Paint Me Mad (Mad Hatter love story, Book 1)

Chapter 5: Dodging Teacups

You know tea wasn't my favorite drink even though I lived in the tea capital of the world. My mother drank a lot of tea however I seemed to like something sweeter, so she'd always go to the market and get fresh fruit to squeeze into all kinds of juices. She was rather good at it. She use to say I got my sweet tooth from my father. She didn't talk about him a lot and the pain on her face was to much for me to ask when the subject was brought up.

Anyways back to the tea. As I was saying even living in London where teatime was practically a ritual in everyday life, I could tell by the looks of the tea party set up here, that not even London could compare.

There was three figures as we approached the wrecked long table full of spilt tea, and sweets. A windmill rushed and broken stood behind them and a slow tune played from the old player next to them. And by them I mean the three biggest misfits in the world. They seemed to be waking up from a long rest once as we approached.

One I recognized without a doubt to be the mouse who saved us from before. The second was an scrappy looking rabbit twitching uncontrollably with red crazed eyes and let out a shaking noise when he spotted us.

Then there was the last fella. He sat at the head of the table and he was the most human looking person I've seen since being here. His appearance was quit a sight however. He had a brown suit on with a large spotted bow tie. His face was pale with colored eye shadow framing his green vibrant eyes. His eyes filled with happiness looking up at us. He had curly orange red hair under a large old looking top hat.
I couldn't help but smile at the mans funny appearance. He was like no other man I've ever seen and it calmed me to be quite honest with you after what we just endured.

Suddenly I jumped a little startled as he stood up and walked across the long row of tables towards us. Not seeming to care about what he stepped on or who's tea he'd ruin. Causing the mouse and the hare to let out a few protests. 

Alice and I backed up a bit as he kneeled before us giving us an excited grin.

"It's you." His voice was well... I couldn't explain but it was warm and laced with excitement and almost relief.

"No it's not!" Protested the mouse as she fixed her teacup she had been sitting in. "McTwist brought us the wrong Alice! And some random girl with her!"

"The wrong Alice?!" The hare crazily exclaimed pulling his ears down making me throne he might pulled them clean off his head.

However the hatter was certainly not convinced.
"She's absolutely Alice! Your absolutely Alice is know you anywhere!" He turned to his friends behind him and exclaimed "I'd know him anywhere!"

This caused them to laugh including myself causing my strange maddening laughter to escape with a snort. Quickly I covered my mouth with my hand but it gained his attention anyways and he tilted his head in curiosity at me with a large smile.

"And you even brought a friend this time! Lovely laugh you got to go along with a lovey face."

My face heated up at the compliment typically not getting one such as this.

"O-oh um uh.. thank you. My name is Andromeda but you can call me Annie."

He smiled wide at me before dramatically tipping his hat off his head and bowing to me.
"The pleasure is all mine. Now!"

Suddenly he took both our hands and I yelped in surprise nearly tripping over a tea cup has he dragged us across the table once more all while talking.
"Well as you can see we're still having tea time! And it's all because I was trying to kill time waiting for your return! Terribly late you know, naughty." He sat down at his seat then put two books on one seat so Alice and I could also sit.