Chapter Text
I ran my fingers through the rose beds leading to the bridge of the school. The soft, red petals grazed my fingertips and tickled the palm of my hand. The bushes were beautifully tended; the flowers were in full bloom and a morning dew speckled the tips of the crimson petals giving them a glowing appearance. A trail of growing thorns follows behind my hand. I was given an array of dirty looks by other students passing me by; how could I ruin such a perfectly elegant flower bed by giving them thorns? I did not choose to grow the thorns. I would have liked nothing more than to enjoy the tender feeling of the petals against the skin of my fingers without mutilating their appearance; unfortunately, my magic manifests at the worst of times and to say that I am nervous for this upcoming school year is an understatement. My first year at Ever After High was not exactly pleasant, and I hope that this year will be better. I was stuck taking classes that I hated, I was run from by all the students and was constantly hearing the narrative of students needing to follow their destinies. I had multiple run-ins with Headmaster Grimm about following my destiny last year. I cannot say that I am eager to follow in the footsteps of my mother - the Evil Queen from the tale of Snow White. I want more for myself, to make my own way in this world. I do not want to be told what to do and who to be - but that is not here nor there. My current obstacle is getting to orientation. Luckily, I have some time beforehand to find my footing; since I am a sophomore this year, my orientation is after the freshmen. Eventually, I made it to the bridge leading up to the main campus of the school. Looking ahead of me I could see the crowds of other students finding their friends and eagerly skipping along the ivory bridge. The sun was beginning to make its appearance and was shining behind the school - illuminating the building in front of it. It gave the school a halo of light and as it rose further into the sky, the more the bridge gleamed. The pearly stone of the bridge reflected the rays back into the atmosphere. As I stepped onto the first step, the sun shone brighter and illuminated the direction to the school; I felt a surge of warmth inside my body, and I took a deep breath. The sun had welcomed me into this new chapter of my life, and I walked across the bridge. There were students on the bridge that had met up with their friends, some familiar, many new. I waved to the ones that I recognized, but all I got in return were sideways glances and judgmental giggles. The feeling that the sun had given me quickly faded as I remembered my place in this school.
As I approached the entrance of the main building, I saw hordes of students making their way up the stairs to the school. I weaved my way through the groups of students who had already found their friends and were chatting. Once again, I got a plethora of weird glances and stares; nothing that I am not used to. The stairs leading into the school have a red carpet placed in the middle; the color almost perfectly matching the crimson of the roses. At the top of the stairs there are two sets of ivory columns on each side. Overhead hangs a beautiful, multi-tiered, crystal chandelier. The rays of the sun had met the crystals by now and were casting rainbows all over the entrance of the school. I am sure that this would have been a refreshing experience for anyone other than myself, but the anxieties of attending Ever After High clouded any rainbow that tried to make its way to me. More students crowded the orchid lockers, their voices echoed through the halls along with the overhead announcements. I recognized Blondie’s voice, she was being projected by her MirrorCast show. Blondie Lockes - daughter of Goldilocks. Looking above at the TVs with the gold-plated frames engraved with floral patterns projecting the MirrorNet, Blondie’s confidence shines through. I am almost jealous of how she can present herself on the screen. The truth about whether Blondie is a Royal or a Rebel is unclear - though she insists that she is a Royal, and yet everyone still loves her. It does not matter if she is a Rebel or not, because her story is not malicious like mine. People do not fear her name, her family, or her story. They do not run away when they see her coming down the halls. They do not switch seats when she sits beside them. They are all her friends. She made an announcement that the freshmen ceremony is about to begin, and I watch as all the new students scurry to the auditorium, leaving behind the upper years. I inspect the now half empty hallways looking for someone that I might recognize. As I look around me, I see someone wearing a very bright red cloak. Someone who I do not need to see the face of to know. I hurriedly make my way across the hallway and tap their shoulder.
“Hey Cerise! I’m glad I found you.” Cerise Hood - daughter of Little Red Riding Hood, flinches slightly as I tap her shoulder.
“Oh, Raven! Hi, how are you?”
“I’m alright, as alright as I can be at least.” I sigh as I finish my sentence. I look at Cerise, she gives me a sympathetic smile. Her brows slightly raised, her multicolored bangs almost fully covering them; her big, grey eyes looking in mine. I blink away, breaking her eye contact.
“Um, have you seen Maddie at all?” I ask slightly disheartened, not expecting an answer that would help in finding her. Madeline Hatter - daughter of the Mad Hatter, my best friend. She has stuck by me no matter how rough things got last year. Naturally, she would be the first person I would like to find.
“I think she was helping in the auditorium with Headmaster Grimm if I remember. She wanted to help introduce all the new students.” Cerise looks up as she tries to remember where she saw Maddie last.
“Isn’t that Apple’s job?” I question her answer. Knowing Maddie, she would not be helping Headmaster Grimm with much of anything; and knowing Headmaster Grimm, he would not request her help for anything other than translating Riddlish.
“I think that since they are co-presidents of the Royal Student Council it becomes both of their responsibilities?” Cerise does not look sure of the answer herself. Last year, Apple was running unopposed for the Royal Student Council presidential role. I had half-seriously suggested that it would be nice if someone were to run against her and Maddie jumped on the opportunity. In the end, it was undecided on who would be a better fit and so they concluded to being co-presidents.
“Gotcha. Anyways, are you hexcited for this year?” I asked, trying to make conversation. Cerise has always been reserved and quiet and so small talk was tricky sometimes.
“Eh, kind of. You? Er- sorry, I think I know your answer.” She stumbled over her words. I gave her a reassuring smile.
“It’s okay, I’m hopeful but not hexcited. I just want things to be different this year.” The two of us began walking down the halls. Initially, we wanted to find our lockers, but we ended up looking for a quieter place to talk. We ended up sitting in the cafeteria. The only other people in the large room were the school staff setting things up for the fresh semester. Even though we were talking quietly our voices echoed throughout the area.
“So, who are you rooming with this year?” Cerise asked curiously.
“If all goes according to plan then I’ll be with Maddie. What about you?” Knowing that Cerise does not talk much, I genuinely had no idea who she would be paired with. Other than myself, I never saw her with anyone.
“Me and Cedar made some arrangements last year. We planned on rooming together.” She answered with a smile.
“That’s great! I’m glad that they let us pick who to live with instead of doing random assignments.” I say with a grin. I’ve heard about other schools that place you with random students and it can either be great or awful.
“Yeah, rooming with a stranger would be a nightmare.”
“What do you think the worst roommate would be like?” I ask, laughing. We were able to talk for roughly half an hour longer before I heard Blondie’s voice on the MirrorCast again. She was announcing that the freshmen are clearing out and that the sophomores should make their way to the auditorium now.
“That’s us.” Cerise says as she stands up from the cafeteria table that we were seated at. She stretches and begins to walk away.
“Shall we?” She turns her head to look at me. I get myself up from the table and follow behind her.
We walked through the halls that were stuffed to the brim with students all making their way to the auditorium. In order to stay together, Cerise grabbed my hand and led me through the overabundance of students. The warmth of her soft hand lingering on my own. She had a strong grip, ensuring that I would not slip away. Once we were at the front of the group, there was more space to spread out. She let go of my hand and I felt a rush of cold in the place where hers had been. I rubbed my hand in the spot that was now empty, trying to bring it to a comfortable temperature again. She stood next to me and gave me a smile. I smiled back. Sooner or later, it was our turn to enter the auditorium. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dark lighting, and I felt Cerise grab my hand again. She has better eyesight than I do, and so she led the way once again. She found us two empty seats in the middle of the Rebel side. We had a perfect view of the stage where Apple and Maddie sat, Headmaster Grimm standing at the podium in the middle. Once I was able to see clearly, I peered around the room. The room was dimly lit but I was able to make out the decorations. Along the walls were white and purple streamers; slightly illuminated by the faint glow of the lights. Each of our seats was complemented by deep, raspberry-colored cushions. The armrests are dark grey. Hanging above the stage was a painted banner that read WELCOME TO EVER AFTER HIGH in large, golden letters. They sparkled in the low lighting. Along the edges, there were painted roses to match the ones planted outside. I was admiring the banner when some movement from the stage caught my attention. Maddie was bouncing in her seat waving at me. I giggled and waved back. Cerise noticed my wave and followed my eyeline to see Maddie. She smiled and waved alongside me. Cerise leaned next to my ear and whispered.
“Maddie sure is hexcited to see you.” I turned my head to look at her, not realizing how close her face was to my head. Startled, I moved my face a few inches away from her.
“Yeah, we didn’t have much time to see each other over the summer. My mom is…strict.” I reply, giving her a tender smile. She smiles back and looks at the ground. I notice her smile slowly begin to fade as her expression changes from one of affection to sadness. I put my hand on her shoulder and leaned close to her.
“Is everything okay?”
“Oh, yeah. I just don’t think I’ve ever had anyone that hexcited to see me before. It seems nice.” She replies, looking at me with a half-hearted smile.
“Have you seen Cedar yet today? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to see you.” I say, keeping my hand on her shoulder. She placed her hand on top of mine.
“No, I haven’t seen her, and I’m sure you’re right. Thank you, Raven.” She smiles endearingly. I watch as a smile forms back onto her face, and I pull her into a hug. She holds me tightly. As we pull away, the room goes quiet. I look around and see everyone looking at the front. A few students involved in the band club are lined up at the front of the stage. They begin to play the Ever After High school anthem; everyone in the audience begins to sing along. As the song is wrapping up, Headmaster Grimm taps his microphone; there is a loud screech and everyone covers their ears. I groan as the uncomfortable sound fades.
“Ahem, my apologies students.” He begins; he adjusts his vocal volume to fit that of the microphone as his sentence continues.
“Now, as you all know today is the first day of your second year here at Ever After High. This is a momentous time as you all prepare - once again, to sign the Storybook of Legends! I cannot wait to see what you make of your time here at this school, and I encourage you to use it wisely.” He made eye contact with me as he spoke - as if he was talking to me directly. I rolled my eyes in response and he seemed to get the message as he turned away from me.
“At this time, your schedules and room assignments have been finalized. Be sure to check your classes and placement before tomorrow in order to ensure that you are prepared. Good luck everyone. Now, some encouraging words from your Royal Student Council.” He took a step away from the podium and gave the stage to Maddie and Apple. Apple stands and begins to speak when Maddie quickly jumps up from her chair, interrupting her.
“Hello everyone! I’m Madeline Hatter, daughter of the Mad Hatter of Wonderland! If I haven’t already made your acquaintance then I’m sure we’ll get to know each other this year, have a hat-tastic day!” She barely needed the microphone since her voice is naturally loud and projected. She ran across the stage, bouncing all around as she spoke. She grabbed Apple’s hand and shook it frantically as she said the word acquaintance. I stifled a laugh; that is the Maddie that I know and love. After Maddie had finished speaking, Apple cleared her throat and flattened the skirt of her dress. She took a step forward and began her part of the welcoming words.
“Hello students of Ever After High! I am Apple White, daughter of Snow White and the co-president of the Royal Student Council. Just as my co-president had clearly stated, I believe that we will all become great friends! I encourage you to get to know me if you don’t already, please, do not be shy to approach me. The future queen needs to get to know her subjects!” Cerise and I look at each other and both make a ‘blegh’ expression. We laughed at our synchronized mock of Apple. Once Apple had finished speaking, Headmaster Grimm took the stage again.
“With that being said, I dismiss you to get unpacked and prepared for your upcoming studies. Welcome back to Ever After High!” With that, the crowd stood up and cheered. Headmaster Grimm took a bow and the curtains to the stage closed. The lights slowly began to brighten, and I had to cover my eyes for a moment to protect them from the sudden brightness. People began to clear out as soon as I opened my eyes again. I stood up and Cerise followed as I left the aisle.
“This is where we part ways for now.” She said with an encouraging smile.
“Yeah, I’ll see you soon.” Cerise began to walk ahead of me and I watched her as she got mixed into the crowd. I stepped to the side of the door to check my phone for my room number. 472. I’m on the fourth floor I thought to myself; I bet the view is going to be incredible.