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The stone walls of the school were crooked and the mortar between the bricks was cracked. Red roof tiles were loose and prone to falling at random intervals, shattering upon hitting the ground. Half of the bathrooms were flooded, most of the rest out of order. There was hardly an undamaged window frame in sight, their glass panes broken and strewn on hallway floors.
The Evil Queen may have been banished back into the Mirror Realm with the help of a Booking Glass and the ire of a Dark Fairy, but it was plain to see that Ever After High had yet to recover.
Glass crunched beneath the soles of Apple’s shoes as she exited the Chemythstry classroom, arms wrapped around her notebooks and papers. She winced, feeling the burning stares of her classmates as they prepared to traverse the ravaged school. Head hanging, Apple dragged her feet to the castleteria, letting herself fall behind the crowd.
Not looking at where she was going, Apple walked into the back of a fellow straggler.
“Sorry,” she said automatically.
“Worry not,” came the subdued voice of a certain Prince Charming.
Apple gulped at the realization that her True Love stood before her.
“H-hi Daring,” she brushed her hair behind her ear. “On your way to lunch?”
“Actually, I feel rather unwell,” he grinned weakly. “I think I shall make use of our break to rest.”
“Oh, okay,” Apple tightened her grip on her books. “Feel better soon.”
“Many thanks,” he inclined his head elegantly. “Farewell. Enjoy your meal.”
Apple muttered her thanks, but bypassed the castleteria door, intent on hiding in her room.
She had lost what remained of her appetite.
- - - - - - -
“Darling!” Daring whispered loudly, opening the door to his sister’s room a crack.
Rosabella looked up from where she was rubbing Darling’s back.
“I’ll give you guys some privacy,” she said.
She pulled the door fully open, stepping out, and closed the door behind Daring.
Darling glared at her brother from where she was stretched out on her bed.
“What?” Daring asked.
Darling rolled her eyes and waved him off.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“I bumped into Apple,” Daring sat on the edge of his sister’s bed. “It was so awkward!”
Darling narrowed her eyes.
“And you thought you’d talk to me about it?” she said.
“You’re probably the resident expert on awkward and Apple.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Darling said flatly. “Not that I needed it.”
“Is this a bad time?” Daring asked.
“My crush has been avoiding me ever since I kissed her awake,” Darling snapped. “Yes, this is a bad time.”
“Sorry?” Daring scooted back on the mattress.
“It’s not your fault,” Darling said, voice muffled as she buried her face in her hands. “It’s just a bad situation, all around.”
“You don’t think she actually liked me before, right?” Daring asked. “I mean, we never even dated.”
“I don’t think she likes you,” Darling said. “Honestly, you’re making it weird for no reason. You were friends before, weren’t you?”
“It’s different now,” Daring said. “We know we’re not destined to be together, and that was half of why we ever hung out.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Darling said. “Just avoid her, I guess?”
“I guess…” Daring didn’t sound very enthused.
“That’s what I’m going to do, anyway,” Darling rolled over to stuff her face in her pillow. “You can do whatever you want. Now, please let me mope.”
“Alright,” Daring stood to leave.
“Oh,” Darling stopped him. “And do me a favor?”
“Sure?”
“If you see Rosabella, tell her I’m eating lunch outside. I don’t want to deal with people right now.”
- - - - - - -
Raven poked at her salad with a fork, ignoring the glances Cedar and Maddie exchanged.
“Rae?” Cedar said tentatively. “You okay? ‘Cause if I’m being honest, which I have to be, we’re worried about you.”
“I’m fine,” Raven stabbed a particularly juicy piece of tomato, which squirted its contents on the table. “Mom’s been dealt with, and everything is fine.”
Maddie looked around the castleteria.
“Apple and Darling aren’t here,” she noted.
“They’re probably having a picnic or something,” Raven grumbled.
“That sounds romantic,” Cedar said.
Raven scowled, stabbing a piece of lettuce this time.
“Is something wrong with your food?” Maddie asked with genuine concern.
“No,” Raven shoved a forkful into her mouth, chewing exaggeratedly, and swallowed loudly. “All good.”
The school groaned as something shifted.
“I just wish they would fix this place up already,” she said.
“Uh huh,” Cedar nodded, eyebrows raised. “And that’s it?”
“What’s bugging your snug?” Maddie asked.
Raven sighed.
“It’s just,” she gestured helplessly. “Apple and Darling…”
She gave Cedar a quick glance.
The wooden girl mimed zipping her mouth shut.
“I’m happy for them,” Raven said. “I really am. I’m just letting my jealousy get the better of me.”
“Who’re you jealous of?” Maddie tilted her head.
“I don’t know,” Raven clenched her fists. “Apple. Darling. Both. Neither. It’s not like I ever had a chance with either one of them.”
“That’s not true!” Cedar objected. “And I can’t tell a lie.”
“Fine,” Raven conceded. “Mathematically or statistically speaking, or whatever, there’s always a slim chance of something happening. But it’s hardly likely. Is that a lie?”
Cedar didn’t respond.
- - - - - - -
“Helllllo Ever After!” Blondie’s voice boomed through the stadium, heard by her viewers and physically present spectators alike. “Welcome to the Just Right livestream of the new, uncancelled Dragon Games!”
The crowd cheered wildly.
“Let’s see what today’s line up will be!”
The cameras, streaming to the MirrorNet as well as to the stadium’s large screens, panned across the two team huddles on the sidelines.
Apple bit her lip as the cameras did a close up on the captain’s faces.
At least members of the bookball team couldn’t play.
Thank godmother for small mercies.
She wasn’t avoiding Daring! The game simply wouldn’t be fair if he participated. What with his…
muscles and princeliness.
Apple’s eyes drifted over to her opposing team captain, before jerking guiltily back to her own teammates.
Duchess’s stare bored holes into her.
“Right,” Apple cleared her throat. “Um, Briar, Melody, you’re up.”
“Unbelievable,” Duchess scoffed. “I’m clearly the superior choice.”
“Everyone will get their turn,” Ashlynn laid a hand on Duchess’s shoulder, only to have it shrugged off.
“It’s only the first game,” Apple said.
Duchess sneered, but followed Ashlynn and Maddie to the bench.
“Looks like our captains have chosen their teams!” Blondie continued her narration of the events. “Give it up for Team Red! Apple White! Briar Beauty! Aaaand Melody Piper!”
Apple grimaced at the crowd as her teammates waved.
“Now let’s hear it for Team Blue! Darling Charming! Lizzie Hearts! Aaaand Ramona Badwolf!”
Apple snuck a glance over at the opposing team’s bench while the crowd cheered for Team Blue, eyes skipping over the O’Hair twins to settle on Raven.
She hadn’t had much of a chance to talk to her roommate since the Evil Queen’s imprisonment, and Apple could only hope that she hadn’t damaged their friendship beyond repair. Raven had been absent from their room the past few days, breaking school rules to bunk out with her friends, and Apple didn’t know what she could do to fix the current status quo of avoidance.
“C’mon!” Briar slung an arm over Apple’s shoulders, snapping her back into awareness. “Let’s do this!”
“Yeah!” Apple forced a smile, wrenching her thoughts back to the game at hand. “Let’s go team! We got this in the bag!”
- - - - - - -
Darling mounted her dragon after checking over the saddle one last time to ensure everything was attached securely. She made sure to project confidence in her posture, both for her dragon’s sake, and for her teammates. She prodded her dragon into a walk, heading towards the starting positions, Lizzie and Ramona slightly behind her and flanking her at either side.
They drew up to the oval outlines, Darling looking across the field to meet Apple’s eyes, and her stomach flipped.
The sharp burst of sound from Coach Gingerbreadman’s whistle was a relief, distracting her from her tingling nerves to focus on her naturally competitive spirit.
“Hex yeah!” she whooped as six players took to the sky, chasing the launched ball.
Darling snatched the ball seconds before Apple would have gotten her hands on it.
She swerved to avoid crashing into Apple, hanging nearly upside down, and the crowd roared.
Adrenaline pumping through her veins, Darling veered towards the gemstones, maneuvering around Melody only to be blocked by Briar. Undeterred, she threw the ball to Ramona, as Lizzie cut off Briar’s attempt at interception.
Ramona crashed through two gems in rapid succession, only to have her attempted goal thwarted by Apple, who lunged to catch the ball at the last second, dragon tilted sideways as she all but stood in her stirrups to grab the ball with her fingertips.
The crowd gasped, delighted.
Darling briefly tightened her grip on the reins, relaxing when Apple remained balanced in her seat as her dragon righted itself.
Tuning out Blondie and the crowd, Darling narrowed her focus to her competition.
With a snap of her wrists, her dragon surged forward, and she shot towards her rival.
- - - - - - -
Raven was doubting the wisdom of having joined the team, but she wasn’t going to leave them hanging now. She twisted the hem of her uniform shirt, watching as the two captains flew towards each other, arcing gracefully above the field.
She averted her gaze as the crowd oohed.
“What a steal!” Blondie announced. “The ball was taken right from White’s hands! Oh, but Charming fumbled! The ball is falling- it’s in Piper’s possession!”
Raven retrieved her noise-canceling headphones from her bag, slumping in relief as the hubbub surrounding her grew distant. Holly gave her a concerned look, but Raven merely smiled and mouthed “loud” while pointing at her ear.
Scrolling through her playlists, Raven skipped over the one titled “my fairytale romance” to select “pretty princesses”, which consisted mostly of Tailor Quick and Hood in Red, and put it on shuffle.
The rest of the game passed in a blur, thankfully without Raven being called upon to participate, and she spent her time lost in the music, until she noticed her teammates congregating. Looking up, she saw Apple and Darling shake hands, Team Red standing triumphantly in the background. Team Blue’s captain then approached her team.
“Good game guys,” Raven heard Darling say as she removed her headphones. “It was a close one, and you all did great.”
“We’ll get them next time,” Poppy agreed.
“Off with their heads!” Lizzie stamped her foot.
“That’s the spirit,” Ramona smiled sharply.
“My, what big teeth you have,” Holly said jokingly.
“All the better to beat them with,” Ramona said, canines glistening in the sun.
- - - - - - -
It took a while for Team Red to return to the school, basking in the high of the win, and they took extra care in tending to their dragons before leaving the stable. By the time they arrived at the dorms, Briar had organized victory pizza to be delivered, and insisted that all members of the team celebrate in her and Ashlynn’s room. She grabbed Apple’s wrist when she protested that she needed a shower, attempting to drag her away from her room, but Apple insisted.
Raven would be there, after all.
“Hey,” Raven greeted when Apple entered. “Good game.”
“Thanks,” Apple warmed at the thought of Raven watching her play. “Your team did well, too.”
“Yeah,” Raven said. “Anyway, I showered already, so you can have the bathroom.”
“Oh,” Apple said. “Uh, yep, okay.”
“You good?” Raven asked.
“After I get out,” Apple said. “Can we talk?”
“Don’t you have a party to get to?”
“Yes, well…” Apple shrugged. “I’ll just tell my team I took a long shower”
“Then sure,” Raven said. “See you in a few.”
“Yeah.”
Apple quickly organized her change of clothes, sticking to sporty-casual with the awareness that her teammates would still be in their uniforms, and entered the bathroom. The air was still full of steam, the mirror foggy, and one of Raven’s socks lay forgotten in the corner.
Apple briefly shut her eyes and pressed her forehead against the wall, before squaring her shoulders and turning the tap.
- - - - - - -
Darling was surprised to receive the invitation to Briar’s impromptu party, but the other princess stubbornly insisted that the whole grade should enjoy the first game’s afterparty, and now Darling was hovering by a snack-covered coffee table, a cup of juice in her hand.
Apple’s absence felt almost pointed.
“Wow, someone’s upset,” Duchess waltzed by Darling, before twirling over to join those dancing to Melody’s mixtape.
Darling resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
Sure, losing was a bummer, but that was hardly the sole cause of her distress.
And here she was thinking that after the Wonderland debacle she was free from that stereotypical state damsels seemed to find themselves in.
“Hey, Cap,” Poppy appeared at her shoulder. “What’s eating you?”
“Just, the whole Apple situation,” Darling said. “She hasn’t even tried talking to me after- I mean, you were there, you know what happened.”
“Does she?” Poppy asked.
“Why wouldn’t she?”
“Well, nobody answered her when she asked if it was Daring who woke her up.”
“Yeah, but,” Darling shook her head. “The gossip’s been all over the school.”
“So?” Poppy raised an eyebrow. “Has anyone been gossiping about it with you, a person that was involved?”
Darling blinked.
“And you haven’t tried to talk to her about it either, right?” Poppy said. “Maybe she’s just shy.”
“Oh, curse it all,” Darling set her drink on the table. “I’m gonna have to try communicating, aren’t I?”
“What a novel concept.”
“Shut up, Poppy.”
- - - - - - -
Raven tugged on her hair when she heard Apple’s water turn off, and her mouth dried when her roommate emerged from the bathroom, damp hair sticking to her face and neck.
“I’m sorry,” they said at the same time.
“Why are you apologizing?” Raven frowned.
“Why are you apologizing?” Apple returned.
“I’ve been avoiding you-” Raven started.
“Yeah,” Apple cut her off. “Because I messed up majorly. You’re allowed to still be mad.”
“What?” Raven said. “Apple. I’m not mad at you.”
“You’re not?”
“Yeah, and you don’t need to apologize for the whole thing with our moms being manipulative,” Raven continued. “I already forgave you the first time.”
“Oh,” Apple sat next to Raven on her bed. “But ever since then-”
“Well, there was the apple incident,” Raven said, stomach knotting painfully.
“Wait,” Apple drew back. “You don’t feel guilty about that, do you? It’s not like you did it.”
“That’s not why I feel guilty, Apple.”
“Then why?”
Raven shut her eyes.
“Because I like you,” she said. “As more than a friend.”
Apple’s eyes widened.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “True Love’s kiss and all… I’m kind of stuck with Daring.”
“Daring?” Raven furrowed her brow.
Just then Darling burst into the room, panting, sweating in her uniform.
“I woke you up!” she said. “Um, we should probably talk about it, yeah?”
“I’ll leave you to it,” Raven stood, only to have Apple grip the back of her shirt.
“Is it true?” she asked. “It wasn’t Daring?”
“Yeah,” Raven whispered. “So, um, if you’d let me go…”
“But you should be part of the conversation too!” Apple argued. “I like you too.”
“You do?” Raven sat down with a thump.
“Oh,” Darling shrunk in on herself.
“I like you too!” Apple hurried to say.
“As do I,” Raven said.
“Oh,” Darling said again. “Oh!”
“S-sorry,” Raven chewed on her thumbnail. “I’m kind of intruding on your True Love’s Kiss thing-”
“I kind of like you too,” Darling told her. “I think, maybe, we could make this work, the three of us? I’ll be honest, I never thought of you as an option before, but I’m hardly opposed to the idea.”
“Would you be okay with that?” Raven asked Apple. “It’s your chance at a Happily Ever After. I don’t want to ruin that.”
“You’re the villain of my story,” Apple said. “I think you’re allowed to ruin my Ending.”
“Right,” Raven shifted on the mattress. “But the person who woke you up is right here-”
“And so are you,” Darling took Raven’s hand. “I never much cared for Destiny myself.”
Raven bit her lip, turning to Apple.
“I’m already breaking convention by liking princesses,” Apple said. “I might as well like two.”
Raven laughed, barely believing it.
“Apple, Darling,” she said. “Will you go on a date with me?”
“Yes,” Darling said immediately.
“And each other too, I guess,” Raven added.
Darling snorted.
“That was implied,” she said.
They both looked at the last member of their trio.
Apple took a moment before responding, nodding slowly.
“I will,” she said. “And I believe there’s an opportunity for that right down the hall.”