Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Yume Oboro ❯ Chapter 2
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Celestial Reign 
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Angst | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 07.09.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 189 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Angst | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 07.09.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 189 | Status: Completed
Chapter Two
Alice was so beautiful. I could stare at her all day long. In fact, I found myself staring at that picture she sent me more and more, longer and longer, until I would look up at the clock and frown at what time it was. I had printed it and taped it to my dresser mirror, so I could stare at her during the mornings while I brushed my hair, watch that cute smile of hers as I changed clothes, look at her oval-shaped beautiful face while I did my homework, and always, always give her a farewell smile as I went to bed.
It seems funny that just three months ago, I felt like the loneliest guy in school. I mean, high school was so much different, I felt like a total fish out of water because...well, I was a fish out of water. It was almost foreign compared to middle school and elementary school. At least in elementary school, the teacher forced you to be friends with people if they saw that you were alone, but teachers didn't care what you did in high school, so they didn't bat an eye at the scrawny little Egyptian boy who sat alone at lunch, ignored the stares given to him, tried looking the other way as people pointed and made fun of his hair.
Truth be told, I was so shocked at how downright cruel people could be, I almost couldn't believe it. What in the world did these people gain from beating down on someone else? Yeah, I was picked on a lot, but I wasn't the only one. Even their own kind, they'd point and laugh at, beat up for no reason whatsoever, and there wouldn't even appear to be anything wrong with that person, so...just why? I knew why I was a target, because of my colors, but why pick on the boy with the glasses, why point and laugh at the girl with the red hair, why harass the kid in the wheelchair?
I just...I just didn't understand people, and I don't think I want to.
Then, there was Alice. Alice, Alice, I could say her name all day. Obsessed? Yes, I am obsessed, but I don't care. She's so...I don't even know. She's all I think about, all I can think about. She haunts me all day, and even when the going gets tough in school, when the crap is kicked out of me for the umpteenth time, when I spit up blood and chip a tooth, I can't help but smile, knowing Alice is home, waiting for me on the computer, always, always there for me. Always helping with a problem, talking about random junk with me, and just being there with me.
I love her. I really do. It's one thing I'm sure about more than anything and GOD, I want to see her so bad. I want to be able to wrap my arm around her waist, stare into those brown eyes, run my other hand through those golden strands, and just bask in her presence, of her being with me, and me being with her.
I was scared to death the first time she mentioned meeting, but even she was being wary of me, not giving me too much info about herself, just like I was, but we grew with each other, began to tell secrets, talk about things we couldn't with others, and it ultimately led up to her asking to meet.
I agreed, after figuring out some things. I-I loved her, of course I wanted to meet her! She's been nothing but good to me, the least I could do was give back to her a little, maybe take her out, treat her like the lady she deserves to be treated as, and be a gentleman to her. I wanted to make her feel good, do nice things for her, give her nice things.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at my laptop, waiting for Alice to come on. She was almost always on during weekdays, but her appearances were scattered on weekends, so I usually just sat around waiting for her to come and go, but a sudden knocking on my door jarred me out of my staring contest with the blue screen of my computer.
"Malik?" It was Isis (who else would it be?), and I instantly stiffened a little. I knew her, I knew the worrywart she was, and I knew she would definitely not approve of me talking to someone I didn't know online. But...I did know Alice, I knew a lot about her, from what she's told me, so...yeah, I do know Alice.
"Y-yeah?" Crap. She probably caught that. I clicked my laptop closed just in case Alice decided to message me at that moment, and turned to see my door opening, Isis appearing soon after.
"Mrs. Peter from across the hall wants to know if you could babysit her kid while she goes shopping with a friend." Her tone was normal. She didn't appear to have caught my stutter. I was safe for the moment.
But, crap, babysitting? I was supposed to be waiting for Alice to come on so we could arrange a meeting place! Crap, crap, crap in a bucket. "Uh...um..." What was I supposed to say? 'Can't talk, waiting for cyberbuddy'? I rolled my eyes at myself.
She gripped the doorknob and bit her lip, looking pensive. "Is something wrong? Did you have plans? I'm sorry, Malik, I would do it, but I have to go to work today, and Mrs. Peter said she'd pay you."
I sighed. Dammit. I suppose I was going to have to postpone our meeting. It wasn't the end of the world, we could always meet up next weekend, but GOD, I was so excited about it, too. Damn Mrs. Peter and her stupid kid. "Okay, just give me a second to get ready to go over there."
Isis laughed. "Wow, yeah, you certainly have a lot to prepare and pack before walking across the hall." I picked up my pillow to chuck at her, but she had slammed the door shut before I could even throw it, giggling like a little girl.
I slumped in my seat, fiddling with my hair. Great, just great. I hated getting excited about something and then having it shot down. Poor Alice. I wonder if she had been excited about it, too? The thought made me feel guilty.
Sighing, I opened my laptop back up, surprised when I found a message waiting for me. Wow, good thing I closed it.
'hey malik u there?'
I bit my lip, again feeling that spiraling pit of guilt. 'Yeah, I'm here, but I have bad news. A neighbor wants me to keep her kid while she goes shopping, so I can't meet up with you today. I'm sorry, we'll have to do it some other time.'
A minute or so passed, and I gulped. She wasn't...oh God, I hoped she wasn't mad. I didn't even think about that. Oh Alice, don't be mad at me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. 'hey dont sweat it we'll do something else. hey i have an idea what if u gave me your phone number and i could come there and help you babysit?'
I blinked, again feeling nerves pile up. I loved her idea, but still, the thought of meeting her face-to-face both terrified and filled me up with joy. I was scared of what she would think of me, of the way I looked (I hadn't sent her a picture of myself), and about the way I acted. Even to myself, I could be pretty bipolar sometimes. But I was mostly scared of her. If the picture she sent me was accurate, she was beautiful, and I felt so ugly compared to her.
She was...perfect. 'Um...sure. That sounds like fun. Be warned though, I've babysat this kid before. She's evil.'
'lol ill keep that in mind. whats your number?'
I fumbled with the keypad as I typed my number, biting my lip until the blood came out. I was so nervous, I was about to throw up. I could feel butterflies galore flock around in my stomach and I bent over, holding it in case I needed to hurl.
'okay ill call you in a bit. bye.'
'Bye. I love you.'
I felt a little awkward typing those last three words, but I really did mean them. Alice...I loved Alice. I loved her so much, everything she's said to me, all those times she's comforted me when I had no one else...it really meant a lot to me.
I closed the computer and sauntered out of the room, meeting up with Isis just as she was about to walk out the door. I watched as she fiddled with her keys, obviously in a hurry. "Leaving already?" I asked.
She nodded, picking up a small purse on the coffee table and shoving her cellphone inside of it. "If you need anything, just call me. I'll have my phone on me." We both walked out the door and she locked it behind her, waving to me as she hurried down the hall and to the elevator. She usually never worked on Saturdays. She must've had to fill in for someone, but I don't know. I didn't ask.
I turned around to the door on the other side from us and knocked, grimacing as I heard the high-pitched squeals coming from the other side. The doorknob twisted and the door swung open, revealing the round face of a little girl, her brown hair in pigtails, and her face dirty from eating an ice cream. She glared up at me with fierce green eyes and looked ready to close the door in my face again. Ugh, I hated this kid. She was a nightmare. The typical kid, too, the kind whose parents thought their kid was just an angel sent from heaven, always drowning them with attention and compliments, never chiding them for the bad, and always making excuses for their actions.
Right on time, another woman appeared at the door, ushering the little kid away who stomped and yelled in protest. "But, Mommy, I don't like him!"
"Angel, that's not nice to say, you know." She wagged her finger at the girl and I mentally rolled my eyes. Here we go again...
"But, Mommy, he's mean to me!"
"Honey, Malik is a nice boy."
"No, he's mean!" Another stomp, and another glare, given to me.
The woman gave a little chuckle and finally turned to me, right when I thought I was going to puke from all of this. "I'm so sorry for the short notice, Malik, but Jess talked about this new shoe store we had to go to and, well, we just need the girl time, you know?" She leaned in to whisper, almost as if afraid of the kid hearing. "I'll pay you, I promise."
"It's okay, Mrs. Peter, I understand. You go hang out with your friend a have a good time, okay?" I was going to give her my best canine smile, but then realized at the last minute that my tooth was chipped and sufficed with a small thin-lipped smile. Definitely didn't want this lady questioning why I was missing part of my tooth. She was one of the biggest gossips I'd ever seen.
Almost as if silently thanking me for relieving her, she gave me a pat on the back and gestured me inside, walking out without a goodbye and hurrying down the hall. Wow, even she can't stand her own kid. I had to laugh at the thought, receiving yet another glare from the little girl who was glued to her ice cream, smudging it all over her freckled face. I closed the door and looked back down at her, crossing my arms and staring back at her as she lapped up the dairy treat.
"Why are you staring at me?"
She shrugged, giving me a smirk and pointed at my head with a chocolate-covered finger. "Do you dye your hair?"
"You ask me that every time I babysit and the answer is always no. Why do you keep asking it?"
"Because Mommy says you're lying about it and that you dye it. She said nobody's hair is really that color, especially not if they're from Egypt."
I scoffed and ran my fingers through my hair, feeling anger boil up. This kid was always telling me crap her mother spewed out, usually about me, so I knew her mother was nothing but another one of those jerks who gave you an innocent front while they laughed and stabbed you in the back. "Emily, why don't you go watch TV?" I tried to smile at her and act all nice. Even though I hated her, I tried my best not to be mean or show my annoyance in front of her. She was still a kid after all.
Almost as if she knew she'd gotten me ruffled, she smiled, showing off her teeth that were brown from chocolate. "Are you really from Egypt? Or do you get some of that spray on tan stuff because Mommy says if you don't dye your hair, then you spray tanning stuff all on you to make people think you're from Egypt."
"YES, Emily, I am from Egypt originally."
"Have you ever been there?"
"Well...no, but--"
"How come? If it's your home, how come you've never been there?" Her eyes were unblinking, getting me flustered. I really, really hated this kid. But, I was getting paid, so it was always worth it. And soon, Alice would be calling me, and that would be even more of a blessing. I could easily smile at that thought.
"Because my parents moved here and then had me."
"So wouldn't that make this your home?"
"This is my home, Egypt is just where I originated from."
"What does 'originate' mean?"
"Emily, go watch TV." I was getting highly annoyed with the little brat, and I think my head would've exploded if she hadn't of listened that time, but thank GOD, she did. Something loud and annoying spewed from the TV in the other room and she squealed, almost dropping her ice cream as she sailed and plopped down in front of the screen, eyes glued. As long as some stupid kid show was on and this girl was chugging down sugar, she was fine. Though, I think the sugar was starting to show its damage; she looked a little chubbier than I remember from last time. I'm sure if brought up, her mother would defend her and say it was 'genes', or she was 'big boned'. It couldn't be the sugar. The thought was blasphemy.
As Emily laughed really loud over whatever the show was she was watching, I plopped down in a chair at the table, staring at a fake flower in a vase and was just starting to plan out what I could do to kill time while Emily was occupied when my phone vibrated in my pocket, causing me to jump a mile high in my seat.
Oh, o-oh God, A-Alice! She was calling already?! Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, I couldn't breathe, I was hyperventilating, I needed cold air, I needed-- I fumbled with the phone, managing to drop it and it clattered to the floor. I swore under my breath so the kid wouldn't hear and bent down to retrieve it, flipping it open without looking at the number on the front. "H-h-hello?!" Great. Stuttered. Damn.
"Um...is this Malik Ishtar?"
Alice! AliceAliceAliceAlice! "Y-yes, this is Malik Ishtar. Is...is this Alice?"
A giggle, an intake of breath, like she was nervous, too. "Yes, this is Alice. Hi, Malik."
"H-hi." GOD, quit stuttering, Malik!
"How are you?"
"Fine." I was going to throw up, holy crap, I could feel the bile rushing up into my throat and even Emily's loud laughter and the clanging noises from the TV show couldn't distract me from Alice, but my stomach sure could, and it was.
"Are you babysitting that kid yet?"
"Yeah. I'm...I'm over here right now." I bit my lip, feeling like my heart was going to beat out of my chest and run away.
A pause, and I panicked. What was I supposed to say?! Think, Malik, think! "Oh, I was wondering what all that laughing and noise was in the background."
I forced out a laugh, trying to hold in the urge to vomit at the same time. "Yeah, I was able to get her to sit down for a second."
"That's good." Yet another pause. Was she as nervous as I was? "Can...can I come over?"
I almost dropped the phone, my hands were shaking so bad, and ah, the stuttering returned with a vengeance. "S-sure, o-of course! Um...let me get you the n-number and name of the apartment."
She giggled a little. "Okay, let me get a pen and piece of paper."
My words were tuned out to myself as I spoke to her, giving her all the information she needed. Oh my God...I just couldn't believe it...this was...this was real. I was actually going to get to meet Alice today, holy crap, I was going to meet Alice! I feel like if I died today, then that would be alright. I wouldn't have any regrets. As long as she was there with me...I was so happy, I could cry out tears of joy.
"Alright, Malik, I'll be there shortly." She gasped in some air before speaking again. "See...see you in a bit."
"Y-yeah, see you." My phone closed, and I continued staring at it, still not believing this was really happening. I even pinched myself to see if I was dreaming. It hurt, so apparently not, and that made me even happier. I felt like at that moment, I could probably jump up in the air and fly around the apartment and even Emily's bratty behavior couldn't damper my mood.
Smiling, I stood up from the chair and walked into the living room, having Emily turn around to shoot me a glare like I interrupted her very important TV show. I just smiled at her, not even caring if she saw my chipped tooth, and plopped down into a chair behind her, still smiling.
"What are you so happy about?"
I sucked in some air to calm myself and then gave her the biggest smile I thought I'd ever mustered before. "You'll see."
***
Oh my God, oh my God, this was it. I almost peed my pants when I heard a small, tentative knock come from the front door. I think I had been staring off into space while Emily watched TV. I stared at the screen, but wasn't watching it. The only thing on my mind was Alice and meeting her, and when that little knock resonated into the living room, I leaped out of my chair, almost falling over and getting a laugh from Emily for it, but I didn't care. My eyes were glued to the door, the door that had Alice behind it, the door that OH MY GOD, I WAS GOING TO MEET ALICE!
I didn't peek out the little peephole. I wanted to see all of her when I opened that door and I sucked in air, my hand shaking the knob as I quivered. I was a mixture of feelings right now, from being happy, scared, nervous, excited, all of them. I forced myself to calm down, sucking in air to try and beat down the butterflies that had started up again in my stomach. This...this was really it. I was...I really was going to get to meet Alice.
Holy crap.
I turned the knob and let the door swing open, revealing the tall girl who stood behind it. I would've fainted had I not been entranced. She...this was Alice...she was a lot taller than I imagined, but she was just as cute as the picture sent me, with that long blonde hair, those chocolate brown eyes, the pale, pale skin, and she only heightened her beauty by wearing a frilly white dress, looking like a little lolita doll standing in the doorway. Her face, like the rest of her body, was narrow, but it suited her. She would've looked disproportionate had her face been round or heart-shaped.
Those pink lips of hers slid into a small smile and she wrung her perfectly manicured fingers together. "Um...hi, Malik. I'm Alice. Nice to meet you."
I was going to pass out, I was going to pass out, good grief, Malik, don't pass out. "H-hi, Alice. I'm Malik."
***Alice was perfect, Alice was beautiful, there was nothing wrong with Alice, she was good, she was kind, she was everything.
Beautiful, beautiful Alice, I could say with perfect honesty that I loved her, and I did, I really, really loved Alice with every bone in my body, every fiber of my being, I loved her so much!
She was beautiful as she crossed the threshold, beautiful as I led her to the living room to sit down on the couch, perfect as Emily turned around and talked to her and Alice responded to everything with grace and intelligence, she was so...God, I don't even know. There was just something about Alice from the way she moved, the way her hair swayed, like the wind was blowing through it always, the way she sat straight with her hands folded in her lap, the way her brown eyes would flick over to me and light up, twinkling.
"You know, this is the first time I've seen you, Malik, and...well, this is embarrassing, but...you're really cute."
I felt my cheeks gush heat and I looked at my lap, trying to concentrate on my nails that were short from being bitten all the time, and not look at her pretty face that would probably send me into a coma. God, I was so lame. I'd never had that much experience with girls, so my first reaction was to clamp up and try not to pass out. Why was I so shy?
I smiled at her comment, not even feeling stupid when she probably saw my chipped tooth. "Th-thank you. You're really pretty, too, Alice."
The rest of the evening was spent like that and I finally loosened up some and we started talking about stuff just like we had on the computer. We were still the same people, but this just felt so different and alien for some reason. This was the same girl I'd been talking to for the past three months, almost four, but...I don't know. She seemed like a completely different person in real life. I suppose talking on the computer did that to you.
Emily had kept quiet the whole time, finally shutting up and stopped glaring at me, her big eyes glued to the screen of the TV, and only when she squealed really loud when her mother came in did I finally snap back to real life.
Mrs. Peter came slouching into the room with about ten huge shopping bags attached to her arms and dropped all of them when her kid zoomed around the corner to meet her, scooping the little girl up in her arms and showering her with kisses. Ugh, lady, it's not like you were gone for a week or anything.
The large woman came around the corner and skidded to a halt when she saw Alice and I sitting on the couch. Alice whipped her head around, cheeks flushing a little and turned back, looking at her hands.
"Hi, Malik," Mrs. Peter said, her voice a little stiff like she was forcing her smile. "I, uh, didn't realize this was a double babysitting job."
Alice stood up before I could. "I'm-I'm sorry, Mrs. Peter! I just came over to spend some time with Malik. I wasn't trying to steal his job or anything."
Mrs. Peter eyed the girl like a hawk eyes its prey, that fake smile still plastered to her face and she set Emily down to dig into her pocket and pull out a wad of cash, handing it to me. "Don't spend it all in one place, Malik, and, uh...might I suggest taking your friend out and buying her something nice?"
I didn't understand this woman. I mean, her attitude would've been understandable had Alice been here to take her money, but she wasn't, but Mrs. Peter was acting like she had a stick up her butt, but she always acted like that. From what Emily told me all the time, she talked about everybody behind their back, and she was as stuck up as they came. I just felt sorry for her kid.
"Thank you, Mrs. Peter. I hope you had fun with your friend." I mustered another thin-lipped smile and gently took hold of Alice's wrist, leading her out of the apartment and down the hall. Once we had reached the elevator and stepped in, I turned to Alice who was giving me a wry smile. "Sorry about that...Mrs. Peter is...um, she's, uh, kind of a bitch."
She threw her head back and roared with laughter, making me jump back a little, but then, I found myself laughing too. It was contagious, her beautiful and lifting laugh, and soon we were both doubling over in the elevator, laughing our heads off like children.
"Oh, Malik, I'm sorry." She wiped some tears that had escaped away. "It was the way you said it. It was so blunt."
I snickered. "Yeah, I'm like that."
We got all our giggles out, still standing in the stationary elevator, having not pressed any buttons, and Alice turned back to me. "Um...what were we doing in here anyway?"
I blushed. "Oh, I just wanted to get somewhere she wouldn't hear us." I gulped. "Sorry, I guess we should get out now in case somebody pushes a button or something. We could go to my room."
She fingered the railing and gave me a bit of a mischievous smile. "Or, we could go out somewhere, get away from this apartment. Your sis won't be home for awhile, right?"
I nodded, wondering what she had up her sleeve. "Yeah, right. She's working the night shift tonight."
"Then, let's go. You've got your phone, you can call her anytime."
"Um...okay." She was being so forward, like she couldn't wait to get out of here, but it was probably just nerves as well. I could still feel butterflies fluttering around a little inside me, but I leaned over and pushed a button, taking us down to the first floor, sucking in some air to calm myself. I just got paid, so...I could take her somewhere. Hmm...we could go for ice cream...or maybe I could buy her some jewelry. Yeah, girls like that stuff. Or maybe some flowers, or even some perfume....Gah, so many choices.
We stepped out of the elevator and headed toward the front, waving to the landlady as we walked by and out the front doors. I realized we had walked almost a block and I hadn't said anything to her yet, lost away in my own thoughts of what to buy her, and I turned to ask her what she wanted to do. "Hey, Alice, where do you want--"
Her face was different then, almost wild as something snaked around from behind me, pressing a cloth to my mouth and a strong, sweet-smelling odor flew up my nose. I struggled only for a moment, confused, scared for a second, only staring at her unblinking eyes as I collapsed to the ground, my mind leaving me. Everything happened so quick, I couldn't keep up with it, but the last thing I could hear before everything went black was a deep laughter, a man's laughter.
Alice was so beautiful. I could stare at her all day long. In fact, I found myself staring at that picture she sent me more and more, longer and longer, until I would look up at the clock and frown at what time it was. I had printed it and taped it to my dresser mirror, so I could stare at her during the mornings while I brushed my hair, watch that cute smile of hers as I changed clothes, look at her oval-shaped beautiful face while I did my homework, and always, always give her a farewell smile as I went to bed.
It seems funny that just three months ago, I felt like the loneliest guy in school. I mean, high school was so much different, I felt like a total fish out of water because...well, I was a fish out of water. It was almost foreign compared to middle school and elementary school. At least in elementary school, the teacher forced you to be friends with people if they saw that you were alone, but teachers didn't care what you did in high school, so they didn't bat an eye at the scrawny little Egyptian boy who sat alone at lunch, ignored the stares given to him, tried looking the other way as people pointed and made fun of his hair.
Truth be told, I was so shocked at how downright cruel people could be, I almost couldn't believe it. What in the world did these people gain from beating down on someone else? Yeah, I was picked on a lot, but I wasn't the only one. Even their own kind, they'd point and laugh at, beat up for no reason whatsoever, and there wouldn't even appear to be anything wrong with that person, so...just why? I knew why I was a target, because of my colors, but why pick on the boy with the glasses, why point and laugh at the girl with the red hair, why harass the kid in the wheelchair?
I just...I just didn't understand people, and I don't think I want to.
Then, there was Alice. Alice, Alice, I could say her name all day. Obsessed? Yes, I am obsessed, but I don't care. She's so...I don't even know. She's all I think about, all I can think about. She haunts me all day, and even when the going gets tough in school, when the crap is kicked out of me for the umpteenth time, when I spit up blood and chip a tooth, I can't help but smile, knowing Alice is home, waiting for me on the computer, always, always there for me. Always helping with a problem, talking about random junk with me, and just being there with me.
I love her. I really do. It's one thing I'm sure about more than anything and GOD, I want to see her so bad. I want to be able to wrap my arm around her waist, stare into those brown eyes, run my other hand through those golden strands, and just bask in her presence, of her being with me, and me being with her.
I was scared to death the first time she mentioned meeting, but even she was being wary of me, not giving me too much info about herself, just like I was, but we grew with each other, began to tell secrets, talk about things we couldn't with others, and it ultimately led up to her asking to meet.
I agreed, after figuring out some things. I-I loved her, of course I wanted to meet her! She's been nothing but good to me, the least I could do was give back to her a little, maybe take her out, treat her like the lady she deserves to be treated as, and be a gentleman to her. I wanted to make her feel good, do nice things for her, give her nice things.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at my laptop, waiting for Alice to come on. She was almost always on during weekdays, but her appearances were scattered on weekends, so I usually just sat around waiting for her to come and go, but a sudden knocking on my door jarred me out of my staring contest with the blue screen of my computer.
"Malik?" It was Isis (who else would it be?), and I instantly stiffened a little. I knew her, I knew the worrywart she was, and I knew she would definitely not approve of me talking to someone I didn't know online. But...I did know Alice, I knew a lot about her, from what she's told me, so...yeah, I do know Alice.
"Y-yeah?" Crap. She probably caught that. I clicked my laptop closed just in case Alice decided to message me at that moment, and turned to see my door opening, Isis appearing soon after.
"Mrs. Peter from across the hall wants to know if you could babysit her kid while she goes shopping with a friend." Her tone was normal. She didn't appear to have caught my stutter. I was safe for the moment.
But, crap, babysitting? I was supposed to be waiting for Alice to come on so we could arrange a meeting place! Crap, crap, crap in a bucket. "Uh...um..." What was I supposed to say? 'Can't talk, waiting for cyberbuddy'? I rolled my eyes at myself.
She gripped the doorknob and bit her lip, looking pensive. "Is something wrong? Did you have plans? I'm sorry, Malik, I would do it, but I have to go to work today, and Mrs. Peter said she'd pay you."
I sighed. Dammit. I suppose I was going to have to postpone our meeting. It wasn't the end of the world, we could always meet up next weekend, but GOD, I was so excited about it, too. Damn Mrs. Peter and her stupid kid. "Okay, just give me a second to get ready to go over there."
Isis laughed. "Wow, yeah, you certainly have a lot to prepare and pack before walking across the hall." I picked up my pillow to chuck at her, but she had slammed the door shut before I could even throw it, giggling like a little girl.
I slumped in my seat, fiddling with my hair. Great, just great. I hated getting excited about something and then having it shot down. Poor Alice. I wonder if she had been excited about it, too? The thought made me feel guilty.
Sighing, I opened my laptop back up, surprised when I found a message waiting for me. Wow, good thing I closed it.
'hey malik u there?'
I bit my lip, again feeling that spiraling pit of guilt. 'Yeah, I'm here, but I have bad news. A neighbor wants me to keep her kid while she goes shopping, so I can't meet up with you today. I'm sorry, we'll have to do it some other time.'
A minute or so passed, and I gulped. She wasn't...oh God, I hoped she wasn't mad. I didn't even think about that. Oh Alice, don't be mad at me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. 'hey dont sweat it we'll do something else. hey i have an idea what if u gave me your phone number and i could come there and help you babysit?'
I blinked, again feeling nerves pile up. I loved her idea, but still, the thought of meeting her face-to-face both terrified and filled me up with joy. I was scared of what she would think of me, of the way I looked (I hadn't sent her a picture of myself), and about the way I acted. Even to myself, I could be pretty bipolar sometimes. But I was mostly scared of her. If the picture she sent me was accurate, she was beautiful, and I felt so ugly compared to her.
She was...perfect. 'Um...sure. That sounds like fun. Be warned though, I've babysat this kid before. She's evil.'
'lol ill keep that in mind. whats your number?'
I fumbled with the keypad as I typed my number, biting my lip until the blood came out. I was so nervous, I was about to throw up. I could feel butterflies galore flock around in my stomach and I bent over, holding it in case I needed to hurl.
'okay ill call you in a bit. bye.'
'Bye. I love you.'
I felt a little awkward typing those last three words, but I really did mean them. Alice...I loved Alice. I loved her so much, everything she's said to me, all those times she's comforted me when I had no one else...it really meant a lot to me.
I closed the computer and sauntered out of the room, meeting up with Isis just as she was about to walk out the door. I watched as she fiddled with her keys, obviously in a hurry. "Leaving already?" I asked.
She nodded, picking up a small purse on the coffee table and shoving her cellphone inside of it. "If you need anything, just call me. I'll have my phone on me." We both walked out the door and she locked it behind her, waving to me as she hurried down the hall and to the elevator. She usually never worked on Saturdays. She must've had to fill in for someone, but I don't know. I didn't ask.
I turned around to the door on the other side from us and knocked, grimacing as I heard the high-pitched squeals coming from the other side. The doorknob twisted and the door swung open, revealing the round face of a little girl, her brown hair in pigtails, and her face dirty from eating an ice cream. She glared up at me with fierce green eyes and looked ready to close the door in my face again. Ugh, I hated this kid. She was a nightmare. The typical kid, too, the kind whose parents thought their kid was just an angel sent from heaven, always drowning them with attention and compliments, never chiding them for the bad, and always making excuses for their actions.
Right on time, another woman appeared at the door, ushering the little kid away who stomped and yelled in protest. "But, Mommy, I don't like him!"
"Angel, that's not nice to say, you know." She wagged her finger at the girl and I mentally rolled my eyes. Here we go again...
"But, Mommy, he's mean to me!"
"Honey, Malik is a nice boy."
"No, he's mean!" Another stomp, and another glare, given to me.
The woman gave a little chuckle and finally turned to me, right when I thought I was going to puke from all of this. "I'm so sorry for the short notice, Malik, but Jess talked about this new shoe store we had to go to and, well, we just need the girl time, you know?" She leaned in to whisper, almost as if afraid of the kid hearing. "I'll pay you, I promise."
"It's okay, Mrs. Peter, I understand. You go hang out with your friend a have a good time, okay?" I was going to give her my best canine smile, but then realized at the last minute that my tooth was chipped and sufficed with a small thin-lipped smile. Definitely didn't want this lady questioning why I was missing part of my tooth. She was one of the biggest gossips I'd ever seen.
Almost as if silently thanking me for relieving her, she gave me a pat on the back and gestured me inside, walking out without a goodbye and hurrying down the hall. Wow, even she can't stand her own kid. I had to laugh at the thought, receiving yet another glare from the little girl who was glued to her ice cream, smudging it all over her freckled face. I closed the door and looked back down at her, crossing my arms and staring back at her as she lapped up the dairy treat.
"Why are you staring at me?"
She shrugged, giving me a smirk and pointed at my head with a chocolate-covered finger. "Do you dye your hair?"
"You ask me that every time I babysit and the answer is always no. Why do you keep asking it?"
"Because Mommy says you're lying about it and that you dye it. She said nobody's hair is really that color, especially not if they're from Egypt."
I scoffed and ran my fingers through my hair, feeling anger boil up. This kid was always telling me crap her mother spewed out, usually about me, so I knew her mother was nothing but another one of those jerks who gave you an innocent front while they laughed and stabbed you in the back. "Emily, why don't you go watch TV?" I tried to smile at her and act all nice. Even though I hated her, I tried my best not to be mean or show my annoyance in front of her. She was still a kid after all.
Almost as if she knew she'd gotten me ruffled, she smiled, showing off her teeth that were brown from chocolate. "Are you really from Egypt? Or do you get some of that spray on tan stuff because Mommy says if you don't dye your hair, then you spray tanning stuff all on you to make people think you're from Egypt."
"YES, Emily, I am from Egypt originally."
"Have you ever been there?"
"Well...no, but--"
"How come? If it's your home, how come you've never been there?" Her eyes were unblinking, getting me flustered. I really, really hated this kid. But, I was getting paid, so it was always worth it. And soon, Alice would be calling me, and that would be even more of a blessing. I could easily smile at that thought.
"Because my parents moved here and then had me."
"So wouldn't that make this your home?"
"This is my home, Egypt is just where I originated from."
"What does 'originate' mean?"
"Emily, go watch TV." I was getting highly annoyed with the little brat, and I think my head would've exploded if she hadn't of listened that time, but thank GOD, she did. Something loud and annoying spewed from the TV in the other room and she squealed, almost dropping her ice cream as she sailed and plopped down in front of the screen, eyes glued. As long as some stupid kid show was on and this girl was chugging down sugar, she was fine. Though, I think the sugar was starting to show its damage; she looked a little chubbier than I remember from last time. I'm sure if brought up, her mother would defend her and say it was 'genes', or she was 'big boned'. It couldn't be the sugar. The thought was blasphemy.
As Emily laughed really loud over whatever the show was she was watching, I plopped down in a chair at the table, staring at a fake flower in a vase and was just starting to plan out what I could do to kill time while Emily was occupied when my phone vibrated in my pocket, causing me to jump a mile high in my seat.
Oh, o-oh God, A-Alice! She was calling already?! Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, I couldn't breathe, I was hyperventilating, I needed cold air, I needed-- I fumbled with the phone, managing to drop it and it clattered to the floor. I swore under my breath so the kid wouldn't hear and bent down to retrieve it, flipping it open without looking at the number on the front. "H-h-hello?!" Great. Stuttered. Damn.
"Um...is this Malik Ishtar?"
Alice! AliceAliceAliceAlice! "Y-yes, this is Malik Ishtar. Is...is this Alice?"
A giggle, an intake of breath, like she was nervous, too. "Yes, this is Alice. Hi, Malik."
"H-hi." GOD, quit stuttering, Malik!
"How are you?"
"Fine." I was going to throw up, holy crap, I could feel the bile rushing up into my throat and even Emily's loud laughter and the clanging noises from the TV show couldn't distract me from Alice, but my stomach sure could, and it was.
"Are you babysitting that kid yet?"
"Yeah. I'm...I'm over here right now." I bit my lip, feeling like my heart was going to beat out of my chest and run away.
A pause, and I panicked. What was I supposed to say?! Think, Malik, think! "Oh, I was wondering what all that laughing and noise was in the background."
I forced out a laugh, trying to hold in the urge to vomit at the same time. "Yeah, I was able to get her to sit down for a second."
"That's good." Yet another pause. Was she as nervous as I was? "Can...can I come over?"
I almost dropped the phone, my hands were shaking so bad, and ah, the stuttering returned with a vengeance. "S-sure, o-of course! Um...let me get you the n-number and name of the apartment."
She giggled a little. "Okay, let me get a pen and piece of paper."
My words were tuned out to myself as I spoke to her, giving her all the information she needed. Oh my God...I just couldn't believe it...this was...this was real. I was actually going to get to meet Alice today, holy crap, I was going to meet Alice! I feel like if I died today, then that would be alright. I wouldn't have any regrets. As long as she was there with me...I was so happy, I could cry out tears of joy.
"Alright, Malik, I'll be there shortly." She gasped in some air before speaking again. "See...see you in a bit."
"Y-yeah, see you." My phone closed, and I continued staring at it, still not believing this was really happening. I even pinched myself to see if I was dreaming. It hurt, so apparently not, and that made me even happier. I felt like at that moment, I could probably jump up in the air and fly around the apartment and even Emily's bratty behavior couldn't damper my mood.
Smiling, I stood up from the chair and walked into the living room, having Emily turn around to shoot me a glare like I interrupted her very important TV show. I just smiled at her, not even caring if she saw my chipped tooth, and plopped down into a chair behind her, still smiling.
"What are you so happy about?"
I sucked in some air to calm myself and then gave her the biggest smile I thought I'd ever mustered before. "You'll see."
***
Oh my God, oh my God, this was it. I almost peed my pants when I heard a small, tentative knock come from the front door. I think I had been staring off into space while Emily watched TV. I stared at the screen, but wasn't watching it. The only thing on my mind was Alice and meeting her, and when that little knock resonated into the living room, I leaped out of my chair, almost falling over and getting a laugh from Emily for it, but I didn't care. My eyes were glued to the door, the door that had Alice behind it, the door that OH MY GOD, I WAS GOING TO MEET ALICE!
I didn't peek out the little peephole. I wanted to see all of her when I opened that door and I sucked in air, my hand shaking the knob as I quivered. I was a mixture of feelings right now, from being happy, scared, nervous, excited, all of them. I forced myself to calm down, sucking in air to try and beat down the butterflies that had started up again in my stomach. This...this was really it. I was...I really was going to get to meet Alice.
Holy crap.
I turned the knob and let the door swing open, revealing the tall girl who stood behind it. I would've fainted had I not been entranced. She...this was Alice...she was a lot taller than I imagined, but she was just as cute as the picture sent me, with that long blonde hair, those chocolate brown eyes, the pale, pale skin, and she only heightened her beauty by wearing a frilly white dress, looking like a little lolita doll standing in the doorway. Her face, like the rest of her body, was narrow, but it suited her. She would've looked disproportionate had her face been round or heart-shaped.
Those pink lips of hers slid into a small smile and she wrung her perfectly manicured fingers together. "Um...hi, Malik. I'm Alice. Nice to meet you."
I was going to pass out, I was going to pass out, good grief, Malik, don't pass out. "H-hi, Alice. I'm Malik."
***Alice was perfect, Alice was beautiful, there was nothing wrong with Alice, she was good, she was kind, she was everything.
Beautiful, beautiful Alice, I could say with perfect honesty that I loved her, and I did, I really, really loved Alice with every bone in my body, every fiber of my being, I loved her so much!
She was beautiful as she crossed the threshold, beautiful as I led her to the living room to sit down on the couch, perfect as Emily turned around and talked to her and Alice responded to everything with grace and intelligence, she was so...God, I don't even know. There was just something about Alice from the way she moved, the way her hair swayed, like the wind was blowing through it always, the way she sat straight with her hands folded in her lap, the way her brown eyes would flick over to me and light up, twinkling.
"You know, this is the first time I've seen you, Malik, and...well, this is embarrassing, but...you're really cute."
I felt my cheeks gush heat and I looked at my lap, trying to concentrate on my nails that were short from being bitten all the time, and not look at her pretty face that would probably send me into a coma. God, I was so lame. I'd never had that much experience with girls, so my first reaction was to clamp up and try not to pass out. Why was I so shy?
I smiled at her comment, not even feeling stupid when she probably saw my chipped tooth. "Th-thank you. You're really pretty, too, Alice."
The rest of the evening was spent like that and I finally loosened up some and we started talking about stuff just like we had on the computer. We were still the same people, but this just felt so different and alien for some reason. This was the same girl I'd been talking to for the past three months, almost four, but...I don't know. She seemed like a completely different person in real life. I suppose talking on the computer did that to you.
Emily had kept quiet the whole time, finally shutting up and stopped glaring at me, her big eyes glued to the screen of the TV, and only when she squealed really loud when her mother came in did I finally snap back to real life.
Mrs. Peter came slouching into the room with about ten huge shopping bags attached to her arms and dropped all of them when her kid zoomed around the corner to meet her, scooping the little girl up in her arms and showering her with kisses. Ugh, lady, it's not like you were gone for a week or anything.
The large woman came around the corner and skidded to a halt when she saw Alice and I sitting on the couch. Alice whipped her head around, cheeks flushing a little and turned back, looking at her hands.
"Hi, Malik," Mrs. Peter said, her voice a little stiff like she was forcing her smile. "I, uh, didn't realize this was a double babysitting job."
Alice stood up before I could. "I'm-I'm sorry, Mrs. Peter! I just came over to spend some time with Malik. I wasn't trying to steal his job or anything."
Mrs. Peter eyed the girl like a hawk eyes its prey, that fake smile still plastered to her face and she set Emily down to dig into her pocket and pull out a wad of cash, handing it to me. "Don't spend it all in one place, Malik, and, uh...might I suggest taking your friend out and buying her something nice?"
I didn't understand this woman. I mean, her attitude would've been understandable had Alice been here to take her money, but she wasn't, but Mrs. Peter was acting like she had a stick up her butt, but she always acted like that. From what Emily told me all the time, she talked about everybody behind their back, and she was as stuck up as they came. I just felt sorry for her kid.
"Thank you, Mrs. Peter. I hope you had fun with your friend." I mustered another thin-lipped smile and gently took hold of Alice's wrist, leading her out of the apartment and down the hall. Once we had reached the elevator and stepped in, I turned to Alice who was giving me a wry smile. "Sorry about that...Mrs. Peter is...um, she's, uh, kind of a bitch."
She threw her head back and roared with laughter, making me jump back a little, but then, I found myself laughing too. It was contagious, her beautiful and lifting laugh, and soon we were both doubling over in the elevator, laughing our heads off like children.
"Oh, Malik, I'm sorry." She wiped some tears that had escaped away. "It was the way you said it. It was so blunt."
I snickered. "Yeah, I'm like that."
We got all our giggles out, still standing in the stationary elevator, having not pressed any buttons, and Alice turned back to me. "Um...what were we doing in here anyway?"
I blushed. "Oh, I just wanted to get somewhere she wouldn't hear us." I gulped. "Sorry, I guess we should get out now in case somebody pushes a button or something. We could go to my room."
She fingered the railing and gave me a bit of a mischievous smile. "Or, we could go out somewhere, get away from this apartment. Your sis won't be home for awhile, right?"
I nodded, wondering what she had up her sleeve. "Yeah, right. She's working the night shift tonight."
"Then, let's go. You've got your phone, you can call her anytime."
"Um...okay." She was being so forward, like she couldn't wait to get out of here, but it was probably just nerves as well. I could still feel butterflies fluttering around a little inside me, but I leaned over and pushed a button, taking us down to the first floor, sucking in some air to calm myself. I just got paid, so...I could take her somewhere. Hmm...we could go for ice cream...or maybe I could buy her some jewelry. Yeah, girls like that stuff. Or maybe some flowers, or even some perfume....Gah, so many choices.
We stepped out of the elevator and headed toward the front, waving to the landlady as we walked by and out the front doors. I realized we had walked almost a block and I hadn't said anything to her yet, lost away in my own thoughts of what to buy her, and I turned to ask her what she wanted to do. "Hey, Alice, where do you want--"
Her face was different then, almost wild as something snaked around from behind me, pressing a cloth to my mouth and a strong, sweet-smelling odor flew up my nose. I struggled only for a moment, confused, scared for a second, only staring at her unblinking eyes as I collapsed to the ground, my mind leaving me. Everything happened so quick, I couldn't keep up with it, but the last thing I could hear before everything went black was a deep laughter, a man's laughter.