Hi there everyone! I hope you all had a marvelous Valentine's Day yesterday :)
I recently watched the trailer for Maleficent and HOLY COW IT LOOKS AWESOME! I am the biggest Sleeping Beauty fan there is-she is the best princess! So I incorporated some Sleeping Beauty magic into the Walfie relationship because Aurora is wonderful, Walfie is wonderful...it only makes sense haha :)
This also explores Willow's relationship with her mom and how strong of a bond they have, so I do hope you like what I created :)
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis or any Disney references.
I Walked With You Once Upon a Dream
"And then the brave Prince Phillip rode up to the castle to stop the evil Maleficent so he could save the princess. He—"
"Mummy?" Interrupted a tired, lethargic five-year-old girl. She was snuggled up to her mother's side, trying to keep her eyes open. Her mummy was reading her Sleeping Beauty, one of her favorite princess books. She didn't have just one favorite because they were all superb and magical, she thought. However, for the last few nights, she had asked her mummy to read her this book because she couldn't quite figure out something. She tried to stay awake because she desperately wanted an answer to her question, but it was past 8:30 already and she couldn't stop herself from yawning loudly.
"Yes?" Her mother asked in her gentle voice. Her daughter was practically an exact copy of her: wavy strawberry-blonde locks reached her their shoulders, their skin color was a creamy white, they both had the whitest teeth a person ever could dream of having, and their eye color was the definition of hazel: not too blue, not too green, not too brown.
It made twenty-three-year-old Angelica Jenks smile whenever she looked at her daughter: there wasn't a trace of her father in her. For that, she was grateful.
"When Prince Phillip kisses Aurora awake," the little girl began after she yawned once more. Her mother interrupted her this time.
"Willow, we haven't gotten to that part yet, silly goose!" She said lovingly. She rubbed her sleepy daughter's arm. Willow was her reason to live, her best friend, the perfect little daughter any teen mum could ask for.
"I know, but I'm terrified I'll fall asleep before I know what I want to know!" Willow explained quickly, like that was the worst thing that could ever happen to her. Angelica giggled to herself, a dreamy smile plastered on her lips as she let Willow continue.
"Why doesn't he just shake her awake? Why does he feel like he gots to kiss her?" She asked curiously. Angelica full out laughed this time. Oh Willow, Willow, Willow. She was her reason to live, her best friend, the perfect little daughter any teen mom could ask for. Having Willow at eighteen, Angelica thought that her life had taken the turn for the worst…and then Willow smiled at her.
That's when she knew that she was in for one heck of a ride.
Willow was so innocent; joy and rainbows ran through her veins, not blood. She always saw the positives in life and asked the most silly of questions that normal little five-year-old would ask. But Angelica knew that her daughter was the wisest person she'd ever meet in her time on Earth. Willow was interested in mythology, the unknown, the fantasy aspects of life that most people pushed aside for a scientific answer. She and Willow spent last summer photographing fairies—they hadn't caught one on camera, however all those photos were placed of their refrigerator door (it was also cheaper than sending Willow to a summer camp.) They went to the library so Angelica could pull books about dragons and knights for Willow to spend hours looking at (the cinema was far from their home and there wasn't always enough gas in the car to get there.) They watched ghost-hunting shows at eight o'clock on Saturdays—Willow's night to stay up late—and discussed the possibilities of an after life once the hour long episodes were over (they ate leftover slices of pizza from the restaurant Angelica worked at three times a week, when she wasn't working her other job.)
Being a single mother was difficult, even frustrating at times, but with Willow by her side, Angelica knew it was all worth it.
Although it seemed Willow knew more than she, Angelica still found herself passing on her knowledge to her baby whenever she asked for it.
"Because they're in love." Angelica told Willow, who pulled her bedcovers over them both sweetly. "It's natural for two people who are in love to kiss."
"But did Aurora know that Phillip was the guy she loved?" Willow pressed on. She found it odd that a boy could walk up to a sleeping girl and kiss her awake—what if Aurora was dreaming something awesome? Willow knew if a boy did that to her, she'd be so stinking mad! But Willow knew boys had cooties and were silly creatures: she would never let one put his lips anywhere near her own. "What if she didn't like him back?"
"Oh she would," Angelica mused thoughtfully. "You see, they're under a spell."
"A spell? From Maleficent?" Willow's eyes grew wide and her voice escalated its pitch. "Are they gonna live? What if they die? MUMMY I'M FREAKING OUT NOW!"
"No, no, no Willow love, not a bad spell!" Angelica consoled quickly. She patted her back and held her close. "They're under a remarkable spell. Don't you remember when they were dancing together in the woods?"
Willow sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. "They said someting like they met in a dream."
"Right," Angelica said cheerfully. "They are soulmates: two people who are destined for each other. It's like some universal force keeps pushing them together. They are in love—that's the spell, you see. True love."
"True love," Willow repeated. She let that sink into her mind. So just because Aurora and Phillip were in love meant that he could kiss Aurora whenever he wanted? Even when she was sleeping?
Willow still thought it was weird.
Sweet, but weird.
"Mummy?"
"Yes, my special girl?"
"Do I have a soulmate?" She asked, her voice growing in excitement. Angelica smiled: part of her didn't want to answer that question because Willow was practically still a baby—her baby. She never wanted to think about Willow leaving her (like Jamie did…) She shook her head, shaking the bad memories and thoughts back into the deep place in her brain where she never let anyone—including herself—go. The other part of her wanted to tell her yes because true love was a beautiful thing (even when you're mislead to think that you're in it.)
The latter side she gave in to.
"Everyone does." Angelica said simply. "So yes, you do to. It just takes a while to find who it is."
"Oh. Okay!" Willow said happily. She was completely awake now—having too much fun talking with her mother. She was ecstatic that she now understood why Aurora and Phillip kissed in the end, and now she had a soulmate somewhere out in the world? This was such a fun night!
"But there will be no dating until after you're married. Got it?" Angelica teased. Willow nodded and said "right!" which always made Angelica's heart soar. Willow was too cute.
"Mummy?" Willow said after sitting in a brief, comfortable silence with her mother. She was looking up at her mother expectantly because not only was her mother the prettiest woman in the whole universe, but she was also the most intelligent person she knew.
"You are so inquisitive tonight!" Angelica teased once more, tickling Willow's side. That was her weak spot and she knew it. Willow laughed and laughed a giggle that made Angelica too happy for words.
Once Willow caught her breath, she cleared her throat and got serious. Angelica stifled a chuckle. "Mummy, how will I know who my soulmate is?"
Angelica looked away from Willow. She closed Sleeping Beauty and placed it on Willow's bedside table. She took a deep breath. Once believing she had been hit with Cupid's arrow herself only to find that Jamie had given her empty promises, Angelica didn't know really how to tell. It stung at first, when Jamie simply stopped coming around the house to help her with baby Willow, Angelica thought that her world had crumbled faster than a cookie crumbles under warm milk. He was supposed to be her soulmate, Willow's daddy, their friend.
But he wasn't.
And that was okay now; Angelica had accepted her single mum status. She had Willow: Willow was all she needed. She didn't mind working two jobs to support them and though it pained her heart to drop Willow off at day care every day, she knew that in the end, she will have done everything she could for Willow to give her a happy life.
"You'll just know, Willow." She said quietly. Angelica really meant it: Willow would know, as she would one day too. Everyone does.
Angelica looked over at Willow and saw that she was content with her mother's answer. She smiled wide and Angelica matched it with her own. She kissed the top of her daughter's head and wiggled her way out from underneath the covers.
"Now get some sleep, child." She said softly. She leaned down to turn off Willow's lamp.
"I love you, Mummy." Willow mumbled. Her hazel eyes met her mother's and then closed for the night.
"I love you more, Willow." Angelica said. She flicked off the lamp and walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to steady her emotions. Once she saw herself fit, she walked to her own room to get ready for bed.
;;
When she heard her mother's door close, Willow shot right back up from under her covers. She turned on her lamp and picked Sleeping Beauty up from the bedside table. She was far too excited now to sleep! Besides, she and Mummy didn't finish her bedtime tale. She flipped through the pages until she got to the part where Prince Phillip was dancing with Princess Aurora—or at that time, Briar Rose—out in the forest. Willow couldn't read the words too well so she stuck to gazing at the pictures.
Willow had her mother read her this book so many times before, but now she felt like she was looking at a whole new scene consisting of two people under the spell of true love.
"Soulmates," she whispered to herself. She didn't want Mummy to hear that she was still up and running. Phillip and Aurora danced barefoot in the grass, twirling this way and that, smiling too largely. They looked so happy together…
"I'll just know."
Two days before she was supposed to start ninth grade, Willow and Angelica Jenks walked through the doors of Isis House at one of the most prestigious boarding schools in all of England.
"Wow," Willow wailed, her mouth wide open as she stood in the foyer of her new home. "This place looks like it came straight out of a medieval fairytale!"
Angelica giggled. Oh Willow, Willow, Willow. She hadn't changed one bit from that silly, wise little five-year-old she had known oh so well.
For that, Angelica was grateful.
"Just think, Mummy: I get to wake up every morning in this house!" Willow cheered, racing up the stairs to reach the little balcony. She put one hand on the railing and she stretched out the other to reach for her mother. "Look, I'm Juliet! Where for art thou, Mum?" She said in her most dramatic of voices.
"So that makes me your Romeo?" Angelica asked playfully. Willow burst into a fit of giggles, and Angelica stretched out her arm to reach for her daughter's. "Because if that makes you happy, darling, then it's fine with me."
They both laughed far too loud, causing some of the other students and parents to look at them oddly. Angelica took no notice and neither did Willow. Angelica watched her daughter look so jovial, so enthusiastic, so beautiful. In nine years, Angelica might have aged to become thirty-two and Willow fourteen, but in their hearts resided an eighteen-year-old single mum and a happy-go-lucky five-year-old daughter.
"Let's go unpack and bedazzle my room!" Willow said gleefully. Willow ran through a hallway leading to what Angelica assumed were the girls' bedrooms. Angelica picked up Willow's two suitcases and went up the stairs. Willow chose a room that didn't have anyone else occupying it yet, which gave her and her mother lots of room to decorate and move around in. Willow hung a string of lights that looked like fairies over her headboard, Angelica set up a few picture frames on the bedside table and on the walls, and they both tried to put the bed covers on properly (it took them a few times but they got it eventually.) After a good hour or so, they stepped back to look at Willow's space.
That was when it hit them that they weren't going to be together anymore.
"Mummy?" Willow said glumly. The spark in her eyes had vanished. She wrapped her arms around her mother's waist and buried her face in her sweater. Her mother was her best friend; she had never really spent a day without her. She had made some nice friends during elementary school and junior high, they were great girls, but it was her mother who still went fairy hunting with her, went to the library to research myths with her, and watched ghost shows with her. She never knew much about her father, and she was okay with that because her mother was the prettiest and most intelligent woman she'd ever met. She was much better.
"I know, Willow." Angelica said, choking back her tears. When she had found out Willow had gotten a scholarship to this private school, they had both been thrilled. It felt like all the hard work Angelica had given, every hour she worked at the pizza restaurant and her cleaning service job, every time she had to tell Willow "no, we don't have enough pounds to do this," was finally worth it. Willow would get a splendid education here and have the time of her life…
…Willow was growing up.
(Where did the time go?)
Willow eventually let go of her mum. She sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. Angelica shook her head warmly. How many times had she told Willow to use tissue? It was those little things that she'd miss ever so much, even her baby's snot.
"Keep you chin up princess, your tiara is falling." Angelica mused. She lifted Willow's head up and their identical hazel eyes met each other's. Willow smiled at that, and her mother matched it. They held hands and walked down the stairs together so Willow could see her mother out properly. The cab was outside, waiting to take Angelica far away from her daughter.
"Now remember, I'm a phone call away if you need anything," Willow told her mother as they reached the cab.
"You're making me sound like a bad Mum: I'm supposed to tell you that!" Angelica teased. They giggled together and Angelica let go of Willow's hand.
"No way, you're the greatest mummy!" Willow told her. Angelica rolled her eyes playfully.
"Why thank you, my dear. Seriously though: be safe, make lots of friends, don't party too hard, ask for help when needed, and no dating until after you're married. Got it?"
"Right!"
Angelica smiled. She bent down to kiss her daughter's forehead. One of her strawberry-blonde curls had escaped its place from her bun and tickled Willow's cheek. It made her smile.
"Love you, Mummy!" Willow called out when Angelica had gotten inside the cab. The window was rolled down and Angelica stuck her whole torso out, waving to her daughter as the cab rolled away. She watched Willow wave back.
"Love you more." Angelica said just loud enough for Willow to hear. They waved good-bye until they couldn't see each other anymore.
Angelica pulled herself back into the cab. She rolled up the window and sighed. That was when she let one tear roll down her creamy white face. It was a joyful tear: Willow was going to have so much fun there.
It was a melancholy tear: Angelica would be all by herself now.
It was a tear that knew the future would hold marvelous and mysterious things for her daughter. She wished she could be there to experience it with her, but this was Willow's journey now.
She was only a phone call away.
Willow finally stopped waving after five minutes had passed since she saw her mother's cab turn the corner away from Isis House. She inhaled and exhaled through her mouth. Once she felt like the cab wouldn't suddenly reappear with her mother, she turned on her heels to go back inside Isis House. Would she be all right without her mother? Mummy was always there whenever she needed her…this was all so new, so different…would it be difficult too?
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice a person walking straight towards her, holding two large boxes in front of his or her face.
Needless to say, they ran into each other. Everything in the top box fell out when it crashed on the ground. Willow landed on her bottom and looked to see who she had ran into. There was a boy sitting across from her. He had dark skin, fuzzy black hair and warm brown eyes. He was rubbing his wrist when he looked up to see whom he ran into.
"I'm so sorry!" He exclaimed, quickly scrambling to pick up his scattered belongings. "I didn't see you there."
"Neither did I," Willow said, "and I didn't even have boxes covering my face."
The boy laughed gently and Willow found that she really like the sound. She moved around to help him pick up his things. Her hand found his Water Gun 1500 and she gave one very loud squee.
"You have the Water Gun 1500?" She asked incredulously. Her mouth was wide open in amazement. She positioned it under her arm and pretended that she was shooting down monsters. The boy looked over at her strangely. He'd never met someone—let alone a girl—who liked his water squirter before.
It was kinda cool.
"Yeah. My best buddy Jerome gave it to me for my birthday last year," he said, watching her play with it. "I don't really know why I brought it—"
"You never know when zombies might attack, silly!" Willow squealed. "You're the most prepared out of everyone here. If an attack does happen, I'm running straight to you for help." The boy laughed again and Willow smiled. Had she just made her first friend?
She thought so when he helped her stand up from the ground. Willow handed him his water gun, but he waved her off.
"You keep it," he told her with a smile. "For the zombie apocalypse. But you have to promise to help me when they strike, okay?"
"SQUEE!" Willow yelled loudly. She wrapped her arms around this boy in a big thank you hug. After a moment of hesitation, he hugged her back, patting her back kind of awkwardly, but Willow took no notice. "It's a deal!"
Willow watched the boy scoop up one of the boxes. She bent down to grab the other.
"Where are you staying?"
"Anubis House." He told her. "Are you living there too?"
Willow's face fell. "No. I'm here at Isis." She gestured to her house right behind them. She really wished he was rooming in her house. Everyone who arrived so far seemed so serious and stuck up (which was pretty new for Willow.) This boy seemed to act a lot like her; he was sweet, playful, and totally hilarious.
(And also quite attractive…)
"But I know where Anubis is. Mummy and I passed it when coming to Isis."
"Well then lead the way, pretty lady!" He joked, gesturing with his free hand towards the cobblestone path. Willow curtsied and began walking with her new friend down the lane. They talked about aliens, ghosts, and unicorns and gossiped about zombie slaying and horror film's special effects. They seemed to mesh rather well together: they had loads in common and loved to just have fun.
They arrived at the front steps of Anubis after their ten-minute walk.
(There had been a shorter way, but Willow had wanted to chat with him.)
"I think I can handle it from here," the boy said once they entered the foyer. Willow was even more amazed with Anubis than Isis. This place looked like it came from a history book. She was getting all these vibes…actually some of them felt a little sinister in a way. Oh she was jealous that he go to live here! She was always up for a mystery. Willow placed his second box on top of the other. She tucked her new water gun underneath her arm. "Thank you for helping me. I'm really glad I ran into you."
Willow raised an eyebrow. He then looked embarrassed.
"Well I didn't mean to hurt you, I didn't enjoy that part, but I—"
"I'm glad we met too." Willow finished for him. She stuck out her hand. "I'm Willow by the way. Willow Jenks.."
The boy's eye lit up. "Alfred Marmaduke Lewis, at your service." He shook her hand with much enthusiasm. "But since we're friends now, you may and only may call me Alfie."
Willow laughed. "Will do!"
She waved at him and walked out the door to head back to Isis.
"Alfie Lewis," she said to herself. When she said it, a little fluttering feeling began in her tummy. She looked down to stare at her stomach. Were those…butterflies? She'd never felt those before, but she had read about them in her princess books.
She felt the butterflies when she said her new friend's name.
It was a good feeling.
Willow introduced herself to her new housemates and before she knew it, it was ten o'clock, her new curfew. She was curled up in her nightgown, sitting under her bed covers. She had texted her mum goodnight a few moments ago and was waiting for her reply. She yawned and decided to lie down, to make herself comfortable. When she rested her head on her pillow, it felt…hard, not very comfy like she had remembered it to feel.
Confused, she sat back up and patted her pillow. There was definitely something hard inside of it. She reached inside the pillowcase and pulled out a book she knew all too well.
Her mother had stowed Sleeping Beauty in there for her. A little sticky note was attached to the cover.
Whenever you need to smile, Willow.
~Mummy
Willow did indeed smile.
She slept great that night.
Fifteen-year-old Willow had never hated people before. She had always preferred to accept the flaws people had because that was what made people who they were.
However, the people at Isis House were unbearable.
"I'm telling you, Alfie, those people have never felt joy once in their life!" Willow explained to her friend. They were eating lunch together out in front of the school on the grass. Willow took a bite of her sandwich. "It's always so somber at Isis. I have no idea how I managed to live there my whole first year. I'm afraid to say anything to them because I'm always shot down or they tell me my ideas are silly, and not in the good way. No one even wanted to try fairy photographing with Mummy and me this weekend."
"I'm sorry, Wills," Alfie said. He patted her knee and she half smiled. They had been friends since day one and their bond had only gotten stronger from their water fights, horror film movie nights, and camp outs. They always had a grand time together, and Willow really wished he lived in her house with her. She'd have a friend then to go and talk to. "You should ask if you can transfer into Anubis House with me and my friends. There's always something fun happening there."
"That sounds lovely," Willow said dreamily. She had been dying for some fun in her life and Isis House was certainly not giving it to her. That was why fairy photographing sounded so wonderful: they had a three-day weekend coming up, what else was she going to do? "Are there any beds available?"
"I'm not sure," Alfie said, thinking really hard. "I know one of the girl's bedrooms has three beds and the other has two. I'm sure if you explain to Mr. Sweet the reason why you want to move another bed would be added to Amber and Nina's room."
"You really think so?" Willow asked hopefully. Alfie smiled wide.
"I'd help you anyway I can." He told her sincerely. Willow smiled wider.
"Thanks Alfie." She told him softly. They sat in comfortable silence, happily eating their lunches when Willow struck genius.
"Alfie, do you want to come fairy photographing with my Mummy and me this weekend?" She asked him. Her eyes went wide and her smile practically reached the ends of her eyes.
How could anyone in Isis House say "no" to that face, Alfie thought? Willow was adorable—whoa there, did he really just think one of his best friends adorable? Why yes, yes he did.
And it felt great.
"I was wondering when you were going to ask," Alfie said playfully. Willow squeed loudly, throwing her arms in the air for emphasis.
She was so adorable, Alfie thought once more.
"Now the key is to stay low to the ground," Angelica Jenks explained to Alfie. They and Willow were in the woods that had rested right behind Angelica's house. Alfie watched her and Willow lie flat on the grass, which was still a little dewy due to the early morning. Alfie did as he was told, positioning himself next to Willow. "Fairies are shy creatures. You have to approach them slowly or else they'll flit away before we can snap a picture."
"Mummy is an expert at this," Willow whispered to Alfie as Angelica inched forward. "We've been doing this since I could toddle. She taught me everything I know."
"What is she doing?" Alfie asked curiously. Angelica was approaching a rock that was covered in leaves.
"I think she's assuming since those leaves are bunched together that that's where a fairy is hiding." Willow thought. Alfie nodded. He thought it was wonderful that Willow had such a supportive mother, someone who enjoyed doing everything she did and wanted Willow to stay exactly the way she was. Alfie did too: Willow had the most beautiful personality he had ever seen in a person.
(She also had the most beautiful face, he thought.)
The two teens watched the thirty-three-year-old mother reach behind her head to grab the camera that was perched on her back. She moved like an animal watching its prey: she was stealthy and silent; a veteran when it came to photographing what couldn't always be seen. She angled the camera to where just enough sun would bounce off the lens to capture the thin wings of the fairy and its tiny facial features.
"Are you ready, Willow?" Angelica whispered so softly, Alfie barely caught it. Willow nodded and grabbed the pen conveniently in her pocket. She reached over to where her mother's backpack was sitting on the grass and pulled out a notebook.
"Ready Mummy!"
"Sunday, April 22nd, 2012, 10:43 am," Angelica began listing off details. She was still staring through the camera. "Out in Briar Woods, Willow and Alfie found what seems to be a suspicious leaf pile. Fairies are known for making homes in leaves, twigs and thorns."
"Thorns?" Alfie asked curiously. "Wouldn't that hurt?"
"We don't know, we've never met a fairy personally to ask them," Willow answered honestly, scribbling down her mother's words. Alfie laughed, Willow smiled. They both blushed.
(What a pair they were indeed.)
"I'm about to snap a picture; lighting is good, wind is blowing from the south, hardly a cloud in the sky. Yes, today is a good day. And—"
Click! Angelica's camera went off. Right as she did so, all three of them swore they saw something burst out from the leaves. Willow and Alfie's mouths flew open and their eyes were the size of tennis balls.
"Was that—" Aflie started to say but was interrupted when Willow and Angelica screamed: "YES!"
The two women stood up and ran to hug each other. They bounced around in a circle, clinging to one another like a lifeline. Angelica had seen Willow happy before, but never this happy over the fact that they possibly had seen and captured a real fairy on film. Angelica saw Alfie watching them. She extended an arm out to him, inviting him to their little dance.
"Oh I'm sorry," he said quickly, looking embarrassed for watching their mother-daughter moment. "I don't want to stop your moment."
"Don't be silly!" Angelica squealed, "you're part of it!"
The next thing Alfie knew was that he was jumping up and down, singing show tunes, and felt brighter than any sun could shine with the Jenks women.
All three of them felt like they were flying.
After their celebratory dance/song/squealing, they decided to stop and eat their lunch in the woods. Angelica had gone off to the car where their sack lunches were waiting, leaving Alfie and Willow by themselves.
"I'm soooooo happy!" Willow exclaimed. She was still spinning around in circles, her bare feet getting wet from the cool, green grass. Her arms were stretched up towards the sky, inviting the sun to dance with her. She was incredibly dizzy but there was no way she was going to stop. This perpetual bliss was to wonderful to ignore! "This is the greatest day of my life!"
"That was awesome," Alfie agreed with her. He had to admit that before he met his best friend, he hadn't ever really considered fairies to exist in the human world. He had believed in other things like aliens, Bigfoot, the abominable snowman, and loads more, but fairies hadn't made the list.
Today made him a believer.
(Willow made him a believer.)
"I just want to dance the day away," Willow said in her dream like voice. She had closed her eyes and held out her arms, pretending she was dancing with her soulmate. She stepped this way and that, twirling around gracefully. She pretended she was being held by strong arms and led around the woods like Princess Aurora had by Prince Phillip in her book—the book that was still underneath her pillow.
She began to hum along to the music playing inside her head. She thought it was strange how the music in her head seemed to sound very clear, like it was coming from outside of her head. She didn't question it; it was nice. She also thought she was actually being led around by Prince Phillip: it felt like someone was really in her arms, dancing along with her.
She opened her eyes to check things out.
It was no Prince Phillip.
It was Alfie.
(Which was even better, she thought to herself.)
"May I have this dance?" He asked her, his eyes locked on hers. They were so pretty…
Willow laughed. "We're already dancing."
Alfie blushed, but not from embarrassment, but from sheer, pure happiness.
"Yes, yes we are."
Willow blushed too. She hummed aloud and Alfie spun her around to the tune. Never had she felt like this before. She felt so light, so free, like she could grow fairy wings at any moment and fly with them wherever they went.
However, she thought that keeping her feet here on the ground might be the better option.
Alfie was on the ground.
They continued dancing, smiling, laughing, and feeling incredible things.
;;
Angelica watched her baby sway, spin, and jig with this boy when she returned with the lunches.
"He's my best friend, Mummy!" She remembered Willow telling her when she asked if he could come along fairy hunting. "Well, besides you of course."
"No," Angelica told herself. She watched the red creep into Willow's cheeks when she realized Alfie had been holding her close and laugh when he said something funny. Alfie Lewis was a darling boy: polite, hilarious, and gentle-natured. He seemed to fit Willow wonderfully as friends….
…maybe even more than just friends.
"I'm not your best friend anymore," she whispered quietly. The truth hurt her in more ways than she imagined, but it was true. Willow liked Alfie: they went to school together, ate lunch together, hung out together, talked on the phone together, and were now dancing together.
Willow would always be Angelica's best friend, but Angelica wouldn't always be Willow's.
She was growing up so fast…
"That's what you're soulmate is for."
A few years went by from the fairy hunting success and the two best friends' dance. Willow was now seventeen-years-old and so was her best friend, Alfie.
(Still best friends, nothing more…yet.)
It was Saturday night and for Alfie and Willow that meant it was their night. They had been having Walfie nights as they called it since they met in ninth grade. Tonight, they were having a Disney Movie Marathon. They had set up camp on the floor of the living room in Anubis—both Alfie and Willow's home ("thank you so much, Joy!") They were lying on top of blankets and pillows and had a giant bowl of popcorn and bottles of soda pop scattered around them. They had gotten through Aladdin, Peter Pan, and Toy Story and were now currently watching Sleeping Beauty. Willow fell into a light sleep right as Prince Phillip was slaying the dragon. Alfie debated on whether to wake her up because he knew how much she loved this movie.
(She had told him she didn't have a favorite princess, but Alfie saw right through that.)
Alfie let her sleep and turned the volume down so it wouldn't disturb her. He was proud of her for staying up this late; normally she went to bed before Victor gave the pin drop speech. But she had made it to a few minutes before midnight—that was something for little Willow Jenks.
He thought she looked very, very pretty when she slept (a lot like Aurora actually.) She was curled up in a tight little ball, hugging her knees to keep warm. Alfie noticed and put one of the throw blankets over her. She looked so innocent, so still, so peaceful, so—oh goodness…
Alfie knew he liked Willow, but never thought he liked her this much.
But he did: Willow made him feel like he was flying ever since they went fairy hunting with her mum. Everything she did was special, carefree, and joyful. She had this knowledge to her that most people didn't have; it was hard for Alfie to describe but he loved it so.
He loved Willow.
"I'm Willow by the way. Willow Jenks."
On impulse, Alfie leaned down and kissed her cheek ever so gently. It was short, quick, sweet and meaningful. He sat back up and saw that Phillip had just kissed Aurora awake.
"Ironic," he said aloud to himself with a small laugh.
"Yep." Said a voice and Alfie just about jumped from his seat in shock. Willow had woken up. She was sitting right beside him, the biggest smile on her face he'd ever seen.
She didn't give him time to react or ask if she felt his kiss, because yes, she had. She kissed him on the lips. Short, quick, sweet, and meaningful. Just what Alfie had done to her.
They broke apart and they both had smiles on their face.
"Well it was about time," Alfie joked with a small eye roll. Willow happily smiled and leaned in to kiss him again.
(Being woken up by a kiss wasn't so weird after all.)
"Mummy, he kissed me! I kissed him back! WE KISSED!" Willow shouted into her phone later that night. She had locked herself in the girl's bathroom so she could talk with her mother. She thought that since it was past midnight maybe Mum wouldn't answer, but Mummy always answered her phone.
Especially if it meant chatting with her Willow.
Willow didn't give Angelica the time to answer. "So I had fallen asleep, right, because it was past 9:30 which is when I normally go to sleep. Things get crazy after 9:30! Anyways, we were watching Sleeping Beauty and I fell asleep right before Phillip kissed Aurora. The next thing I knew, I felt something light on my face and IT WAS ALFIE KISSING MY CHEEK!"
Angelica smiled into the receiver as she listened to her daughter's tale. Oh how marvelous her baby must be feeling. She just had her first kiss and from what it sounded like, it was better than Willow had imagined it would be. Willow was lucky, she thought to herself. Alfie Lewis was a lovely boy and from what Angelica had seen of the two, she had a feeling that he was the one for her Willow. He was her soulmate.
It sounded like Willow had figured it out as well.
"I'm just," Willow began when she caught her breath.
"What, my love?" Angelica asked, coming out of her thoughts.
"I'm just really happy." Willow said rather calmly, almost seriously.
"I told you you'd just know," Angelica reminded her. Willow nodded at the memory; her mother truly was the wisest woman on the face of the Earth.
Her big girl, her soon to be eighteen-year-old daughter was so different from how she was when she was little, but still exactly the same. Did that make sense? No it did not, but that was just how her Willow was.
And she loved it.
"To squee or not to squee?" Angelica asked and Willow could just imagine her mother's beautiful, wise face looking at her, enjoying this moment that Willow would never forget. She felt so blessed that she could call one of her best friends her mother. Whoa, one of her best friends? Willow had always thought of her mother as her number one best friend…but she really, really cared about Alfie—he was her best friend too. Was that possible? To have more than one best friend?
Willow didn't know for sure. But she was going to have two anyways.
"SQUEE!" Both the Jenks women shouted with eternal glee.
Graduation rolled about and Angelica Jenks thought she was going to lose her mind.
There was her baby, her angel, her best friend walking across the stage wearing a red cap and gown. She was so worried Willow wouldn't have graduated due to her missing credit. Thank goodness that was all cleared up because now. Now Willow was about to venture off into the adult world.
Was she ready? Heck yes she was.
It was the world that wasn't ready for Willow Jenks.
"Willow Jenks," the headmaster called her name. Immediately Angelica jumped up from her seat and began whooping and hollering. She was snapping pictures here and there, wanting to remember this moment for the rest of her life.
Willow turned to look out at the crowd. She saw her mother there, waving her hand at her daughter and holding the camera in the other. Willow pointed at her diploma so her mother could see it. Angelica laughed and clapped louder than any other parent in the room. Willow was proud of herself that she made her mother feel equally as proud. She was proud that she graduated high school and stayed true to herself the whole time.
She had the greatest life. And to show that, she did was she was famous for:
"SQUEE!" She shouted on stage, throwing her arms out for emphasis and staring up towards the heavens. Alfie was the first one to jump up from his seat in the graduating class.
"SQUEE!" He shouted along with her. Mara, Joy and Jerome followed suit as well as the rest of Anubis House. Then students from Mut House and Hathor House stood up and squeed with her too. And finally, Isis House put their pride aside and squeed with their former housemate. All the graduates of 2013 came together in that moment, squeeing along with their Willow, unconditionally proud of her and themselves for getting this far.
Angelica shook her head in delight. Oh Willow, Willow, Willow.
Angelica did it; she gave Willow the life she had dreamed about her having since she had first seen Willow smile as a baby. What she thought would be impossible for an eighteen-year-old single mum to do on her own she accomplished it. Willow grew up surprising people with her depth and intellect, made people smile due to her bubbly, spunky personality, and positive outlook on life. She was proud to call her her daughter and thought it was a pity her father had chosen not be a part of her life.
But that meant more Willow for herself.
Willow looked out at her friends and clapped with them after the squeeing had settled down. She walked offstage right into Alfie's arms. He picked her up and together they danced around the gym as the ceremony was still going on. Angelica giggled the whole time. She saw Willow say something to her boyfriend, something that looked like "the college years."
That's right: Alfie and Willow were going to the same university together. They were going to be the "big couple on campus." They were going to be together. They were going to be happy and that was all she ever wanted for her daughter. Willow deserved it.
They were going to have so much fun.
She began humming the Sleeping Beauty tune, imagining that was what Alfie and Willow were dancing to.
(It was.)
This time, Angelica Jenks was all right with Willow Jenks growing up.
Let me know what you thought pretty pleasae :)