The Lone Vixen - EDITING

Chapter Seven: I'll Text You My Address

Alya woke at 6:53 the next morning. She got up and began her daily routine. She went to the restroom, stretched, got dressed, and packed her school bag. Trixx slept the whole time, but it just gave Alya more time to avoid talking. Her mornings were generally pretty quiet, but today the house was filled with noise. Ella and Etta were turning eight, and kept squealing as they ran around the house in excitement. Even Nora was being loud. She was typically considerate of noise level, but chasing the twins around the house threw that right out the window. Alya left her room to go check the house out. Apparently, her mother and father had decorated the house late at night. Everything was blue and pink, the twin's signature colors of choice. There was a grand birthday breakfast of pancakes and orange juice sitting on the dining room table. Nora had Ella and Etta on the couch as she hugged them relentlessly. Nora always put on a tough face, but the twins were her reason for living. She was the fondest with them, and as long as they were around, you could count on Nora being kinder than normal.

"Alya! Alya! Guess what? We're eight today!" The twins spoke up as they ran to her. "We can finally say bad words!" Alya smirked.

"So, what kind of bad words will you be saying this fine eve?"

"Oh, loads!" Ella said, still in her blue pajamas. Her and Etta took a big breath, ready to list off countless words they deemed "bad". "Cr-"

"We'll have none of that!" Nora yelled from her spot on the couch. Alya simply laughed, and continued to speak with her younger sisters. "So, are you excited for today? You've got your friends coming over at 5:00, and you'll party all you want. Fun, huh?"

"Yeah!" The whole family sat down at the dining room table and began to eat their pancakes. Maple syrup, whipped cream, and chocolate chips adorned the soft, fluffy cake. Alya could taste it all as the pancakes fell apart in her mouth.

"So, Alya, do you need a ride to school? It looks like it's going to rain." Her mother asked as they finished up. "It would be no trouble; I'm going to the bakery at 8:00, so I can drop you off and head over there. And anyways, it could give us some... bonding time." Alya didn't want to let her mother down, but she also really didn't want to sit in the same car with her alone.

"Thanks, but no thanks mom. It looks nice outside, I think I can manage a little rain," Her mother looked so disappointed. Was it really that important that they had bonding time? Alya didn't pay much attention to it though, and stood from her chair. "Alright, I've gotta get going. Have a good day everyone, and I'll see you all before the party." She walked to her room, grabbed her bag, slipped Trixx into it, and ran towards the stairs. "Chau!" The route from Alya's house to the school was relatively an easy one, compared to the dozens of patrol routes she followed every single day.

"Alya, what do you think Marlena wanted to talk to you about. She's never cared about bonding before." Alya sighed.

"Trixx, how many times do I have to tell you, just call her mom, or... your mom, or something. It makes me feel weird when you say her name."

"Fine, but really. What do you think she wanted?" Alya thought for a moment while crossing the street.

"I have no idea. I haven't been acting too strange lately, so it shouldn't be about my behavior... or it is, you can never be too sure. Trixx, time."

"It is 7:52." Alya sputtered for a moment before looking for an alleyway. "Why is this a problem exactly?"

"Trixx, you know I have to be in the classroom by 7:55, and I can't get there at this pace on foot. I've gotta suit up." Trixx groaned, but understood. "Aha! There." Alya ran to the alley. Pedestrians looked at her strange, but none of their opinions really mattered. Once she was safely behind boxes and trash bins, she let Trixx out of her bag. "Trixx, let's pounce!"

The flight to school took less than one minute. There was just enough time to detransform and make it to her seat without being noticed. Chloe, Sabrina, and Lila were always in the front corner of the classroom talking from 7:50-8:00. Alya had learned from experience, that if you were in your seat halfway through their conversation time, you wouldn't be noticed. She carefully scooched to her chair next to Luka, barely making it before the bell rung throughout the school. Lila scoffed and sat in her seat, Adrien's old one. "That was a close call Al's, anything special this morning?" Luka was the closest thing she had to a friend nowadays, but the only time they ever talked was in class. She refused to give anyone her number anymore. Why? Not even she knows.

"It's my little sisters' birthday today. They're turning eight. Very rowdy. Could barely make it out the door in time." Alya whispered to Luka as Ms. Bustier came in. She began speaking, but so did Alya and Luka.

"Clearly. Is there anything you're doing later? I know you're generally busy, but, is there some kind of party I could accompany you to? It must be quite boring sitting and watching your twin siblings having a blast while you have nothing really to celebrate." He gave her intense baby-doll eyes, ones to compete with the child Manon, who would coincidently be attending the party.

"Luka, I... I don't know..."

"Oh, come on Alya. I'm really trying to be your friend here, but you're making it difficult. I think you're really cool, and that you and I could be really great friends." Alya looked at Ms. Bustier to pretend to be listening to her. Luka sighed. "I know that there is no one to replace your closest friends; I know more than anyone, trust me." Alya had completely forgotten about Kagami, and Luka's friendship with her for that matter. "Can we just... be real friends? Do things that real friends do?"

"And that is?"

"You know... hanging out, talking out of school, texting, stuff like that. So... can we?" Alya thought for a moment. It'd be nice to have an actual friend to talk to, one that wasn't gone or a hero. And besides... it would be great to have someone to hang out with at the party that wasn't a ton of children.

"You got yourself a deal, friend." They smiled at each other, but their smiles were interrupted.

"Mr. Couffaine and Ms. Césaire... care to explain why you are talking when I am?" Ms. Bustier tapped her foot while searching for an answer. "It better be important."

"I... Miss Bustier, we were talking about family matters." Luka responded.

"Ah, I see... well, I don't buy it. This is the last warning. Next time, I'll send you straight to the principal's office. Got it?" They nodded their heads quickly, eager to be let off the hook. "Now, where was I? Oh yes, the trip to the memorial o-"

"So, you gonna give me your number, or what?" Luka whispered over to Alya.

"Ugh, fine." She took out a pen, and grabbed Luka's hand. She wrote her number hastily on the palm of his left hand. "There. I'll text you my address later. Be there around five."

"Alya! Go to the Principal's office!"