unheavenly creatures

Big Fun

ALICE

The sky is a blended mosaic of blue, violet, and pink when I wake up. It's the first time in a while that I haven't been passed out from an attack or heavily slept in since arriving into town. I'm actually up before the girls in the bedroom. When I do come to my senses, I get up from the couch and check the time on the stove. Is it only 5:40? I move around the living room real quick and glance down at the little coffee table by the sofa. Last night, I began scribbling down how I would go about getting Hiram involved into my Hal problem. I pick up my notes, attempting to read my handwriting in the faint morning light.

Go to Pembrooke? Have him come to Pop's? The trailer park? Do I get Gladys involved too?

I must have passed out while in the process of formulating a plan. I lower the paper down and let out a long groan. I think about going back to sleep, but the thought of Hiram dropping by at any moment between now and the later half of the morning keeps me jolted. And I want to stay awake in case Sabrina or Veronica come out from the bedroom.

I decide to throw on my boots and a sweater, and I head out of the trailer. Maybe a good, long walk can allow me to finalize the details in my head. The leaves on the ground crunch as I walk to the outer edges of the trailer park, heading more towards the woods. The sun begins to peek through the trees, making the sky more pink and orange. I see my breath every time I exhale. My brain goes through the options on repeat. What do I even say to Hiram? Would he take me seriously? Should I even trust him to begin with?

I begin to talk out loud, "So remember that guy you saw me with at school? The one who scared you that night? Yeah, well he's a demon and he's out and.....No that won't work." My muttering turns into rambling after a good amount of walking. Eventually I get frustrated and turn back around, returning to my trailer.

The whole situation is oddly symmetrical to me. Just years ago, I planned with Hal to get back at Hiram for....whatever it was he did. Now, I have to meet with Hiram to take down Hal. The roles are reversed now, yet the scenarios are similar. Somewhat similar, if I'm honest. In Hiram's case, all he ever did was play in on the jokes classmates made about me, hit me up for drugs those few times, and called me the Acid Queen. Hal....he's a whole other problem, and much worse. Now that I've had the 25 years to think about it, he always had been a problem. Ever since I let Hal come to school with me.

It was his idea to go after Hiram first. It was a week after the Halloween Party, and by that point people had dropped the talk about my trip to the Conway House. Only two people still brought it up religiously. One was Penelope, just because she wanted to pester me. The other was Hiram......for reasons I didn't want to know back then. At that point, Hal became a bit more familiar with the faces of Riverdale High, Hiram included, and he began to formulate some opinions of their behavior all on his own.

"So this boy showed up from New York?" he asked me when we were in my room after school one day. I think I was putting away some laundry when we had this conversation. I huffed at his question and folded up a flannel FP let me borrow.

"Wouldn't surprise me if that's where he gets his "holier than thou" atttitude. That or the fact that his family is loaded." I made air quotes with my fingers. Hal laid on my bed all confused at the gesture. I rolled my eyes before remembering that he's a supernatural creature - he wouldn't know my kind of language, or one of any kid in the 90s.

He sat up, resting his elbows on his knees and interlacing his fingers. "And he just thinks he can use you as a drug mule?"

"It's not that big of a deal, Hal." I tried to shrug it off. I turned my back to him so I could tuck some pants in my drawer. "It's the general rep I've received. I'm everyone's candy girl in Riverdale. Probably will be until I can get myself out of this place." It was true - with college coming so soon, I wanted to get as far away from Riverdale as possible. I didn't want to be stuck having to care for the Serpents, or for my father. I wanted to be someplace where I could truly better my witchcraft. Where I no longer had to be Acid Queen Alice. I could be....just Alice.