Dead Apple 6 5: Alice Is My Name

Lewis Carroll , Alice in Wonderland

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CHAPTER 5

ALICE IS MY NAME

"Aria!" Alice yells, she has been calling her sister for more than three times and the older does not even hear her. "Aria!"

"Y-yeah?" Her sister stuttered blinking back.

She pouted and crossed her arms. She wanted to play but her older sister was distracted and did not notice her the whole day.

"I'm sorry, Alice."

She sighed. "Do you have a problem?"

"Yes. A big one."

"How can I help?"

Aria faced her, cupping her cheeks with both of her hands. "Listen, Alice. Never ever let anyone who you are."

"Why? Who am I, Aria?" She asked, a mischievous grin starting to form on her lips.

"You are my sister, of course!" Her older sister grinned back.

"And?..."

"And your name is Alice."

She fluttered her eyes open. Her blurry vision taking up the white surrounding and the blinding light at the ceiling. The smell of the room is too weird that she scrunched her nose that glanced where a blurred girl is standing beside the bed. Alice blinked, then she blinked again until everything became clear.

Chloe is wearing her cheerleading outfit, worry evident on her face. She just skipped her warm up for the cheerleading routine to see her friend and to check if she is okay. Isabella was very annoyed at her for choosing Alice over their routine.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" The cheerleader asked.

"Hungry?" She half-smiled, earning a laugh from her friend. "Where am I?"

"Phillip says that he will buy you something at the canteen, he will be here in a minute." Chloe informed her. "We're at the infirmary. Eros brought you here when you fainted during lunch. The nurse said that it's because of the stress and overthinking, whatever your problem is I think you should take it easy."

"Where's Eros?"

"You already miss him?"

"No! I just want to thank him." She exclaimed, feeling her ears burn. "Besides it's the second time he helped me."

"He left after bringing you here. He even ORDERED me to look after you until you wake up."

Alice bit her lower lip at the news. He just met the guy, he does not even know anything about her and he has been helping her-- two times now. If the students have been calling him a beast, she knows better, no beast would dare to help a helpless maiden in times of need. She smiled at the thought.

When Phillip came to bring the food Chloe left after saying that she is 10 minutes late for their practice, and has stayed only to make sure that her friend is better. Alice ate in silence at the clinic bed, while the prince charming busied himself by watching her eat. He was at the canteen when the students formed a semi circle at Eros' table, he saw him carrying her on his arms then sprint out of the canteen.

"So? How are you feeling now?" He asked.

"Better." She answered. "What time is it?"

"It's 3:00 pm. You slept for 3 hours."

She nodded at Phillip before sliding down the white bed. The smell of the clinic is making her sicker so they left as soon as she was done with her food.

"Are you sure you're joining?"

Phillip accompanied her at the auditorium after telling her about the audition for dramatic arts. The club is short for students that they urgently announced an audition, and since Alice hasn't join any clubs yet she decided to join the club where she is good at.

"Yeah. It will keep me busy." She mumbled, entering a thick double winged door.

The auditorium is large with high ceiling and small dim lights. Hundred of red chairs are aligned perfectly going downwards where the performers are and the stage is s.p.a.cious enough to hold a theatrical play-- thick red curtains are drawn sideways. There are few students working at the stage and others that are sitting and talking to theirselves, practicing their audition piece. They took their seats four rows down from the stage where no one will notice them, but the academy's queen bee has keen eye over people she does not like.

Isabella walked towards them, her hip swaying and short hair bouncing back and forth on her shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, not hiding her disdain at the new girl her eyebrow raised a centimeter.

"I'm here to audition." Alice murmured.

"Come on, new girl, you don't belong here. You can join other club that is fitted for you like..." The queen bee clicked her tounge. "Oh! I think you don't belong anywhere."

Phillip furrowed his brows and stared at Isabella. An annoyed expression is starting to creep on his face as he listened to the girl's mockery.

"Stop it, Isabella. Alice is here to audition because she wants to. You don't have to judge her without knowing what she is capable of doing." He snapped.

"And now you are defending him, Phillip. Why is everyone so fond of that new girl."

"I have a name you know." Alice interrupted. "My name is Alice."

"And do you know who I am? Huh?!" Isabella shouted, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Yes, I know who you are."

"Good because I am the queen and the on--"

"-- you are the girl Eros strangled to death this morning."

The auditorium went dead silent at Alice choice of words, and the person across her, who was proud and high a while ago, flushed fuming mad. No one has ever tried to talk back to Ravenlan's queen bee, she is always the number one bully of the school where the boys' kiss her feet and the girls follow her around. She even made a self-made rule just for the fun of it.

And now someone just managed to make the queen bee mad.

Isabella plunged at her, her sharp nails digging at her skin. She felt a shot of pain when it sc.r.a.ped her arms so she pushed the queen be so hard that she stumbled on her high heels. She plunged at her again and tried to reach for her hair, but Alice is fast enough to dodge the attack.

"You b.i.t.c.h!"

It took three people to stop and detain Isabella, who is still screaming b.l.o.o.d.y murder, while Alice was left sitting on the ground and Phillip shielding her with his body.

Because of the screaming the student council came with Rain as the president, then the audition was momentarily delayed and will resume next week as the club's punishment.

"Go clean your wounds before Eros could see it." Whispered the council president. "If he sees it, Isabella will be a corpse hanging upside down at the tallest tree."

She grimaced. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Just blabbering nonsense." Rain shrugged before leaving her in a confused state.

"We should go. You need to clean your wounds." Phillip grabs her wrist and they darted forward.

It was already 4:30 pm when she came back at her room. After changing into something comfortable she slid down her bed to take a rest. Chloe has not come back from the practice yet, so she was alone again and being alone means reminiscing.

Grabbing her phone from the drawer Alice decided to call her father. The call was long but saddening for they only talked about the usuals:

How are you?

What are you doing?

Are you eating well?

Do you need anything?

It has been like that ever since her mother and older sister died. Never did once they mention their names. It was an unspoken rule they made, maybe because both are not yet ready to accept the reality. It was hard for the both of them.

Justice. That's what Alice is thinking back then when she transferred schools. It was what she needed for she can never accept things without it.

She wanted to know why, to demand answers.

She was there-- a minute late. When she fell down the stone staircase and witnessed the fresh corpse of her sister she realized that if she had woken a little early than that, then her sister would have been alive. Her mother will never committed suicide too, or she could have seen the face of the killer.

Injustice and guilt, or even self-blame. That's what keeps her from moving on.

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