99 cent dreams
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part one: Daring Charming
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I can't stop thinking about it,
I can't stop thinking about it,
Tell me, did you see the news tonight?
– Bastille, Warmth
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"I wanna be an entertainer when I grow up!" A young Daring exclaims, swinging his toy wooden sword left and right as he battles with his sister, Darling. He's only ten years old but he's unbelievably charming for his age.
"Like Father?" Dexter asks, pausing his novel reading. Unlike his siblings who are playing under the sun, Dexter's sitting under a shaded tree.
"I think Daring means he wants to be a movie star when he grows up, like an actor!" Darling quips, correcting her twin brother.
And in one quick move, she unhands Daring's wooden sword with hers. It's an instant game over. Daring tries not to grumble at his lost. Mother says he has to be a good sport and be patient with his younger siblings.
Dexter raises a brow. "You said you wanted to be an astronaut last week,"
"I changed my mind," Daring rolls his blue eyes – a trait he shared with his siblings. "Why venture into the stars when you can be a star?"
"I think it suits you!" Darling says, she lets out a girlish laugh as she picks up Daring's sword with her left hand.
"Thanks!" Daring replies, throwing in his signature grin – pearly straight teeth flashing. He instantly becomes ambitious. He waves his empty hands at the Summer sky. "I can picture it; me standing in front of a crowd, using big words, dazzling others."
"Father won't let you. Father won't let us," Dexter says, lowering his novel for good this time, using a fallen leaf as a bookmark.
Daring's smile drops. He thinks his brother is such a party pooper. "And why not?"
"Because Father needs us, remember? We're supposed to take over Father's company." Dexter answers. He's only nine but logic comes quickly to him.
"Well," Daring says, a hopefulness behind his voice, though his hands are in tight fists. He stares at the twins and tries to not let it show, "He's on TV, isn't he? Same thing."
.
.
.
It wasn't.
;;
It's no secret that the twins – Dexter and Darling – are Mother's favourites. Daring knows the saying that a parent 'doesn't have' a favourite but he knows otherwise. There is favouritism in the Charming family.
Dexter was a lovely mix of both parents. Thick brown hair like their mother, blue eyes like their father and a gift of intelligence. Daring can't help but feel a little envious. Because while Dexter was a lovely mix, baby sis Darling was a lovely surprise. Blue eyes like their father, beauty mark under her right eye like their mother and something extra from their grandmother who had passed. Darling had inherited that pale blonde hair that looks almost silver.
"Aw, look at that!" An old lady coos at the twins one day when they're out grocery shopping. She pinches Dexter's cheek and he mutters a quivering 'Uh – Hello, ma'am?' The old lady says to Mrs Charming. "He looks just like you,"
"He does, doesn't he?" Mrs Charming brightens then pulls Darling in front of her. "My daughter looks like their Nana,"
The lady oh's and ah's at Darling and her beautiful hair.
"I like your shoes," Darling blurts out.
"Oh, why thank you, dear!" The lady says, not paying any mind to Daring who's just standing a few feet away from them.
The hand holding his toy airplane goes limp. Daring feels invisible. They all probably think he sticks out like a sore thumb if he were to step in. Regardless, he steps into their bubble.
"Mother?" Daring voices.
"Oh," Mrs Charming says. Daring immediately frowns. The tone in her voice sounded like she had forgot about him. Mrs Charming touches Daring's shoulder in a gesture, "This is my oldest."
"It's nice to meet you, Ma'am." Daring says, making the first step in the conversation.
"You too," She replies politely and the lady doesn't say anything particularly magnificent about him.
"Well," Mrs Charming says. "We have to run. But it was nice talking to you."
"Thank you for introducing me to your little angels." The lady says, looking at the twins' direction.
Daring bites back the feeling that the lady would have said 'twins' if not for his interference. He looks down at a puddle, staring at his own reflection. He decides, there was nothing special about himself. He was just … Daring Charming.
…
Daring hated when his father talked about Dexter. Mainly because it always came in a form of belittling where his mother had to come in.
Sides had to be taken. It was as if it was a competition on who was the better son. The blonde one with charm and a killer smile or the quiet one with smarts and some shyness. Of course, the answer is neither because Daring and Dexter are two separate people that can't be compared but Daring knew.
Dexter's insecurities wash over and drown Daring over time because Mother won't call Dexter out and Dexter doesn't know better. Daring knew it was the stem of their fights and he couldn't blame anyone but the adults in the family.
;;
"So," Dexter says to Daring.
Summer is almost over and back to school shopping advertisements are flashing everything – all bulky backpack and fake cheery smiles and unrealistic thumbs-up. The two watch their father on TV, on the news. Mr Charming owns a news company that talks about the weather and terrible things happening around the world and firemen saving kittens in trees.
Daring thinks Darling was probably off baking cookies with Mother or something.
The brunette boy looks over at his blonde brother, "Ever After High, huh?"
Daring hums, not exactly sure how to reply. Is Dexter surprised that Daring choose such a school? Or is he surprised the school would take someone like him in? He's more than just … well, he's more than just what Dexter thinks of him.
Daring pauses for just a second. When did he start these petty fights with Dexter? Who even starts these things in the first place?
"I like the school," Daring says like it wasn't recommended to him by their father. "It looks fun,"
Dexter lets out a snort. It's playful and non-malicious like Daring thought it would be. "I never thought you'd describe school as 'fun',"
Daring flashes his brother a smile. His mouth no longer felt as cramped as they use to be after he got his braces removed. It was perfect teeth central. "Maybe this school could be fun."
;;
After entering high school, Daring notices a few things. People started falling in love with him. Or at least, the idea of him: the stereotypical popular boy with golden hair, shiny teeth, a well-off family, a good spot on the football team and good grades.
Girls wanted to be with him. Boys wanted to be him.
So Daring changes. He fakes a proud voice. He starts acting a little arrogant, a little self-absorbed. He starts caring about his looks, caring about his silky hair and his clear skin and his straight pearly teeth.
Daring decided if no one wanted to love him at home, then he could at least be loved at school.
…
A girl waves as she passes by him in the hall. "Hi, Daring!"
"Hey!" Daring waves back.
"Daring, my man!" Some guy says.
"What's good?" Daring replies. He thinks this guy's in his … Chemistry class? Who knows?
"You, bro!"
"Daring, you're having lunch with us, right?" A girl with brown hair asks, a bunch of other students nod encouragingly behind her.
"Sure!" Daring chuckles and snaps his fingers at them in agreement.
"Sweet!"
Daring Charming doesn't think he's ever been greeted and praised this much in his entire life.
…
"Hi Daring," Apple White giggles as Briar Beauty nudges the pale blonde. Ashlynn Ella hides her second-hand blush behind a Math textbook. Ah, the popular clique.
"Yes? What's up, Apple?" Daring asks, head turned slightly away from his locker. Though, from the corner of his eye, he can still his reflection and practiced perfection that made everyone at school love him.
"I was wondering," Apple says, a finger curled around her hair, eyelashes fluttering. "If you would like to go see a movie with me this Friday?"
His lips curved upwards, giving that familiar grin. Daring doesn't even need to think about it. He tells her, "It would be my pleasure."
He was on top of the world.
…
Daring hopes things never change.
;;
"Father always liked you best,"
Dexter had once said, sounding like the cliché bitter middle child. Clean and relaxed in the living room, an empty cup of tea sat on the coffee table. Dexter was fiddling with his laptop, coding or whatever. Not even in secondary school yet oh-so smart. No expectations to be the best at Ever After High.
Not like Daring. Daring who was sweaty and sore from football, dragging his muddy trainers on the living room's lovely carpet.
Daring bites down the need to scoff. If liking him best was displayed through a pat on the shoulder, an occasional praise of "Straight-A's, Daring? Good job!" and some recognition as the son to take over the news studio then sure. If anyone ever asked Daring personally, he wouldn't mind getting smuttered by motherly love like Dexter and Darling.
Father only pays attention to Daring because both he and Daring look like a spitting image of each other. Mr Charming sees everything in him in Daring – sunshine blonde hair, bright blue eyes, second-hand charisma. Everything. From graduating from Ever After High to a good business school. So it's only natural that Mr Charming would expect the most from Daring.
Pushing back blonde hair away from his face, Daring feels the same swell in his chest as he did at age ten.
"It's because I do my best." Daring says but doesn't add the stinging words of 'Unlike you' to his words.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Dexter replies lowly, a warning tone in his voice.
But Daring doesn't answer. Somewhere in Daring's head, he knows Dexter's only acting like this because someone must have picked on him or something. Perhaps another comparison of techy Dexter to charismatic Daring again. It was unfair. So instead, Daring just adjusts his backpack and states that he's going to take a shower.
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Once Dexter and Darling hit the age of secondary school, they get separated. Mrs Charming decides it's best to send Darling to an all-girls' boarding school because Darling's apparently 'too rambunctious' for a girl of her class. But what do you expect, growing up with brothers?
Of course, there is protest. Lots of it. From both Dexter and Darling. Daring doesn't think he's ever seen the twins spend a day apart from each other. Never a day when they weren't sharing inside jokes or sharing funny videos or whispering secrets in some made-up language.
"Mother, you don't have to do this." Daring says, stepping in for Dexter who looks close to crying.
Mrs Charming looks at him. The look on her face looks she forgot he was there. It's nothing new. She tells him, "Yes, I do. She has to go. I only want to best for Darling."
Daring looks at Dexter from the corner of his eye. "Of course,"
…
It's only then, with Darling being sent away and Dexter being alone, does Daring reform his bond with Dexter. Maybe it was the distance of the twins or Daring's need to be a better brother or because Dexter just seemed like the kind of Freshman to be stuffed in a locker.
But whatever caused that push, it kept them from bickering like they used to. Daring knew things would be different but not like this. Not like this.
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"Daring, dear, you like nest eggs (1), don't you?" Mrs Charming asks as she places a plate in front of him.
"Uh …" Daring's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. He looks over at Dexter who's busy eating breakfast to notice anything odd. "… Yes?"
"Perfect, wouldn't want to mess up a nutritious meal." Mrs Charming says and kisses the top of Daring's blonde head.
Daring blinks back, he almost leaned away from it. He's seen his mother kiss Dexter and Darling all the time but he always assumed as the other child, he was – well, too old to be babied – until now.
Once Mrs Charming disappears back into the kitchen, Daring turns to Dexter and taps his shoulder.
"Does Mother always kiss the top of your head?" Daring asks.
Dexter flashes Daring a weird look. "Duh, all the time. Both me and Darling always get that baby treatment from her. Why? Has she never kissed you that way?"
Daring pauses, hand reaching up to touch his hair. "… She has."
"Then why did you ask?" Dexter questions, willing to listen.
"I … I was just curious." Daring takes a bit into his toast to end the conversation.
…
On the ride to school, something clicks in Daring's head. With one less child to fuss about, Mrs Charming has nothing better to do but coo over Daring and his achievements.
…
Over time, it was more about just Daring and Dexter. More about Daring's football matches and his good grades and the fact that he's dating Apple White, one of the wealthiest girls in school. It was …
It was … a strange kind of different he didn't expect.
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"What position did you put on your career application?" Dexter asks one day that they've both climbed onto the roof and looked up into the starry galaxy that made them feel small.
"Charming Co. CEO," Daring replies, shrugging. It almost slipped Daring's mind that Dexter was taking advanced classes and was catching up to him in applications for colleges. He mimics the words Dexter said to him all those years ago. "We have to take the business off Father's hands, we're his kids, remember?"
Dexter's own shoulders slump, he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, I can see you as CEO."
"Hey, why so glum? You'll get a spot too. You know that we can co-CEO Father's company, right?"
"Yeah, but …"
"You'll definitely get a spot." Daring says, with more confidence now.
Dexter tosses the comment aside. "Yeah, as some lesser job like the boring weatherman."
"I bet you can say all those hard-to-pronounce state names." Daring jokes but then drops it when he sees the grey cloud hanging over Dexter's head. "Cheer up, brother, I'm sure you won't end up the weatherman." Daring says, confidence shining brightly now.
Dexter sighs. "You're right, Father probably won't even allow me on screen. I'll screw it up for sure. I'll probably end up as the guy who holds the mic above everyone's head. I don't have the upper body strength for that,"
Daring frowns at this as Dexter sinks lower into the idea of his choice of future. He doesn't know what to say.
"I wish Darling was here." Dexter says, voice far away, like Darling.
Daring turns the other cheek, far into the sky. At this moment, he wants to be far away too. Daring asks, "You miss her, huh?"
"Yeah," Dexter replies then lets out a laugh that surprises Daring, a nostalgic smile on his face. Dexter flashes it at Daring.
Daring mirrors Dexter's smile, though his is a sad one. He's had too much practice smiling. He doesn't have the heart to tell Dexter a secret that he's kept to himself for a long time.
…
Daring never told anyone this but he was secretly glad Darling went away. He knows there's the cliché family roles but he, Daring Charming, the oldest child, has always felt overshadowed by Darling, the youngest.
Darling was almost like a carbon copy of him, but better. Braver, smarter, selfless. What was there not to love about her in the family? The only girl, a twin AND the youngest.
She was better than him. Always was and always will be better than him. And Daring knew he could never compete with that sort of charm. If he could freeze time, he would. He definitely would. And as the years pass, Daring thinks maybe he can keep this secret up until he graduates.
.
.
.
He thinks wrong.
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.
.
Things change.
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.
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Darling comes back in Daring's final year as a Senior at Ever After High.
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"For goodness sake, Daring, put on a shirt. You can't just parade around in your pajama bottoms," Mrs Charming scolds. "Can't you sleep in clothes like Dexterous?"
Dexter pauses his cereal eating, looking down at his plated matching sleeping set, while Daring stops mid-sip of his juice. It's nine AM on a weekend, everyone is still in their pajamas but it's not like they have guests over or anything.
"What?" Daring asks. He's had the luxury of walking around the comfort of his home like this, one less article on his body, for several years now. What difference is there now –
"Good morning!" A gentle voice greets, bright as the morning sun.
Oh.
Oh.
Right.
The blonde boy pushes himself away from the dining table as Darling takes a seat besides their mother.
"I'll put on a shirt now," He mutters.
Daring almost forgot what it was like having Darling back around the house. Daring almost forgot what it was like being compared to the twins.
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"Daring, is something wrong?" Apple asks one day during their lunch date. She notices he's been acting odd lately – spacing out and being reserved. She touches his hand. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Um …" Daring looks deep into Apple's eyes.
No. He decides. He can't just dump his weird Darling-insecurities on Apple. That would make him look like a terrible brother to the twins and a terrible boyfriend to Apple.
He says to her, clasping his hands over her pale ones. "It's okay, Apple. It's nothing. I just have a few things on my mind. But it'll get sorted out."
Apple holds his gaze, worried, searching for something until she can't take the silence. "If you say so." She tells him though she's not entirely convinced. "But just so you know, you don't have to keep it to yourself. You can tell me if you want to when it feels too much for you."
His expression softens. Apple White is the best girlfriend, ever. She's beautiful, sweet as her name and considerate. He kisses her hands as a gesture that he appreciates her kind words. "Thank you," He says.
"I hope it gets resolved soon."
Daring holds the words he can't exactly say. 'I hope so too.'
…
"Apple, you have to talk to Ashlynn. It's not healthy. I can't keep running back and forth between you two." Briar says, tucking her hands in her warm Winter pockets.
"… Maybe … But not right now, please. You know I'm going through something. I may have to talk to Daring about this first but …"
Briar frowns. She wished she looked scary when she was angry. She tells Apple bluntly, "You're a mess, Apple. You need to stop putting things off."
"At least, I'm more put together than that guy in shorts," Apple says. Because, honestly, shorts (short shorts) in Winter?
Apple looks at Briar. Their trio has dwindled down to a duo. Ashlynn's run off somewhere (or rather to someone). It's been like that for a while now.
"Erm, Apple …" Briar's face twists with a look that says 'I've got news for you'. "That guy is Daring," Briar states.
"It can't be him," The pale blonde puffs up her chest. Apple's seen Daring in shorts but not that kinda shorts. Just above-the-knee shorts during football. She asks, "Can it … ?"
Briar turns to Apple, "Has Daring been okay? I haven't seen him around you in a while. Are you guys on break or something?"
"I ... No. He's just going through some stuff." Apple defends Daring's disastrous state.
"Like you?" Briar asks, still a little angry.
Apple feels her gut drop. She says in an unconvincing voice, "… Yeah, like me."
…
"Apple, can you spare a few hours?" Daring calls, he really needs to talk to someone right now. Someone who wasn't related to Darling or Dexter or his parents.
The pale blonde looks up from her phone. Her eyebrows furrow, she bites her red, red lips. "I … I'm sorry, Daring. I have to go. I can't talk at the moment but …"
He waits for her to finish her words.
"I'll talk to you later, okay?" She rushes out of the hall before he can say anything.
…
Somewhere along the way, Daring started withdrawing away from Apple. Or maybe it was the other way around. Apple started hanging out with Darling. They had met at Hocus Latte by accidentally grabbing the same drink. Apparently, the two girls liked the same type of specific latte. Daring thinks, maybe Apple realised how fake he is. How he isn't put together. How his smile is just something trained in front of a mirror. Just hours and hours spent perfecting the perfect smile to dazzle and blind. Or maybe it was just Darling Charming herself, but that was enough.
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"Out here alone?" A voice asks.
Daring looks up from the floor he's staring at. An empty beer can by his side. The biggest party of the year is being thrown by Briar Beauty yet here he is, sitting on the driveway, talking to the party thrower's cousin. The booming music makes it too hard for Daring to think.
"Oh, hey, Rosabella," Daring says.
Rosabella pushes her glasses up her nose, deep in thought as if thinking if she should stay or walk away and go back to the party. "Mind if I sit?"
"Not at all." Daring replies and motions at the endless spots to sit on the concrete ground. He flashes her one of his fakest grin.
The Beauty family are wealthy orchid owners – growing fresh fruits and the greenest vegetables and the prettiest flowers – a rose crest as their signature. Daring doesn't know much about them aside from the fact that Briar was BFFs with Apple and Ashlynn or something while Rosabella had moved a year ago after Briar and Rosabella's parents had agreed to manage the orchid together instead of branching off and starting a new small orchid from scratch. The Beauty cousins have their whole future planned. Briar's going to go into Business to find an efficient economic way to manage the company and juggle the staff while Rosabella's going to go into Sciences to find a way to produce crops at a greater value and maintain its long life.
"I don't think I've ever seen you completely alone and not surrounded by people before." Rosabella says, smoothening her skirt as she talks to him.
Daring lets out a chuckle. It sounds more bitter than it should be. "Yeah," He replies through the direction he's looking at is anywhere but at her. "I realised I haven't got that many true friends."
Rosabella puts an encouraging hand on his shoulder and squeezes. "Then you should make new friends. Start afresh, it's never too late."
"How? Everyone knows me as I am."
"Daring …"
"I can't really let go of high school me just yet. I like it too much." Daring admits, pushing her hand away. "I like high school too much."
"Why do you care so much about high school?" Rosabella turns so her attention is fully concentrated on him.
"Because it's the only time I matter." Daring confesses. Never in his life would he imagine drunk him being this vulnerable or fragile.
She says in a soft voice, "That's not true."
"You heard it on the news –" The news channel his father owns. "– popular kids become nothing after they graduate. They just end up homeless or drug addicts or pregnant by the wrong guy." Daring says, brave or perhaps reckless. Alcohol influenced and all. "What good qualities do I have out there in the job industry after this?"
"Tons," Rosabella tells Daring, touching his shoulder again.
"Charming people isn't a skill. Anyone can fake it." Daring says, he hates the angry smile forming on his face. It's too genuine. It's not like the fake ones he practices. "I'm not like my siblings."
"What do you mean?" Rosabella says and she almost feels scared to hear the answer.
"They've always been better than me. It's always the twins this and the twins that. Oh look, Dexter is so smart! High tech and sweet! Oh look, Darling is so brave and independent and selfless! I'm nothing. I'm just Daring Charming, someone you'll forget."
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Rosabella asks Daring to hang out every single day after that night. Often, she's with her cousin, Briar, and sweetheart couple; Ashlynn and Hunter.
Daring looks at the group beckoning him at the fast food place. Rosabella gets Daring's order and says that this one's on her while Briar's got her own food and Hunter pays for his and Ashlynn's. While Rosabella goes and order with the help of Hunter to carry the trays, Daring gets put in the position to talk to Briar and Ashlynn.
He can't help but ask, "Why aren't you two with Apple?"
Ashlynn pauses, green eyes widening. Daring has always known Ashlynn was a little shy so he didn't expect her to come right out and say it. But Briar, on the other hand, she's bold.
"Oh," Briar speaks up. "Apple ... kinda stopped hanging out with us. It happened ages ago."
Ages ago? Daring thinks. Oh.
He's quiet until he has a new thought. He thinks he's been a shitty boyfriend for not noticing.
"She ..." Briar looks at Ashlynn as if to ask for permission to speak.
Ashlynn sucks in a deep breath in return. Both girls seem to have this mental telepathic talk before continuing the conversation.
"We had a fight." Ashlynn says, starting off slow. There's too much hesitation in this conversation. "Apple ... she ... she didn't like the fact that –"
"Apple didn't like the fact that Ashlynn was dating Hunter." Briar answers for Ashlynn, though it seems more like a cover-up.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Daring apologises, he already feels out of place. This was just awkward. He can't believe he has to ask his girlfriend's ex-friends about his own girlfriend.
Ashlynn shakes her head, sending strawberry blonde curls flying, telling him it was okay. "We did try to convince her we could get past it and still be friends but ..." She doesn't finish her words and Briar gives Ashlynn a soft look.
Daring stares down at his hands. "Ah,"
;;
"You're dating Apple?" Daring asks though he wished he hadn't.
"It sort of happened," Darling says, a finger coiling around her silver-ish blonde hair, unaware that Daring and Apple were a thing.
"When?" Daring asks. He tries not to think about the fact that the power couple of Ever After High had fallen apart. Daring tries to convinced himself they had been falling apart anyways before Darling came back.
Darling tells him, "I did mouth-to-mouth on her at a party during a freak accident and I just started thinking about how I liked kissing her."
Daring watches his sister blush, feeling a boiling sensation in the pit of his stomach. Blue stares into blue.
Darling laughs as if embarrassed, "Though, I didn't really have any romantic intention of falling for Apple the first place," She says, "But I'm glad she was bi too."
Daring clicks his jaw. He never knew Apple was bisexual but he guesses he doesn't need to know much about his ex-girlfriend anymore. About her ex-friend and new life and … God, when did they break up? It just felt like they drifted away.
But, on the other hand, well, can Daring really say he's surprised? He hasn't exactly paid attention to Apple in months. Months!
… But … still …
He knew his relationship with Apple was sinking like the Titanic but maybe, he thought, he could find a lifeboat or something to save it and keep it afloat.
"Right," He replies then adds with a flat voice, "I hope you're happy with her,"
Darling smiles, a genuinely happy one. Never fake like his. She says, "Apple's sweet. I like her."
Daring swallows the lump in his throat. "I know that feeling."
…
It's almost a fitting swap. Apple takes his sister and he takes Apple's friends. Though, Daring never imagined – he never imagined Apple being the last person he had to cut ties with.
;;
(1) Nest eggs – A toast and egg recipe. The middle of a piece of bread is cut out and an egg gets fried in it over a frying pan
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– Apple-Briar theories fed by Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles which was not mentioned so much here but I will write in the next chapters –
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Notes
I didn't think I'd come back to EAH after that Apple one-shot. I don't know why I made Dexter so whiney? I like him a lot, he's adorable! I have so many questions for myself. Like why did I make Apple seem like a bitch? Why did I destroy Daring? He doesn't have comfort at home and now his comfort at school is shit too. My favourite characters are Darling and Jillian Beanstalk but for some reason, I'm writing about the Royals (?)
I ship Dexter x Raven and Darling x Apple but, boy, do I stray from fanfics who cater to these ships.
I dunno bro but angst and plot always triumph over ships.
– 2 February 2018