Shelby had stayed both Saturday and Sunday at France's house with the ACE trio, trying not to annoy the group too terribly much as she listened to Hamilton, read Harry Potter out loud to herself, and binge watched The Crown in a matter of two days. But, with the return of the school week, Shelby had to return to Michigan. There, she was delighted to find that her sister was no longer crying over her boyfriend; actually, the opposite, she was in a very good mood for a change, and welcomed Shelby home with a hug. For once, the 17 year old did not oppose.

Shelby returned to the doctor's after school, and they seemed to be concerned that Shelby's ankle (which she had rolled and sprain during her second to last soccer game) was still swollen and tender. Shelby decided it was best to not tell them that she took the cast off early, or that she had a tendency to sit on it, and hadn't been icing it like she was supposed to. The doctor tried to give her another cast, but after insisting that it wasn't necessary, Shelby left the office with an array of physical activities to perform on her ankle, and the strict warning of no high impact activities such as running (oops) , jumping (oops), or soccer (good thing season was already over).

But, after a night at home, Tuesday had come around, and Shelby found herself walking up the porch to America's house.

"Alfred?" She called nervously, turning the unlocked doorknob and stepping inside.

It was dark, and the TV flickered against the wall, newscasters on screen, a timer going down in the right hand corner, stating that in 7 hours, the next president of the United States of America would be.

On the couch, one hand placed on his head, was Alfred. Moose and Catnada, while still on separate sides of the room, seemed to stare at America with nervous, glazed eyes. Apollo, who had been sitting at Alfred's feet, heaved himself up and padded slowly up to Shelby. Seeming to sense the somber mood, he didn't bark or jump, only nudged her leg with his hand, and then licking her hand.

Shelby ruffled his head, and made her way across from Alfred. He shot up to greet her, only to grunt in pain, clutching the sides of his head as he stumbled over. She caught him in a panic. "Alfred! Don't do that!" She scolded.

"Sorry." He muttered a gruff apology. She flinched internally. She hated this, how much pain he was in, how much pain his country was causing him. It only made her hate for both candidates grow, which only hurt Alfred more. It was a vicious cycle.

"No, I'm sorry." She sighed, guiding him back to see seat and wiping a tear away quickly.

He frowned, "Dude, come on, it'll be okay."

She shook her head, shaking slightly now. "No, it's not okay. None of this is okay!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. "We're about to vote in someone who wants to make America great again by bringing back all the things that made America horrible in the past, instead of fixing our issues now. And it's, it's hurting you. Your own election is hurting you, and I hate it."

Alfred paled further. "You... Think Trump's gonna win?"

Now, Shelby knew either candidate made Alfred equally mad. He was completely split, like his country, which was why his head was pounding so badly. But Alfred knew who Shelby supported out of the two, and was probably a bit surprised to hear her admit that.

She nodded, steadying herself. "I think he's gonna win. I hope I'm wrong, but I can feel it in my gut." She whispered.

Silence followed suit. On the TV, the reporter switched from Pennsylvania to Michigan, where it showed the state colored light blue, leaning to the Democratic vote, like it always did.

Suddenly, Alfred seized his head again, gritting his teeth as it pounded sharply for a few moments. Shelby turned away slightly, unable to watch until he relaxed a bit. Tears began to build in her eyes again, as well as his, and without a word, Shelby got onto the couch and buried her face into his side. "I just hate seeing you in pain."

He nodded slightly, grabbing her hand and squeezing it slightly. "I feel a lot better with you here." He muttered quietly.

Shelby took a deep breath. "We'll get through this together."