A/N: That's right. I'm back.

Summary: Some people aren't so kind. You can choose to ignore them or believe them. But that decision is entirely up to you. Of course, it helps to have a best friend by your side. AlyssxTheo. That's right. I'm back.

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Title: Bitter People

Rating: T

Author: Senseless Drive

One-shot

3rd Person POV

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The two eight-year olds walked down the boardwalk hand-in-hand. They were two rare individuals, drawing stares from everyone they passed. Ethereal in their beauty, even Theo possessed the strange delicate features that not many people could say they'd ever seen in their lives. Features of porcelain, too pale to be considered anything else. They smiled and laughed as they walked, joking around with one another. They both held a single ice cream cone.

"Peach ice cream?" Theo snorted as Alyss took a gentle lick of her ice cream, "Who gets peach ice cream? That's like getting vegetable soup. It's disgusting." He sniggered as she narrowed her eyes, the chocolaty brown orbs glaring at him un-amused.

"At least I didn't get pistachio-flavoured," She said flatly, "It's green. If that's considered ice cream, then peach is perfectly normal. So don't you go making fun of my choice of flavour when you yourself aren't any better." Theo stuck out his tongue, letting go of her hand to ruffle her wavy brown hair. Alyss shrieked, swatting his hand away. Theo roared in laughter.

The day was chilly, so they wore matching jackets. They were positively adorable in the eyes of the adults who watched them, though the two children remained oblivious to the attention they received, lost in their own world. They happily ran around in the grass, ice cream dripping onto their hands. The sun shone down on Alyss, illuminating her sparkling eyes, her white teeth glittering in the lights. She looked like a painting, too lovely to be real.

They almost looked like glorified vampires. To the curious onlookers, it almost appeared to be scripted, like they were trained child actors, paid to look too cute for words. Their pale skin must've been make-up, hiding bad sunburns. Their stunning eyes must've been contacts, hiding ugly, flat eyes beneath them. Their silky hair must've been pre-done, hiding rough bed-head. Their unwrinkled clothes must've belonged to a modeling agency, hiding the tattered robes they usually wore. For, they were too perfect to be real.

"Why are they all staring at us?" Theo whispered to his best friend as he noticed the many transfixed eyes following them, "It's kind of creepy."

"Just a lot," Alyss said dryly, "But, to answer your question, I don't know. Maybe there's something on your face, since you're such a messy eater." She giggled, then stopped, noticing the nearly crushed cone in her hand, "Or…maybe we're just disgusting." Theo grinned widely, noticing his melting ice cream cone as well. His whole hand was nearly green with ice cream.

"Probably."

They proceeded to fall down onto their butts, licking their hands clean. It was hard not to be drawn into watching the simple, yet dazzling scene. Alyss—now aware of the unwanted attention—blushed madly, a little bit angry at the prying eyes. She felt like a shiny toy on display during Christmas. Theo seemed at ease though, looking for all the world like he didn't mind the attention, or simply didn't care.

"Do you want a lick?" Alyss asked, holding out her mushy ice cream cone, "Before I go throw it out?" Theo looked at the cone warily before nodding his head. He leaned forward, taking a quick taste of the ice cream. He thought for a minute, before taking another lick. A great smile was suddenly painted on his face, taking several more long licks, until his lips were bright orange. When Alyss broke out in giggles, Theo pursed his orange lips in question, which only seemed to make her laugh harder.

"What?" He asked, regarding her as if she'd grown a second head. Alyss slapped a hand over her mouth, pointing at his face. Theo reached up to his lips, using two fingers to swipe off a bit of cream. He chuckled when he realized why she'd been laughing, shaking his head amused exasperation. Alyss got up, holding out a messy hand for Theo to take, which he did.

They continued walking, throwing out their half-eaten ice cream into the nearest trashcan. The wind swept Theo's wild hair around, mussing it up even more than usual, while Alyss' hair somehow remained unscathed, lying in gentle waves down her back. Her childish face glowed with happiness, a bright flush of life on her cheekbones. Her tiny, dainty hands were loose by her sides now, and she danced as she walked, doing little twirls and prances. Theo, the calmer one of the two, simply smiled at his best friends. There was no one else in the entire world that could come close to filling him with the same joy that Alyss did.

Everyone watched them as they continued through with their everyday lives. The dancing princess and her prince, watching calmly as she skipped down the boardwalk. Their matching pea coats were done up until the top button, making them appear even more childlike and pampered. Alyss was like a porcelain fairy. And Theo was like a regal prince, dressed all in white.

But not all the onlookers were so kind.

"Hey ugly!" yelled a redheaded boy in the middle of the field, looking straight at Theo, "What are you doing in our park with your girly clothes? And what's with your skippy-girlfriend? She taking you to buy you a new face, ugly?" The boy and his cronies laughed obnoxiously, sneering at Theo, whose smile was quickly wiped away. Alyss stopped skipping, glaring at the rude boys.

"Simpletoons," She seethed, her brows furrowing together.

"Simpletons," Theo corrected her quietly, lowering his head, tucking his hands into his open pockets.

"Simpletons," She relented, "Don't let them bug you. They're just pathetic." Theo nodded, seemingly lose in his thoughts. Alyss frowned. Theo looked like someone had told him his dog had died, his eyes glossy and watery. Alyss took his hand, dragging him over to a bench overlooking the teal sea. He acted quite tired, like he didn't know how to use his limbs.

"Theo, what's wrong?" Alyss asked gently, placing one of her hands against Theo's cheek. He didn't say anything, but a single teardrop dribbled his cheek, which Alyss quickly wiped away. Embarrassed, Theo looked away, trying to hide his face, which most displeased Alyss, who used her little hand to rub soft circles on his cheek, trying to draw Theo out of his depressed state.

"Theo, please don't listen to them," Alyss insisted, using her other hand to turn Theo's head to look at her, "They're just idiots! Please don't pay attention to them!" She now had tears in her eyes, worried about Theo, who seemed to be sinking further and further into the deep abyss of his misery.

"Why are you even friends with me?" Theo whispered, "You're so pretty and perfect. Why do you want to be with someone hideous like me? Why don't you listen to those guys?" Alyss almost growled in frustration.

"I don't care what they say! And I wouldn't care even if you were ugly, which you are not!" Alyss asserted, trying to force Theo to meet her eyes. His blue orbs were filled with hope, but guarded. The onlookers watched this scene in awed amazement.

"You wouldn't care?" Theo whispered. Alyss shook her head furiously.

"I wouldn't care if you looked like a scary monster. You're still my best friend and I love you." So sincere was her voice that Theo couldn't dare doubt that what she said was the truth coming straight from her heart. She smiled at his relieved face, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him close to her.

"Thank you," Theo whispered, "You don't understand how much I appreciate that."

"Yes," Alyss breathed, "I do. And don't you ever forget it."

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A/N: This is not a permanent thing. I come and go. I like Fanfiction a lot more than Fictionpress, just because it's easier dealing with those characters. Things will come and go, and whenever I feel the urge, I'll bring these two lovable characters back. They'll never age though. I'm nearly sure of it now. I've been tempted to show them as teenagers and adults, but I think that would ruin their appeal. Though…after awhile, these same old one-shots might get boring, so I actually might end up doing one one-shot with them as real lovers.

The "Just a lot" thing belongs to my editor/nagger Sara, who is undoubtedly the best non-Beta in the world. She says that all the time, so I kind of stole it from her. XD Anyways, I guess that's it. If you want to read my other work, visit my Fanfiction account, which is on my profile.

--Senseless Drive--