Almost There

It was the fourth day of the school festival, the festival is going to end the following day, not to mention that the play will take place too. Alice went to school disguised as Liam and as "he" walked down the halls, almost all the girls would stare at him, whisper something, and then giggle.

Once Liam entered the café, everyone was staring at him and Mark was on the sofa and he had a gloomy atmosphere around him. "Hey, is something wrong? I'm feeling a bit anxious for some reason." Liam asked.

"Liam! Damn it, do you even know what kind of an issue you and Mark caused?" Miriam blurted.

"What? What did we do?" Liam asked.

"Have a seat," Miriam said and Liam did as he was told. Turns out that some rumors spread that Liam and Mark are both gay because a bunch of girls saw Liam resting his head on Mark's shoulder like they were a couple.

"I-I was tired, you didn't even let me take a break yesterday!" Liam retorted.

"That isn't my fault, you were careless!" Miriam scolded.

"I'm ruined, my reputation," Mark sulked.

"Whatever, we have no choice. We're wasting time. Just open the café" Harold said.

Once the café was opened, many girls entered. "Is the rumor about Mark and Liam real?" one girl gasped.

"N-no it isn't, the truth is I am—" Liam wasn't able to continue because Grant clasped his hand over his mouth.

"It's not, Liam and Mark are just close buddies, kind of like brothers," Grant said.

"Yup, we're pretty close." Mark grinned as he played along with Grant's plan. Miriam went near them with a smile plastered on her face.

"I can't believe some people were quick to spread rumors without knowing the whole situation. We are aware that nothing is wrong about the rumors but it's not good to assume things so easily," she said as she patted Liam's head.

"Will you guys knock it off!" Liam yelled. Everyone froze momentarily. "I quit, I did enough besides, I still have to rehearse for the play." he sighed.

"Play?" the girls asked with confusion.

"This is the truth," Alice took off the wig and then out fell her dark brown hair. The room was dead silent, the girls were all shocked and Miriam's jaw dropped.

"Liam is Alice?" the customers squeaked.

"Liam is a girl?" the male customers of the maids looked at them. To put it simply, everyone in the café was looking at Alice. "No wonder those rumors came up," a girl giggled.

"So that's why Liam and Mark were close," another joined in.

"Hey that Liam-girl looks pretty," a male customer from another school chuckled. "Hey! I'd like Liam to be my maid." a guy said.

"What? You're not walking out on us?" Miriam asked.

"Why would we? That girl is really cute, why'd you have to let her pretend to be a guy when she'd make the perfect maid?" the guy pointed Alice.

"You serious?" Alice gaped.

Miriam immediately ushered Alice to the changing room. She changed into her maid outfit and the café was back to service.

Mark, Justin, and Grant, the three most popular hosts, had to apologize to the female customers for deceiving them, but the girls were fine with it because they found it really amusing. It also turns out that Alice was a great hit among the male customers since she still kept her Liam act by acting cold with them (which is how she usually acts with most guys except her friends), which only made the guys want to talk to her more.

It was only three but Miriam decided to close the café because they had to prepare for the play which will be performed on the next day. The female customers left but there was still a crowd of guys surrounding Alice.

"What's your number?"

"Why were you pretending to be a guy?

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Wanna visit my school sometime?"

They all asked her, Alice was faking a smile the whole time. Meanwhile, Mark, Grant, and Justin had enough. "Excuse us, may we ask you to leave? The café is closed" Grant said.

"Alice still has some practicing to do," Mark told them.

"If you want to see her tomorrow please watch their play," Justin told them as he gently pulled Alice away from the guys. Mark's irritation flew away once he lost sight of the guys.

"Thanks," Alice sighed.

"I'm glad they're finally away from you," Grant said as he brushed his fingers on Alice's hair.

"I think we should start practicing," Mark's irritation came back in an instant. He pulled Grant's hand away from Alice.

"You two go on ahead, I'll just change back into my uniform," Alice said before leaving.

"Both of you, head to the auditorium now. Justin and the other hosts who are not a part of the play may leave, thank you for your help." Miriam declared.

The other host and maids left and the others headed to the auditorium for their last practice.

"When are you making a move on Alice?" Grant raised a questioning brow at Mark who looked at him in confusion. "Oh come on Mark, if you don't make a move on Alice I'll lose my patience and I'm going to have to make my move." Grant chuckled.

"Don't tell me Mark, are you scared? I, myself, am planning on making a move on Alice if both of you are just gonna act friendly with her." Justin chimed in.

"You too?" Mark almost whined.

"Answer us," Grant bellowed.

Mark heaved a long sigh. "I'm really trying my best, I already confessed to her yet she didn't believe me."

"That only means that you're gonna have to do better than that," Justin said with a smile.

"Wait, does this mean that you're approving of me?" Mark asked.

The siblings only laughed. "Don't get the wrong idea, I like Alice. I'm just trying to make things less complicated for her. But under some circumstances which Justin calls as the Gentleman Curriculum, which is totally lame by the way, A true gentleman won't take advantage of a girl's confusion." Grant groaned.

"That is not lame," Justin huffed.

"What do you mean?" Mark asked.

"We're temporarily rooting for you. Just don't mess up otherwise I'll do everything to make Alice love me,"

Mark was flabbergasted, these two guys aren't the type to just let him have a chance, especially with Alice! But he just smiled and thanked them for being such gentlemen. The two only remarked that they aren't doing it for him, they're doing it for Alice.

Alice entered the room and they headed to the auditorium, Justin said goodbye and left. "I'll go on ahead," Grant dashed off with a small smirk at the corner of his lips.

"He's probably afraid to get nagged at," Alice giggled.

"Hey Alice, after the play tomorrow, can you go with me? Anywhere around the school that is." he nervously asked.

"You mean like a date?" Alice asked with a smile and Mark nearly choked. "I'm kidding!" Alice laughed.

Mark gulped. "Yeah, like a date."

"What?" now it was Alice's turn to get shocked.

"Go on a date with me tomorrow," Mark smiled. Alice stared at him with wide eyes. Suddenly her lips curled into a snarl.

"Quit messing with me!" she kicked the back of Mark's knee.

"What was that for? I was serious!" he whined.

"Yeah right, tell that to some other girl." She turned her back on him to hide her blushing face. "By the way, I'm going to your house tomorrow, I thought it would be nice to visit auntie for a while." then Alice started walking. "See you at the auditorium, dummy." she trailed off.

"Damn it why won't she believe me for a change," Mark cursed. Suddenly a thought struck him. "I'm going to your house tomorrow," a grin crawled onto his face. "She's going to my house," he squeaked happily.

After receiving a short nag from their president, they began practicing. It was already late when they finished and Mark decided to walk Alice home, as usual.

"It's already seven-thirty, dad will surely kill me." Alice panicked.

"Relax, you can tell him that we practiced for the play right? He won't get mad, don't worry." Mark assured.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at Alice's house. "Thanks for walking me home," Alice said as she turned to open the gate.

"Alice what can I do to make you believe me?" Mark muttered.

"Believe what?" Alice confusingly turned to ask him.

"You forgot?" Mark said in frustration.

"Look Mark, I have no idea what you're talking about. Now if you'd excuse me, I have to go." Alice turned away.

Mark grabbed her arms and pulled her to face him. "Why do you keep acting like this?" he asked, before Alice could reply, the gate opened and out came Alice's father.

"Alice, you're home late, it's a good thing your mother isn't here yet." he said, then his eyes widened when he saw Mark who was too close to Alice. Mark immediately released Alice's arms.

"Hey there pops, long time no see." Mark waved. Alice gulped.

"Pops?" a vein throbbed on the middle-aged man's forehead.

"Nice to see you again sir," Mark nervously grinned. Alice's father went inside.

"Where did your dad go?" he asked. Alice just stepped aside and covered her ears with her hands.

Alice's father stepped out. "Don't call me pops and I don't want to see you touching my daughter again!" he yelled as he aimed a wooden sword at Mark. Mark's eyes widened in horror and he immediately ran off without saying goodbye to Alice. "And don't come back!" Alice's dad shouted.

Suddenly he was hit on the head. "Dad, stop scaring my friends. That was way too much you know," Alice scolded.

"But he--" he stopped when he received a death glare and a change of aura from his own daughter.

"Don't overreact next time dad or else," Alice threatened.

"Let's eat dinner sweetie." he grinned. Alice took the shotgun and hid it back in their storage room.

"Come on dad, and don't bring that out ever again unless a thief steps on our lawn," Alice scoffed.

"She's just like her mother, only scarier." Alice's father thought.