“Ok, I say we go behind the grandfather clock,” I heard Noelle mutter as a hand clamped around my shaking wrist. I gulped as I heard footsteps, louder and louder as they neared the door to the basement.
“Will we all fit?” Cat asked, and the urgency in her voice sounded odd to my ears.
“Probably not,” Chester replied, but out of the corner of my eye I saw that he already had slipped behind the oversized clock, “So I vote the kid stays out.” Hattie muttered a reply I couldn’t make out, and then a small shock of red was making its way with a small figure latched to its side.
“Alice,” Noelle muttered, making a small tug on my arm, “Come on, we can try to fit.” I didn’t respond though, I stayed frozen, my eyes locked directly on the staircase. “Alice,” Noelle pleaded, her voice a small bit louder.
“Ok,” I responded, turning on my heel to make my way in. “Just let me-,” I started to say but I didn’t allow myself to finish. By the time I’d made my way over to the clock everyone had been ducking behind it except for Noelle, who was halfway behind, watching me with nervous eyes.
“I’ll stay out, you can-,” Noelle started, but I shook my head, cutting her off.
“No, Noelle, just go in,” I replied, “I promise I’ll find someplace to hide.” Noelle hesitated for a second, but she slowly slipped from view. Then there was just me alone, with a door slowly creaking open, and my time slot for hiding slowly fading away.
My eyes flitted around the room until they landed back to the table where the boxes were. “Here goes nothing,” I muttered under my breath as I ducked down to inspect the small space left from more cardboard squares.
“Why are you being so paranoid Gem?” I heard the boy ask, his voice even more prominent, reminding me of how little time I had to hide. “What, are you hiding fans in your basement or something?” he asked jokingly with a laugh. I paused and I gulped as the footsteps became magnified.
“No fans,” she replied, “but honestly, I don’t think it’s down there.” The boy laughed and I could see a shadow on the floor of two shapes. One was tall and obviously male, and the other familiar, feminine, and an average height.
“I have a feeling it is,” he replied, “and my theory is that you’re hiding my birthday present down here.”
“Your birthday was just a few months ago,” she reminded and the boy laughed again.
“Well, you know, never to early to-“ he started and I froze, gulping as my eyes slipped to the left, looking at one of Noelle’s grey eyes as they widened. I slowly pivoted around and I was not surprised to find that they were right there in front of me.
You could tell they were sibling from one glance. It was obvious with the way they looked, but their expressions had the same look to them as well. Widened green eyes and shoulders tensed.
“You know Gemma, I was kidding about the fan thing,” he replied, his eyes unwavering on me. Gemma gulped and she bit her lip, her eyes flicking between her brother and I.
“She’s … um …,” she started, her neck tight, and her voice constricted.
“Je suis désolé, je ne comprends pas ce que vous dites,” I blurted, the French words flowing out my mouth, surprising myself. I had learned French when I was little because my parents had said that French was a ladies language. I had taken it up until I’d gone to the Mental Institution, but I’d never thought about it until now.
“She’s an exchange student,” Gemma blurted, and the boy looked confused, “and she knows very little English.” I nodded and gulped, thinking over a few phrases in French I had learned so long ago.
“je m'appelle Alice,” I said, and Gemma gave me a small smile from over her brother’s shoulder.
“Why would you have an exchange student?” Harry asked, his eyes flicking to his sister. “She’s obviously not in university, and you can’t host if you’re not in grade school.” I stood still, my eyes fighting to make their way.
“She’s studying to be a nurse,” she spat out and I fought back a nervous laugh. Blood makes me nervous, it always had … and even more after the … incident with my sister. “And it’s her first year,” she replied, “and the hospitals are better in England than in … France.”
The boy nodded and ran a hand through his curly hair. “But why is she down here?” he asked and Gemma shrugged.
“I don’t know, why are you down here Alice?” she asked and I bit my lip so hard I’m surprised blood didn’t come out from a puncture.
“J'étais perdu” I replied, I am lost, and those words were so true, in more ways than one.
“You speak French?” the boy asked and Gemma shook her head.
“None at all,” she replied, and I felt like I was under some sort of spotlight, all the main characters staring at me, and the ones off in the sidelines watching. “But Alice speaks some English,” she added and I pretended I wasn’t replying to everything she said. “English Alice?” she asked as if I were a child.
“Yes,” I muttered, trying to give my best French accent as Gemma let out a deep breath. As if she was actually worried I didn’t know my native language.
“This is my little brother,” she started, smiling at the boy who towered a few inches above her, “mon petit frère.” I nodded and flicked my eyes over to the boy who looked confused, almost as confused as I felt inside. “Son nom est Harry,” she added and I nodded, pushing a strand of my blonde hair behind my ear.
“Bonjour Harry,” I added, worried that my false French accent would falter under the pressure. It was odd in that moment. I was living a lie, and I was Alice, but I wasn’t. I was an Alice stuck in someone else’s fairytale. I should’ve been in my familiar Madhouse, slowly becoming madder and madder. I shouldn’t have be a runaway pretending she was sane and French.
This was madness on a new level, and I’m not sure if I prefer it this way or not …
Authors Note ~ Hey look who started this story three days late? *raises hand in shame* Le sorry, and also le sorry this chapter pretty much sucks, and I put 1D in wayyyy to soon, but I promise this will get better! Oh and I haven’t decided whether or not this will be a fantasy or just normal … still thinking.
<3
Luce
P.S. A hiatus is really hard!! Haha, stupid grades
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The Mad Ones (A One Direction Fan Fiction)
FanfictionAlice isn't just falling down a rabbit hole anymore.
