waiting game -ALICE!-

[Piper Crumin]

The training rooms was one of Piper's favorite places to just be. She liked being in solitude and being able to see what she could do. She liked how the training rooms were built, and she liked to listen to herself breathing and she liked to see how she could bend and twist like some beautiful kind of human origami.

But Piper did not like her training clothes. She had to wear a leotard, as most clothes would hinder her abilities to move and push her limits to what she could do. The tight nylon would stretch over her, bending to the contours of her body, but also smashed her figure down to that of a boy's. She wore little shorts with them, and they helped a little with her self-consciousness when she was on the ground.

Piper pulled her hair in a high ponytail, tight enough to make her feel her eyebrows lifting. She went to each of her joints and cracked them, synovial fluid leaving and causing the bubbles of gas to form and make her feel looser and more energetic. She had the astounding ability to make all of her joints pop, which disgusted many people, but it made her feel so much better whenever she did so.

After this she jumped up onto the balance beam before her. She had invited Alice to come and talk to her while she did her semi-daily training, just so she could learn to be more confident in herself as a whole and how she could use her abilities to her benefit instead of being a heartache.

Taking a breath and stabilizing her feet onto the thin balance beam, she pushed her hips forward and let her body slowly arch back until her hands were on the balance beam behind her feet. Her breathing then shifted into her stomach instead of into her lungs, as if she were going to sing. Her heart-rate sped up as she lifted her feet from the ground, balancing herself like a seal. Her arms extended, and she felt her feet naturally point.

Piper's knees slowly bent, her mind completely in control of her entire body. She breathed in calmly and in a great rhythm to how much oxygen she needed. The brunette's eyes closed as she kept bending her knees until she felt her feet below her chin. She needed to stay calm. Piper rotated her hips, then her legs straightened slowly and controlled as her feet, now flexed, were parallel to the floor.

It was not easy. Piper's wrists were struggling with the burden of holding her body up for so long, but she had to push herself harder. She had to become in control. She couldn't continue bonding up everywhere and being sick all the time.

Speaking of being well, Piper felt a terrible thing crawl up into her throat. It was a cough. She couldn't hold it back as her body fell victim into a fit of coughs and gasps for air. It ruined her concentration and her wrists gave out under her. Piper felt herself fall the two feet the mats on the floor, as she continued coughing. the burning pain seared through her throat as she tried to get her breath back, but she already knew that this cough was a significant problem. It wasn't just a cough. It was turning into something worse. Piper kicked herself. It was Autumn. She should be more careful! hadn't she learned anything?

Piper lay still on the blue gymnastic mats, curled up and feeling suddenly very tire. She just hoped that her fair-haired friend would arrive soon.

[Alice Perette-Johnston]

Alice rarely trained. According to her teachers, she should do so more often…but apparently she used her power all of the time, so Alice saw no need for the training rooms. Except of course when she was hanging out with Piper. The other girl practically lived there as far as Alice could tell, but that was fine with her. The space was big an nice and Alice could look at the cloud on the ceiling if she squinted hard enough. Her bare feet slapped on the linoleum floor of the hall as she flounced to meet her friend, water bottle in hand in case Piper was thirsty. It was sealed, that was Piper wouldn’t get sick.

Piper’s intense control captivated Alice from the entrance to the gym. Her teachers always told her to concentrate, concentrate, but Alice wasn’t quite sure what that was. Did it feel like thinking? Alice thought of many things at a time, and that never seemed right? Was it yellow, like eating? Or was it more like singing? Alice hummed softly to herself as Piper supported herself on her wrists, her dusty green eyes staring unblinking at her friend, as if looking away might make her fall. Turns out that she simply fell on her own. Alice gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Fortunately Piper landed on the mats, but that cough didn’t sound healthy.

She bustled to her friend’s side and quickly kneeled, her grey-brown dress billowing around her.
She reached down and gently brushed Piper’s forehead. “Piper?” She questioned gently, imploring her friend to stop coughing. When she did, Alice curled up on the mat next to her, mimicking the other girl’s position but facing her. “Are you alright?” she asked gently, smiling despite herself. Even though Piper looked a bit ragged, Alice was glad to see her. She was always glad to see her!

Alice wiggled a bit, inching the water bottle between their faces. She brandished it slightly, the clear liquid inside sloshing about in the little space it had, catching the light and throwing it over Alice’s arms. “I brought this. Will it help?” She asked eagerly.

[Piper Crumin]

Piper's powder blue eyes opened, seeing her friend mirroring her position on the floor, the two curled up and looking at each other. Piper loved Alice's company, even though the dreamwalker was a little airy sometimes. Piper's hand came around the bottle, and she drank out of it until her throat felt a little relieved.

"Thanks, Alice. I'm not feeling too well, you know. I think the weather is getting to me. I hope it goes away soon." she shut the lid tight, laying it next to her, and looking back at her friend. "I think I'll be okay, for now, I need to get some rest is all. I've been pushing myself too hard, lately."

She pushed herself up, pulling her ponytail out and shaking her chestnut hair. She raked her hands through it a bit, pulling out the little knots in it. She coughed into her hands, and reached for her bag and pulled out the clear hand sanitizer in the little pocket in the front.

She wiped some on her palms, feeling the dryness that made her hands feel tight. "So what have you been up to today, Alice?" she asked, lying back down on the mat.

[Alice Perette-Johnston]

Alice beamed to see Piper drain most of the bottle. Well, thirst was healthy right? At least Piper was drinking and not puking or something. It could always by way better. Alice winked one eye, leaving it closed and looking at Piper sans depth perception. “You can take a nap outside. I’ll make sure no one steals your shoes.” Alice assured, figuring that that wasn’t weird in any way.

That was Alice for you.

She nibbled her lip absently. “Mmm. Its getting cold. Yes.” She affirmed. “Jacket weather I think.” She mused, watching Piper distantly as she shook out her hair. She smiled dreamily. “I like your hair down. Very pretty.” She complimented, nodding to herself to affirm her own thoughts. Yep. Definitely nice.

“I had to take the long way here because the mailbox was following me again.” She explained, sighing heavily. “It stopped around the courtyard, like it usually does.” What Alice didn’t realize was that the mailbox was actually located at the courtyard, and she only imagined its existence outside of her dorm. “But that may mean there is a letter from Peter inside.” She chirped, squiggling a bit on the mat and giggling. “I haven’t heard from him in a while-- He’s my pen pal.” Alice explained.

[Piper Crumin]

Piper sighed, "I'm not really tired, Alice. I just am exhausted does that make sense?" She groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. She listened to Alice half-sane ramblings, understanding it better than most people probably could.

"Sometime you should talk to the mailbox about its annoying behaviors toward you. He never does it to me, then again, I don't have a pen pal."

Though most people could be annoyed by her or find her confusing, Piper was charmed by Alice's strange ways. She liked Alice's oddities and her eccentric sweetness. She likes the long, thin, graceful girl, who walked and talked far differently from anyone she could have ever known if she had not been shipped away to Hammel.

Piper brought her hands to her forehead, touching it lightly. She immediately pulled it down, her eyes widening as she stared at it. She suddenly felt a horror sneak over her, and she rolled onto one side to look at Alice.

"Alice? can you do me a favor? I don't feel perfect, and I'm afraid I've got a fever, will you see if I feel warmer than usual?" she motioned to her forehead, chewing her lips in worry.

[Alice Perette-Johnston]

Alice pondered vacantly what ‘making sense’ entailed, but quickly snapped back to reality. “I think so.” She said, only half lying. She didn’t really know what it was like to be tired, but exhaustion was something she was pretty certain she’d felt. Then again, she felt most things different from other people (she hated when people told her there was no such thing as feeling ‘purple’).

She cleared her throat and nodded sternly. “Yeah. Maybe I will! I always stop when people give me a stern talking to.” Alice wilted slightly, chewing on the side of her thumb. “But…I don’t want to hurt its feelings. If it has them.” She tilted her head at Piper. “Do you suppose Mail boxes have feelings? Or are they too full of other people’s thoughts from their letters that they don’t have any of their own?”

Alice ruffled herself slightly; Piper suddenly looked very scared. Alice brought her knees tighter to her chest and frowned, then sat up abruptly to play doctor. She layed the back of her hand against Piper’s forehead and furrowed her brow in concentration. “Hmm.” She hummned, biting her lip. “You’re a little warm…like the grass in spring…but not like a sidewalk.” She explained. She wound her fingers together and placed them in her lap. “Maybe you should see a doctor? Just to make sure you’re a little warm and not sick-sicky.” Alice said softly, hoping Piper wouldn’t get too scared.

[Piper Crumin]

Piper mused for a moment, "You know, Alice. You may just want to talk to the mailbox and see what he wants. He may just be lonely or something. Maybe a stern talking-to is a little too harsh." Most people wouldn't talk like this, Piper knew. But she also knew that if when she spoke and people just looked confused, she would get upset a lot more often. Plus, she was okay with talking to Alice, even if it was a little bit crazy-sounding. Almost as if Alice was one big metaphor for the world, and for people to understand her they had to understand what she symbolized.

Or something like that. Either way, Piper felt more comfortable with Alice than she had with anyone else before. She felt that no matter what Piper did, Alice's friendship would never change. Piper felt that she could kill someone, and Alice would still love her and check her temperature.

Speaking of which, Alice's report on Piper's forehead made the brunette's insides tremble. At least her body wasn't raging in the high fevers she was very good at getting. The slight rise in her body's temperature was not a very good sign, though.

"I don't know, Alice. I think I am sick. If I get too sick, I'll have to go back home for a few weeks." She ground her teeth together. "If I go to the doctor's, will you come with me? I don't really like going alone. And if I need someone to take care of me, I...." her words broke off. She had been doing so well. She had been healthy for such a long time. She didn't want to be bed-ridden again.

[Alice Perette-Johnston]

Alice hummed thoughtfully. The mailbox had never spoken to her directly, nor hurt her in any fashion. It simply limped along at a safe distance. Lurking in the corner of her eye, as if at the back of her mind. “Maybe your right. I don’t want to hurt its feelings.” She murmured. Alice giggled distantly. “Maybe we can be friends.”

It was astonishing that she actually meant the mailbox.

Piper’s fear was slightly contagious, but Alice knew (even with how crazy she was) that panicking was not the way to handle things. “You know the doctors here are very special.” Alice said calmly, pushing Piper’s hair out of her face. “They’ll take care of your medicy-medical stuff and make you healthy.” Alice wiggled on the mat, squirming around until she could manage to hug her friend lopsidedly. “And I’ll take care of you for everything else and make you happy, which is a big big huge part of being healthy I think.” She added with an assuring nod.

Alice wiggled back away slightly, laying on her back. “I will come with you and scare away the germies.” She said, shaking her fist at the ceiling of the auditorium. “Stupid germies.”