~Sleeping under the Tree~ [Jalice]

~Sleeping under the Tree~

Alice thanked her lucky stars that her school's lunch break was an hour and a half instead of the usual time other schools granted. She could squeeze in a bit of napping during that period. She still felt tired from late night activities and had to fight back the yawns that were slowly piling up in her throat during her classes.

The tree was already in her sight as she climbed to the small slope's top. It was her usual napping and reading spot, quite a quiet and breezy place. She positioned herself at her usual spot, facing away from the building.

Alice checked her watch for the time. It has only been 5 minutes since the bell rang. She closed her eyes and started to doze off after a few minutes passed by.

A few more minutes passed by, and another person came over, holding a bag on their hand. He looked over at the sleeping girl and a mischievious smile graced their features. Jack took out his phone from his pocket and took a picture of her. It'll be fun to tease her later.

He returned it back once he was done and sat at the side opposite to Alice. The bag was zipped open and a laptop was taken out from it. He turned it on and did his work as if nothing happened.

~o~o~

It was a pleasant nap. Alice stretched her arms upwards and automatically wiped out any possible drool from her mouth. She glanced at her watch, 12:44. She still had some time to grab a bite from the canteen.

After buying a snack, she headed to her classroom and sat on her seat, munching on the snack.

"Hey Al~" She turned to the person with a questioning look. It was Keith.
"That must have been such a nice nap, so nice that you started drooling," he teased and showed a picture of her at the tree... Wait, he wasn't lying about the drool part?? This is embarrassing...
"Keith..."

He could slightly feel the menacing tone in it and casually added, "It was Jack who did it. Why do you always assume it's me...?" Keith feigned a facial expression of hurt.

Alice looked at the perpetrator who was still busily typing on his laptop and would occasionally chat with others. She normally would have ignored the action, unless it was Keith, but something was telling her to get even with him.

She took her phone from her bag and scrolled at her pictures before stopping when she found what she was looking for.

"You looked so cute back then, Jack~" she said intentionally loud enough for him to hear and placed emphasis on his name.
"What do you mean by back then, Al?" This caught his attention.
"You also used to sleep at that tree back then," she said and showed the picture she had searched. It was him also napping as a child.
"Yeah~ I was so cute back then."

What. This wasn't the reaction she was hoping nor expecting for.

"You also looked cute before"

He showed another picture of her except younger... and holding a stuffed bear.

The next day, Alice went to school earlier than usual. She was holding a stack of pictures and started to give those that wanted a picture. It was the same picture of Jack.

She figured that he'd at least be embarrased. He wasn't. He was flattered and even managed to earn a few bucks when he offered to take a picture with them in exchange for cash.

The bell rang, signalling that classes was about to begin. Every student went in their specific classes and sat down.

"I take it that scheme didn't exacly work out," Simone said, not taking his eyes away from the book.
"Miserably failed, Simone. It miserably failed..."