For once, Shelby was not at Alfred's. The country was currently away in Dallas, Texas, discussing the steps to be taken with the police department. The teen wondered with he would see Jenna, Juan, or Thaovy there, but she knew right now, fun and games were not America's top priority. Things were getting pretty serious, with the 2016 elections and all the police brutality killings around the nation, only to end with the murder of 5 cops. Alfred tried not to let Shelby know how hard he was taking it, but she was starting to get really concerned with how tired he was all the time now.

He told Shelby she was allowed to stay at his house while he was gone, but she was honestly afraid that France or England were gonna visit, and she didn't really wanna deal with that. She did stop by every day though to feed AmeriCat and Walter, and walk his unicorn (ever since Shelby had found out about the unicorn, she could actually see it, but she decided not to freak America out. Plus, seeing it meant that she was even MORE like Arthur, something she didn't want to admit to anyone, especially Arthur... And Dreamz).

But at the moment, she laid sprawled out on the couch, popping Sour Patch Kids that she stole from her sister in her mouth. She was currently home alone; the rest of her family had gone to a party for Alexis's soccer team, and partys weren't really Shelby's thing, especially when it was a bunch of kids ranging from 11 to 14. That wasn't her style.

As she silently watched Steven Universe on demand, suddenly, a pounding sounded on her door. She glanced up, looking to see if the security system was on, only to feel her stomach drop her she saw it wasn't.

A few seconds later, the door broke open, and a shorter girl with long, straight, platinum blonde hair with a white bow perched on the top of her head stomped inside. She had hard, dark blue eyes that glared angrily around the room, and she wore a dark purple dress that stayed fluffed out from her hips down, accompanied by a white apron tied around her waist. The skin on her forehead was as dark as her eyes, and she was breathing heavily, her teeth gritted together.

"BIG BROTHER!" She called out in a Slavic accent. Her eyes landed on Shelby, who was really regretting not bringing her hammer and umbrella out in the living room with her, and she whipped out a knife, pointing it in the brunette's direction. "Where is brother Russia?"

Shelby's eyes widened. "Russia is definitely not in my house, I can promise you that."

"You are lying to me! Big Brother told me that he would be at this address today!" The girl exclaimed, her eyes narrowing.

Shelby's face paled slightly, "Ivan knows my address?"

"Ahh, so you do know him! Where is he?" She demanded again, taking a urgent step forward.

Shelby was not amused that a little twig of a girl was trying to wave a knife in her face. "Yeah, I know Russia, but I'm not lying when I tell you he's not here. He has no reason to be." She stated in a firm tone.

Her expression turned into a harsh scowl. "I am going to search this house, and if I find Big Brother here, I will slit your throat." She growled, storming off into the hallway and busting the door open to Shelby's room. The teen let out a defeated breath, regretting the fact that she didn't know how to unlock her dad's gun safe. She popped another sour patch kid in her mouth as she saw the girl weave in and out of the rooms, before she returned to living room, her knife still at her side, but her face was less angry, more defeated. "Big Brother is not here." She grumbled, plopping down on the love seat adjacent from Shelby.

Shelby raised a brow, pausing her show. "Why'd you need Russia? Are you two related? You're a country then?" She fired off few questions, sitting up in her seat.

"I am Belarus. I am Russia's younger sister. He is everything to me." She said curtly, eyeing the teen.

"Oh, you two sound very close." Shelby stated, crossing her legs and leaning back against the back of the couch.

"Not close enough." She whispered, staring off at nothing. "We will become one. I will marry Russia."

Shelby's eyes widened. "Woah, is incest not illegal in your country?"

That earned her a glare from the smaller country. "If he really loved me, our relation wouldn't matter." Her glare remained, but her lip twitched up in a slight smile. "I know he does- or at least used to. I still remember when he gave me this dress, the sparkle in his violet eyes... And when he first saved me from Poland and Lithuania, I thought I had found my hero..." Her eyebrows furrowed together slightly, "But every time I see him now, it's like he does not even remember it. Everything he did for me... It's like it never happened."

Belarus glanced over at the brunette, who was watching her with wide eyes which glistened slightly with moisture. "Why are you looking at me like that?" The country hissed, her eyes like daggers.

"Sorry," Shelby muttered, frowning, "it's just- well, it's really weird that you are in love with your brother... But it's just... Well, it's really sad that you're in love with someone who doesn't love you back. Pulls at what little heartstrings I have." She mumbled, pressing her lips in a thin line.

Belarus crossed her arms and turned away. "I am not needing your sympathy."

"I can deal with that- wanna sour patch kid?" Shelby reached in the bag and grabbed a blue one out, offering it to the blonde. Belarus glanced over, eyeing the candy suspiciously, before tentatively reaching forward and grabbing it from Shelby, biting the sour patch kid's head off viscously before she chewed rapidly. The pace slowed however, as she actually began to taste the candy. "Is good." She admitted in a quieter voice.

"Yeah, they're pretty great. They're my favorites. You can have the rest if you want." Shelby held out the bag, which Belarus grabbed carefully, eyeing Shelby with a confused glare.

"Why are you being so nice to me? No one else is the generous and kind." She stated, taking another candy and placing it in her mouth.

"Don't call me nice." Shelby snapped.

"Well don't be nice." She retorted.

Shelby crossed her arms. "Maybe we're two peas in a pod."

Belarus raised a brow. "You are thinking so? Well, I hate humanity."

"Have you not seen the mass shooting rates in America? Join the club."

"I see ghosts."

"I think I used to have a ghost... But I think I scared it away." Shelby pursed her lips in thought.

"I carry a knife around with me."

"I once kept scissors in my boot; I threw them at a boy and cut in his hand open."

"I am deeply in love with my Big Brother."

"Okay, you got me... But I'm deeply in love with a mutant turtle, which I think would be considered beastiality, WHICH is also illegal."

Belarus sat back against the couch. "Okay, so we have handful of similarities." She admitted, eating another sour patch kid. "What is your name?"

"I'm the state of Michigan, but I prefer Shelby." She answered smoothly. She had introduced herself as Michigan so many times now, it didn't even phase her anymore.

Belarus nodded, before extending her hand tentatively towards the brunette. "Natalya Arlovskaya." Shelby reached forward and shook her hand, "Does this make us friends?"

"Well, friends don't really awkwardly shake hands, but I guess it's a hurdle we just jumped over." Shelby joked.

Belarus frowned. "Am confused. I am sitting here in front of you; we did not jump over any hurdles."

"Ivan, you really need to relax. If Belarus didn't find you already, she probably won't- for tonight, anyways." Hope reassured her friend as she typed away on her iPad.

"I know, I am just feeling the guilt I think. I gave Belarus Shelby's address." Ivan admitted.

"What?" Canada looked up in shock. "If Shelby is scared of you, then I can't even imagine how she'll handle Belarus..."

"I know, I am terrible person." Russia whispered, grabbing a maple leaf covered couch pillow and hugging it close to his chest, burying his face in it.

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I don't know, Belarus is creepy and all, but I can kind of see me and her getting along. I mean, she's scary, but unlike Russia, she doesn't bother to hide her intentions and stuff. I appreciate that in a weird sort of way XD