Hair of brown swept behind her, blowing gently in the wind, as Alice made her way into the seemingly small but crowded café. She had been in town for several hours now, staring away at the windows of shops. Sure, she could probably afford anything she wanted. But, Alice was a smart girl, which caused her to make smart decisions. She wasn't going to blow her money away. Of course, she did have endless amounts of it, provided by her dear parents, and there would probably be no consequences even if she did spend a couple thousand every day. But, as mentioned before, Alice was smart and responsible. Why buy more when you already have what you need? Sure, she was going to have to spend some money soon. After all, the masquerade ball was coming up. And she had had her eye on this beautiful dress and mask, somewhat matching although the two did not come together, and both were not meant to be bought by the poor. Of course, this was a special occasion in which Alice would allow herself to spend as much money as she wanted - it was the masquerade ball, for god's sake. Every girl that went wanted to look grand and beautiful. But what was the point, anyway? Nobody would know it was you. You would obviously be wearing a mask.
Well, enough of that. The masquerade ball was still ahead a whole week - Alice had plenty of enough time to fret and worry about it later. Although, she would have to buy it some time soon. She was pretty sure that other girls would like to buy the mask and dress - especially the dress, since it was exquisite and beautiful, yet exotic at the same time. Not many dresses held so many characteristics - characteristics that everyone yearned for. Anyways, enough about the dress, Alice decided. She finally took that one step forward, as someone from inside opened the door for her. She walked in quietly, the bell above her jingling loudly so that the people at the counter would know that they had a new costumer. How old-fashioned was that? To have a bell right there, ringing loudly whenever someone entered? Surely, it was old-fashioned. Alice couldn't remember quite clearly, but she was pretty sure that that kind of technique of 'welcoming' had been used back in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Alice was not the biggest nerd for history, although she did enjoy the subject enough. It was fun to learn about the past, and Alice particularly enjoyed when Elizabeth ruled, and when the Egyptians ruled. She loved looking at the pictures of old-fashioned England - beautiful gowns, lacy napkins, polite courtesies.
Finally, clearing her head, Alice walked into the café. At long last! Alice wondered if the other costumers had been wondering something along these lines: 'Is that girl going to stand there forever, bring the cold breeze of winter in? Or is she ever going to move?' It was, in actuality, pretty cold outside. But what could one expect? It was winter, and on Whiteface Mountain it was pretty evident. Mounds of snow piled each street and snowflakes fell from the sky regularly. What's more, the sky was bleached with gray and white; the sun no longer there, shining brightly to the world. The café, however, was the exact opposite from the outside. Unlike the cold terrain, the café was warm and comfortable. Not stuffy, though. But all the drama, sorrow, anger, and sadness seemed to melt away as Alice walked in. For a second all she could see was heat from piping hot cups of coffee and hot chocolate wafting through the air, her breath no longer seen. Then her vision cleared and she could once again see the familiar interior design of the café. Round tables and chairs - soft, comfortable chairs - and plush cushions here and there, where some customers preferred to sit. Two counters up front, where a line stood, awaiting their piping hot drinks. And then to the side, a magazine rack and shelves with used books, where customers could find something to read to chase away their boredom. And, of course, there was also the merchandise.
Alice sighed, becoming comfortable in the obviously warm atmosphere of the café. She, unlike many, enjoyed the cold, but she also enjoyed the warmth. There was nothing wrong with liking both summer and winter, spring and fall. Although summer and winter were totally different, like brother and sister. But they were also the same in many ways. Actually, the two seasons could be compared to twins. The same, but different. Ah, Alice's mind wandering, again. She would have to stop doing that. Sighing once more, she took another step forward, closing the door completely behind her. She started making her way to the counter, her foot steps creating a small rhythm. Tap, tap, tap, and shuffle, shuffle, shuffle. Stepping into line, she awaited her turn to order. And from the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Teagan MacKenna entering the café.