Chapter 2.07 The Woman with the Blue Shoes

Belle had quite a large collection of books scattered around on her floor.

She could read on her own by now, and she often managed to pull them off the bookshelf quite easily too. However, putting them back was still a difficult thing to do, so she had to just get by with tiptoeing around her room, and trying not to fall over or slip on any of the many books on the floor.

It was almost amazing how she never actually got bored of such samey looking pages. Then again, everything is a lot more magical when you're younger and don't know quite as much.

Alyssa narrowed her eyes at herself in the mirror, it was her first day at work. For some bizarre reason, most of their employees had to wear glasses, either fake or real. In her opinion, it was idiotic, but it might have been there to give off the illusion of looking smarter?
She adjusted them a little, trying to get used to seeing herself in them. Rules were rules, besides, she couldn't help but like how she looked with them on. It was almost a shame she had perfect eyesight.

She flattened down her skirt, breathing out. It seemed as if everyday she was nervous for something. Then again, a life where she's content wouldn't be all too exciting, would it? 

Alyssa had to remember that she would be starting off at almost the bottom though, seeing as she didn't go to college before getting the job. She got the job handed to her, so she couldn't get her hope up all too high for it being all too good.

"Are you going to be alright without me today?" Alyssa cuddled Belle close, not fully comfortable with leaving her alone with a babysitter. She's heard how bad some of them can be! But hopefully, nothing bad will happen today.

"Stay. No go." Was Belle's response. As far as she was aware, her mommy was leaving her all alone.

"I can't, Belley Boo." She sighed, "but I'll be back sooner than you think." She tried to put a happy spin on her leaving Belle alone for the first time. "Maybe when I get home, we can learn what tidying up is." 

Belle crinkled her nose, not liking the sound of 'tidying up'. She pouted, looking at her mommy, but was soon amazed by her own reflection in Alyssa's fake glasses. She reached to try and get them, but Alyssa moved her head away.

"Nuh uh, these are mine." She told her, laughing a little. Belle retreated her hand, but Alyssa kept a little bit of distance. As much as she loved her daughter, she didn't need her fingerprints all over her fake glasses. She was nervous enough, and didn't need mucky fingerprints from Belle.

"I'm a little surprised to see someone new here." The woman with the blue shoes commented, as Alyssa managed to match her pace. "What was your name again?" She asked. "Alice, is it?"

"Alyssa." She corrected, looking the woman up and down. She didn't quite want to admit that she had forgotten her name in return. 

She shrugged lightly, "I got the first half at least." Her eyes then narrowed at Alyssa, studying her as she paused for a moment. "Are you that girl who got offered the job as a teenager?" 

"Yep, that's me." She half smiled, stopping as she did. "I'm sorry if it sounds stupid, but what was your name again?" She asked.

"Phedra." She answered, starting to walk again. "I know there are quite a few other colourful people around here, but I'm not from around here." She then tilted her head again, seemingly studying Alyssa again. She wasn't so sure whether Phedra was more judging her than looking at her. "You got your job practically handed to you?"

"Pretty much." She answered, half smiling. "I'm not expecting it to be glamorous or anything but-" She was soon cut off by Phedra talking again.

"I just want to get this perfectly straight, you didn't have to go to college or do any extra work, you just got the job handed to you?" She raised an eyebrow. "They must have really liked you, but why didn't you start when you got an offer?"

"I went on vacation, then I got pregnant." She explained briefly, not wanting to go into all too much detail. "I don't exactly want to go into too much detail with a stranger."

Phedra shrugged one shoulder, "I get it, I'm just nosey." She laughed lightly. She then smiled softly at Alyssa, "but if it makes you feel any better, I'm sure you'll be fine today."

"I'm just a little nervous, half about being here and half about leaving my daughter without me for the first time."

Phedra hesitated, frowning a little before placing her hand on Alyssa's shoulder, "Everything will be fine, trust me. I'm sure your daughter will be fine without you, besides, she has to be on her own at some point. It's not like you can exactly follow her to school." She joked lightly, and Alyssa half smiled in return.

"I could, if I got a teaching degree." She pointed out, letting out a little laugh. "It just feels as if she's growing up quickly, you know what I mean?" She asked, as they turned 

"No, no. I do not know what you mean." Phedra spoke harshly, withdrawing her hand suddenly before sighing "Sorry, that's just a bad subject." She murmured.

Alyssa looked over at her, a little unsure about where the random outburst came from. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, honestly rather concerned.  She couldn't help the side of her that wanted to know why she was this way.

Phedra stayed quite for quite a while, honestly considering it. The only person she had told the whole truth to was her little sister Layla. Could she really confess to a family focused stranger that she left her only son with her brother to follow her own dreams? Well, right now it wasn't really what she wanted to do. She wanted to travel and teach the underprivileged , and right now she was in a town in the middle of nowhere in science offices. She knew she'd be back out flying soon though...

"Phedra?" Alyssa asked, folding her arms. She wanted to reach out and hug her, but she kept herself to herself, mostly still because they had only just met.

"No offence, but I don't exactly want to tell my life story to a stranger." Behind the false frames, there was an evident cold look directed at her. Alyssa wasn't quite so sure why or when, but she struck a nerve.

"I'm sorry." She murmured, figuring it was best. She didn't quite know how she had managed to upset her, but she had, and she felt bad.

"Its fine." Phedra answered, rather coolly, but not as cold as before. "Anyway, I didn't volunteer to talk to you while inspecting the corridor, I'm supposed to show you your new office." The smile was back on her face, as if nothing had happened. 

"Tada!" She grinned, showing off the fairly plain office. Alyssa was half hoping for a place with at least a little bit of decor, but at least there was a computer for her. 

"Its a little plain." She confessed, rubbing the back of her neck. She didn't want to seem ungrateful, but it was quite impersonal.

"The offices get nicer as you go up the ladder." She half smiled. "Make sure to tell me what the bigger ones are like. I know Shauna has the best, mostly because she's pretty much owns the place."

Alyssa nodded, "Her office is really nice and big. There's more space in there than what she actually needs. I'm sure you'll get a larger office sooner or later though." She shrugged, smiling a little.

Phedra shook her head, "I'm not going to be staying all too much longer. I want to travel the world and help people who need help." She sighed.

"So, you're going to be leaving soon?" She asked, more to clarify. "What about your family, and friends here?" She asked.

She shook her head a little. "All my family lives a few towns over. I've already done quite a lot of traveling, but I'm not done yet." She smiled softly. "There's still more people out there that need help."

Alyssa looked over at Phedra, almost a little jealous. She'd love to have an ambition like that, but that just wasn't her. "How do you do it?" She asked, quietly. "I mean, I like science and all but, I'm not as dedicated as you are to traveling and saving the world."

She shrugged a little. "When its something you want to do, you don't think about how you'll be able to do it, you just do it and not care so much about if anything goes wrong." She smiled softly "No matter what, it'll still be the thing you love."

Alyssa nodded, taking in Phedra's advice. She was really wise for her age, especially because there probably weren't all too many years between them. She couldn't help but wonder what she was doing with her own life, should she go out and travel and help people?

That probably wasn't for her though. It would be kind of cheating to steal someone else's ambition anyway.

"Anyway, I'll go through what you can do around here." Phedra smiled, and began to explain everything to do with the offices.

Alyssa was tired by the time she got home, but luckily today ran a little longer than what most days would do, so the tired feeling would only be a one time thing.. She went straight upstairs to check on Belle after dismissing the babysitter who seemed to be more drawn to the TV rather than Belle.

It was a relief to see that she was okay, and even though she did have her doubts about the babysitter, they must have done an alright job based on the house was still standing. She picked Belle up, and cuddled her precious baby girl close. 

That was when Alyssa truly realized what she wanted to do, she wanted to be the best mom for Belle and for any future children she may have. Maybe her ambition wasn't quite the 'helping the world' type, but it didn't make it any less important. She was going to be Supermom.

She had Damon over for dinner, partly to show off how she managed to make pasta without burning it. "I'm getting better, aren't I?" She grinned. "No burned bits in it this time."

"I'm impressed." He smiled back at her, "Perhaps one day you'll be able to not even worry about burned bits."

"I think that's wishful thinking." She laughed.

It was the same usual routine of having dinner and chatting. She told him all about her first day at work, and he listened and spoke about his own day. And just like before, Alyssa honestly didn't want him to leave. If she could, she would have asked him to move in with her, but it would be way too soon.

"Do you have to go?" She pouted. "We could have another adult sleepover..." She sang spoke, smiling seductively.

He grinned back, "As very tempting as that is, I can't. Tawni's coming over tomorrow, and I need to be back home. Unless if you wouldn't mind me leaving early." 

"I wouldn't mind." She grinned, pulling him towards the steps and then up to her bedroom.

Chapter 2.06 Splash                                                                                    

Chapter 2.08 Accident Prone

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AN: First of all, a massive thank you to Sunny for letting me borrow her gorgeous Phedra Dean (Pink), and for letting me put glasses on her. For those of you that don't know the Sixkiller legacy, click right here. 

I feel as if I should explain myself for the glasses thing. I usually don't like them, but I wanted to see what Alyssa would look like with glasses and I liked it, so on the glasses went. It half reminded me of what they do in Candor in Divergent, so I used the 'appearance of looking smarter' thing. I feel a little bad for giving her hipster glasses though.