The girl glanced nervously at her uncle across the table who just sat and sipped his cup of coffee like this happened every day. Alice couldn't understand why he was this calm—his wife looked as if she was ready to rip his father's head off and all he was doing was sitting back and read the morning newspaper.
Alice straightened in her spot as she let out a quiet sigh that had gone unheard in the midst of the screaming voices of her relatives. How long had it been since she was in Wardington with the brawlers? How long had it been since she last seen the brawlers in person? How long had her life finished its terrifying roller coaster ride?
3 years.
Three years had passed since she last seen the Brawlers, been in Wardington, started her roller coaster like life. It was three years and most definitely everyone's lives would have returned back to normal. Almost as if the whole incident with Naga and the bakugan had never happened before.
That is... if you call this normal…
"It's been sixteen years! How long are you planning to keep it a secret?" Karen was screaming.
"As long as I have to, Karen! She doesn't need to know such useless-" Michael started but was quickly cut off,
"Useless? Oh, so now you're telling me that whether or not Alice's-" said girl's ears perked up at the mention of her name but sadly her uncle decided to step up and stopped the conflict between the two adults.
While her grandfather crossed his arms in his chair and her aunt Karen retreated to the kitchen with her husband, Alice couldn't help but stare at him in awe.
How could Hal G be such an ugly creature when he was actually my grandfather? She asked herself.
It wasn't just the appearance, it was the personality too.
Surely such a vile creature wasn't capable of being so caring and generous. Nonetheless able to take care of a child for years on end without any attempted murder.
"Alice is there something on my face?" her grandfather asked as he shuffled in his chair, clearing his lips of any remnants of food with a handkerchief.
Right…?
"Oh! No... No, y-you're fine. I was just daydreaming, that's all…" the girl laughed nervously as she reverted back to reality.
I shouldn't think that much… she thought to herself as Michael started asking her question about her health and what not. Alice struggled to answer them properly.
"It's getting late, father. You and Alice should stay for the night," Ben started, reappearing from the kitchen, alone.
"If it's not so much of a trouble, son. We wouldn't want to burden you two…" Michael said- his previous anger subsided.
"No! It's fine; it's the least we can do. Karen apologizes for the things she said earlier—but really Father… you have to tell her sooner or later… she's a grown up girl after all." Alice could feel all eyes on her as her grandfather started mumbling under his breath.
She knew they were talking about her. She just knew. And she hated how they were always talking about her as if she wasn't in the same room as them; the redhead had to ball her fists together to keep all the anger in.
As Michael excused himself to the restroom, her uncle turned to face Alice "Come, I'll show you to your room. Karen's getting your clothes ready."
The redhead nodded and followed her uncle up to the attic bedroom she had inhabited that one day three years ago. Nostalgia crept through her veins as she sat down on the fluffy bed sheets, breathing in the faint smell of jasmine and lavender.
Alice collapsed onto the bed in tired breaths as she let her heavy eyelids get the better of her.
"Alice." She could hear the door squeak forward as Karen entered the room.
"Mmmm…?" she hummed, too tired for words.
There was a long silence before Karen spook again,
"What would you do if your dad was alive somewhere in Russia today?"
…
"Alice?"
Said girl could only jolt forward and stare at her aunt in pure shock, words refused to form as her lips were left agape.
The question was simply…
Impossible.
Improbable.
Incomprehensible.
Sudden.
Absurd.
"Heh…" Believable? "What do you mean Aunt Karen? My father died a long time ago."
A single frown formed upon her aunt's lips as she stared at her niece sorrowfully. She'll never understand… would she?
No… Alice was still too young… too innocent. Was all she could think of as she came in and set the items of clothing down.
Oh how shocked she would be when she finds out why exactly Alice had shown up at her doorstep that one rainy night.
"Never mind." She whispered as she rearranged the items of clothing and once again stared at her beautiful niece. "I got you a change of clothes. I hope it fits you and everything… have a good night's sleep ok, Alice?"
Sitting at the foot of her bed, Alice nodded and whisper a quiet 'night' as her aunt left as soon as she came, leaving the fifteen year old with as many thoughts to contemplate. Outside her mind's eye, she could see Karen close the door silently—not before sneaking a peak at her.
"Alice?" it was barely audible but the girl could still hear it.
"Yeah?" she looked at her aunt worriedly, maybe if she could…
"I said something stupid—don't mind what I said ok? Just… change and go to sleep." And with a tolerant smile, her aunt Karen closed the door behind her.
Alice fell back onto the bed, waiting for the recognition to dawn upon her.
Alice didn't want to think anymore, she didn't want to dwell upon it any longer. It was just like what her grandfather said—her body urged not to think about such trivial matters. But her mind?
There was only one thing swerving around in her mind at the moment….
What if it was all true?
