IMPORTANT DO NOT SKIP: The next chapter, is not a chapter. (NOT THE ONE YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ). It is an ad to do with drinking and driving. It is school related SO PLEASE. VOTE AND COMMENT THINGS ONLY RELATED TO DRINKING AND DRIVING. If you want to tell me to update, by all means go ahead but on this chapter. But, the next chapter is going to be seen by my teacher so please the more you comment and vote I get extra credit for my grade. Comment stories you’ve heard or seen or even witnessed TO DO WITH DRINKING AND DRIVING ONLY. Please do this for me, my grade is at stake. Thanks and I love you all with the bottom of my heart to the moon and back! <33 Also if you follow me on Instagram like the picture as well, the more I post it on Social Media and the more likes I get the higher my grade. My instagram is xoxo_mysteriousgirl if you are not following me already. THANKSSS!!!

Chapter Fifty: Shopping with Menstrual Cycles

“So how long will you be gone for?” Thomas asked, my parents as they shrugged on a light coat.

“A week at the most, we will be back next Sunday and I expect nothing to be broken.” She said, looking at Thomas. I stifled a laugh, but she soon turned to me with a glare. “And no one in this house making world headlines or trending on twitter.”

Thomas let out a snort, “You were trending for two days, with the hashtag ‘Alice gets arrested.’”

I rolled my eyes, “At least people know me.”

“Not in a good way.”

“Look, just listen to Melinda and Robert and nothing will go wrong.” My mother, said trying to assure herself rather than us.

“You are not allowed to leave the house under any circumstances. You got me kids?” My father said, looking at me in particular.

I just shrugged, it was like I was in lock down. The last day I left the house was Friday and that was only to clear out my locker from school.

“What if there is an emergency?” Thomas asked, suddenly.

“Like what?” My father asked, Thomas narrowing his eyes.

“Like someone might have possibly hacked into some confidential records and the FBI is tracking the hacker as we speak?” Thomas mumbled, looking down at his shoes to avoid eye contact.

I widened my eyes, as my mother let out a shriek. “You did what? Thomas Justine Montclair, what on earth did you do?”

My brother let out a groan, as he tilted his head back. “You honestly couldn’t have given me a boy’s middle name?”

I stifled my laugh, as I looked away knowing if I made eye contact with Thomas I was going to burst out laughing.

“Your mother and I were expecting another girl. And your mother really loved the name Justine.” My father explained, trying to explain the rationale of picking Thomas’ middle name.

He nodded his head, “Because that makes so much sense.”

“I will be calling Ricky when I am on the plane to let him know that all of your electronics including your computer is confiscated while we are gone. We will be having a serious chat about this hacking business you have going on because frankly it is unacceptable.” My father told Thomas in a strict tone.

I let out a few chuckles, “What is unacceptable is that a ten year old can hack into confidential records and that doesn’t scare you guys at all? Knowing that if he could do it, then anyone can.”

“There is no way he could get into them without leaving a trace.” My father said.

I shrugged, as my mother came around to give Thomas both and I hugs and a kiss on the cheeks. “Be good.” She said, to the both of us.

I nodded my head, “Mom. You left as thousands of times before why are you so worried about us now?” I questioned.

My mother just raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrows, “Do I need to repeat myself about your brother’s hobbies and you trending?”

I just chuckled nervously, “I am good.”

My mother just rolled her eyes, “Be good. I love you.”

One of the guards opened the front door for my parents as they were ushered outside. They were flying to England for the week for some political business that I paid no attention to whatsoever.

We waved as they shut the door behind themselves. I stared at the door for a couple of minutes before I turned to Thomas. “What do you want to do while-" I cut myself off when I noticed my brother was no longer there.

I sighed, knowing exactly where he disappeared off to.

*

“That is not fair.” I said, exasperated. “You can’t have beaten me, you know nothing about cars.”

Thomas just scoffed, “What does Mario Kart have to do anything with the knowledge of cars? I beat you in a stroller.” He said, amusement in his voice.

I rolled my eyes chucking my controller on the couch as I took a seat. After Thomas has disappeared back into the cave he calls his room, Melinda and Ricky came up to confiscate all of his electronics. It took a lot of yelling and prying to remove Thomas off his computer. He held onto that thing as if it was his baby and it was being taken away by the government or something. But I could imagine that’s exactly how he felt at that very moment.

“What do you want to do now?” Thomas questioned, taking a seat next to me.

I shrugged as my phone began to ring. My phone was the one thing that my parents didn’t take away from me, they took my laptop but didn’t bother with my phone because unless they needed me or if I wanted to sneak away they could easily track me. Which I found stupid because where could I possibly go?

“Hello?” I said, into the phone waiting for a response.

“Get out of here you morons!” I heard Sarah yell from the other end.

“But, we want to ask her something!” I heard someone respond.

“Yeah, Jake and I knew there was something different about that girl. We just want to ask her things regarding security about the Whitehouse.”

I heard as she let out a groan, “I swear to God. If you guys don’t get out of here I can promise you that there will be one less missing twin in this house.”

I chuckled, as I heard a door shut loudly. “Hello?” I repeated into the line.

“Hey Ali!” Sarah said, “Sorry you had to hear that. But, the twins-“

“They wanted to talk to me.” I said, filling in the rest of her sentence.

I could imagine her smiling on the other end. “Yeah. They saw all the headlines and everything and when they finally connected the dots like the rest of the world they keep pestering me to invite you over so they can attack you with their questions.”

I smiled, Sarah’s brother’s reminded me a lot of Thomas and I could imagine that they both would get along great. I looked at Thomas who was just looking at me confused to who I was talking to.

“So, what’s up?” I asked, changing the topic.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping with me.”

“Sorry, I am still under lockdown.”

“You’re kidding me? Will this lockdown continue into prom?”

“Prom?”

I could imagine her nodding her head, “Yeah. Why else do you think I want to go shopping? I hate it, the only reason I am going is because Andy asked me to prom and I have absolutely nothing to wear.”

Shopping wasn’t exactly my thing and I doubt my parents would even let me go to prom. “I am sorry Sar, but I don’t think I can go. My parents just left and I doubt anyone would let me go.”

“Please?” Sarah begged.

I sighed, “Why can’t you just ask Holly or something?”

“Holly’s not going either.”

“Why’s that?” I questioned, curious.

“That’s the weekend she is packing up for Montana. She is leaving with her dad the following week.” Sarah explained.

I bit my lip, I still didn’t understand why she is moving with her father. Didn’t she have a choice in the matter?

“Sarah how come her dad won the right to keep Holly? Nothing is wrong with her mother, she is perfectly fit and capable to care for Holly.”

Last time I checked, Aunt Teddy was a very successful Business Woman. I didn’t understand it wasn’t like she was unable to care for Holly, she was. She has been for the last seventeen years.

“Holly’s parents are both fit to care for her. Her dad had decided he wanted to move back to his hometown in Montana and wanted Holly to come with her, while her mother was planning on staying here in DC. The judge allowed her to choose who he wanted to pick, because she is over the limit.”

“And she picked her dad.” I mumbled.

“Yeah,” Sarah said.

“Why?” I questioned, “There is only a month left a school anyways.”

“She wanted to escape everything.”

“And by everything you mean, me.” I told Sarah.

I could imagine her giving me a pitiful look, “I am sorry Ali.”

“It’s okay.”

It was quiet for a few minutes, I was too consumed in my thoughts to say anything. I couldn’t believe Holly would leave the place she grew up just because of one stupid fight. Over a stupid boy. Okay, Ben wasn’t stupid but you get me.

“I will go shopping with you.” I said, not caring that my parents grounded me. This was important to Sarah, it was important to me. Plus she was the only one who wasn’t mad at me.

“You will?” Sarah asked, excitement clear in her voice.

I nodded, “But, we might have some company with us.” I said, glancing at Thomas’ direction a smirk on my face as the wheels began to churn. “Meet me at the mall in an hour, I will meet you by the entrance.”

I heard Sarah shriek, “Thanks. I love you.” She said, not before hanging up.

I glanced in Thomas’ direction as I placed my phone down. Thomas noticed the look I was giving him and he gave me dirty look in return. “Whatever you want the answer is no.”

“I doubt you want to say no to me. Trust me.”

“And why is that my dear sister?” Thomas asked, mockingly.

I shrugged, “You get something in return.” Thomas raised his eyebrows, waiting for me to continue. “You get to spend time with me.” I said, enthusiastically.

He let out a snort, as his attention went back to the screen. “I am good, thanks.”

“How about this? You get to spend a day with two prodigies that go to that brainy school in central DC.” I said, remembering the conversation I had when I first met Sarah and she told me about her two brothers. I am aware that they were two years older than Thomas but something told me that they were going to get along just fine.

“You mean Worthington? The Worthington?” Thomas asked, his jaw dropping open and his eyes wide with shock.

I tilted my head, “I think so.”

“You are aware that it is one of the toughest prodigy schools in the entire country. To get in you are might as well be the next Einstein.” Thomas said, still clearly in shock.

“Okay. Look, will you accompany me or not? Because we need to get moving, my friend.” I said, glancing at the time on my phone.

“Okay. But, how in the world are you going to change Ricky’s mind. He knows that we aren’t allowed to leave.”

I waved my hand in dismissal, “Don’t worry. I got this.” I said, as we left Thomas’ room.

“That’s what I am afraid off.” I heard Thomas mutter, from behind me.

*

“Thanks for coming with me again, Alice.” Sarah said, rummaging through dresses.

“No problem. Ricky was persistent on letting me leave the house when he heard my excuse.”

Sarah stopped rummaging through dresses when she looked at me with raised eyebrows. “What’d you do?” She asked, hesitantly.

“I told him I leaked through my mattress.” I said, smirking. “Told him it was the time of the month and I was out of tampons and pads so he insisted that he drives me to the local mall to get whatever I needed.”

“He didn’t think of driving you to the drugstore or something?” Sarah questioned.

I shrugged, “I don’t think so. He seemed kind of in a panic when I told him what happened.”

“Then how did you get your brother out of the house?” She questioned.

“Well, at first I was going to make up another stupid excuse for Thomas. But, as I was leaving the house Thomas followed and when I had asked if he could come with, Ricky didn’t even bat an eyelash. He was just too frantic to get both of us out of the house as fast as possible. I am pretty sure he thinks that I was going to die of a menstrual cycle.”

Sarah chuckled, “That was very cruel of you.”

“Don’t even go there, you are the one who needed me.”

She rolled her brown eyes, “It doesn’t even matter at this point. As long as the twins and Thomas remain at that tech shop by the front we could shop for hours. Jake and Justin love that store, something about the latest models and gadgets.”

I snorted, knowing that Thomas was going to now make that store home. Just like he did with the pantry at home, he labeled all of the foods or well the ones that he liked his. And if there was anything missing that had his name on it. Trust me, when I say Thomas will know. Sometimes I think that he had installed a secret camera in there, I am just not a hundred percent sure where considering the pantry was very large.

“Why don’t you try on this?” Sarah asked, holding out a white chiffon dress out to me. It was a pretty dress and had a V-neck cut out something that I usually wouldn’t wear, because my father deemed anything that had a V-neck as inappropriate.

I shrugged, grabbing the dress in my hands. “It’s nice. But, I don’t think I am going to prom. Considering the whole population of the school thinks I am a liar.”

Sarah sighed, her hands clutching her light pink dress as she admired it in the mirror. “I knew you were going to say that.” She said, turning to face me. “But, don’t you think maybe you should go. You have never been to a school dance and isn’t prom like ever girls dream? I know it is mine.”

I glanced at the dress in my hand. “But, my parents.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Screw what your parents think. They aren’t always going to be there to shelter you every single step of the way, are they?” I shook my head, no. “Exactly. So get your ass into that dressing room and try the dress on this instant.”

My eyes widened, I have never heard Sarah swear before. And when it came out of her mouth it sounded so foreign.

I listened to her, nevertheless. Stripping my clothes off and pulling the white dress over my head. When I had put it on, I walked out of the changing room unzipped.

“Hey could you zip me up?” I asked, Sarah. Who was still admiring her pink dress in the mirror. She walked over to me, as I pulled my hair up to let her zip me.

Ever since the last time I had cut my hair, it has grown significantly. My dark brown hair was now past my shoulders and I could finally tie it into a proper ponytail.

Once she was done, I turned to face Sarah. “So what do you think?” I asked, twirling around.

She gasped. “It looks beautiful.” She said, softly.

I smiled as I walked to the mirror. The dress had fit me perfectly, it was beautiful and hugged all the curves of my body. It also had a small train which I admired.

“You have to get it.” Sarah said, grabbing my hair from the back and placing it all on one side. “And you have to go to prom. Gavin won’t be able to take his eyes of you.” She let out a slight snort, “What am I saying? Gavin always had his eyes for you and only you.”

I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to go to prom, but I didn’t want to be in more trouble with my parents that I am in now.

“I’ll take it.” I said, as I continued to look myself in the mirror.

I heard Sarah let out a squeal from behind me. “Great! I will let the sales lady know.” Sarah said, disappearing of to the front of the store, still in her prom dress.

“This is for you Gavin,” I whispered. “And only you.”

I wanted to make things right with Gavin. I know he hated me for lying when he was being honest with me, yes he did just use me for a stupid bet which I am still pissed off about. But, knowing that he and the rest of the school peg me as a liar and most probably a scamp. Is something I don’t want to be known for and by going to prom to make everything right is what it takes. Then God dammit, I am going to prom and there is nothing my parents can or do that will change my mind.

*****

Hello Lovelies,

Long-time no see huh? Or chat. I am in exam mode, this chapter was not supposed to be updated until after the 27th. But, I honestly couldn’t resist. It’s short and I don’t care to be frank because I have three thousand other thinks to do but please I hope you enjoy this. Alice is going to prom while her parents are in England… What’d you all think of that? And Holly is not even bothering to go to Prom, running away from her problems… like someone else I know *raises hands up, in shame. And Ben, what happened to him? Still a lot to be revealed stay tuned. Let’s get this chapter and the next to 5k votes and 3k comments! :)

IMPORTANT DO NOT SKIP IF YOU DID IN THE BEGINNING, I AM POSTING IT AGAIN: The next chapter, is not a chapter. It is an ad to do with drinking and driving. It is school related SO PLEASE. VOTE AND COMMENT THINGS ONLY RELATED TO DRINKING AND DRIVING. If you want to tell me to update, by all means go ahead but on this chapter. But, the next chapter is going to be seen by my teacher so please the more you comment and vote I get extra credit for my grade. Comment stories you’ve heard or seen or even witnessed. Please do this for me, my grade is at stake. Thanks and I love you all with the bottom of my heart to the moon and back! <33 Also if you follow me on Instagram like the picture as well, the more I post it on Social Media and the more likes I get the higher my grade. My instagram is xoxo_mysteriousgirl if you are not following me already. THANKSSS!!!

This is dedicated to @xForever_Awkwardx for the lovely cover on the side. Thanks! :)

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Xoxo_mysteriousgirl