I kept on walking. Sure, that sounds suicidal, but how could I be sure this arrogant punk was who he said he was? The floating, that was pretty legit, but aside from that he looked like any of the other powedered freaks in Wonderland. Johnny Depp could work more make-up and still look badass. This kid...not so much my friend. 

Sure, maybe if I tilted my head to the side and squinted both eyes to little slits and waved a hand in front of my face he seemed attractive enough. Oh who am I kidding? He was drop-dead gorgeous. I seem like the kid who breathes heavily and watches her paper more often than the teacher and who stares at the back of guys' heads, but that's not me. I am quiet, but I know. I see everything even if I don't do anything. That makes me sick.

At first I would try to change things. I remeber, that's why I was so miserable in elementary school. The things other students did or teachers tried to get away with, I would call them out. Believe me, I wasn't some tattle-tale goody two shoes. As a kid, I had a very strong sense of rightousness. Storybook heros had instilled in me a sense of decorum, a desire to be just and fair to everyone, regardless of social status, gender, or skin color. So much for my childish dreams. This didn't win me any friends and those I helped were happy enough to turn their back on me as soon as fortune smiled on them. I was alone to begin with, all because I couldn't give up my morals. You can imagine how traumatizing that is for a child. Everything you believe in, the crystal vessel carrying your hopes and dreams, cracked and spilling out.

I gave up on life pretty early on. There was really no point. So instead of sticking my neck out for other people, I kept to myself. I saw but was not seen. And what I saw were guys like him, paralyzing good looks with the horns and tail of the devil to boot. From all my past experiences sweating my palms, I knew enough not to get involved with him.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but Earth still teaches you manners, doesn't it?" his smirk was irritating. It was all knowing and pompous, a little flash of his perfect white teeth adding in to the dazzle. "Or, is there another place inhabited by hairless apes that I have yet to discover?" See what I mean? Cute till he opens his mouth to attempt civilized speech. 

My back was to him. I really didn't feel like responding. For one, I came to Wonderland on a whim and because my Mum was at home doing who knows what, and I couldn't bring attention to myself. That would be dangerous and catastrophic to the World I was in. The Bastards (I don't know their real name, but whenever I see them I like flipping them off and running. Classic~) would be able to pinpoint me and I was not in the mood to return just yet. Give me three hours, then we can talk.

He sighed, drawing a lungful of air up and out. "You are honestly making this far more difficult than it needs be," he muttered. I stopped. Whipped around.

"Well look at who's trying to stop an innocent girl walking through the woods alone?!" I snapped, bringing my hands up to emphasize my point.

Shmack.

I stopped moving. 

"Mmph. Look at who's physically abusing a good-looking youth gallantly trying to so fair a maiden?" My hand had crashed into his face. A steady nosebleed leaked out from between his fingers. I felt a pang of unease at harming the "god of this World" which was easily washed over by my sense of pride at giving him a bloody nose. "You shouldn't be swinging your gorilla arms around too much. Imagine if I wasn't so forgiving a soul? You'd be in trouble."

I felt my eye twitch. "My gorilla arms beg for your forgiveness. Gee, if only there wasn't an idiot sneaking up on me, I'd be sorrier." If he wasn't so arrogant, I might've taken his vanishing and reappearing at my elbow as an amazing ability. But I digress. It doesn't matter anymore.

He looked at me strangely. As if contemplating my apology or wondering at my lack of care. I looked beyond him and saw more sinister looking mushrooms. If I could get lost in there, I could probably return home by the time my Mum finished her business and life stupid life would go on.

I contemplated my actions. I could barrel past him and hope he would get lost in the Field of Shrooms. I could knock his chiseled face into one of the poisonous lookng shrooms and hope he would be too busy detoxifying himself to notice my absence. I could also play along with his god crap just for a kick. Hmm. So many options to choose from. What to do...

Looking at the ground, I took a ginger step up to him. Normal people would be alarmed at the sudden proximity I threw to him. He only looked slightly amused, as if knowing what I was doing or preparing himself for another gushy apology. 

His smirk widened into a crooked smile and he flipped up his hair, brandishing his bloodstained features for all the fungi to admire. "I may be able to allow you--" I kinda wonder what he said after my fist slammed into his already bloody nose. There was a satisfying crunch and then as the momentum continued into his face I twisted my wrist so his face got a special swirl. He hit the ground and blood spattered over his maroon lapels and the small green fungi layering the path. His blood left crimson streaks and it looked like those specially made Christmas candy canes my Mum used to buy when I was still young enough to hold her hand in public. Young enough to care. 

We were walking along a dirty street and she tugged small red gloves onto my hands. Laughing her full laugh and her eyes gleaming with repressed mirth. We passed the storefront for Bob's Candy Shoppe and she stopped in to select a stick of peppermint for me. It was colored green and red and tasted like socks.

I breathed in deeply and took a step back from him. His emerald eyes lolled up at me unseeingly. I quickly edged around him and ran to the dark mushrooms towering over a pathless route. "See ya," I muttered.

"Merh," I heard back where he was. "My name's Merh, and that was a blazin' good punch you had there!" I chanced a glance back before I plunged into the depths of the mushroom forest. He was sitting up, tilting his head from side to side, his shoulders shaking with laughter. For some reason that really irritated me and I almost ran back there to stand him up so I could send a couple more kicks at him. "Try not to fall into the pit or touch the blue mushrooms. Don't die yet. I'll find you later, don't worry."

I ran ahead, heedless of his silent laughter shaking the world around me.