Adorably Clueless

Jace watched her until the last of her tears dried up, and then he sat up. “What’s wrong, Alice?”

Alice looked away,” Alec. Just thinking about how he tricked me. I really did love him, you know?”

He gently wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so sorry. I should have known he was up to no good.”

She sagged against his chest,” You couldn’t have known.” Jace just held her again, waiting for her to feel better. Her mom knocked on the door and suddenly Alice practically ripped herself out of his arms.

She told her mom to come in, looking a little flushed. Her mom asked,” Are you feeling better, honey? How about I make some homemade pizza? That sounds okay?”

Alice nodded her head in reply. “Sounds absolutely wonderful. Do you want to stay for dinner, Jace?”

He replied,” If it’s okay with your mom, I’d love too.”

Her mom gushed,” Oh, you know you are always welcome here Jace!” Then she ran out of the room, her footsteps making loud noises as she went.

Jace questioned Alice,” Why did you jump up so quick?”

She blushed,” I didn’t want mom to think there was anything going on.”

He grinned; amused at the face Alice’s mom would want something to happen between them. Alice was his best friend nothing more, nothing less. “I’m sure she knows better. You and I are best friends, why would she think anything would happen to us?”

Alice laughed nervously,” Yeah, true. I didn’t think of that. Uh, want to go play on Jonathon’s Xbox?”

Jace smiled,” I’ll race you downstairs!” Alice took off and slammed her door in his face, trying to get a head start. He lopped his hands around her waist, in attempt to stop her but she wriggled out of his grip. It sounded like a bunch of elephants trying to take down the house.

Her mom yelled,” Quit running in the house! You sound like a bunch of animals!”

Alice and Jace laughed but kept trying to beat the other to her little brother’s room. Finally they were two steps from the door when someone knocked at the front door. “Whose that?”

Jace answered,” I don’t know.”

Alice glanced at her brother’s door and at last second ran into it. Jace tackled her once he had realized she tricked him. He jabbed his hands against her sides, not quitting until she called mercy.

Her mom shouted at her from the kitchen,” Alice, dear! Alec is here, he wants to see you.” She froze that the mention of his name, her body was like a stone statue.

Jace glared at the wall separating Alec from her, wishing he could just melt it and go after him. “Alice, you can’t go in there.”

She didn’t respond to his statement, to scared to move, to afraid that if she moved she would lose it. She wasn’t ready to see him after her mental break down from earlier.

Alec peeked around the corner,” Alice? Can I talk to you?” His eyes sparkled against the gray of her wallpaper. She felt like her own demons were spilling out, ready to attack and kill.

She clenched her fist and set her jaw. “ I don’t have anything to say to you. I would appreciate it if you left.”

He watched her earnestly,” Seriously, Alice. I need to talk to you. I promise I won’t hurt, touch, or do anything you don’t want me to do.”

She put a clammy hand against her forehead; a headache had started to come on. “Okay, okay. But Jace has to be in the room and you only have five minutes.”

He nodded and then gestured toward the dining room. She slipped by, staying close to the wall so she wouldn’t have to touch him in the passing. Jace followed, grumbling about how Alice was making a mistake.

She plopped down on the ivory chair next to the table and waited for the attack, the one that was about Alec wanting her back.

He started out pacing across the table from her. “Alice, I really don’t know how to start this. I’ve done some things in the past that I’m not proud of. I guess I want to make a fresh start and just go from there.” He ran a nervous hand through his hair as he waited for her answer.

She just stared at him, waiting for him to take it back, for him to start laughing at her saying that he was just joking. Instead, he just looked at her with guilt filled eyes and a hand reached out to seal the deal. She turned to Jace, who was leaning against the wall. “Jace, what do you think about this?”

He snorted and rolled his eyes in disbelief. “I think he’s just trying to trick you and humiliate you, but that’s just my opinion.”

She considered that but something about the way Alec was gazing at her made up her mind for her. “Okay, if you really and truly want to start over… You are going to have to leave me alone. Alec, you have no idea of the crap you put me through. I have a stupid concussion because of one of your stupid stunts. I need time and space along with you out of my face for the next few weeks. You really can’t expect me to forgive you so easily when you broke my heart into a thousand pieces. I mean the next day you were telling the school I was something that I definitely was not. Just leave and when I’m ready to talk to you, you have my word that I will come find you.”

Alec looked down to the ground, ashamed for what he had done. “ I understand. I just want you to know I’m sorry for all of that, but also that I wasn’t faking liking you. I fell for you too.” His speech was interrupted by his phone, which started buzzing loudly from his front pocket. “Sorry, I have to go but we need to talk again soon.” He briskly walked back into the hall, through the kitchen and out the back door.

Jace pushed himself off the wall and embraced Alice, knowing she was about at her wits end. She gently hugged him back and then got up. She grinned,” I bet I can beat you to the Xbox.” Then she took off, leaving Jace confused and on his guard. Alice was trying to hide her feelings, to bottle them up so he wouldn’t see her cry.

He ran after her and caught her around the waist. “We have to talk about this, Alice.” She shook her head and reached for the game controller. He stopped her, grabbing her wrist gently but firmly. “No, we aren’t playing until you get this out. I have no clue as to what’s going on in your mind right now but I know it isn’t good. You need to talk about it.”

Alice took a deep breath,” Jace, I honestly don’t know what to think. I just need some time to really go over it in my head, to see if I can believe him or not. I know you probably don’t want me to, but I feel like I have to be the better person in this. He made a mistake and he’s trying to make up for it. Or at least that’s what he’s trying to get me to believe, or he might really be trying. I don’t know that’s why I have to take the time and think about it myself. It’s my choice and I hope you’ll stand by me no matter what choice I do make.”

He angrily stared at her,” You would be making the biggest mistake if you let him back into your life! You know that Alice, or have you forgotten what he’s done to you?”

Her eyes widened,” Jace. Of course I haven’t forgotten, you know since I just spent a good twenty minutes crying over it. But everybody deserves a second chance to right a wrong. “

He got up and slammed his fist against a dresser. “You can’t let him do it to you again! I can’t stand around and watch you let him either. Basically it goes like this, Alice. Him or me? What’s your choice?”

Her mouth turned down in a frown. “ C’mon, Jace. You’re my best friend, you are suppose to stay by my side, be my favorite warrior and all that good stuff. What happened to doing what’s right?”

He shook his head,” Text me when you’ve made up your mind, I can’t be around here right now.” He opened to door, glanced back at her tearfully face and then slammed it.

Alice curled up on her brother’s twin sized bed, feeling numb and unwanted. The forgotten game controller beeped, reminding Alice that she had a purpose, with or without Jace even if she did want Jace in it as well.

She got up and opened to door, and symbolically along with physically shut it. Jace was still apart of her life, but this crying and moping around wasn’t. She wasn’t going to let the past continue to haunt her.

Her mom called for her to come eat, and the aroma of pizza spilled out into the hall. Alice gladly followed it, seeing it as a good omen for her future. She peeked her head around the corner and took in the sight of her mom in her white apron, cooking for her. She felt at peace and ready for tomorrow so she could battle it out with Jace. He would see her side once he calmed down.

She grabbed her plate off the counter and dug into its cheesy goodness. Her mom laughed,” Someone’s a bit hungry. Where’s Jace? He better get in here before you eat all the pizza.”

Alice swallowed,” Uh… he left; he had to go clear his head. I’ll see him tomorrow, maybe I should bring some of the pizza so he can have some.”

Her mom frowned,” Okay. I hope he’s doing alright.” She then turned and began washing the dishes, humming some tune she had heard on the radio.

Alice finished up, placed her plate next to the sink and ran up to her bedroom. She gathered all the books and started on her neglected homework. She would deal with her emotional problems later, but for now she would work on writing along with some much dreaded physics.