First Impressions... never heard of them, tag; Alice

[Alli Cromwell]

Alli aimlessly walked down the halls of Gallagar consumed by her own thoughts. Owen's had changed in the year that she had been gone. There were many new rules, some that she didn’t agree with and others that she knew meant well. It was just hard for Alli to understand why anyone would go looking for the ghost of Owen Academy. Sighing, Alli ran a hand through her hair and turned down the hallway that would lead her to her dorm room. It seemed she had been doing this a lot lately, sighing that is. She knew what the cause of her sudden discomfort was too. No, it wasn’t her roommate; in fact Alli had yet to meet her roommate, she wasn't even sure on her name. The two girls never seemed to be in the room at the same time and if they were in the same room one was most likely asleep. But back to the cause of her sighing, it wasn’t her roommate and it wasn’t her classes, it was the fact that her ex-boyfriend just so happened to be an intern at Owen’s this year. At first Alli thought it was all a bad dream but now when she would hear someone bring him up in a conversation or even think she would hear him walking by the first thing Alli would think is ‘Fanf*cktastic!’ Shaking her head, Alli scowled at herself for thinking so harshly.
All looked up from her spot on the floor and realized that she had walked right past the room. Sighing again Alli turned around and made her way back over, unlocked the door and threw herself on her bed screaming a muffled scream into her pillow.

[Alice Sybil]

Her bare wet feet glided along the tile floors as she walked from the sink to the door. A long white cigarette hanging from the corner of her lips. For once, the bathroom was empty while she was in there. She had a moment to sit and think with nothing but the sound of water running and the obnoxious sound of her hair dryer.

Alice left the water running. With so much steam filling the bathroom, the smoke from her cigarette mixed in well. Luckily, the place still smelled of lavender from her body wash as well.
It was the perfect place for her to sneak away to when no one was around.

Today had been quite a slow day. One teacher had called out sick, and Alice had decided it was time to just skip her next class.
Today would be a day of rest, or so she hoped anyway.

She leaned in, her stomach pressing against the coldness of the sink as she inspected her hair closely. Her hair dryer echoed through the bathroom. A small bit of ash fell into the sink, slipping down the drain. There were just some moments in life where your head if perfectly silent. Those are the best moments. Alice willingly let the hair dryer muffle out any sounds in her head. She was perfectly relaxed.

It took a long moment for her hair to be just dry enough. She carefully pulled the plug from the socket and placed the hair dryer in her bag. She took her time with slipping on her long black leggings that ended so precisely at her ankles. She even waited for her cigarette to burn out before throwing on her fitted white tee-shirt.

The toilet flushed loudly as the illegal contraband circled down into the hole, completing her most perfect bathroom visit.
Alice slipped out of the bathroom, making her way down the hall and around the corner to her room. Maybe a nap at this point would complete her most perfect hour?

A half open door said other wise.
Someone was in her room? Or maybe she forgot to close the door all the way.
Her slightly damp hair fell over her shoulder as she peaked in the room. Her eyes scanned every corner until she came upon her long lost room mate.

"I wasn't sure you really existed."

It was the most casual comment to the most casual entrance. Alice walked in, setting her bag against the wall carefully. Looks like she wouldn't get her alone time today.

[Alli Cromwell]

Alli sighed when her roommate came into the room. “I wasn’t sure if you really existed.” She heard her say, ‘I wish I wasn’t,’ Alli thought while picking up her head to look at her roommate. The girl had wild wavy dark brown hair and hazel eyes, ‘well at least it won’t be boring living with this girl.’ Sitting up Alli crossed her legs and stared at her roommate, a small forced smile came across her face as she introduced herself, “Hi, I’m Alli Cromwell.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, her nerves really did seem to be shot this time. “Stupid rumors,” she mumbled under her breath while running her hand through her hair again. Of course the year that she comes back all the kids at Owen’s decide that it’d be fun to start rumors and Alli just so happened to be part of one of the most annoying and bothersome rumors at Owen’s. The rumor was that she and Ian (her ex) still had feels for each other. It hurt to think that someone would ever say such a thing because she knew that it wasn’t at all true, well as least on Ian’s part. Ian had made it clear in the last couple of weeks that he wanted nothing to do with Alli and for some odd reason it hurt. Alli knew that it shouldn’t bother her; she had Luke waiting for her back in New York. Yet her heart still held feelings for Ian, ‘Damn him’ her mind growled as it thought about the past. Shaking her head, Alli looked back over at her roommate, she reminded Alli of when she first started going to Owen’s. The baggy clothes, crazy hair and all that jazz it was such a flash back.

[Alice Sybil]

Her bed creaked as she plopped down in the center of it. Her purple sheets creased as she did. Maybe she could still find time for that nap? Alice had yet to look back towards her new room mate. She carried on as if she were alone. Her fingers reached into the deep thickness of her hair in an attempt to shake any remaining water out. She could feel this girl looking at her. If it were Alice she probably would have just kept her face in her pillow and her thoughts to herself.
This girl did not operate that way.

"Well existence is necessary."

She leaned down, brushing whatever dirt or dust off the bottom of her feet that she might have picked up on the trip over here. The black nail polish on her toes was chipping away. She had to re-do them.

"Alice Sybil."

She didn't even have to look at her room mate, who was apparently named Alli, to know that she had some personal trauma going on. This is where Alice became awkward. She didn't know if she was supposed to reciprocate or offer a friendly ear. She didn't really know this girl. She couldn't spot out her expectations just yet.

"People only make rumors for two reasons...they either need something to talk about or they need to distract away from something else."

Alice took a moment to glance up at her room mate. She looked so distressed.

"People do stupid things when they are bored."

[Alli Cromwell]

Alli shifted her gaze away from her roommate and looked out the window. Her side bangs swept in front of her eyes blocking out a majority of the picture. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the hair out of her way and glared at the outside world.

“Whoever starts rumor is a fool. They have no sense of self and feel that the only way they can feel good about themselves is talking about other people.” Alli’s voice came out a soft thunder as her glare at the world outside deepened.

They would pay and they would pay dearly. No one ever messes with a Cromwell and walks out untouched. Every person that has tried to destroy the things that Alli has made or even Alli herself had been torn to pieces and just because this was high school didn’t mean that Alli wouldn’t do to them what she has done to some many others.

After a minute or two, Alli noticed a thick and heavy silence that had fallen over the room. Looking out of the corner of her eye she gave her roommate an apologetic look. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting your quiet time. If you want I can go else were…” Alli paused and sat up in her bed. The black and white sheets shifted with movement making the bed into an unattractive mess. While she was sure that once she stood up she wouldn’t be dizzy, Alli rose from her spot on her bed and straightened out her shirt and the covers. Once that task had been completed, Alli ran a hand threw her hair and let it fall to her side. She had been doing that a lot more since she came back to school; the stress here was almost if not more than the stress that the company gave her. Turning to Alice, Alli gave her a small smile and nodded.

“Guess I might see you around.” She joked, Alli knew that the two girls would not see each much after this meeting. Walking to the door Alli reached the door knob but stopped. Turning around again she looked at Alice and out of complete curiosity asked, “Do you by chance know who started the rumor about one of the seniors liking the new intern in the theater department?” The question in Alli’s mind seemed innocent enough that she could simply ask it in passing.

[Alice Sybil]

Her eyes remained blankly fixed on Alli. Alice didn't a half of her brain to notice that obviously there was a rumor going around about her room mate. Someone doesn't just throw out a topic about something so random to someone they hardly know. Alice wasn't much of one for rumors. Every day there is a rumor about someone brewing. There were plenty rumors about Ms. Sybil here. It was the way of a school. Although, she never let it get to her. She didn't personally believe rumors, let alone carry them on.

"Rumors are rumors. They shouldn't be a problem if they aren't true."

Her eyebrows shifted up before she stood up and walked over to her clothes hamper. Alice threw her dap towel into the basket. It was almost laundry day. Hopefully, she wouldn't have another awkward meeting with Alessandra. While thinking about her past awkward experiences, another one had started. A heavy silence fell on the room like a ton of bricks. Alice rustled her fingers through her wet hair again, making sure to get any left over dampness out of her hair. She could smell her shampoo.

The awkwardness had obviously made it's way over to Alli as well. Within a few seconds she was up and half way out the door.

"It's your room too. I'm not going to kick you out."

She looked over towards this girl with a smile on her face and worry in her eyes. If Alli needed to be anywhere, it was in the privacy of her own room.

"Stand up for yourself."

It was a general comment. It wasn't aimed at just her kicking herself out of her own room, or the rumors. It was aimed at both. Why not kill two birds with one stone. Her fingers slipped from her hair as she walked back over to her bed. Alice hardly ever saw her room mate. Her presence may taking adjusting to, but Alice always found a way to adapt to new schools and new room mates. She had been through enough of them. Her bed creaked as she settled back into the spot she sat. Something was telling her that a conversation about school and boyfriends was about to start.

"I don't help spread rumors, and I don't care who does what with who. Make love, right?"

Alice glanced up at her room mate, a devilish smile across her lips. The smallest laugh slipped out as she laid down on the dark purple sheets.

"Do you know who started the rumor about the new painter who has an eating disorder? It's hard to get down to orientation of a rumor. They just pop up from everyone's throats some days."

[Alli Cromwell]

Alli let a slight smile cross her face, “You make a very good point.” She said to Alice as she closed the door behind her and walked over to her bed. Forget trying to act proper and well behaved Alli thought. ‘I’m at Owens and not in New York, who’s gonna care if I act out.’ Alli’s smile turned into a devilish grin as she looked at Alice. “So they’ve started a rumor about you too, huh?” Alli questioned while laughing quietly. Alli studied Alice for a second and shook her head, laughter filling her eyes. “They have no clue about what people, who have eating disorders look like, do they? I mean really I have seen my fair share of women and men with eat disorders I you look nothing like them.” Crossing her legs Alli rested her head against her fits as her elbows dug into her thighs.

After a moment of silence Alli spoke up in a soft voice as she commented on Alice telling her to stand of for herself. “You’re not the first person to tell me something like that, to stand up for myself I mean.” Alli paused while flipping her thoughts around in her seeing if she should talk about what was really on her mind. “My friend Dannie tells me things like that all the time but you see I don’t like drawing attention to myself, the media is a really pain the ass and it’s hard to shut them up. And of course as soon as you say something about a rumor that they start…well I’m sure you’re familiar with celebrity magazines. ” Shrugging Alli started to braid her hair while going sightly crossed eyed in order to see the braid in front of her face. “Soooo, you’re in art?” Alli asked deciding that she should try to get to know her roommate.

[Alice Sybil]

Alice's eyes slid closed as she listened to the door close, not hinting towards which direction her room mate stood. From the creak in the old wood floor, she could only assume she had been on the same side as Alice. She hadn't decided to leave, either decision didn't both Alice. Although, it was nice to actually know her room mate and have a voice to the face.

“So they’ve started a rumor about you too, huh?”

Her voice only confirmed her previous educational guess. She looked back up towards the girl. Her eyes meeting a devilish grin and a quiet laugh. This girl wasn't as sweet as she looked, or she was just trying to match Alice. She wouldn't be surprised...she had that effect. There was a bit of rebel in there, though. Alice could find it from a mile a way.

“They have no clue about what people, who have eating disorders look like, do they? I mean really I have seen my fair share of women and men with eat disorders I you look nothing like them.”

Alice kept quiet, listening to Alli re-confirm what she already knew about herself. Sadly people didn't have as much logical thinking as her room mate luckily had. Once again, without noticing it, Alice had let the conversation fall one sided. Silence was always a killer. After a minute she sat up, her lips parting. Before she could even get a word out, Alli had beaten her to the punch.

“You’re not the first person to tell me something like that, to stand up for myself I mean.”

She looked up towards her.

"I'm not surprised.

A bit blunt...but...she wasn't.

“My friend Dannie tells me things like that all the time but you see I don’t like drawing attention to myself, the media is a really pain the ass and it’s hard to shut them up. And of course as soon as you say something about a rumor that they start…well I’m sure you’re familiar with celebrity magazines. ”

Truth be told. It was quite the opposite.

"I actually don't like them...let alone read them."

From the way this conversation was falling it was looking like Alli might be a bit of a well known name where she came from. Unfortunately.....Alice's mind couldn't pull up a place where she had read about her before. Until now...Alice didn't know who she was. This was information that could go either way.

"Soooo, you're in art?"

It was Alice's turn to share.

"Painting. I'm assuming you're a singer."

[Alli Cromwell]

"Painting. I'm assuming you're a singer."

Alli heard Alice comment after she presumed that she was in art. Shrugging Alli ruffled her hair a bit and nodded. “Yeah but I’m not never good. I haven’t been practicing much so I’m not as good as I used to be.” A smile formed across Alli’s face when she realized that Alice said she specialized in painting. The subject reminded her of her cousin Nick. “What kind of paintings do you usually paint? I mean like what ummm… oh I don’t remember what they’re called… I guess what I’m trying to say is what do you use, oils, water colors that kind of stuff?” Alli knit her eyebrows together as she tried to get her point across. She would have to call Nick later and ask her all about art so that she would be able to understand the terminology. It made Alli happy that Alice didn’t read magazine, it meant that they could have ‘normal’ conversations with one another and she wouldn’t have to worry about the company beginning brought up in a conversation. “I have a cousin who’s pretty good at art.” Ruffling her hair against Alli continued, “He used to go here but after I left for a year he decided to go live in Rome with some family that the he could study there. “ Looking back over at Alice, she concluded, “I think the two of you would have gotten along well.” Maybe Alli could convince Nick to come in for next semester. Owen’s needed another trouble maker everyone was so uptight.