder they're best friends." Alice laughs, cocking her head to look at the staircase.

"I've tried to wake him up multiple times but he just won't budge. He's been working hard all summer long with Artie."

"Right." Alice says, biting into the muffin, mouth practically watering at the taste of it. It's no secret Mrs. Andrews is the best baker on the block and Alice has told her multiple times to open up a bakery, she and her friends would be her best customers, no doubt. "How is Mr. Andrews by the way?"

"Good, business is doing well. You know how he was apprehensive to actually start Andrew's construction, but like we both told him, it's been successful."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Mrs. Andrews looks down at her watch and sighs. "That boy still isn't up. You wanna try getting him up? Maybe he'll listen to you."

"I'll do my best." Alice says with a smile as she rises from the table. She rushes up the staircase and flings the door of Fred's bedroom open. He doesn't budge. She flips on the light and he groans, burying his head underneath his pillow. "Mom, five more minutes." He whines.

She climbs onto his bed, sits on his back. "Not your mom."

"Fine, Alice, five more minutes. Now go away." He complains, burying his head further into his mattress.

"Fred come on! It's senior year, you can't be late on the first day." She pulls the pillow off of his head and he groans.

"Watch me." He grumbles, reaching behind him blindly to grab the pillow back, she just pulls it further away from his reach.

"Get up!" She says, smacking him with the pillow.

"No." She hits him again and hears him laugh. "Hit me all you want, Al, you're not getting me out of this bed."

She drops the pillow beside him and with a sigh, plops her body down in the space beside him. He opens one eye, squinting, and sees her smiling back at him. He just closes his eye again until she speaks again. "Your mom made muffins."

His eyes shoot open. "Muffins?" She nods. "What kind?"

"Banana blueberry, your favourite." She says, smiling deviously as she knew that would get him. "I've already had one, they're great."

"Fine. I'll get up. Save me a muffin." He says, practically shoving her off the bed as he clings his covers off.

"Deal." She says, getting off of his bed and walking over to the door. "But if you don't get your butt down there in ten minutes I'm taking them all and giving them to FP." He shoots her a glare and she smiles at him as she leaves the room.

She walks back down to the kitchen where Mrs. Andrews is drinking a glass of orange juice and reading the paper. She looks up at Alice from behind her glasses and gives her a hopeful smile. "Did you get him up?"

"Yep," Alice says, taking a seat at the table. "it only took hitting him with a pillow and some bribing but he's getting ready."

"You bribed him with muffins didn't you?"

"Maybe." Alice says, laughing a little.

"That's why I made them this morning, I prefer banana nut over banana blueberry but I needed something to get that boy out of his bed."

"I like anything you bake." Alice says, making Mrs. Andrews to smile.

"Thank you. And thank you for getting him out of bed, you're an angel I swear."

"I try my best." Alice says, grinning.

They hear loud footsteps coming down the stairs and Fred bursts into the kitchen seconds later. "Alright, it took me five minutes instead of the ten you gave me. That should earn me more than just one muffin."

Alice and Mrs. Andrews share a look and laugh. "Go ahead, honey, there's plenty to go around.

Fred walks past Alice and narrows his eyes at her, she sticks her tongue out at him as he grabs a muffin.

"Better eat fast Andrews, we're going to be late." Alice says, looking at the clock on the wall.

"How?" Fred asks with a mouthful of muffin.

"Maybe because you wouldn't get out of bed."

"Touché."