Fairytale Heroes and Heroines
By angellwings
Macy had always enjoyed winter. It was a season that brought its own set of challenges and athletics. There was so much to do that she couldn't help but enjoy it. But there was another part of her that had always feared it as well. It was dangerous in a way that none of the other seasons were. The cold brought far more numerous perils than the heat, and that frightened her. There was a reason so many villains were associated with ice and snow, and why breathtaking kingdoms like Narnia so often fell victim to endless and eternal winters.
She blamed her grandmother for her fear of winter. If she hadn't told her the tale of the Snow Queen then Macy would have never harbored an irrational fear of frost, ice, and mirrors. The Snow Queen was a fairy tale villain so calculating and cold that even those who loved the winter trembled at her name. In the tale the Snow Queen kidnaps a boy. He was a boy who was once beautiful, funloving, and warm. This boy had changed when a piece of a mirror fell into his eye. It was a small piece, but even a small piece of an evil enchanted mirror was enough to change a person.
It was a piece of the Snow Queen's mirror, and she came to collect it. The boy had the last piece she needed, and only he could reassemble it. The tale was chilling, the Snow Queen was terrifying, and yet the heroine held a special place in Macy's heart. This girl risked everything she had to save the boy. She faced perils, creatures, and enchantments all in an effort to save the boy she loved. Macy had always hoped to feel that way about someone. She wanted to feel love so strongly that it was worth sacrificing all she possessed.
She'd never bought into the tales that involved the woman waiting idly for the man. That wasn't who she was. She was proactive. She knew what she wanted and fought to get it. Never would she be one of those girls waiting to be rescued. She would be the one doing the rescuing.
These were the thoughts that ran through Macy's head as she entered Horace Mantis. She wasn't sure why she was suddenly thinking about fairy tales, winter, and love. She was far too young to find that life changing heroic love. Macy smiled as she spotted Kevin standing by his locker, and stopped to talk to him.
"Hi, Kevin!" She called brightly.
Kevin sighed mournfully, "Hi, Macy."
"Is everything all right?" Macy asked worriedly.
"I really don't want to talk about it," Kevin snapped. Macy cringed at the sharp tone.
"Right, sorry. I'll leave you to wallow then," Macy said in her own clipped tone as she turned on her heel and walked away. Macy paused as Anya passed her in the hall. Macy's brow furrowed and she stared after the girl. Had Anya been wearing…pink? And carrying a stuffed dog? Macy quickly turned and caught up with the tall blonde.
"Anya?" Macy asked warily. Anya didn't turn around. She didn't even acknowledge Macy at all. Macy reached forward and tapped her shoulder, "Anya?"
The girl turned and rolled her eyes at Macy, "Um, hello, it's not Anya."
"It's not?" Macy asked in confusion. "Because you said it was when you e-mailed me and asked me to help you sort out your transfer paperwork, and then you said it was again when you showed up at the Jonas fan club meeting a couple of days ago—"
"I changed it," Anya told her curtly. "It's Kimmy."
Macy suddenly noticed that Anya had dropped her accent, "Kimmy? Why would you change your name to Kimmy? Anya is a prettier name."
"Kimmy is American like your name."
"Um, okay, listen, do you know what's up with Kevin? He's being really weird and I—"
Anya shrugged, "I don't know, he was fine when I showed him my new look yesterday. Listen, Macy, I appreciate your help and all but I'm trying to fit in, and you're not really helping."
"What? Okay, I'm lost. Extremely lost. Since when do you care about fitting in?"
She rolled her eyes and flipped her hair back over her shoulder, "Everyone cares about fitting in, and if they don't care…they should."
The girl walked away and Macy really hoped Kevin wasn't wasting anymore time on Anya or Kimmy or whoever the heck she was now. Macy had rather liked her at first. Anya had been quirky and fun, but Kimmy…Kimmy was just like every other snobby, conceited high school girl. Macy turned and immediately ran into Nick.
"I see you've met Kimmy."
Macy rolled her eyes, "What happened to her?"
"She got tired of being laughed at," Nick said sadly.
"So she changed who she was completely?" Macy scoffed. "That's beyond lame, and not to mention cowardly."
Nick flashed Macy a small grin, "And that's why we keep you around."
"Is she why Kevin's being all rude and moody?" Macy asked.
Nick nodded, "Kevin really liked Anya, and now she's no longer Anya."
"Maybe a piece of the evil mirror fell into her eye," Macy muttered to herself as she and Nick headed farther down the hallway.
"What?" He asked in confusion.
Macy shook her head, "Oh, nothing. Just something from a fairy tale."
Nick grinned, "The Snow Queen?"
Macy's eyes widened, "You know that story?"
"Three points shy of a genius, remember?"
Macy chuckled, "How could I forget?"
"You know, you remind me of Gerda," Nick told her.
Macy smiled brightly, "I do?"
He nodded, "You're a champion, Mace, just like her."
Macy sighed in satisfaction, "I've always wanted to be like her."
"Have you found your Kaj yet?"
"No, but I'm constantly on the lookout for him," Macy smirked. "I'll find him eventually."
Nick chuckled, "I have no doubt that you will."
Macy should have known that Kevin's attitude wouldn't change by lunch. He was ignoring all of them, and scowling an awful lot. Macy didn't like Kevin's face when he scowled. She much preferred to see him smiling. What happened to beautiful, happy Kevin?
Macy paused mid-bite. Wait, she had been wrong earlier. It wasn't Anya that had a piece of the mirror in her eye…it was Kevin. Anya wasn't a victim, she was the villain! Which mean that Kevin was…Kaj. Macy looked around the table. No one else seemed to be saying anything to Kevin. They were all watching him worriedly but no one was talking to him. They probably didn't want to get snapped at again.
She wanted to save him, the way Gerda would, but who was she to save Kevin? His superfan? No, someone who had known him a lot longer than her should save him. Stella gave her a strange look, and Macy quickly finished taking a bite of her apple. Anya-Kimmy walked by and Kevin's eyes were glued to her as she passed. Macy glared at the girl. Who was Anya-Kimmy to swoop in and ruin Kevin?
Kevin suddenly stood and stormed away from the table. Macy waited for one of the others to go after him, but they didn't. They all just sat there and stared after him. Macy could tell by the looks on their faces that none of them quite knew what to do. Macy's eyes narrowed in determination and she quickly gathered her things.
"Where are you going?" Nick asked her.
"To talk to Kevin."
"Macy, I think he just needs time to—"
"Gerda didn't waste any time going after Kaj, did she?" Macy asked him pointedly.
Nick smiled softly at her, "No, I suppose not."
Macy rushed off as Nick conceded to her point. Someone needed to pull Kevin out of this slump, and it looked like it was up to her.
"Where's Macy going?" Joe asked.
"To save Kaj," Nick grinned.
"To save who? And why do they need saving?" Joe asked cluelessly.
"Kaj," Nick repeated. "You know, the Snow Queen tale?"
Joe's brow furrowed, "You mean Kayla? The Winter Wonderland Queen?"
Nick rolled his eyes, "I'm not talking about the dance."
"What? I'm confused."
Nick sighed, "Macy's going to talk to Kevin, okay?"
"Oh! Well why didn't you just SAY so?"
Macy found Kevin knocking his head against his closed locker, "So stupid."
"You're not stupid."
Kevin jumped and spun around to face Macy, "What are you doing here?"
"I was worried," Macy told him honestly.
"I just want to be by myself right now, Macy—"
"I'll leave you alone as soon as you stop taking your frustrations out on all of us," Macy told him. "We just want to be here for you, and you snapping at all of us isn't helping."
Kevin's angry gaze softened and he suddenly looked very sad, "I didn't realize I was doing that. I'm sorry, Mace. I wasn't thinking about the things that I was saying."
"Well, you should," Macy said simply.
He nodded, "You're right. I'm sorry."
"Besides, Anya—"
"Kimmy," He interrupted her.
She sighed, "Right, Kimmy's not worth it. I know you really liked her, and I understand if you need time to get over it, but being angry and miserable won't help you do that. You're too good for her, and that's all there is to it."
Kevin blinked at her a few times before giving her a small smile, "Thanks, Macy."
"You're welcome, and now I'll leave you alone," Macy said as she turned and began to walk away.
"Wait," Kevin said as he placed a hand on her arm to stop her.
Macy turned slowly and smiled at him, "Yes?"
"Do people laugh at us when we hang out?" He asked her curiously as he brought his arm back to his side.
Macy's brow furrowed, "Honestly?"
"Yes, please."
"I have no idea. When you're a girl that's managed to earn a spot on every male sports team you learn to ignore people who don't matter," Macy told him with a shrug.
A genuine smile spread across his face. It was the first of beautiful, warm Kevin she'd seen all day, "So, no matter how many people laugh at us…you won't change?"
"If I changed then I wouldn't be me," Macy said simply. "And I like me. For the record, Kev, I like you too and I don't want you to change either."
Kevin glanced at Macy with a look she'd never seen before. It was an alarmingly perceptive look as if he were truly and deeply looking at her. It was unnerving, "No chance of that, Macy. I like you the way you are, and more importantly I like me the way I am too. This is who I am, and who I want to be."
Macy reached out and squeezed Kevin's arm, "Glad to hear that."
"Thanks, Macy," Kevin told her honestly as he took the hand that she had placed on his arm.
"You're welcome," She said with a shrug.
He gave the hand he held a squeeze, "I mean it. I feel better about this Anya fiasco already…thanks to you."
Macy blushed, "I couldn't just watch you wallow anymore. It wasn't attractive."
Kevin released her hand and smiled at her, "I'm glad I've got you to watch my back."
Macy chuckled, "I'm glad to be the one watching your back."
Kevin cleared his throat, "Would you care to go back in there and finish our lunch?"
Macy smiled and nodded, "I would love to."
"Shall I escort you?" Kevin asked with a lighthearted grin. Macy laughed and accepted his arm. They walked back to their table and sat down. Joe, Stella and Nick stared at them curiously.
"Everything okay?" Stella asked.
Kevin smiled at the other three teens, "Everything is…fine. Better than it was this morning anyway."
Nick smirked when he caught Macy's eye. He leaned toward her and whispered, "Still under the impression that you haven't found your Kaj?"
Macy's eyes widened and for the life of her she couldn't find the words to answer him. All she could do was blink and stare.
"What are you two whispering about?" Stella asked suspiciously.
Nick turned his smirk first on Kevin and then on Stella and Joe, "Fairytale heroes and heroines."
Joe squinted at his younger brother, "Nothing you're saying to me today makes any sense. Is it just me or is every one else confused too?"