“My mom was total 180, you know?” Alice said, shifting around and
pulling another pillow under her head. “She was never there to yell at
me and no matter what crazy stunt I pulled it never got her angry or
managed to get her to pay more attention to me.” Shrugging her
shoulders, she grinned as she observed Helena pull back the stocking
she was wearing, watch it hit her against skin and then repeat this
gesture. “After awhile I just gave up and did my own thing. I had tons
of killer parties as a teenager though. Even though I wasn’t the super
babe on campus the fact that my mom was a known actress who was never
home but left me with plenty of available booze so helped my social
life.”

“I can well imagine,” said Helena, chuckling.

“What about you?” asked Alice, nudging Helena with her foot and
grinning when the heiress lightly snapped her stocking against her leg
again. “I bet you were totally popular in school with your fancy
British hotness.”

“I attended an all girls boarding school in Britain, darling,” Helena
replied in amused tones, releasing her hold on Alice’s stocking and
lightly rubbing the soles of her feet. “Everyone there shared my more
fancy tendencies, as you say it.”

“Right, right,” said Alice, groaning slightly and looking impatient.
“You’re not answering my question. You were totally popular though,
weren’t you? I mean, how couldn’t you be? Look at you!” Alice
exclaimed, waving her hands expressively.

Raising an eyebrow at the emphatic belief Alice had in regards to her
popularity in school, Helena turned her head from the blonde and said
almost reluctantly, “I’m afraid that wasn’t the case. I never had many
friends growing up…” Trailing off and giving a short laugh, Helena
amended wryly, “Many friends ever, one would suppose.” Looking to Alice
who me her gaze with wide eyes, open and listening intently, Helena
smiled. “I’m not someone who wishes to complain, you see. My life is
far beyond what many would call privileged. I exist on a different
scope of things, never having any concept of what it was to want for
what is necessary in life to simply be. I had only the trivial, more
emotional complaints to occupy me. Things like my uncomfortable
relationship with my mother. But how I grew up…” Helena looked away
from Alice and sighed quietly, fixing her stare out the nearby windows.
“I learned very quickly that everyone wants something from those with
money. It is a truly rare thing for someone to simply see me as Helena
and not Helena Peabody. And so I’ve never had many friends.”