Fanfic100 Adventures in Wonderland #13
Title: Lemonade
Fandom: Adventures in Wonderland
Characters: Alice, Mad Hatter
Prompt: 013 Yellow.
Word Count: 1848
Rating: T (for some language...okay one word but still to be safe)
Summary: Alice is attempts to find something to do and tries selling lemonade at home.
Alice/Hatter friendship, set before the Queens auction
A/N- Alice's age: 12
Lemonade
“Well that should do it.” Alice remarked to herself as she finished the last touches on her sign. She was setting up a small lemonade booth in the park. She wasn't really saving up to buy anything but had decided to use up some of her summertime trying something new. And starting up your own business, however small, was new to Alice.
She wasn't that far away from her house as the park was only down the street. She had everything set up properly. She had been planning to work with a friend but Lisa had to go visit her grandparents and so Alice was left working by herself. She wasn't too worried, though she would have been more enjoyable with a friend.
She sighed, it was too bad that she couldn't get Dee or Dum to help her. Or the Hatter or Hare. They would have had fun. But since she'd started this with Lisa there was no way that she would have been able to have the booth in Wonderland without giving away her secret and that was something that she didn't want to do.
She tried to clear her mind. This was going to be fun. Alice opened her cooler to check that her lemonade was there.
--
Yellow lemonade, check.
Cups, check.
Change, check
Signs, check
--
Yes it seemed that she was ready to roll. She put her sign out front and took a seat to wait.
----------
She was making some fairly good business when the trouble showed up. It was in the form of a large group of teenagers. Now Alice wasn't a girl to scare easily but even she was wary when a large group of teens came over. They looked like they were in high school and they were all dressed as though they were going to some sort of party. Well that's what Alice thought they looked like. In truth they really were just wearing the latest fashions.
“Hey look lemonade.” The teen who seemed to be the leader of the group, spotting Alice sitting in the shade. The rest of the gang followed him over.
Alice was slightly spooked but tried to act normally.
“Hey pipsqueak.” The leader called out. “How's about some lemonade?”
“It's 50 cents a cup.” Alice replied politely getting the Styrofoam cups out. “How many cups would you like.
The girl's with multiple piercings laughed. The boy seemed irritated at this and glared at her. He looked back to Alice. “Why don't you give us some for free?”
Alice bit her lip, really wishing that someone was with her. It was much easier to be brave when someone else was there. “Sorry, it's 50 cents a cup.”
The boy nodded with a chuckle, “Fine we'll have five cups then.”
Alice almost sighed in relief, glad that they had only been joking. However as her back was turned she didn't see the teen wink to his four other friends.
“What colour lemonade is it?” The teen asked, appearing to be more social.
“Yellow.” Alice replied as she pulled out her large pitcher of lemonade. As she placed it on the table she had set up the teen picked it up.
“Hey!” Alice exclaimed looking up.
“I'm just looking!” The teen replied with a friendly smile. His friends were standing next to him.
“Eww.” The one of the girls sneered. “Why's the lemonade yellow? It looks like piss.”
“I like pink lemonade better.” The pierced girl replied echoing her friend folding her arms.
Alice wasn't really sure what to say to this. “I'm sorry but I only have....yellow.”
“Well that's a shame.” The teen replied holding the pitcher in his hands. “'Cause we don't like yellow. It's disgusting.”
“Then can I have my lemonade back then?” Alice asked starting to wonder what was going on.
“Sure.” The teen replied with a smirk and before Alice realized what was happening she was being drenched with cool, sticky, yellow liquid.
She froze as the teens laughed. One of them knocked the table over and another one grabbed the money box. One of the girls knocked over the cooler spilling the water and ice all over the ground.
“Thanks lemon head!” The Pierced girl laughed as they ran off.
-
Alice tried to get to her feet but tripped over the empty pitcher that had been dropped by the teens. As she tripped she managed to fall onto the sopping wet ground, wincing where she hit the ice cubs.
As she she stood up, wet all over she tried very hard to keep her calm. There was a large part of her that just wanted to curl up and cry. However she couldn't let the teens win. She had to prove that she was brave. Gathering her stuff up she made her way back home. There was very little to salvage and she was lucky enough not to cross path's with anyone she knew and so avoided awkward questions.
Just in case though she went around the back way. By this time she was starting to dry off. Though the fact that it was lemonade that she was drenched in meant that she was getting really sticky. It was a disgusting feeling she thought as she walked into the house after she had put everything away. What she needed now was something to drown her sorrows in. Maybe a bath...then she could curl up in a ball and cry.
Walking into her room though she got a shock.
“Hi Alice I was...hey what happened to you?” For some reason and somehow, the Mad Hatter was sitting perched on the edge of her bed.
“Mr...Hatter....?” Alice said startled. “What...how....how are you here?”
The Hatter seemed confused for a moment then snapped his fingers. “Oh yah. I was walking in the woods and found a strange door looking thing in the forest.” He held up his hands. “So I walked through it and here I am....That reminds we...where am I?”
Alice was starting to feel overwhelmed but managed to reply. “My room.”
The Hatter nodded as he looked around. “It's nice.”
“Thank you...?” Alice wasn't quite sure how to reply.
“Well now that's settled, why are you all wet?”
Alice grimaced then lied. “It's nothing....Just some water.”
The Hatter lifted an eyebrow. “Really....” Getting up he walked with his hands behind his back surveying the girl closely. “And why would this water smell like lemon?”
Alice's cheeks flared red as she looked down at her feet. She really didn't want to tell her friend what had happened. It was embarrassing to say the least. However the Mad Hatter was the most persistent person she knew, once he was curious there was no way he was leaving the topic alone until he'd gotten an answer. She sighed.
“Can we talk after I get cleaned up. I'm kinda sticky.”
The Hatter nodded. “I'll wait.” He went over and perched on her bed as Alice shook her head with a smile. It wasn't as though her family would be coming back for a while. It wouldn't hurt to let the Hatter stay in her room.
The shower was just what Alice needed. Getting the sticky liquid off her and out of her hair. She dressed quickly in the new clothes she had taken from her room and got a towel for her hair. It was going to be hard to explain the lemon smelling clothes to her parents. Hopefully by the end of the day she'd be able to think of something to say.
As she walked into her room she found the Hatter in the same place where she'd left him. He seemed to be attempting to have a conversation with her cat Dinah.
“I don't think your cat likes me Alice.” The Hatter replied as the girl sat on the bed. “She hasn't said a word since she came in.”
Alice tried not to laugh. “Mr. Hatter, cat's only talk in Wonderland.”
The Hatter frowned. “That's strange.” He looked back down as the cat jumped off the bed. “Well goodbye cat, even though you can't talk.” He looked back at Alice. “If it can't talk then how do you know what it's thinking?”
Alice shrugged. “They make noises. I talk to her too, I think she can understand. It's just that...she doesn't talk. She's not like the Cheshire cat.”
“Well that's good.” The Hatter replied nodding. “I think one of that cat's enough.”
Alice smiled as she stared to comb out her wet hair. Unfortunately the Hatter noticed this and it brought him back to his earlier topic. “So, are you going to tell me what happened now?”
Alice sighed and continued brushing her hair. “Yes.” She made a point not to look at the Hatter as she began her story. She was still sore from her fall physically and mentally. However it might be good to be able to get it off her chest to a friend.
------
“...and then I came home.” Alice finished off, now done with her hair. She looked over at the Hatter and shrugged. “It's not that big of a deal.”
“But...but they stole your money!” The Hatter protested looking rather taken back. Clearly this sort of thing didn't happen much in Wonderland, or at all.
“Well it wasn't like I was saving or anything and it was only a few dollars.” She smiled bitterly. “I shouldn't have been selling in the park anyway. Mom always said that.”
“So that gives them the right to poor lemonade over you?”
Alice flushed slightly. “No, well... it wasn't...” She trailed off. “There's nothing I can do about it now. I'll just have to think up something else to do today.”
“Something involving less lemonade?” The Hatter put in, getting Alice to smile.
“Yah, and yellow. I don't want to see yellow for a while.”
The Hatter chuckled then snapped his fingers. “Hey if you have nothing to do you could come to Wonderland and help with the auction.”
Alice paused. “What auction?”
“Oh the Queens have some sort of auction and selling of a bunch of her stuff.” The Hatter waved his hand. “She asked be to be the auctioneer but you could be my assistant. There won't be very many yellow things there.”
Alice knew this at least was true. The Queen loved the colour red. She smiled, “alright!”
“Great!” The Hatter cried. “Now come on, we have to get set up!”
Alice showed the Hatter how to get back to Wonderland and soon the two of them were off to the palace. Alice had to admit that the start of her day had been horrid but maybe with her friends help she could focuses on something more positive....and less yellow.