(no subject)

[hafl]

Title: Unbroken, Chapter Two
Original work: Malory Towers
Pairing: Alicia/Betty
Rating: PG


June had to admit that the last few days before holidays were rather trying. The other girls had never liked her that much and with Felicity stubbornly not talking to her, June was all alone.
Returning home for the holidays was a welcome change, although June had never liked her family much. Not only she was the youngest child in a family, where all her cousins seemed to have predisposition for sometimes cruel jokes, but her own personality seemed to make matters worse. She chafed against the rules and regulations set by her own parents and family almost as much as against those at Malory Towers. Every clash with her parents, uncles, aunts and cousins brought forward a new wave of contrariness.
This year, the entire Johns family gathered at Alicia’s home to celebrate Christmas and New Year and June felt almost as if she were an intruder like Betty, who had once again decided to spend the holidays with Alicia, instead of her own family.
However, even June was aware of the sharp change in atmosphere two days before New Year’s Eve. Alicia suddenly became much quieter, keeping to herself and not joking with her brothers, who spent all the time behaving like schoolboys and not grown men, many with university degrees. Betty became almost invisible and June’s uncle and aunt seemed worried about something.
A day after that, June stumbled upon Betty sitting on the stairs to the attic looking glum. “Betty?” said June.
At first, Betty seemed confused. Then her eyes found June and she smiled so faintly June had to strain her excellent eyesight to see it in the surrounding gloom. “Oh, it’s you, June. Do you need something?” she said.
“No, nothing,” replied June, “I was just surprised to see you here, that’s all.”
“I see,” said Betty, “Do you have a little time? Come here and sit down. Don’t worry, the step is clean.”
Perplexed, June climbed up the stairs and sat down beside Betty. Not that she could look at Betty from closer range, June saw that her eyes were red, as if she was crying recently. “What’s wrong?” asked June, “You seem different that usual.”
“Say, June, would you hate me, if I told you that Alicia might drop out of St. Andrews because of me?”
“What?” said June, “What happened?”
“Oh, you know, Alicia and I got drunk, did something foolish and silly and your uncle and aunt caught us. Now her father wants Alicia to drop out of school and find a job or marry, because I’m a bad influence on her,” said Betty.
“Now, you know Alicia,” continued Betty, “Even when it was her father saying this, she wasn’t going to take it calmly. They had a fight and Alicia all but made up her mind to leave home and your uncle is all ready to throw her out of the house and disown her. And all that happened because I was stupid and careless.”
Betty sighed. June was completely speechless. She had no trouble believing Alicia capable of leaving home, but it was almost too much. Both of the stayed silent for a minute or two and then Betty spoke again, “You really do not know how good you have it at Malory Towers, June.”
“Really?” asked June, “It’s all rules and lectures on good behaviour there, you should know that. Seems to me, that you have it so much better. If I got drunk like you did, I would have been expelled from Malory Towers the very same day.”
“Oh, June,” said Betty, “You just don’t know how good a life you have there.”
“Don’t treat me like a little kid,” said June, “If you do, I’m not going to keep you company, no matter how much you beg.”
“Sorry, June,” said Betty, “You’re right.”
“Then tell me the whole story,” said June, “You didn’t even bother to hide that there’s something you’re not telling me.”
Betty hesitated. Then she smirked. “Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. I don’t see how telling you could do any more damage.”
She paused and took a deep breath. “I love Alicia. Your uncle caught us when I was kissing her and he blames me for corrupting Alicia.”
“And aren’t you to blame?” asked June, saying the first thing she could form into a sentence.
“Did you ever see me take the lead when with Alicia,” said Betty, “No, it was all her doing. Not that I had any complaints or wasn’t happy. She asked me out, she kissed me, and everything after that; she always started everything. And when I started something for once, it spoiled everything.”
Betty sighed again. Just at that moment, Alicia appeared in the corridor below them. She looked upwards and smiled upon seeing June and Betty. “Betty, I was looking for you. I didn’t expect seeing you with June,” she said.
“I just finished packing my things and I suppose I needed some company,” said Betty.
“Betty was just telling me what happened between you and uncle,” said June, “You do not have to hold back in front of me.”
“Is that so?” said Alicia and started climbing the stairs, “Then you know I’m going to leave home? Father still wants to give me last chance, but I’m not going to take it. I should ask Darrell for Gwendoline’s address and write dear Gwen to ask for tips on finding job as a secretary.”
While she was talking, Alicia reached the top of the stairs and sat down, taking Betty’s hand into hers and smiling. “Well, since we have you here, June, why don’t you tell us what’s new at Malory Towers?”
June frowned. “Nothing much,” she said, “It’s like before.”
“Did something happen?” asked Betty.
“It doesn’t matter,” said June, “You two have bigger problems than I do, and even I can see that.”
“Why, you did grow up over those two years,” said Alicia, “Malory Towers seems to have done some good for you after all.”
“Not much,” said June, “Anyway, it doesn’t seem like it had gave you an idea of what to do now.”
“Oh,” said Alicia, “And do you have any solution?”
“Yes,” said June, “It’s simple: just lie.”
“What?” said Betty.
“Just tell uncle that he’s right. Betty will go home and you’ll tell uncle that you’ve broken up and that he was right all along. You’ll have to find different places to stay at St. Andrews, but that’s all.”
“June,” said Alicia, “I can’t lie to my father, not even now.”
“Why not?” asked June, “You’ll be just doing it until you get your degree. After that, you can just tell uncle that he can go to hell.”
“June!” exclaimed Alicia, but Betty squeezed her hand and she calmed down. “June,” she continued, “That’s deceitful and cowardly.”
“So what?” said June, “If you get what you want without hurting anybody, what does it matter if you’re a coward?”
“Alicia,” said Betty, “It might not be that bad idea after all. I don’t want you to lose your chances at St. Andrews just because of me.”
“I don’t want to be a lying coward,” said Alicia.
“Being brave only gets you in trouble,” said June, “I should know. Lying only gets you in trouble if you’re found out.”
She stood up. “Think about it,” she said and turned to leave.
“June, wait,” said Betty, “You haven’t told us what’s happened to you.”
“I just had a fight with Felicity, that’s all,” said June and walked away, leaving the two young women to talk the matter over.
Betty left that evening. The next morning, Alicia had a private talk with her father and he looked positively jubilant that Alicia had bowed down to his will. Upon seeing that, June stopped feeling even vaguely guilty that she had suggested that Alicia should lie to her father.
The evening before the holidays ended, there was a knock on June’s door and Alicia entered the guest bedroom. “June,” she said, “Do you have a moment?”
“Yes,” said June, “Do you need something?”
“I wanted to talk to you about Felicity,” said Alicia.
“Sorry, Alicia. I don’t need to talk about that,” said June.
“You helped me and Betty,” said Alicia, “I want to repay you if possible.”
“We just had a fight, that’s all,” said June.
“If you just had a fight, you wouldn’t be moping like that,” said Alicia, “I know you, you’re not the moping type.”
“We just had a fight,” repeated June, “There’s nothing more to it.”
“Right then, I won’t pry,” said Alicia, “But June, don’t be foolish.”
“I never am,” said June, “Don’t worry, Alicia.”
Alicia left and the next day, Alicia was bound back for St. Andrews and June for Malory Towers.