Chapter Two-

The chords of Taylor Quick's latest love song could be heard throughout the long corridor of the east tower of the castle. Naturally the source of origin was from dorm 7D, the last room in the wing. Typically none of the students rooming nearby weren't bothered by the melodies that seeped though the thin walls, rather they enjoyed it from it time to time. As Apple started towards her dorm her smile softly faded away as the cords to the song began. I know Raven loves playing her mus-ic, but I really need to study and do this make-up work. Surely she'll understand- Apple paused for a minute, stopping her hand that was only inches away from the door knob. Did she even want her roommate to know about this? Her failing grade? Sure, Raven was a friend, but even after her pledge to 're-write her destiny', her fate was to still be Apple's story-book enemy.

But Raven's my friend, I can trust her…can't I?

Apple bit her lower lip as she slowly twisted the door open, her mind flashing back to her youth, back when she had first meet the raven haired girl. Words of warning from her parents, teachers and peers came to mind. Be careful around her Apple, she's evil. She may look nice now but she will stab you in the back just as her mother did to yours…

"Hey Apple," Raven called out as she removed her fingers from her keyboard. The girl crocked her head sideways and looked somewhat strangely at her blonde friend. "Are you okay Apple? You look paler than normal."

Apple shock her head as she daintily fainted on her fainting couch. "I'm fine," she said in a low voice as she fell back onto the soft plush velvet material and her head landed on satin pillows galore.

Raven arched her brows, "Sure…" Slowly Raven stood and walked towards her desk. "Anyways can you believe how intense that exam was? Grimm, I thought I was going to completely fail-"Apple slapped herself on the forehead and released a groan, why was everyone transfixed on that exam? "Apple are you okay?"

"Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you just groaned as loud as the Big Bad Wolf," Raven began as she shuffled over towards Apple's side of the room. "And the fact you are hugging a folder? What's even in there that's so important?" A half-grin formed on Raven's face as she added, "Did Daring have another photo session?"

Apple made a face, "Ha-ha, very funny."

Raven studied Apple's face closely, something was up with the normally overly cheerful girl. With a sigh Raven lowered herself and sat on the edge of the couch, "Really though, is everything alright? You know you can tell me, we are friends."

We are, aren't we… "I know," Apple nodded as she sat up. "It's just-"

"Just what?"

"That exam," Apple slowly began. As she turned her head she caught a glimpse at Raven who looked confused. "I didn't do well on it." As she slyly confessed Apple could feel her cheeks burn, embarrassed she barred her face in her hands. Tears automatically followed.

"Oh Apple," Raven began as she softly rubbed her friends shoulder with one hand, and with the other she used her magic to conjure up a box of tissues. "It isn't that bad. Everyone does poorly on a test or two now and again. We are only human and no one is perfect."

"But-but, I'm Apple White, Snow White's daughter!" Apple snapped, her eyes red and nose runny. "I'm can't afford to fail. If I fail at school I'll fail at life. My entire destiny depends on me becoming the best queen I can be…would you want your ruler to be a failure?"

Raven shock her head as she tried to sooth the distraught Apple. "You are going to be a great queen someday Apple, but even great queens make errors and are far from perfect. Just look at history, some of the greatest mistakes became great successes. You just have to brush yourself off and try again until you get it right."

"But my destiny…"

"Your destiny is what you make it, everyone now can write their own endings. You don't have to let your destiny define you, and you especially shouldn't let one exam define you either. After all the Apple White I know never lets something get to her, she works past it and perseveres." For a second Raven laughed, "Do I really need to give examples, because we could be here forever after."

A smile found its way onto Apple's face as a snicker escaped, "Yeah we could be here for a long time."

"See? Nothing can really keep you down for long."

"I suppose Raven, it's just I didn't simply do badly on the exam… I failed." Raven blinked as Apple reached into the folder and pulled out the paper. Sure enough in bright red ink the letter 'f' was written. Apple started to go on about it, just as she had with Ashlynn previously. As she did so Raven listened and offered words of reassurance, yet somehow surprised at how hard her roommate was taking the grade. After getting so many failing grades in most of her courses Raven had long since been unfazed by failure, it was almost second nature.

Apple slowly dried her eyes as she turned to more recent events, "Then the headmaster called me into his office-"

"Wait," Raven cut in, "You got called to see Headmaster Grimm over one test? That is kind of ridiculous."

"I-I suppose so, but he mentioned how he had been worrying that this was the starting point of me going off script with my role as the future Snow White. After talking a bit he gave me this folder and informed me that the teacher was going to permit me to do a make-up assignment with the use of my notes."

"Well that's good, after you probably have some of the best notes of anyone in the course. So what do you have to do this project on?"

Apple shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. I was too excited and then later side-tracked to open it," Apple looked up at her friend. "Probably should open it and find out, huh?"

"That probably would be a good idea," Raven added as Apple opened the cream colored folder, inside was a small stack of parchment. Gingerly Apple pulled the pile out, and examined the contents. For the most part the first few pages where basically standard, and very familiar to what Apple and Raven had seen on the exam. But as soon as Apple started to work her way thought, things looked Greek. Apple's joy faded as her eyes narrowed and jaw dropped, "I don't know any of this!"

"It's from the next unit of the course!" Raven shock her head, "That explains at lot, after all our teacher is one of the toughest at the school, giving out normal extra credit wouldn't be in-character."

"Urgh," Apple moaned as she dropped her head, "I am in so much trouble, what am I going to do? I struggled with the first unit, how in Ever After can I complete an assignment on a chapter I haven't even leant?" Frustrated Apple ranked a hand though her hair and started pacing.

Raven watched, unsure of what kind of solution there was, Apple needed this. Not only for her grade, but for herself. "We could ask Maddie for help, I'm sure she would be happy to-"

"No!" Apple yelped. The blonde paused for an instance, almost as if she was surprised at her own actions. Was this failure already changing her? Now that was a scary thought, as never before had she snapped at Raven. "No," She tried again in a calmer tone. "I would rather not have anyone else know if it can be avoided. After all the more people that know about my grade the better."

Raven nodded, even though she did think asking Maddie might be a good idea she understood where Apple was coming from. Students, teachers, Grimm everyone in Ever After looked up and admired Apple, and perhaps if they become aware of this their minds might change in regards to the future Snow White. "Okay. Then I'll help you, between the two of us we should be able to figure this all out. After all we do make a pretty good team."

"You would really help me? Even though we are supposed to be enemies?" Apple began as she came closer towards her roommate, then out of nowhere she backed up, "Or is this some trick to poison me? Because that is supposed to come in a few years."

Raven shock her head as she draped her arm around Apple's shoulder, "Of course I will help you, and I have no intentions of poisoning you now, or ever."

"That is good to hear," Apple smiled as she removed some sweat from her forehead.

With a grin Raven added, "Besides, if I was to do the evil queen thing I would be much, much more creative then my family." Apple stopped and glared at Raven who simply laughed, "Come on, I'm only joking!"