(5)

Jenice wanted to go out eagerly and fast. She wanted to cheer up Al and she so totally wanted to sneak up on that guy, she had never seen before. She took up her camera and asked her sister if she was interested in a photo-shoot outside. Her sister agreed and let Jenice pick out a dress from her closet. When she had chosen one she gave it to Alice. Alice putted on the dress and they went out. Alice took different poses, she also was photographed while walking and she had a parasol made out of lace shoved in her hands by her sister. Jenice had made her sister do some stuff, like fake graffiti spraying and blow kisses, all different kind of things for photos with all kind of vibes, even if it didn’t really fit the dress Alice was wearing. While busy with the shoot Al came by and stopped to stare.
“Hi, Al.”, Jenice said.
“Hey.”
“Good day.”, said Alice politely.
“Why, Alice, you do look fine again today.”
“Why don’t you ever say that about me?”, Jenice whined and she faked a pout.
They laughed. Jenice had made Al participate in photo sessions.
“Hey, why don’t you do a kissing pose?”, asked Jenice.
Alice declined straight away, but Al found it a good idea, he didn’t see a problem in it at all.
“Come on, sis, don’t be such a coward. It’s just a kiss.”
“I am not a bad kisser you know.”, grinned Al and he winked.
Alice kept shaking her head and refusing to kiss. Al started to force himself on her under praise of Jenice.
“Come on, Alice, just a little kiss for the camera.”, he chuckled
And Jenice took photos while praising and laughing. John was walking by and heard laughter. When he turned his head to see what was so funny, he saw Al trying to force a kiss on Alice.
“Why doesn’t Jenice do anything? She’s just standing there, laughing and ... Even taking photos!”
He walked up to them quickly and punched Al.
“Be ashamed of yourself!”, he exclaimed with a displeased tone.
“Bright!”, Jenice exclaimed, “It was just for fun, they needed to do a kissing scene for the camera!”
“Do you think it is fun, when one is refusing and another is forcing?”
“No, but she shouldn’t be such a baby! It’s just a kiss!”
“Maybe she doesn’t see it as JUST a kiss?!”
“Why are you so extreme? We did nothing wrong.”
“In your opinion you didn’t, but in your sister’s opinion you did.”
“Man, why did you hit me?!”, Al exclaimed kind of surprised.
“Because you were forcing yourself on her, you moron.”
John took Alice’s hand and told her to go home. He led her to the pavement.
“Go home.”, he repeated with emphasis. 
Without saying anything she walked straight home. John turned to Jenice: “I thought better of you.” And then he turned to Al: “You should know better how to react to someone wearing an emblem of ‘protected propriety’. We both don’t want a gang war to get started.”
After this he left, angry.

Alice was walking straight home when she bumped into a figure she never had seen before. When she looked closer it was the guy who had lost the way.
“I am sorry, I hadn’t seen you.”
“No problem, Miss. I was just strolling around anyway.”
“Bye.”, she said hurriedly.
“Miss, wait, what are you doing on the streets alone? There’s a serial killer in the neighbourhood.”
“That’s why I am walking straight home. And that’s why I am in a hurry. Good day.”
Alice ran off and the man stared at her until she turned the corner.
“A pretty missy, she is.”

“What was John’s problem anyway?”, Jenice nagged.
“Maybe he was in a bad mood?”
“Perhaps, he never talked like that to me before though.”
“Maybe he was in a very bad mood.”
“Al, I mean … doesn’t he realise that I like him?”
“Of course he knows you like him. You’re friends for like ages.”
“Al, I am in love with him.”
“That, he won’t realise.”
“Why?”
“When you talk to him you don’t give of the vibes which tell him that you love him.”
“Ah, like that.”
“Yes, but I think you are unable to because of your character, so maybe you should write him a letter?”
“Yeah, I guess that’s a great idea.”
She jumped up and gave Al a peck on his cheek.
“I am going to write it right away. Thank you.” And she ran off.
“You’re welcome.”, Al shouted after her and chuckled while she left.

When Jenice got home, she asked her sister at once for pen and paper. Alice gave those things to her in an immediate movement.
“What do you need those for?”
“I am going to write a letter.”
“To who?”
“I don’t know yet. But I’ll be writing a letter to someone.”
“Okay. Have fun with writing a letter.”
“I will.”
Jenice left and locked herself up in her room. She began to write and started several times over, until she was satisfied. She put the new written letter in an envelope and went to post it at John’s house immediately. When she was home she grabbed all the previous versions and putted them in a bag. This bag she would take with her the other day, to light them up with Al. She also wrote another message and gave it to her sister. In this message she apologized for today. Alice was happy when she received this letter, she hugged her sister and forgave her instantly.

That night John crawled through Alice’s window again to check on her. He hugged her straight away.
“Are you okay? Have they hurt you today?”, he whispered.
“No, I am fine. Jenice even wrote me a letter in which she apologizes.”
He kissed her.
“Jenice also wrote me letter. She had never done that before. In this letter she confessed her love for me.”
“Oh, no. Are we in trouble?”
“No, sweetie.”, he kissed her forehead, “I’ll have to write a reply in which I’ll tell her I can’t respond positively. Later on, I’ll tell her that we are together.”
“Maybe, we should have done that earlier.”
“Now it’s too late.”, he kissed her, “Go to bed, I’ll be writing a reply on your desk.”
“Okay, don’t stay too long.”
“No, I’ll be as quick as possible. Good night.”
“Good night.”
Alice tugged herself in her bed and John began to write Jenice a letter. He also wrote a reply on the letter that the sisters had written together. Alice laid awake for a long time in the meantime but eventually she fell asleep even before he left. Once he left Alice’s room, he pushed the letters in their mailbox right away. Then he left to go back to his gang.