Alice ran soft fingertips over the raised bumps of her burn scars, remembering the one time she'd tried to date after she'd run away. The guy had been a bouncer for one of the clubs she'd worked as DJ Mask. He was sweet and polite, but when he felt her scars it had repulsed him. He tried not to hurt her, but it was obvious that he found them distasteful, even if he had no clue why they'd happened. When she'd danced in front of her class in the tank top and shorts, they'd seen some of the tattoos but no one had asked her about them yet. The only one who knew was Mal. And he was... complicated. She was sure that he didn't mind the tattoos, but he hadn't touched the scar tissue they concealed yet. Though he actually knew why she had them, Alice was also aware that the very feel of them was repugnant. The skin was thick and a little rubbery feeling, the smooth parts weren't too bad but there were a few pitted sections that just felt like hippopotamus skin.
                              
"You're just full of cheer and pep today aren't you?" Ace asked her reflection. In return her reflection presented a bright, cheery, absolutely fake smile. "He doesn't like you. Most of the school hates you. You're going to fail. Smile you silly b****." she said through the toothy grin. It was an alteration of the mantra she used to use to psyche up before going on stage. She'd heard nobody likes you, everybody hates you. You're gonig to fail. Smile you bast***, in a movie somewhere and then made it her own. {A/N: Brownie points to anyone who knows what movie the real mantra is from}
                              
She heard a thump and frowned, not knowing if it were someone at the door or Salali falling off her bed in her sleep. Alice left the bathroom and looked around, not hearing a repeat of the sound. Just as she was about to step back inside the washroom though, there was another knock at the door. She frowned and slipped into her room to quickly pull on jeans and a tshirt so she wasn't answering the door in a towel. There was a third knock before she made it back, and she opened the door to see a happily curious looking Shawna. As soon as Shawna saw Alice though, the smile fell off her face.
                              
"You're the friend he came to see last night?" she demanded, looking less pretty and more peeved.
                              
Lightbulb moment. "Oh, no. Not me. I'm just staying in the guest bedroom for a few months. Salali is the one he came to help last night. She found out yesterday that someone she was very closed to died." Alice explained. Shawna was trying to peer past Alice's shoulder to see the inside, and it occured to Alice that maybe the girlfriend was a little worried. She pushed the door open more. "Come in, by all means. But if you can keep it quiet, I think Salali spent most of the night crying and she needs her rest."
                              
Shawna eagerly stepped inside, looking around as if she were trying to find evidence that Alice was lying. Chewing the inside of her lip, Ace wasn't sure if Shawna was motivated by insecurity or avarice, but tried to act as if she wasn't being silently accused of homewrecking. Though technically she was even if it'd been Mal that had kissed her. This time. Eeesh she really was a slut. Alice tried not to let any of her rambling inner critique reflect on her face, instead smiling pleasantly.
                              
"May I use your bathroom?" Shawna asked, eyeing Alice a little cautiously.
                              
"By all means, it's the first door on the left. My bedroom's past it and Salal's is the only room to the right. I think we may even have instant coffee, would you like a mug?" she asked. Shawna blinked at her, surprised at the courtesy and nodded.
                              
The beautiful redhead disappeared and Alice tried to ignore the fact that Shawna had sneaked past the bathroom to peek inside Alice's bedroom. Which was when she finally realized that Shawna was looking to see if Malcolm had stayed the night with her. Which logically would suggest that maybe he hadn't gone home last night. A little worm of worry wiggled into her and she squashed it, knowing that Malcolm had been in a street gang as a youth and was more than capable handeling himself. Shawna reappeared as the hot water indicated it had boiled and Alice poured two mugs out. There was no milk in the fridge, nor sugar, so both were stuck drinking it black.