Queen of Spades (House of Car...

Salali had told Alice that she would take Monster for the eleven day trip and helped Alice go shopping to get travel appropriate clothes. There were two days devoted to travel, so the trip was nine days long in paradise. Not bad at all. Alice was hoping that the change in geography might help her leave the nightmares behind. If nothing else, she had so many plans with her friends that she was wondering if nine days was going to be enough time to do it all. It was a school trip and with this many people around, Ace knew it meant very little alone time with Malcolm, especially since there were hostile witnesses like Lexi to spy. So she and Malcolm had agreed to try and be as cautious as possible, even limiting their contact where others could see if so no one started to wonder. Alice was planning to stay busy and try not to die when Mal was wearing just his swimming trunks.

Trying to hustle almost two hundred bleary-eyed, grumpy highschool seniors through the airpart at 8 am was no fun task. Alice was thrilled at hte prospect of flying, it had been so long since she travelled. Her friends all huddled together, some closer than necessary. After Lexi's confrontation and Alice's outburts, Sammy and Butch had become an item. So when they wanted to cuddle during the flight, Alice ended up trading seats with three different students until by chance she ended up next to Malcolm. Unlike her peers, she had no problem sitting next to a chaperone.

"Esa ropa se ve muy bien." Malcolm complimented. (That outfit looks great). Alice smirked, none of the other students within ear shot were fluent in Spanish. Ace had known that they were spending the day flying and shuffling around, so she'd gone for comfort that would work in the hear of Mexico. She wore a white peasant skirt, loose and flowy with a dark brown lacy tank top under a shiney brown button up shirt. Her passport hung around her neck, under her shirts and she wore practical and comfortable running shoes. Malcolm was wearing his battered jeans and a gray jersy.

"Usted debe mantener su criterio hasta que haya visto el resto de mi armario. Creo que hay algunas piezas que tendrás que decir acerca de las palabras." Alice warned. (you should hold your judgement until you've seen the rest of my wardrobe. I think there are a few pieces you'll have words to say about).

They spent the rest of the flight to the larger airport flirting in Spanish. Alice would describe some of her swim suits or the clothes she'd bought and Malcolm would tell her what he thought. Sometiems what he thought was very, very steamy. But Alice managed not to blush, or even tell him the most response inducing outfit she'd brought.

The mass of bodies had to shuffle through another airport and here is where the frustration began. The next flight wasn't for several hours yet. So how do you keep 170 some odd students entertained for four hours? Most of them slept, slumped in chairs with music blaring in their ears. THe only advantage to the sheer size ofthis group was that they had over half the airplane terminal to themselves. Those that weren't sleeping were wandering, either shopping or trying to get something to eat. The chaperones were conferring in the bar section, not drinking but using the adult area to ensure that hteir discussions were private, so Alice sat with her friends, everyone huddled in to listen to her mp3 player. She told them her 'boyfriend' had given her a travel playlist to listen to so now her friends were getting a pre-release sneak preview. The other students that were fans looked so jealous that Alice felt like giving them some songs too. But she didn't have the computer to do it with right now, so she decided to pass her mp3 player around during the flight so the others could listen to one song each.

West slumped over Alice's shoulder. "Pasar una semana viendo Angel en un bikini y no poder hacer nada al respecto todos los ojos mirándola me va a matar." he groaned in Spanish. (Spending a week watching Angel in a bikini and not being able to do anything about all the eyes watching her is going to kill me). They'd started to use code names for hteir secret lovers so no one could accidentally figure it out. "Cómo están usted y Parca en pie?" (How are you and Reaper standing it?).

Alice grinned at her love struck friend, knowing the signs from experiencing them herself. "Parca y yo estamos pensando en pasar notas en español utilizando nuestros nombres en clave." (Reaper and I are planning on passing notes in Spanish using our code names). she replied. It sounded very spy movie but made Alice giggle. Malcolm called her Corazon and he was obviously Reaper. Slowly the grimness of his old alias was being replaced with a sense of humour and irony.

"Notas?" West asked, sounding skeptical but curious.

"Notas." Alice confirmed, not gonig into detail of the nature of their notes. It wasn't his buisness that Malcolm's note to her left her face burning red and her body aching furiously. "Esperar, yo soy el corazón, es Parca, ella es Angel, ¿qué estás otra vez?" (Wait, I'm Corazon, he's Reaper, she's Angel, what're you again?). Alice asked West, not having heard it yet.

"Lobo." West replied. (Wolf). Alice stared at his gold eyes for a moment, immediately understanding where the nicname came from.

"I hate it when you guys do that." Kim complained to them. "I feel like you're sharing secrets and it's not polite." the little brunette pouted.

"I'm sorry." Alice apologized. "We're not telling secrets about you guys, I promise. Just private things. I'll try not to do it around you anymore." she offered.

"Weren't you all supposed to learn some key phrases in Spanish anyways?" West asked, smoothly turning the conversation back onto the others.

"¿Dónde está el baño?" Kim automatically replied. (Where is the bathroom?)

"Una cerveza, por favor." Justine said with a smirk. (One beer please).

"Donde estoy?" Butch asked, sounding honesty confused. (Where am I?)

"¿Dónde están los chicos guapos?" Theresa asked and Alice laughed. (Where are the good looking guys?)

"Sí, no, gracias, de nada, por favor and taco." Sam added with a quirky grin. (Yes, no, thank you, you're welcome, please and taco).

"You are all so lame." Alice teased with a laugh.

"Did you guys seriously only learn one line each?" West asked, laughing as well.

"We don't need to know that much. Besides, you guys are fluent so we kind of figured..." Kim trailed off, knowing they were busted.

"You figured we could act as translators." Alice stated plainly. It was smart as far as ideas go, but Alice realized that it meant either her or West would have to be with them at all times. They'd have to take turns sneaking away to see their lovers. Bloody hell.

Alice had tucked her winter jacket away before checking her luggage, and now she had only her small backpack, holding some entertainment for the six hour flgiht to Cozumel. She had a ziplock full of cookie that hte customs agent had scolded her about but let keep, her mp3 player, a book and her note book where she scribbled Spanish love letters to Malcolm.

The three chaperones, Mr. Vega, Ms. Avery and the principal, Mr. Bottomswell, were all seated together at the back and Alice was beside the cuddly Sam and Butch at the front. She didn't know how everyone was managing to fall asleep during hte flight, because she was too wound up with energy, excited to be on her way. This was her week to relax and not worry about the crap surrounding the Walters. The biggest hurtle was over, she was 18 now and no one could take her away anymore. Ace just had to endure and eventually it'll all go away and she can try to have a normal life with Malcolm. Just three more months and they can stop hiding and lying. She'd no longer be his student, and they could live together as a couple. But right now she was getting to experience a week in beautiful Mexico. THe only downer was waiting through the long, boring flight to get there.

The moment the airplane started to descend, Alice felt the excitement in her gut expand into jittery bubbles making her fidget. She also made note of the fact that it was a balmly 28 outside and she stripped off her brown button up shirt, tucking it into her bag. Everyone started to stare at and whisper about her now exposed tattoos. Not surprising after her confrontation with Lexi, they all now knew that the tattoos hid scars. Her uniform and the dance leotard she trained in usually covered them up and most of the student body had been unaware of the extent of her body art. When they heard she had a tattoo on her shoulder and back, they figured tramp stamp. But the thin, lacy tank top revealed the entire tattoo wrapped around her upper arm and gave glimpses of hte large one down her back. The skirt cut it off from view, but Alice knew it went down onto her butt.

"Is it.....really all to cover up scars?" Sammy asked hesitantly.

Alice smiled sadly at ehr friend. "Yeah. Boiling water." she admitted with a shrug, surprised at how little she felt about the memory now. Sam gave her a wide eyed look but Alice honestly didn't feel an emotional response to it, so Sam nodded solemly.

Ace's outfit choice earned her some stares, but when everyone walked out of the air conditioned airport to wait for the shuttles to the Iberostar, she didn't have to juggle winter layers and her bags. West and Malcolm were likewise prepared, having traded winter layers for lighter fare. Malcolm's gray jersey was replaced with a soft and loose shirt that was faintly orange white. West had gone back to his Cuban roots with a blue guyabara and a white hat. (guyabara is a lightweight button up shirt. Super comfy)

Strangely enough, Alice's unique colouration made her blend into the populace more than her own classmates. Ace piled into the shuttle with Kim, Theresa, Justine, Sam, Butch, West and Mr. Vega. Malcolm sat in the back two seater with Alice, arm casually across hte back of her seat. The principal was staying behind to herd the rest of the students along with Ms. Avery and Malcolm was to get the hotel set up to receive them all. Alice snuggled into his side, using the bumpiness of hte shuttle excuse the familiarity. THe roads weren't as bad as she had expected, but as the shuttle pulled up behind and then sped passed a police truck, she realized the drivers were entirely their own breed. {A/N: true 온라인카지노게임, honestly happened when I went to Cozumel. And their cops hang out in the back of the pick up with shot guns as they drive.}

The shuttle driver was talking to Butch in the front passenger seat. "If you get pulled over here, no problem. Give them twenty of your dollars and you'll be ok." the driver adviced sagely. Butch looked terrified by the concept but Kim looked thoughtful. Alice decided to try and explain somethings to her friends.

"Most merchants here will try to convince the man to come shopping for his pretty ladies. If you get into trouble, let the male in your group do hte talking." she'd read hte suggestion in a tour book.

As they passed road signs, her friends started to yell out what they thought they meant. West and Alice would tell them the real translation and Malcolm just snaked his arm around her waist where no one could see, pulling her closer. It surprised Alice to see guards restricting access into the resort; Hotels had security yes but usually it was less...obvious. The shuttle pulled up to the doors and Alice felt a thrill a glee race through her as she saw the lobby had open walls and a high thatched roof. There was music playing and a tray of fruity looking drinks for the new arrivals. Mr. Vega gave the students a stern lecture about responsibility and then turned a blind eye as they cheered their arrival with the cocktails. Her friends all knew that Alice and Mr. Vega volunteered together at the shelter and thus figured that her laid back attitude around him was a simple friendship. Mr. Vega let first group go hunt down their room, and they volunteered to take his bag to his room. Which is how Alice learned two very important things. First, there were assigned huts, eight rooms in 4 huts, four ground level and four upper. Secondly she learned that Malcolm's room was the one that attatched to hers. Sneaky b*.