What If?

Chapter 10

As they pulled up to her house in FP's truck, Alice suddenly felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She was leaving here. Her childhood home. And her mother would be alone with that monster of a husband.

FP carried multiple empty boxes to the front door and Alice found the spare key under the mat. She opened the door and they went inside, heading straight up the stairs. When they entered her room, there was a strange sense of abandonment. The bed was still untidy and make up had been left on the desk. Like Alice had been here minutes before.

She headed straight to the closet, FP sitting on the bed. Pulling as many of her clothes off the hangers as she could, she chucked them at FP and he shoved them in the boxes.

" Are you actually keeping all of these clothes?"

" What do you mean?" Alice asked.

FP pulled out a pink blazer.

" You hate pink."

Alice had worn that on her first date with Hal. Why would she want to keep something that made her think of that mistake?

" Good point," she said taking it off FP and chucking it to the back of her wardrobe. Then she sorted out her clothes into piles: Stuff that reminded her of her stupid mistakes and Stuff that felt like home. It didn't take long. Once she'd done, she took the clothes she was keeping and gave them to FP and began to sort out her other things: shoes and accessories. FP came in when Alice was on the floor, deciding whether to keep some shiny blue stilettos with a silver heel. He noticed that she hadn't touched her Serpent jacket that was hung up at the back of her closet. Going over to it, he took it off the hanger.

" What are you doing with that?" Alice asked, a confused look upon her face.

He smiled.

" Stand up."

" FP-"

" Stand up."

Sighing, Alice did as she was told. FP unzipped the jacket and put it on her, even though Alice tried to refuse.

" The Serpents will never take me back."

" They will if I say so. I'm Serpent King now."

Alice gave him a small smile and looked in the mirror. FP wrapped his arms around her waist and carefully placed his hand on her stomach.

" Perfect," he said, as Alice lent backwards into him. FP rubbed her stomach thoughtfully. " Do you think when Fetus Smith- Jones is born we can get him a specially made little Serpent Jacket?"

Alice looked up at him.

" Him?"

" I think it's a boy." FP had a large smile on his face.

" And what if it's a girl?" Alice asked.

" Then I'll love her just the same."

***
Once they had finished in the closet, Alice moved to her dressing table, sweeping up her makeup and cosmetics. On the wall beside it, FP was looking at all of her photos, taken on her Polaroid camera. There were so many memories on that wall. The Core Four at Sweetwater River last summer, Alice and her mom on holiday, FP and Alice at Pops. FP started helping Alice take them off the walls, carefully placing each one in the final box. Alice stopped at one of her and her dad at the beach. They looked happy, both eating massive ice creams. She looked at it for a second and ripped it off the wall, chucking it in the bin. FP chose not to say anything.

When all the boxes were full, FP sent Alice to the car because he wouldn't let her carry any of the now full boxes. Once the back seat was full, Alice went back to lock the door and placed the key back under the mat. When she got back in the truck and FP had turned the key, a car pulled up in the drive next to them. Her mother got out, an awkward look upon her face. Alice slid down in her seat.

" FP, drive," Alice hissed, seeing her mom slowly walking towards her closed window.

FP obeyed but looked at Alice confused.

" Why don't you want to talk to her?"

Alice shrugged and looked out the window as they drove past her house. Mrs Smith stood there, alone, face heartbroken. Alice glanced down at her lap, not wanting to make eye contact. Once they had driven out of their street, Alice's eyes drifted back out of the window, slowly becoming tired. The last thing she saw was her old school before she fell asleep.