Notes 1: This story is entirely in Darling Charming's POV.

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trembling stars are shining

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chapter one

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This is what makes us girls,

We don't look for heaven and we put our love first, somethin' that we'd die for,

It's a curse,

Don't cry about it, don't cry about him,

We don't stick together 'cause we put our love first,

It's all gonna happen

Lana Del Rey, This Is What Makes Us Girls

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I think love's a messy business. I'd reference my 'love life' but maybe later. For now, I'll reference my friends' love lives.

Raven and Cupid– they're in love with the same boy; Dexterous – which, involves me in some way. And it's not just because I'm friends with these girls. It's because Dexterous (most people call him 'Dexter' because it's easier to pronounce, I call him 'Dex') is my brother. My twin brother, actually. And it's super weird that both my friends are in love with my sibling. Even weirder since Dex and I look alike, so in some universe, Raven and Cupid could have maybe been in love with me. That is, if they weren't straight.

And since this is my narrative, I just want to bring in the topic that I'm not. Straight, that is. I'm bisexual. I'll circle back to that, it's one of my reasons to why my 'love life' is a mess.

Anyway, both Raven and Cupid having a crush on Dex is more than a little weird. It's even weirder since no one mentions it despite it being as clear as day. If anyone were to bring it up, it's clear our group will break-up and it's clear who's side I'd pick - Raven's.

However, Raven isn't cruel, she'd never do that to Cupid; the poor girl would be all alone. Cupid hasn't made any friends since she moved from her old school. I can't remember the name of it now, but it starts with an 'M', and according to Cupid, she still gets postcards and updates from her friends from that old school. Making friends was way easier back there than here. I think she really should have stayed there.

Cupid's the odd one of us three. I know the majority of the student body see us as a trio but I think everyone – including Cupid herself – knows she will never quite fit in here. Among us three, Cupid's the bubbly one, who's too innocent for all our shenanigans. She's dubbed the 'stupid bitch' who gets her skirt caught against the window handle while sneaking out. She's the one who cries about boys who don't deserve any of her tears while me and Raven drink on the job. Cupid's the type of girl fretting about being too dumb to pass Math while Raven and I would give each other a look, knowing none of us would amount to anything in this dumb town.

Book End is really old and traditional. It won't head anywhere unless we break out of the mould.

But, I will say, it's really brave of Cupid. It's brave for her to dream because I know for a fact that Raven and I had given up long ago. Cupid is too much of a sweetheart to be with us – her and her big heart and equally big doe eyes.

Sometimes I think we ruined Cupid. I mean, she was troubled before she came to us but I want Cupid to have better options. I think she's only sticking around us the same reason why most people do, because Raven and I are a lot of fun, and looked like we had no care in the world. But that's a lie.

Everything is a lie. I don't know why anyone listens to us. We're only here for a good time.

This Is What Makes Us Girls by Lana Del Rey is blasting out of Raven's car radio as we drive to school. Raven has one hand on the steering wheel while her other is hanging out of the window dangerously. If the car were to flip, her arm would be crushed. But it doesn't matter. I don't think Raven's living for the sake of living.

The wind is rushing through our long hair, I'm sitting next to her in the passenger seat, mouthing out the lyrics and Cupid's in the back seat, sitting in the middle. A sucker is hanging from Cupid's mouth, staining her tongue red, and she's delightfully squealing at her phone.

A pale hand lands on my shoulder and Cupid calls on me. "Oh, look at this, Darling!" Cupid says, angling her pink phone so that I can read whatever's on her screen.

I blink my blue eyes. It's a Facebook invite to a party. It's by Apple White.

Ah, you may want to remember that name – Apple White.

"I'll go if you go!" Cupid says friendly but she's basically bouncing in her seat. Anyone can tell she's excited and wants to go badly.

"Go where?" Raven asks, purple eyes on the road.

"Apple's throwing a party." I say the same time Cupid shoves her phone to Raven's side but Raven just tilts her head away.

"Cupid, I'm driving. Just read it out for me." Raven replies and her dark brows scrunch up.

Cupid's lovely face turns into an apologetic one. "Oh, I'm sorry, Rae. But, basically, Apple's hosting a party this Friday at White Manor. There's going to be free food and drinks. It starts at seven and it sounds like fun!"

"Uh, I dunno." Raven shrugs, her dark hair flying behind her as more wind is pushed into the car via the open window.

"Oh please, I'll only go if you girls go!" Cupid begs and unleashes her puppy dog eyes. It doesn't work on Raven since she's driving but it almost works on me since I can angle my head to turn and look at her.

"I can't." I say, my soft voice sounding secretive. "I already made plans."

"What?! You guys! You're no fun!" Cupid whines.

Despite all the stuff I said about Cupid, I am glad she's my friend. Cupid is the only ray of sunshine in our girl group. If Cupid weren't here, I'm pretty sure Raven and I would succumb to a life of wearing only black, writing emo poetry and telling our parents, 'You don't understand me!'

"Rae. Rae, it's just you and me now! Please, come with me!" Cupid continues begging.

I smile to myself and close my eyes as Cupid and Raven's chattering melts into the background. I let my mind wander and let the wind kiss my skin hello and good-bye. By the time we reach school minutes later, it turns out I had dozed off and I'm glad nobody has drawn on my face or pranked me with a wake-up kiss like in those Disney movies.

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"Hey, Dare." I greet, raising a brow when my oldest brother, Daring, leans against my locker all show-offy.

Daring let's out a proud laugh, perfect teeth shining. "Little sis!" He greets back.

He'd pat my hair adoringly too if he was ignorant to my routine. He knows I take pride in my hair. It's kind of a distinction between us Charming siblings.

We really look alike, if you squint and line us up, you can really see the similarities – same strong jaw, same blue eyes, same skin colour. The blonde to brunette ratio triumphs. But you can still pick out our strongest features – with Dare, it's his dazzling smile; with Dex, it's his eyes, they're bluer than both Dare and mine; and with me, it's my long hair. It cascaded down my shoulders and almost looks silver though it's really a pale shade of blonde, I inherited from my grandma from my mom's side, and my mother takes great pride in that. Speaking of that, there are obvious favourites in the family which strangely doesn't turn us Charming siblings against each other. Well, anymore, that is. It used to, but we're working out the kinks now and bonding over it. It's fucked up, but, hey, it's better than nothing.

"So what's up?" I ask, adjusting the straps of my blue backpack; it's less heavy now that I've stuffed most of everything into my locker.

I know I might sound slightly suspicious by the way I worded my question. People think I'm a secretive girl. They use to joke that I have a lot of secrets because of how big hair my hair is – classic Mean Girls Gretchen Wieners move but I'm not anxious or anything. Daring is my brother, after all. It's just, he rarely talks to me at school unless needed to. We're close but we're not let's-hang-out-every-second close. Remember, we're still siblings and I can only handle so much of being near my brothers. I see them all the time at home.

"There's this party." Daring begins saying. His ever-present grin is stretched wider on his face and there's this glint in his blue eyes. Wow, I wonder if that's what I look like when I'm happy?

"Oh?" I hum like I didn't already hear this fact buzzing around the school halls.

Daring nods his head, "Yeah, Apple's throwing it."

"Apple White?" I ask even though there's nobody else in Ever After High with the name 'Apple'.

"The one and only." Daring says like he knows an inside joke. "I got to pursued her to invite both you and Dex."

I want to say, 'Really? Because I didn't get an invite' but don't. Instead, I focus on something else.

See, Daring calls Dexter 'Dex' too. Proof that we're close. But we aren't ... this close. We don't hang out in the same clique; Daring's the standard cool kid, Dexter's the smart one, and I'm the rebel. And, to be honest, I'm more than a little confused.

Daring must have read the expression on my face because he says, "Oh, come on, it'll be fun!" It's exactly the same thing Cupid said this morning.

"Oh, wow, underage drinking, yay." I say sarcastically.

In response, Daring only sweeps his blonde hair away from his handsome face. Huh, I think I solved the move that gets all the girls in this school going gaa-gaa over him. "It'll be fun." He says again, his smile never faltering.

I shake my head, sending my long hair tumbling, "It'll be fun for you, Dare, but not for me and Dex. We'll be bored without our friends."

"You can hang out with my friends?" He offers but immediately takes it back when he sees me making a face. "Okay, then you can mingle and make new friends?"

I scoff. "I can't."

"You don't even know when or where it is."

"Friday. Nine PM. At White Manor." I say.

"Actually, it starts at seven." Daring corrects me but then says as his shoulder slump. "But, I guess, word gets out fast, huh?"

"Yup." I answer. "Look, I appreciate the offer, Dare, I really do. But I don't think it's a good idea for me to 'mingle' with your girlfriend."

Daring's cheeks turn pink from this. He defends himself, a degree off his usual confident self, "Apple's not my girlfriend."

"Yet." I chime in. Daring gives me a displeased look and I let the topic drop. Sighing, I chip in, "I meant it when I say I can't. I'm going out."

"With Raven and Cupid?" Daring asks.

"Not exactly." I shrug so it doesn't seem like a big deal.

"You have other friends?" Daring blanches like it's a big shocker.

"Just the Fencing Club."

"Oh, you mean, the enemy."

The way Daring had said those words make me want to give myself a facepalm. I tell him, "The kids from Wonderland High are not 'the enemy',"

"We've been rivalling schools since 1865." Daring replies, blue eyes wide like I'm an idiot for not knowing this fact.

"Gosh, I get it, you love this school. You're the quarterback and you're loyal. School pride. Yadda yadda yadda." I jabber on, rolling my eyes.

I know that I should say all these facts with pride. Daring is the golden boy but I'm low-key afraid Dare will burn himself out early and become a self-hating alcoholic. I'm not saying Dare's a good for nothing, he's not. He's smart and he's pushing for a degree that doesn't rely on a football scholarship, I'm just afraid he'll end up a deadbeat in this town. I know it's bad to stereotype since I really like the idea of controlling your own destiny but sometimes stereotypes exist for a reason.

I continue talking, not voicing any of my concerns, "But Wonderland High has a Fencing Club while our school doesn't because Headmaster Grimm is a douche and spends a majority of our budget on the Football team."

Daring sucks in a breath and straightens his varsity jacket, "Okay, fine, fair enough. Have fun with the Wonderland weirdoes. But, remember, if they offer you anything edible, reject it."

"Oh my God, can you be less judge-y, please? I like the kids there. Yes, they're weird but they're alright, they would never force me to do anything." I say, giving him a look despite the chance of Ever After High students listening and disagreeing.

Daring then throws up his hands like he surrenders. "Okay, I get it." Then he double checks, "So you're definitely not coming to Apple's party this Friday?"

"No." I shake my head. I'm thinking this conversation is almost over then I remember something and say, "Oh, by the way, I have Fencing today so you and Dex just head home without me, okay?"

"Are you sure you don't need a ride home?" Daring asks. Gosh, he can be such a protective older brother. It took forever to convince him to let Raven drive me to school.

"I'll walk." I say then Daring nods and bids me good-bye. We do this odd finger gun thing that Dexter thinks is embarrassing but we don't care. Blondes have more fun.

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Notes 2: I don't know what this is but chapter two will come soon because I like writing about Chase then I'll introduce Apple in chapter three maybe.

27 December 2018