The Wonderful World of Alice (WIP) - Rating: Teen

[WritingOutOfHabit]

Chapter 1 - Maybe I'm Crazy

It would make sense to say that I’m not right on any normal day. Wednesday? Nah, Alice is just crazy today. Friday? Nah, Alice is just strange. But if I AM strange, I’d rather know myself than somebody else tell me. So, should I just accept that I’m different than everyone else?

The last day I went to Bellmont High School, would be the last day of term. It was cold outside and I was tired of fighting the idea that I was okay. Especially since I was being viewed as being a strange creature known to Mother Earth. So screw the other girls, who were blond, skinny, and rich. I’d rather be crazy than one of them.

I drove home during lunch, hiding in my car.

“Yeah loser! What the hell are you even here for?”

“Go home! We’re tired of seeing you in this place!”

“What are you? Some type of freak?”

“Go. Home. Alice.”

I went home, and I stayed in the warmth of my car, looking at my big two story house. I don’t know why we had two stories, or why my mother thought it was needed. They told me the last time I left school like this… I’d be sent away. But if it got me away from these girls, I was willing to be sent away. Prep school or not.

There was a fine layer of snow on the ground, the trees were all dead around me, except those made for the wintery weather. I hated it, I hated the snow and the rain and everything else that made my car malfunction. I hated anything that made the over-rated blond girls scream about their hair frizzing. I was tired of it and if the thought that girls nails being broken was poorly clichéd and it meant I was crazy, so be it. I was ready to be sent off, tired of the ever-aching thought of going back to the school that familiarized itself with hell.

I climbed out of the tank I called my car and climbed the front stairs of the grand house, entering with a slam. My father looked up at me as if I’d caught him doing something wrong. He immediately turned off the television and stood, hands on his hips. “Why are you home so early, you knew the deal Lillian-Ally!”

Ugh, he used my full name again. I sighed and looked at the ground, my dull brown hair falling in front of my face. “I decided I’d come home early so I could order my plane ticket personally.” I said, climbing up the stairs to my room. It was large, but the smallest of all the bedrooms in the house. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket, tuning out the yells of my father and grabbed a bag, ready to leave.

“LILLIAN-ALLY, GET YOUR-“ I slammed the door shut behind me and it muffled the screams. I quickly packed all the clothes I thought I would need. I’m sure they already had a ticket waiting for me. They’d been planning to send me to Mayview Preparatory School For Young Men And Women. Doesn’t it sound enticing? It’s even at what they considered Lancelot’s Castle, a whispered rumor that had spread.

I threw a packed bag full of clothes and health supplies [soap, toothbrush, etc.] into the hallway and started backing my smaller bag/purse. I slipped my iPod and phone inside. My portable game systems made their way into that bag too and then my medicine. All of my medicine, I hated the stupid purple pills that made me dizzy, and the green ones that made me tired. I didn’t know how credible my therapist was, but apparently I WAS crazy, I’m still not sure if I should accept the fact.

I walked out of the room and could hear my father and mother talking in hushed voices downstairs. My house was set up as a mansion, with a grand staircase, that looked like white marble. I wasn’t even sure where all our money came from. My dad wrote gay love novels, and my mother was an accountant. Neither were good at their jobs.

Of course, my parents weren’t in love, my dad was flat out homosexual and my mother, I was pretty sure, dated half the men at her work. They just got tricked into the marriage by my grandmother, who wanted her son to marry a woman and give her at least three grandchildren. Result? Moi! And Ryan and Cassidy of course.

Ryan was probably the least strange of all my family, he had always been understanding of the girls who called me crazy, telling me our parents wouldn’t really send us away. He already had been sent to the prep school our father had attended.

Cassidy was one of the girls forcing me and Ryan to hate the world so dearly. She was skinny, tall, blond, had amazing boobs, and she knew how to move just right to make the boys go crazy. I hated her.

“When can I leave?” I asked, setting down my bags and my dad stood looking at me with sad eyes. He always had that face when he was mad at me. “Can I go tonight? I don’t want to be here.” I said and my mother looked everywhere in the room except at me.

“Lil- Alice, your school called, you’ve been expelled. This is the fifteenth time you’ve skipped class. You’re grades have dropped. Your mom called the academy and she confirmed you have a spot next term. You’ll be on the plane tonight.” He said and I looked down. The black and white tile seeming to amaze me. “Do you have your medicine?” I opened my purse to show him and he nodded. “I love you kid, you know I do.” I nodded, tears filling my eyes. I wasn’t sure why I was crying, I was honestly happy to finally leave the public high school I was in.

Then it hit me; how was it, that all of a sudden they already were ready for me to leave? How do parents have that already planned? Did they expect me to leave anyway? I supposed it would be alright if I did, but maybe I’m just strange enough to them to expect rebellion on the last day of the term. It did seem in the fashion of me.

I swept my bangs out of my face and held in my tears. I stuffed granola bars in my purse and went to sit and wait for my sister to come home and rip me a knew one. She wasn’t going to be a problem to me anymore, so why did she still scare me?

---

The plane ride wasn’t long, I’d taken the trip to see Ryan twice before, both for Christmas breaks. The preparatory school was year round, their breaks they had the option of going home or staying at the school. Anybody in my family would have been an idiot to go home. So I went there. And I already knew I would like it, not truly. It always had a strange aura to it.

I’ve only spent two nights in its quiet halls and I heard weird things beyond doors I dare not touch. And now I had no choice. As I exited the plane and walked through the airport, supplies at the ready I walked straight into a man with a wide smile. “Miss Carter, I presume.” I nodded and the male whistled. A boy with dark, mink hair turned and I screamed.

“RYAN!” I yelled and he smiled, opening his arms. My older brother, he was my only savior in the school. I hugged him, his arms reminding me of the warmth and security I’d missed since he’d left.

“Alice.” He said and touched the side of my face gently. “What have you done little sister?” He asked and raised an eyebrow. Leave it to him to be worried about me.
“It was Cassidy and her crew again.” I said and looked at my older brother. He was a taller version of me, without the boobs of course. And with an added package. We even acted the same. “I’m different than them, It’s like having a disability, so I left school early and that was the last straw. I was sent here.” I said as Ryan took one of my bags and we walked out into the frigid northern Europe air.

“Well Alice, ready to head to your personal Wonderland?” Ryan asked and I tilted my head, my eyes glancing at the driver who opened the door of the school’s personal limo for us. His Cheshire grin was nearly addictive. I grabbed my bag and pulled it over my shoulder, sliding into the car behind Ryan. Wonderland? Ri-ight.

At the school, I stood outside the car, looking at the sky, the rain threatening to come pouring down. I hated rain, I hated the preps. I hated it all. I bit my lip and Ryan pulled his blazer tighter around him and walked me to the door of the girls dorms. “Go to the main office in there, they’ll have your dorm number and everything. Have a good night, and I’ll see you in the morning.” He said, kissing my cheek and running off as I felt the first drop of water in my shoulder.

Entering the building, the immediate heat that surrounded me was enjoyable. I walked to the office, directly in front of me. There was a desk separating me from a woman sitting in a chair, flicking through a magazine, “SPRITE!” A girl screamed, running down the hall. “Your shifts up!” The girl said, and the magazine-girl looked up in surprise.
“Oh!” She said, closing the magazine and clocking out on a card scanner hanging on the wall. She then looked at me. “Lillian-Ally?” She asked and held up a file, my name clearly written on the label. She smiled and held out her hand. “You’re in my dorm!” She said and I caught the American accent quickly. She wasn’t English like everyone I knew. “My name is Sprite Worthington, welcome to Mayview.” She said and I shook her hand quietly.

“I prefer Alice, it’s easier for everyone to remember.” I said and she shrugged. Her hair was a violent pink and I looked at the magazine in her hands. It was a fashion magazine. An older one, like the ‘80’s era. I smirked and the girl looked at me curiously.

“It’s nice to meet you Alice! I’m Sprite! I’ll be your roommate for the next term and over winter break!” She said and I couldn’t help but grin. Her smile was addictive. Her shirt had a white bunny on it with a clock watch. Cute, but I didn’t understand the reference to the childhood story. It wasn’t one I’d been well told about.

“Follow me! I’ll show you your room then tomorrow we can get you more used to the place. It’s better to come right after term, less people you have to meet right off the bat!” She said and checked her phone, by how quickly she glanced at it, it was only to check the time. “Hurry! Snack cart is open for another ten minutes, we can make it if we run!” She said and darted off down a hallway.

“What!?” I screamed after her and sighed, my bags heaved around my shoulders as I chased after her. Every corner I turned I could see her turning down another. Finally I skidded to a halt behind her as she was dishing out dollar bills for two boxes of assorted goodies.

“Night Ms. Neilstrong!” She said and waved, handing me a box. “Enjoy!” She said and I looked at the box, peering inside to see a bunch of assorted sweets and I grinned.
“You didn’t have to, I could have paid you know?” I said and she gently shoved away my efforts.

“I’ll make you pay for it later. You’re perfect size for my evil torture!” This worried me. She walked down a few hallways and up a flight of stairs, halfway there she’d picked up my bags and I wasn’t sure if I wanted her help but I let her. I was wore out and ready to go to sleep.

“Your last name is Carter, right?” She asked as she opened one of the doors, it had a little white board on the outside of it that said:

Spr1t3 ** AND NOW: Lilllllli4n 4LLy

After the sight of my new door I was semi prepared to see what was beyond it. As the door opened I could already see multiple bright colors. It matched the girl with her crazy multicolored hair and her strange rave-like fashion sense. Neon greens and crazy pink posters covered every inch of the walls on her side of the room. On the other, it was plain white. She had clocks everywhere, though, but it seemed to fit her personality. She reminded me of somebody who was always late. She had sticky notes of various colors pasted on her bed board, and on clocks and on the walls. Her organizational key must be horribly screwed over.

“Bathroom is down the hall on the left and that’s your bed. I listen to techno, the only time you’re allowed to turn it down is if you’re doing homework, studying, or talking on the phone.” She said and then handed me a bag. “Enjoy!” She said and turned off her bedside lamp, falling into bed, a sucker stuck between her lips as she closed her eyes and fell asleep. She was definitely a strange one, like me. Crap.

Chapter 2 - Maybe I'm Dreaming

“She’s late! Again!” My feet were running to fast, barely touching the white marble stone floor. I could see people laughing, dull colored lockers passing me as I skidded around the corner. The driver with the Cheshire smile stood at a classroom door and swung it open for me. As I ran into the room I only deemed right for me to enter, I felt everyone’s stares. Everyone with a printed red heart on their cheeks, laughed as they looked at me. As I looked at the teacher, who stood in front of the classroom, I admired her blond beauty; her heart outlined in black and filled in red, a dainty tiara on top of her blond locks. She smiled and pointed to a desk. “You know where you belong.”It was located in the corner of the room, to be scrutinized. I caught my gaze, looking in a mirror and a dark Ace of Spades image printed on my cheek. I was the odd one out; I was what they felt the need to laugh at. Nothing changed.

I woke up gasping, my hand clutched my heart and I looked around, spotting my new roommate and everything from last night came flying back to me. The roommate, Ryan, my parents. All in a day. It was too quick, it was too planned. As I woke, I slowly slid out of bed, and Sprite grumbled in her sleep rolling over and shoving a pillow over her colorful hair covered head.

My eyes glanced for the clock that I knew had to be around the dorm’s small area. It was still hours before I had to be up for breakfast. I stood and shook my head, trying to shake the image of a dark, colored in heart. I opened the box and took out a small chocolate stick, slipping it past my lips and then snuck outside the door. I quickly grabbed my bag before the door shut and changed the words ‘New Girl’ to ‘L-A’. I quietly slipped down the hall and moved into the cold bathroom.

“UMPH!” I groaned as I realized I’d run head on into a tall male.

“Oh, I’m sorry Lillian.” The boys voice said and I blinked up at him.

“Alice, I prefer Alice. Wait… How did you-“ I watched as the boy shook his head and tapped the wall quietly as he thought in silence. There was a quick and sudden flash and I spun, the male nowhere to be found. Did I just imagine that or was there some unseen force that I was supposed to be acknowledging?

Why was it that when I finally come to this castle to stay, strange things started happening?

“Hey Sprite?” I asked at breakfast. Her head barely lolled up from the table to glare at me. I had quickly learned she wasn’t a morning person. “Do you, umm, do you know if there’s any males who… Who come into the girls dorm house in the mornings?”

Sprite muttered something illegible and smirked. “Honey, girls and boys mix quite often. The Bump isn’t an uncommon action around here if you didn’t know, especially since the guards are the boys themselves, and the cooks are the girls. Which reminds me, you’re on dinner duty tonight, Lisa will help you out with that.” She said and then her head dropped right back down to the table.

“Oh. Alright, well what am I supposed to do till then?” I looked up and saw him, only for a brief second. His black hair, tinted blue underneath stuck out as he stood by the blue wall where the serving tables were. Not all the tables were filled, out of the twenty, there were maybe two filled, and a few outcasts at others, like me and Sprite.

“Whatever the hell you want; it’s Christmas break!” She said and Alice looked up at three men walking towards them. One was her brother. “Hey Lillian, hey baby.” Ryan said as he walked behind Sprite and wrapped his arms around her. This gesture made me blink and I shook it off.. Why was it that in none of his letters to me, he never mentioned a girlfriend. A girlfriend who ended up being my best friend!

“Ryan? You know my new roomy?” Ryan looked at me with gentle eyes and nodded as he moved to sit by Sprite. “She’s my sister Sprite, don’t turn her evil like you want to do! And don’t force her to wear your clothes either!” He said and Sprite giggled, curling up, under Ryan’s arm. I turned towards the other two men who were talking amongst themselves.

“No, the new Prada line was so Sea-Foam green! NOT Hunter Green.” Oh. My. God. Gay.

I turned back to stare at my food, everything was so twisted here. I stood and smiled to everyone, dumping my tray in a trashcan and setting it on the washtable in the stack. I quickly left the room and ran straight into somebody, again.

“Well Lillian-Ally, you may as well know how much this hurts me that the only time you want to see me you end up puncturing a rib!” I shook my head, frightened he’d thing worse of me.

“No, no! Of course that’s not what I meant to do! I just, you always happen to be right there when I-“

“Hush, I know. Now go, you have to open doors before you can find out which path you want to take.” I looked at him with a questionable gaze, and he smiled, turning me around and giving me a little push. “Can’t I at least know your name?”

I turned back and the blue haired male wasn’t there anymore, but a little piece of paper crunched in my hand and I looked at it, not remember grabbing it. “B73”. The 73rd dorm in the boys dorm house. How the hell did I get this and what the hell did it mean?

Chapter 3 - Maybe I'm Insane

I was entertained by Sprite for the rest of the afternoon. Apparently boys still 'practiced' for the summer soccer leagues in the gym. One peek as we walked past the gym proved that practice happened to be kicking the ball back and forth, although, I wouldn't know if that's what truly happened at a real practice.

"Alice? Are you listening to me?" I turned to look at Sprite as she waved at someone further down the hall. "That's Cara and Lee-ann. They're in my list of decent friends. You'll meet them tonight during kitchen duty. And that's my cousin Remi, he's a little strange." She said, pointing to a male who was holding a camera at the far end of the hall. "I would advice you try and stay clear of him unless you want to end up being socially awkward and have to be institutionalized for seeing things that aren't there."

"Huh?" I asked and then looked at the male more closely, from far away he looked kind of like Ryan but the thinness of his frame and the way his hair framed his face made me realize it was HIM! The boy I continuously ended up running into. "Uhmm... too late for that. Well, not the seeing things bit, but I've already talked to him. He's... different. I like him." I said and stopped as I realized what I said.

"N-Not like that! I just meant... He's interesting." I said, trying to save myself from being permanently made fun of. Sprite just rose an eyebrow and smirked.

"Oh Alice, you so like him!" She said and then whistled. "Hey Rem's!" She yelled and her cousin turned, camera in hand as he snapped a picture at the two. "Remi is a wannabe photographer, but he's a better model and he knows it." Sprite explained as Remi walked towards us.

"Hello." He said as he smiled at us, and he kept his eyes mostly trained on me as he eyed me. I felt like he was trying to read me or see my soul straight through my skin. It made me shiver and Sprite slapped his arm.

"Remi, stop scaring her! Now, I wanted to say that-"

"I want to see the boys dorm. Can you sneak me in?" Remi smirked and Alice glanced at me with wide eyes. I could tell what went through her mind. She wanted to know why I wanted to go over there, and whether I like her cousin enough for the reason to be sexual. I wasn't going to give her an answer; I would let her worry about that.

Remi looked between us and nodded. "10. Tonight. Meet me outside the janitor's closet on the second floor." He said and I nodded, sticking my hands in my pockets.

"You guys are weird." Sprite said, hands in pockets. She grabbed Remi's camera and put it on playback and he grabbed it back immediately before she could see any of his pictures. I watched the interaction and wondered why he deemed it necessary for his own cousin not to look at his pictures.

"I..." He whispered and shook his head, turning and walking away. Sprite just tilted her head and watched him walk off.

"And you like that weird idiot?" She asked and I shrugged. Yeah... Maybe I did. Maybe I really, truly did like him. But it was just a crush, I didn't even know the boy!

"Come on!" Sprite said, laughing and grabbing my arm and pulling me along with her on an awkward trip back towards our room.

***

Dinner came slowly and Sprite and I were sitting back at the table with carved hearts. "I like your shirt." One of Ryan's friends said as he picked at the cotton top I'd chosen to throw over my tee. It was cold outside, it was nearly Christmas. It was colder than I had imagined though.

"Thank you." I said and smiled. The boy sat beside me and grinned. "I'm Damien, and my cute little boyfriend in the line is Garrick. We weren't exactly sure whether or not you wanted to talk to us. Some people are a little off with us."

"Oh, for being gay?" I asked and he flushed and nodded. "Don't worry, I understand. Boys are hot." I said and Damien laughed loudly and nodded.

"Yes, yes they are!" He said and then took a grape from my plate and slipped it past his lips. "I heard you met Remi. How's that going?" Now it was my turn to blush, which was utterly embarrassing. Damien laughed and nodded. "I get it, I get it. He IS kind of cute. But he's just a little odd. And he has a past reputation that's definitely not sparkly clean. Be careful around him, 'aight girly?"

"Alright. Thanks for the warning." I said and Garrick set down two trays beside us, Damien taking one of them.

"Who's a hottie?" He asked and Damien giggled. "I mean, no one's as hot as me..." He said and me and Damien grinned, yes, Garrick was definitely the boy in the relationship.

"Remi Maycomb." Damien said and Garrick rolled his eyes. "What is up with the wierd tastes of people nowadays?" He asked and stabbed his mashed potatoes. "He's too skinny, his hair is... flat. No fun. And all he does everyday is stalk in the shadows, write in that green notebook, and take pictures. That is, when he can be found!"

This made me wonder what really went on in Remi's everyday life and why he was so connected to his camera and notebook and such. Why would anyone spend his days without people to talk to on a normal basis?

The bell rang and Sprite stood. "Come on Alice. You have dishwashing duty." She said and I stood. The boys waved and continued eating. Boys had morning chores, girls had evening. Sprite quickly led her into the back and handed her the washing gloves and Alice slipped them on and Sprite showed her all the knobs. Two girls joined them and as they worked Sprite introduced them as her previous friends, Lee-Ann and Cara. Cara was a gorgeous red head and Lee-Ann was a brunette with an awkward complexion, but still strangely gorgeous to the point of wonder. I was confused how you could have the skin of a skin-diseased woman and still be beautiful.

I sighed, both of them seeming to be more reserved than Sprite. I looked at the clock, five till ten, and then I looked at Sprite. She laughed and made a shooing motion. "Go, go! Don't miss your prince!" She called and I laughed, taking the gloves off. The dishes were nearly done; they were basically all drying except for a few trays turned in late.

I put the gloves in the box and ran towards the second floor janitor's closet, taking my hair out of the bouncy pony-tail on the way.

"Woah. Looking for me?" A voice came from the shadows and I skidded to a halt as Remi reached a hand out and I stared into the dark shadows. "Don't worry, just take my hand and follow me." He said and then smiled, my hand grasping his in quiet agreement. He pulled me into a small passage.

"They say this was Lancelot's castle once and this used to be an old slave route from building to building to get food and supplies to rooms quickly." He said and I nodded. "They couldn't have lights?" I whispered sarcastically.

Remi stopped, turning towards me in the dark and all I could see was the whites of his eyes and his bright teeth in a smile. "Nobody ever said Lancelot was rich enough to afford electricity. Even though it wasn't even invented back then." We both grinned and I was happy for the darkness because it hid my blush. We were holding hands, sure, he was only guiding me, but... We were holding hands and the warmth of his hand was comforting. He opened a small door on the other end of the passage and we came out in an identical hallway of the one we went in from.

He led me down a hallway, peering around corners before letting us walk. "So, what's your destination?"

"Right now? I want to see your room. I'll go hunting for the room number you gave me later." I said, and he nodded. Apparently he was not going to go with me on my hunt later on that night. He took me a little further down the hallway and stopped at his door and I put my hand on the doorknob. The sign on the front of the door said:

KNOCK. Remi's Room.

How blatant.

"Are you really going to hurt me, Alice?"

I smirked and let my head fall back. "God, Remi... Only you could interpret me wanting to go into your room as pain."

"You never should have said want." He whispered and smirked, taking my hand and pulling me into the pitch black room. And as soon as the door slammed behind me, the lights came on. The room was brighter than anything I'd ever seen. It felt like I was falling with the dizzying posters against the clean white walls. The light must have been brand new. But the wierdest thing about the overly clean boys room, was that, when the lights came on...

Remi... was a shadowy ghost. And nothing more.

"Should I rephrase my question? Are you going to hurt me... by running away?" I was absolutely speechless.

Chapter 4 - Maybe I'm Different

I stepped closer slowly and reached out my hand. The faint ghost of Remi pushed his hand against mine and he sighed as I felt the coldness surround my hand, but that's all I could feel. I watched as the hazy shadow passed through my hand and my breath caught.

"Are you real? Is this a trick?" Remi sighed and shook his head. He touched the light dimmer, making the light a low bright and he became more life-like, more human. He touched my hand and it didn't pass through. He was solid.

"It's not a trick. And you're the only one who can see me in that form." He said and smiled. "I knew I was right to listen to that stupid caterpillar." He muttered and turned, running to his desk and opening the green notebook.

"I can't go with you tonight, Alice. Not to the room you're going in. And you'll learn more than you ever wanted to know. But I'm glad I found you, I knew it had to be you..." He said and came closer, something worried me in his gaze. Something wasn't right.

"Remi?"

"Oh Alice... Run away.... Run away while my heart won't break over you." He stepped forward again and reached out towards me. It was his perfectly clear blue eyes. They were a dark black now. There was something wrong, he wasn't being himself.

"Remi.. I... I have to-" He grabbed my wrist and it stung. It felt like everywhere he touched me burned.

"Don't tell anyone about this. You'll get sent away. Like the others." He said, his voice deeper. I jerked away, flipped the dimmer on high so he couldn't hurt me and he only laughed. I ran out the door, and straight into my brother. Oh great.

**

"What's going on Alice?" Ryan asked me as we walked into his room. We passed the room on my slip of paper on the way. I tried to remember the way exactly but my memory sucked right now, my mind was on overdrive trying to process this whole ghost-Remi business.

"Nothing, Ry... I'm just... Tired." I said and Ryan smiled sadly, pulling me in towards him and hugged me.

"You're lying. I can tell... You've always been a bad liar, twin." Now, we're not really twins. We were just close enough that we seemed like twins. I tapped my foot and he sighed. "You need to go to bed. Sleep here, I'll go sleep in your room." He said and kissed my temple. He wrapped me in his arms and I hugged him back, glad to know someone could accept me, no matter how messed up I was.



"Don't have sex on my bed." I whispered and he turned back to me.

"Don't invite Remi in here and have sex on mine. Yes, I do know who's room you came out of. Be good Lillian-Ally, I can't watch you all the time." He said and I sighed quietly. I nodded, my dark hair falling in my face and he shut the door behind him. I stepped around the room and flicked some of his CD's over and read the titles.

"Alice?" I spun and saw Damien in the doorway. I smiled and fell back onto my brother's bed and Damien slowly walked to me and then tilted my head. I looked up at him confused and he sighed. "Remi already get ahold of you?"

I stopped breathing for a second and then nodded. "How... How did you know?"

"Well, I saw Ryan in the hallway. But... I can... I just... know. Don't question further or I'll be in trouble." He said and smiled sadly. "Don't talk about anything you saw with Ryan, he won't understand. Actually, if you're gonna talk to people, don't say ANYthing about what you see that's not right. We can't lose a seer." He said and then smiled. He stood, opened the bathroom door and shuffled through his cabinets.

"You're going to need these from now on. Go take a shower and I'll pull out a shirt and shorts for you girlie. You can use whatever you want." He said, throwing me a contact case and then he started shuffling through drawers as I stood, still confused.

What was he talking about? Seer? Not being able to talk? It sounded like I'd have to lie for eternity. Or omit. I sighed and he laughed lightly as he saw my expression. "Alice... Just relax. We'll talk later." He said and handed me the shirt and shorts. "Now go." He said and I nodded, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door.

I glanced into the mirror and nearly screamed, dropping the clothes and contact case on top of them. My eyes, once a natural, normal brown, were now grey, nearly white. How had Ryan not seen that? I grabbed the contacts hurriedly opened the case to see brown contacts and I hurriedly stuck them in, blinking, adjusting them correctly and breathed a sigh of relief when I looked normal.

I took my shower and when I padded out I saw Damien close a book. He sat up and patted the spot beside him. "I can't tell you everything just yet, and I'm sorry that I can't... For now, all you need to know is that you have to stay silent, people see your old eyes, the Hearts don't. We see white. As soon as you're rested you need to go to the room Remi told you to go to. Here's a journal. You're going to dream Alice and when you wake up, write every bit down. Every little thing. Don't think you can just remember parts, you'll forget them. Never let anyone read this. Find a safe place for it." He said and put the journal in my hands. Why was he acting so crazy? What was going on?

"What are Hearts?"

"We are, Alice. We're Hearts, and you're going to be the queen of us." He said and I just groaned, it seemed like more responsibility and this was the second night I was there. They were going to work me to death. He heard a light beeping from his alarm clock and he put his book away. "If you're a true seer, you're going to fall asleep in one minute exactly. Now lay down in your brothers bed."

I stood, walked towards the bed and laid down. "Cover up." He said and I covered up and he sighed. "Good night." He said and I fell asleep, not realizing every time he told me to do something I did it without question or restraint. And why couldn't I get a question out without him immediately answering it? I let my mind sleep as the alarm clock flicked over to hit 12:00 and I slept peacefully.



**



"Introducing.... Alice, the new QUEEN OF HEARTS!!" I stood, blond hair flowing over my shoulders in gurls and waves. Wait... Blond? I smiled and waved at all the strange people, some even were creatures. I stood on the balcony and held out my hand, a red heart on the back of my hand. "Welcome to my kingdom! I'm proud to call you my country and to warn you... Don't be late."



I woke and breathed deeply. What the HELL was that. I glanced around, realizing I was in Ryans room. I looked at the alarm clock that laid beside Remi and I sighed. It was 5:30 AM and that was too late to go back to bed. I remembered the previous nights conversation with Damien and dug out my new journal. The cover was plain black and on the inside cover there was a red heart.



I quickly wrote word for word what happened in my dream. Mentioning the hair and the heart and all the beings. I then covered my mouth and stood, vomit raising in my throat. I ran into the bathroom and heaved everything I'd eaten the previous night into the toilet. Damien looked out of the shower from behind the curtain. He sighed, rolled his eyes and took my hair, holding it away from my face as I puked heavily. With one hand he wrapped a towel around his waist and I was pretty sure I was glad I didn't see the show.



I stood and wiped my mouth with my hand and turned the water on to wash my hands and face and I stopped as I stared at my hand. I touched the raised piece of skin that showed a red heart. I washed my hands vigorously and it didn't leave my hand. I sighed, confused yet again. Damien grinned and wiped off the mirror for me with a now clean and dry arm. I looked at my reflection and gasped. I was different, my hair was in large ringlets, my eyes were a fake contact colored brown and... I was BLOND!



"Good Morning My Queen." Damiens voice lingered in the air and all I wanted to do was puke again. What was with the morning sickness all of a sudden!?

Chapter 5 - Maybe I'm Not Right

I looked at Damien and he grinned. "Brush your hair." He said as I nodded but when I reached for the brush I stopped. Damien rose an eyebrow and grabbed a washcloth, cleaning up my face. "You denied a direct order, you're getting better at this already."

"Explain that to me." I said and grabbed the brush, straightening out the new blond hair I had attained.

"It's my power as a Heart to direct and people must listen at all times."

"What?!" He sighed, handed me my bra and clothes from yesterday. "Not that you don't look good in our shorts or anything, but..." I smiled, and sighed, a hand running through my hair. It felt natural, not bleached. "Alice, go to the room Remi gave you. Which reminds me, what room DID he give you?"

I showed him the paper after I dug it out of my jeans and he sighed. "I should have figured." He muttered and handed the paper back. "Don't forget to think about flying, not falling." He said and then stepped back into his shower as I pulled the blond hair up into a pony tail. I changed, not really caring about Damien, he was clearly gay.

I stuck my feet in my converse and laced them up. "See you." I said and walked out of the room. I followed room doors until I reached B73. I touched the doorknob and I stopped, thinking cautiously. Why was it that they were so desperately trying to get her in this room? Why was things happening to he that she couldn't explain?

I took a deep breath and opened the door to see a clear, white room. The light brighter than even Remi's room. It was almost blinding. I took a step in and I fell. Not to the floor, no, it was like the floor disappeared from where it should have been, just... disappeared.

I screamed, I didn't know what else to do, because when I looked down, there was nothing. It was just white. There was no ground, I wouldn't know when it would stop, I would hit a white floor, maybe in the basement- "Oomph!" I grunted as arms clung to me.

"You know... for a Queen, you're not very optimistic." Remi's voice said and I noticed the light had dimmed enough where they didn't hurt my eyes and Remi was clearly visible and apparently in a human form because he was holding me to him. "R-Remi!"
"This is the only room with bright lights that I can be seen. I don't know why... But this whole place is a phenomenon." He whispered and he smiled down at me. That smile... Those piercings. Wait. Piercings? When did he get those?

"When-"
"Alice, don't ask. Just let me explain everything. Now can you think of something safer than... nothing?" He looked around, not able to find another word to explain the nothingness we had been falling in.
"It's a good thing sound carries or I would have never blinked out of my unreality and caught you. You would have fallen until you'd given up and started going in to mild depression and dreamed of what heaven would be like." This made my thoughts train on and I thought of my version of heaven. Us sitting alone in a swing in the clouds. Or my version of us, my dark hair, my dark eyes... My version may have starred Johnny Depp but Remi was right there and being held so close to him... How could anyone NOT think about him?
"You're heaven is a swing?" I tilted my head and smiled.
"It is right now... However... you weren't in it."
"You put me in red." Remi said and I laughed. This was too weird anyways, why not go all out.
"I like you in red." I said and he reached over and touched my hair.
"You're a brunette again... I like it more than the blond." Well good, at least someone agreed with me. "So, are you ready to figure out what's going on here?" I nodded eagerly and the swing swung and I glanced up. It wasn't attached to anything.

"Okay, so, I'll start at the beginning. Me and Damien, both are Hearts. I can read your mind, I can move small objects with my mind, and in bright, bright rooms... I disappear for everyone... but you. Damien is a great leader because he commands and everyone is forced to listen-"

"Except me. He told me to do something today and I almost did... but I stopped myself." I said and he smiled, his hand taking mine and squeezing. For some reason I didn't pull away.

"Then you are becoming Queen of Hearts. Hearts is also the world around us. There are four rooms so far that we've found and some are only open to get into at certain times of the day. This room is the only one so far that is always open. We call it Heaven because... you can imagine your heaven and it come true."
He smiled and closed his eyes as it started to rain and a black umbrella appeared in his hand. He held it over us as we swung lightly, somehow I didn't need to hold to the rope, it was like we were magnets to the swing, unable to fall.







"I love the sound and the smell of rain. I always had this fantasy... never mind. Anyways, so 'Lancelot' castle is mysteriously inhabited by this alternate universe, and yes that is the geeky side of me talking." This made me giggle, thinking about a geeky Remi. "Trust me, I was before all this happened... One day I was walking through the halls and I accidentally passed my room, came in here and fell, just like you. It took about 5 to 10 minutes for me to dream about heaven and I ended up... here." He said and blinked. We were outdoors and I was carrying an umbrella. He must like the stupid things. I set it down and looked around.




"Damn it I'm blond again! I thought you said you liked me more as a brunette and HOLY HELL you're blond too!" I said and he laughed. He moved to lay back in the tall grass and smiled.



"This is me. This is what everyone else sees. They see flat blond dull hair, and a skinny lanky body which still resembles my Heart body... I'm blond, blind and a nerd. But... When I dreamed of heaven I dreamed of the Remi you first met. The dark hair and blue eyes. And it stuck. When I left the room I couldn't change my appearance except in here. And I realized no one saw a difference. Damien is the same. Damien is BLACK." He said and My eyes widened. Gay little Damien was a black, gay male. It fit him... strangely.



"Okay, so everyone but Hearts see the real us. So Garrick sees Damien as a black male? And I'm not racist, it's just a question." I said, to try and clarify. Remi just nodded though and I leaned over him and thought hard about rain, just a light sprinkle. It dropped on Remi first, then me. I grinned as I saw him smile and I changed my skirt into warm jeans.

"You're getting good, My Queen. And yes, everyone see's the old you, except the Hearts, and now you're the Queen of Us. The caterpillar is the one who knows everything. I'll take you to meet him soon. You have the heart on your hand and your cheek. Your cheek is filled in." He said quietly, reaching up to touch my face.

I wanted to kiss him, I wanted to lean into his hand and be comforted from all the wierness around me. It was happening too fast. "Are you making me feel like this?" I whispered as his hand ran down my neck, the rain slowly pouring softly but fast. My hair was quickly soaked and I blinked it brunette. "You never explained my blond hair..." I whispered as I leaned down over him.

We were both soaked now and his hand moved down to grasp my hand. "I can't make you feel anything, I can just tell what you're feeling." He said and closed his eyes, opening them, confused. "Nevermind... I can't." He said and I stared. "It's like... you came into your powers and now nothing I do can break through your barriers." He said and then I blinked, confused.

"Then why do I want to kiss you?"

"No Wonderland magic can mess with true feelings... Our chemistry is natural." He said and I pushed his blond hair out of his eyes and I leaned closer. He raised slightly off the dirt ground and he blinked, my hair returning to it's curly status and I frowned. "And the blond reminds me your my Queen. Not available for dating." He said and blinked, my head stinging as my scene changed. We both stood at the doorway and I looked at Remi.

"So that's it?"

"For today... yes." He said and I sighed. Not one kiss and the feeling was still there, even with his nerdyness gone to me but not the rest of the world. "Have a good day, my Queen. Come to my room tomorrow morning and I'll take you to meet the Caterpillar and the Mad Hatter." He said and I smiled at the idea of being with him again.

"Alright." I said and opened the door to reality.