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Doreen knew Alice was fragile. Not fragile as in someone would insult her and she'd cry. No, fragile as in someone would insult her and she'd poison their drink. Fragile as in someone would glare at her and she'd slit their throat whilst they slept. Fragile like a bomb, not a flower.Alice was always like this, ever since she was young. So Doreen had taken it upon herself to protect her.Doreen was always there to calm Alice down or talk impulsive thoughts out of her head, and Alice was always there to defend Doreen and reassure her when Doreen needed it. This was always the way, even when the pair were young. Through this they became understandable close- inseparable even.Alice was a lot, but she was also a little. Yes she was intense, and yes she could be violent, but Doreen had spent countless nights up in their room, comforting Alice while she cried into Doreen's shoulder, or watching her stare blankly at a wall in a boring class.Doreen knew Alice blocked the world out so she wouldn't hurt. She thought that if she didn't let anyone get close to her, she would never hurt again. It had taken a year for Alice to warm up to Doreen's parents, and another for her to trust them.It didn't take as long for Alice to trust Doreen though. The ginger haired girl had a persistent and bubbly personality that melted through Alice's coldness. Less than a month after Alice was adopted they were already staying up late and whispering secrets and dreams. Their parents tried to get them bunk beds at one point, but neither of the two could fall asleep without seeing the other.And then there were the rings. Doreen had given them to Alice just before they started university to calm the other girl’s nerves. Well, that wasn't entirely the reason.Alice and Doreen had known they'd loved each other for a long time. They never officially started dating, but they always did things couples would do so it would only be a title that would change. And internally, both girls referred to each other as their partner anyway- though that could be interpreted as purely platonic. Probably. The promise rings were just something to connect the two even more."This way I'll always be with you. If you miss me, you'll have the ring. But I do suggest looking over at the other side of the classroom first, I'll probably be looking at you too." Doreen had joked when she'd given Alice’s ring to her. She remembered how the other girl’s eyes became pools of deep emotion when she looked at the ring. Deep emotion only brought out when looking at Doreen.Their parents never officially knew of Doreen and Alice’s relationship, but they had their suspicions. Suspensions fed when they heard the girls talking all through the night at all ages. Suspensions fed when everywhere one went, the other followed. Suspensions fed when the pair often engaged in couple activities. Suspicious confirmed when they saw the promise rings.Alice had suggested that they wore them on their middle fingers, so as not to draw too much attention (certain people around wouldn’t have agreed with their relationship, and Alice knew even a judgmental look could make Doreen feel bad). Doreen had agreed, pointing out that promise rings have no rules specifying that the rings have to go on the ring finger.Alice was happy with the rings. Doreen knew she would be. Alice was scared of being separated, so Doreen had given her something that would mean they were always connected. That was just the way the duo worked. If one was sad, the other would do everything in their power to make them happy. And if they couldn't be cheered up, the second would join them in mock sadness, usually including some pretty funny faces.Nothing could come between them, not even death.
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"What you got for me chief?" Shawn Spencer enters the chief's office, interpreting what nonsense Lassie was going on about now."Actually we're quite right, no psychic needed for this case-" Lasseter tries to dismiss Shawn, but is once again spoken over by his own chief."A girl was found dead at the old asylum, Whispy Sunny Pines, room-""413." Shawn finished for her, a slightly dazed tone in his voice.Vick tilted her head, impressed. "Yeah, how'd you know?"Shawn exchanged a glance with Gus, who looked like he's about to throw up. "A vision." He answers simply. "I'm psychic, remember?" Seeing Juliet give a small smile, Shawn casts a playful glance at her. Everyone else in the room rolled their eyes."We were going to write it off as a suicide, but Juliet feels there's more to it, so we're sending her undercover." Chief continued."Maybe she's the psychic." Lassiter grumbled, still in a bad mood.Shawn scanned Chief Vick's desk, looking for clues about the case. His mind sorted what he saw and he began to make sense of the situation. "I'm seeing B!" Shawn announced. "Brianna? Brittany? Bianca!”“Yes!” Julia exclaims excitedly. She looked down in embarrassment when all eyes turned quizzically to her.“Bianca was found dead at the old asylum?” Gus questioned, panic lining his voice.“That's the weird part,” Chief Vick said way too eerily for Shawn's liking. “She has a dent in the back of her head, but fell forwards. . .”“So she was murdered?” Shawn said flatly, breaking the ghostly mood.“Yes and no.”“Julia thinks there's more going on here than meets the eye so she's going undercover at the college.” Lassie summarised, bored of the drawn out explanation.“Ooo a college girl.” Shawn teased, only for Juliet to roll her eyes.More information was discussed within the meeting, including the arrangement for Shawn to psychically assess suspects.“Here's what I'm thinking,” Shawn begins to explain his plan to Gus once the meeting was over. “Go down to the University and talk to some people there. Get a feel for who Bianca was and what her vibe’s like.”“Her vibe?” Guses tone was skeptical and questioning.“Yeah, like what she feels like, what psychic sense I get from her.”“She’s dead Shawn,” Gus reminded him, just in case his partner had forgotten.“You don’t understand how the psychic world works,” Shawn dismissed him.“Ok, what about her friends? Are we going to ‘read them’ at the school too?” Gus hoped to catch Shawn on that, he could really do with the weekend off.Unfortunately, for once Shawn had a full plan. Ok maybe not for once, he had full plans like 50/50 percent of the time.“We're invited to a slumber party.” Shawn held up a measly piece of paper that was so heavily decorated it made Gus’s eyes hurt.“Yeah I know,” Shawn said seriously as he followed his friend's gaze. “Not enough pink.”“So what's the plan?” Gus asked.“Gus, chill for a second. We get to go to a slumber party with college girls! When have you ever gotten to do that?” Shawn hyped his friend up.“Never,” Gus admitted, his eyes distant as if imagining what the party would be like.“Of course you haven't, you're too much of a geek for that.” Shawn said, breaking Gus's trance with a pat on the back. The second member of the duo glared after the first as he continued down the footpath.So they went to the party. It was great at first- wonderful even, but then things got. . .The psych duo didn't bother to close the door as they bolted from the house. Pure and utter terror shot through both of them, and the only way to express it was through their high pitched scream.A slither of relief blew through them as they spotted their blue mini car. Gus tugged desperately at the car door handle but unlike most other times the door remained shut. Gus raised his gaze slowly, meeting Shawn's on the other side of the car.Unanimously they both screamed.“Shawn!” Juliet's voice rang across the pavement. Shawn straightened up and masked his fear with a professional business person's face. One which Gus was very familiar with. After all, he looked in mirrors.Shawn shuffle-walked over to Juliet, looking like a guilty puppy. Gus didn't hesitate, as soon as Shawn started talking to Juliet the second half of the psych duo fumbled for his keys and unlocked the car.Gus sped down the street without looking back, not a pang of regret holding him back.The sound of tires screeching on tar made Shawn's head snap up, just in time to see his supposed best friend stranding him in a haunted house. Shawn couldn't blame Gus though, he himself would do the same thing. But it now meant Shawn had to face Juliet. . .“I just had to check some facts with my partner.” He mumbled, not looking at Jules, who had her hands on her hips. “And we uh. . . Agreed that um-” Shawn gestured back down the road feebly. “Yeah.”“He’s not coming back.”“I know.”“You want me to ask the girls to set up another mattress?”