A/N:
I have gotten graced with a borrowed laptop, and thus I post!
Welcome one and all to a brand new Chapter of Through the Looking Glass, a story with a misleading title that is never gonna get changed. Last Chapter, we got to see a bit of Blake's first day, today you will all see...other stuff...no spoilers though...
I would like to address one thing that a guest reviewer submit last night, or this morning, or whenever, I didn't bother checking when it was posted. I know that all of my oc's may have similarities, but the reason why that is, is because all of my ocs are reflections of myself in some way shape or form. Using Daisuke as an example, since he was one of the more recent ocs I created for Danganronpa...Daisuke is based mostly on my love of writing, which is why he's a writer/story teller. He also happens to love music because I love music too. I suck at every instrument I've tried, minus the violin, so my characters are always musically inclined. Jack Sparrow from my Pokemon fic, happens to be a reflection of my younger self, I wasn't into Photography, but I always thought it was cool, so that's why he's a Photographer. Aiden from Hellfire Dragon Slayer would be a reflection of myself with magic.
What I'm trying to get at is, that these characters are normally reflections of myself which is why they're similar in some ways. I try not to blend them together, but after writing so many stories, writing ocs this way becomes second nature, which isn't exactly a bad thing, I guess. I'll try my best to make ocs more distinguished in the future.
As for your second point, I don't think the characters are out of character too much. After all this is my version of this series, so that means I'll change the characters to fit my needs. Also who said swearing doesn't exist in this place? Just because this is a series aimed for kids doesn't mean they don't swear. I mean come on, it doesn't matter what universe you go too, High School Kids are High School Kids, tell me one school that doesn't have swearing teenagers? Just because they are written a certain way doesn't mean they can't be written another way. Christ, I read a story about some of these characters getting it on, and I'm sure that isn't part of the show, last time I checked. So, I hope you don't mind my swearing, I grew up around it, so I usually write it in without realizing it. If it makes you feel better, I'll make Blake only swear in this story, not that it isn't an issue, to me at least.
Sorry about that, and sorry if it sounds like I'm being an asshole, but I felt the need to address this, since I couldn't speak to the Guest Reviewer directly. This is also why I dislike those reviews because it takes time from my authors note to address this thing, and that's why I usually ignore them, anyway, I have explained what I wanted...so let us move on.
Ever After High
Through the Looking-Glass
Chapter 4
Blondie's Just Right/Job Hunting
Seven days had passed since Blake had arrived in the world of Ever After High. Seven days in a magical realm, seven days away from his friends, and seven days since he had seen his sisters and family. He tried not to think about it often, but he couldn't help but feel homesick. Headmaster Grimm hadn't had any luck finding his realm, and had told the boy to be patient, though he subtly told him not to expect much. Still, he promised he would get him home as soon as he could, if only so he could salvage what was left of the traditions in Ever After High.
He had been attending all of his classes as well, and enjoying them as well. He realized that Ever After High followed a sort of college schedule. On Monday, he would have all seven of his classes, including his lunch period. On Tuesday, he would only have five classes, on Wednesday, he would have six classes, on Thursday, he would again have six classes and on Friday he would have five classes. He had been debating on taking another elective during one of his free periods, Cooking Class-ic stuck out to him quite a bit, he hated to admit it, but he was a good cook.
On Fridays, he would have Riddlish first, with Mr. Mad Hatter, his friend Maddie's father. He had to admit, he had gotten the hang of Riddlish rather quickly. It was rather simple, just speak in Riddles and Rhymes and you'd have a good time. At least that's what his teacher had said. It had been a bit challenging during the first few days, but Maddie and Lizzie had helped him through it, and he had been able to pick it up rather quickly. It was like the time he had to learn French when he moved to Canada when he was younger.
He had also gotten better at sword fighting, mostly because Mr. Knight had gotten him a personal practice sword in the likeness of a Katana. He had been practicing some of the Kendo stances he had seen in videos on the internet, while throwing his own combinations in. He had also picked up some of Mr. Knight's teachings, the man even said he was on the road to becoming a warrior himself.
However since it was Friday, he had two free periods in the morning, right after first period Riddlish, so for the next hour an a half, he didn't have anything to do. He didn't feel like going back to his dorm, after all he had nothing to do there. He didn't feel like playing his Vita, and his laptop didn't work on the MirrorNet, so he couldn't use it to do anything. So he was currently walking around the halls of Ever After, looking for something interesting to do. He glanced around the empty halls, a bored look on his face.
"I could go to the arcade, but that's in town and I wouldn't want to be late for class. I got in trouble last time because I blew Grimmnastics for Tetris." he thought, lips pursed in thought. He stopped in front of the Student Lounge, noticing a few people inside. Shrugging, he walked inside.
"Might as well kill a few minutes here. I do have that magic book Raven gave me." he thought to himself, finding a nice looking chair near the middle of the lounge. He sat down, pulling the book from his backpack, flipping to the second chapter where he had left off.
"Hey, think I could speak with you for a second?"
Looking up from his book, he glanced at the girl across from him. He vaguely recognized her from one of his classes. She had long white hair, with streaks of violet running through it. She was wearing a bright yellow shirt, with blue musical notes on it. Over it, she wore a black vest with white lapels, bearing golden musical pins on it. She was wearing a knee length skirt, with red flower like designs on it, and a yellow underside with a ruffled hem. She was wearing a pair of black boots with black belts and buckles. He also took notice of the tattoo she had on the side of her leg.
One thing that Blake had noticed during his short time in Ever After, was how attractive the girls were. It was rather interesting, almost as if they had been written that way. Fairytale princes and princesses who were very handsome and beautiful. He was almost jealous, especially of Daring, who was always able to attract throngs of girls to his side by just smiling. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, closing his book, making sure he had his bookmark in place.
"Yeah what's up?"
"Well, I figured you'd want to chat, seeing as you came here when everyone is in class. That look on your face just screamed boredom. Besides, I wanted to talk to you for awhile now." she said, earning a curious look from the boy.
"Oh, am I that interesting?"
"Of course, you're the talk of the school...beating Henry in a race, and your sword fight against Daring, you're slowly becoming popular. But that isn't the reason I wanted to talk to you. I figured, since you're from another world, you'd have some interesting tunes with you." she said. The boy nodded, leaning back in his seat.
"That's true, I do have a lot of music from my world on me. I bet you want to listen to some of it, however I don't give my phone out to just anyone. However, if you agree to be my friend, I can let you borrow it for a bit. So, what's your name cutie?" he asked, giving her a smile. The girl flushed a bit, her blue eyes glittering a bit in the light.
"It's Melody Piper, we're in the same Muse-ic Class." she said.
"Muse-ic? Oh, you're Mr. Piper's daughter, I feel sort of stupid for not recognizing you now." he said, feeling rather dumb.
"It's alright, you've only been here for a week, so I'm sure you still don't know everyone in the school. So, now that we're friends, mind if I listen to those tunes now?" she asked.
"You must be rather excited to listen to my music, I don't blame you. We have a lot of good music back home, course some of it is shit, but there's nothing I can do about that." he said, unlocking his phone. The girl grabbed her purse and stood up, moving to the seat next to his.
"I'll be the judge of that...I can tell you play music too, guitar maybe?"
"Yup, not just guitar...I can play bass and violin too. Of course, I had to quit my violin lessons to take martial arts instead, I need a means to defend myself, in case something happened." he said, handing her his phone.
"In case what happened?" she asked curiously. He shook his head, clearly not wanting to talk about it.
"I'm not exactly the best around, but no ones ever taken me down. Everyone back home just things I'm a talentless loser, but no one knows I can shred just as good Freddie Mercury." he said. Melody give him a confused look, earning a chuckle from him.
"I think I have a good song to start you off with." he said, taking his phone briefly, sifting through his playlist, until he found Queen's Greatest Hits. He clicked on Bohemian Rhapsody, hitting the shuffle button.
"Well, I can already tell I'm gonna have a good time listening to this." Melody said, a smile on her face.
"Trust me, I've got nearly three thousand songs, you'll be good for awhile. You have fun, I'm gonna study up on magic." he said, opening his book.
He started glancing at the words, memorizing some of the history behind magic spells. He however couldn't help but steal a few glances at Melody. He had to admit, she was really cute, and he was a sucker for blue eyes. He quickly glanced at his book, turning onto the next page.
"She's really cute, then again a lot of the girls in this school are cute. This place would put the girls in my world to shame, they don't hold a candle to any of them." he thought, a frown on his face. He subtly glanced at his wrist, seeing the golden bracelet he had been wearing for the last week. He sighed, glancing back at the book.
"Judging by the look on your face, I can tell that isn't a good book." Melody said, pulling him from his musings.
"Oh, the book is interesting...I'm just thinking." he said.
"Thinking huh? What about?" she asked, giving him a smile.
"How attractive you are." he thought to himself. He had been considering on saying it too, but he didn't really have the guts to do it, instead he came up with a segway.
"How much I miss my guitar. I would probably be playing it right now...well I would be in school, but if I had nothing to do, I would be writing something." he said.
"I figured you'd be the one to write your own stuff. You've got that vibe you know?"
"So do you, I bet you're amazing with music, you are the daughter of the Pied Piper after all." he replied.
"I'm no good with a flute, I prefer a turntable anyway...I've been really into dubstep for a couple years now. Even the rats dig my sick beats." she said, earning a surprised look from the boy.
"There's dubstep here? Well, I can tell you and I are going be excellent friends." he replied.
"So can I...we should hang out sometime. My dorm is sound proof, and I've got some instruments you can borrow, we'll lay down some tracks if you want."
"Sure, I've been dying to record some cover songs, I'm an awesome singer, but the only time I get to perform is when I'm in the shower. The rubber duckies always like what I sing for them." he said, earning a laugh from the girl.
"We're definitely going to be great friends."
"I've got another song for you, look through my playlist for a song named Highlander: The One, by Lost Horizon...just letting you know, I'm sorry if you grow a beard." he said.
"Grow a beard? What do you mean by that?" she asked, giving him a curious look. He gave her a wink, returning to his reading.
xxx
"Say Blondie, when are we going to interview Blake? A lot of people on MirrorBook keep asking about it." Dexter said, glancing at Blondie who looked up from her MirrorPad.
"Hmm, he does have a few free periods today. Yes, I think his interview will be fine on today's broadcast. I've got the perfect questions to ask him, it's going to be just right!" she said happily.
"Blondie Lockes, could you please report to Headmaster Grimm's office at your earliest convenience? Thank you."
"I've been summoned! This is the golden key to destiny!" Blondie cried, running up the hallway, somehow not falling due to the heels she was wearing.
"Wait, what about Blake?" Dexter asked, causing her to stop just as she turned the corner.
"The interview will still happen, I know you'll be able to find him. Everything's going to be just right! Trust me!" she said, running off. The brown haired prince sighed, turning down the hall.
"Great, now I've got to find this guy...hmm...if I we're Blake, where would I be?"
Blondie made her way into Headmaster Grimm's office, a bright smile on her face. She briefly glanced at her MirrorPad, checking all of the things she had ready for her next MirrorCast. She sat down in front of the man, placing her MirrorPad on her lap, giving him her utmost attention.
"Thank you for coming Miss Lockes, as you know, after the events of Legacy Day, the students at Ever After High, have started to question some of the lesser known legends. I was hoping to borrow your services." he said.
"Borrow my services? You mean my MirrorCast?" she asked curiously, earning a nod from the man.
"Indeed, you see I need a way to prove these legends to be true. You are a popular young woman here at Ever After, so I know you would definitely be able to handle this job. We mustn't let these traditions fall into obscurity." the man said firmly.
"This is wonderful! I was just thinking about what I was going to cover during today's MirrorCast! Aside from my interview with Blake, I didn't have anything, but this will do Just Right!" she said happily.
"Yes, I would hope so. You and Dexter Charming are excused from classes, just for today, I want this show to capitilize some of the well known legends, don't let me down Miss Lockes."
"I won't, you've got my word Headmaster! I've got to let Dexter know about this, we'll get started right away! It's gonna be my best MirrorCast do date!" the blonde cried, running out of the office with an excited look on her face.
xxx
"Definitely, we got this program back home called Fruity Loops, it's expensive as all hell, but the beats you can make on it are amazing. In fact, some of my friends mixed their tracks on it." Blake said, earning a curious look from Melody, who was still listening to some of his music, the two of them had decided to take a walk through the school, to get to know each other better.
"We've got a few different ones, the one I use the most is one if developed myself, called N-Chant, that's also my DJ name, if you didn't know before. I'm the go to gal for any school sponsored events. Sadly, I didn't get to play Legacy Day with everything that happened, but I'm also glad Raven did what she did. I don't think any of us would have had the nuts to do it." Melody admitted, earning a frown from the boy.
"That's one thing I don't understand about this world. I know tradition is important, but you shouldn't be forced into it. A tradition should be something that everyone loves to do, because it's a special time to bond with friends and family. If you get it shoved down your throat, it just...loses it's meaning. That's like forcing someone to eat caviar right after eating a Big Mac." he said, crossing his arms.
"Try telling that to Headmaster Grimm, he will never understand. You know, my old man didn't want to be the next Pied Piper either, but he didn't have what it took to stand up to what he believed in. So I promised myself that I would break away from my destiny, and follow my dreams, because he wasn't able to."
"You know Melody, you're a pretty chill gal...you remind me a lot of someone I knew back home." he said, glancing at the bracelet on his wrist. She looked at it briefly, seeing all of the charms on it.
"Does that belong to her?" she asked curiously, earning a nod from him.
"Her name is Lucy...she went missing last year. Some people say she ran away from home, others say she was kidnapped. They never found a trace of where she went, nor a body. It wasn't until she was missing that I realized how much she meant to me. Anyway, what were we talking about before?" he asked, wanting to steer away from the conversation.
"We were talking about mixing programs."
"Oh right, well I don't know when I'll get a new laptop, but when I do I'll definitely download your program. Maybe now that I'm in this world, I'll be able to express myself the way I want. That's one thing I've come to like about this world, the rules a much less strict." he said.
"Unless it's about signing the Storybook of Legends or anything else destiny related." Melody said, earning a chuckle from the boy.
"Hey Blake, I finally found you."
The two stopped walking, turning around to see a rather tired looking Dexter. He was holding a sky blue MirrorPad in his hands, his hair looking a bit out of place. Blake crossed his arms, looking the boy over for a few seconds.
"Did you search this entire school for me? You could have just called bro." he said, earning a sigh from the nerdy Charming.
"Yeah, sort of forgot about that. Blondie asked me to look for you, she wanted to do that interview today, if you have the time. She sent me a text message, saying anyone involved in Today's MirrorCast is exempt from class." he said, holding up his MirrorPhone.
"Aw dammit, I totally forgot about that...alright, yeah I'll do the interview, I hate going back on promises, especially to cute girls like Blondie. Melody, it's been fun getting to know you, go ahead and keep that phone for now, you can give it back later." he said.
"Are you sure? What if you get a call or something?" she asked curiously.
"Quite right, here, take my Ipod instead, it's basically like a phone, except it's only for music. It doesn't have a password so you'll be fine." he said, handing her his violet colored Ipod, in exchange for his phone.
"Thanks Blake, good luck on your interview, Blondie can be quite nosy when she wants be. Catch ya around." the white haired girl said, giving the boy a wink as she walked off. Blake smiled inwardly, a light blush on his cheeks.
"Dude, how do you do it?" Dexter asked curiously.
"Eh? How do I do what?"
"Dude, Melody Piper just winked at you. She's like, the most popular girl in school, aside from Apple White of course."
"Well, I didn't really do anything. I just spoke to her normally, sure she's really cute, just like a lot of other girls at this school. Plus we have a lot in common, we both like making music, so that's a common ground for us." he said with a shrug.
"A martial artist, a skater, and now a musician? What aren't you good at?"
"Waterloo, Croquet, Algebra, I suck at clothes shopping, BMXing, Downhill Skiing, the Waltz, oh but I'm a good cook at least." he said, earning an eyeroll from the brown haired boy.
"Anyway, come with me to the A/V room, that's usually where me and Blondie hold her show, she's already there preparing all of the questions for the interview. Just as a fair warning, don't say too much or she'll keep pestering you until you speak."
"Wonderful."
xxx
"Welcome everyone, to another hot episode of Just Right! Today, we'll be going around the school proving that some of those lesser known school legends are actually true! But before that, I promised you an interview with our newest transfer student! Here he is, Blake Bigby!" Blondie said, clapping her hands as the black haired boy awkwardly sat down in the chair beside her.
"Um hello...it's nice to be here Blondie." he said, giving the girl a polite smile.
"Aw, you're nervousness is so adorable. So, I've got quite a long list of questions, but the most popular one on the website seems to be this! What side are you officially on? The Royal side, or the Rebel side?"
"I don't exactly have an answer for everyone. You see, I do have a lot of friends on either side. I'm not from this world, so I don't have a fate, so that would technically make me a Rebel, but I also think that I have a destiny here, or else I wouldn't have popped out of Apple's mirror. So for now, I'm staying Neutral, neither Royal nor Rebel." he said, earning a nod from the curly haired blonde.
"An interesting answer, I was personally expecting you to side with the Rebels, you hang around them a lot."
"No true, I was hanging out with Briar yesterday, she wanted me to help her pick out some safety pads. I got her into skateboarding, shame I don't have my own yet." he said.
"That's another thing, you've been hanging out with a lot of people here in Ever After, it seems you are rather interesting person. Why is that?" Blondie asked, earning a shrug from the boy, who leaned back in his seat.
"I'm not sure, it could be that I'm from another world. I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon...I'm not exactly an interesting person." he replied truthfully.
"I beg to differ, I think your arrival in Ever After was what we needed to forget the events of Legacy Day, it was just right in my opinion. So let's get to the more personal questions, how old are you?"
"Sixteen in a half, and I'm just gonna rapid fire answer this, my height is five foot ten, I like black, purple, blue and red, I hate chowder, it looks like vomit so I never got used to eating it, I have two older sisters, Susan and Mary, I play video games and stream them to the internet during the summer, I do parkour, mixed martial arts, I can skate, draw and play music."
"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down there, I need to check these off the list!" the blonde cried, checking everything he had answered with her stylus, her scribbles filling the air for a few seconds.
"Okay, so that's some of your likes, dislikes and hobbies...wow that narrowed the list down significantly. Oh, here's an interesting one submitted by one of our fans, do you have any juicy secrets you are willing to share with us? Particularly involving the charm bracelet you are wearing?" she asked, giving the boy a smile.
"The bracelet...how the hell did you even see that? It's always under my jacket sleeve." he said, glancing at the camera, earning a shrug from Dexter.
"I suppose it must have happened while you were in Grimmnastics or another class. So tell us about it!"
"Well, there's nothing to really say about it...it belongs to my best friend Lucy, she went missing last year, and this is the only thing I have left of her. So I wear it in her honor, nothing more nothing less." he replied, placing a hand over the bracelet, to block it from the view of the camera.
"This Lucy girl must mean a lot to you if you wear that bracelet, is she your girlfriend?" Blondie asked curiously.
"Not at all, Lucy hated all of that mushy love stuff, we were just close friends, practically grew up together."
"Fascinating, I did some little digging in the school records and well...this might seem a little insignificant, but I do want to get to know you better. What does the J in your middle name stand for?"
"Really? You want to know my middle name?" the boy asked curiously, earning a vigorous nod from the girl.
"Yes of course! It wouldn't feel right to let you walk out of here without finding out what it is...so please tell us what it is." she said, giving him a smile. He shrugged, grinning inwardly.
"Well, the J stands for Jungemu Jugemu Goko-no Surikire Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro Yaburakoji-no Byrakoji Paipopaipo Paipo-no-shuringan Shuringan-no Gurindai Gurindai-no Ponpokopi-ni Ponpokona-no Chokyumei-no Chosuke."
"Are you...are you serious?"
"Mhmm, you wanna see my ID?" he asked, reaching for his wallet.
"No no, I'll take your word for it...hmm, your parents have a rather...unique sense with names."
"They sure do." he said, holding his chuckles as Blondie glanced at her tablet.
"It's almost time for your next class so I don't want to keep you more than I should...um, I've got time for another question. Since you've been in Ever After High, you've garnered a lot of female attention. So would you mind telling us who your crush is?"
"Would I get in trouble if I said it was you?" he asked, giving her a smirk. The girl flushed brightly, hiding her face behind her tablet.
"No, you wouldn't."
"I'm just playing with you Blondie, you are insanely cute, but I doubt I would be Just Right for you...as for the answer to that question, I'm not exactly looking for a relationship right now. I mean, what if I have the chance to go home? It wouldn't be right leaving someone behind." he said, a hint of seriousness in his voice.
"That is true...it wouldn't be right at all, falling in love and then breaking someone's heart like that. It would be like Cinderella leaving the ball and never being found!"
"Yeah, that wouldn't be good at all...oh right, Cinderella, if you are somehow watching this webcast, I wanna say I'm a huge fan! I would love to meet you before I go home!" he said happily, smiling to the camera.
"Well, we are out of time! Thank you so much for accompanying me today Blake, I still have a few questions, but I'll ask them to you later on. Catch our after show tonight where an extended cut of this interview will be online, as always, this is Blondie Lockes, thanks for watching, see you soon!"
"We're clear! Good job you two, we've had the highest views yet!" Dexter said, holding his tablet out to Blondie, who took it from his grasp.
"Yay! This is great! Thanks for everything Blake, do you think we could have some extra time to film the after show? It would be around ten minutes long, I'll write you a pass to your next class." the blonde said, giving him a pleading look. He sighed, giving her a nod.
"You are lucky I have a weakness for blue eyed girls." he said.
"Oh, you like blue eyed girls then? That narrows the list down significantly! I'm pretty sure I can guess who your crushing on! It's definitely Melody isn't it?"
"Nice try Blondie, come on, let's get this done."
xxx
Blake was rather excited, he had finally gotten a call from the manager of Hocus Latte, who had been interested in hiring the young man. Normally, a teenager wouldn't be happy to sacrifice free time in order to work, but he was in serious need of money. Most of his friends had let him borrow money, even though he had refused, countless times. It would be good to finally have a paying job, so that he could pay his friends back, and finally start getting some stuff that he needed. He had been happy that Farrah had helped him out with clothing, but he didn't want to take advantage of her magic, he just wasn't that type of guy.
He took a deep breath, fixing his now raven and violet hair, and making sure his clothes were free of wrinkles. All he was wearing was his regular clothes, since he didn't have anything fancy, that and he was still in school for the day, having skipped his lunch period just to come to the establishment. He pulled the door open and walked inside a smile on his face, only his smile turned into a frown when he saw Henry walking toward the door, holding a cup of coffee in his hands.
"What are you doing here numb nuts?" he asked, earning a sigh from the boy.
"Getting a job, something you should consider doing, since fixing that coat cost you more than a pretty penny." Blake said, brushing past the sandy blond.
"Great, this is one of the best coffee shops around, don't ruin it with your foreigner stink!" Henry shouted back. Blake rose his hand up as he walked, his middle finger raised up. Infuriated, Henry growled, knowing he couldn't do anything at the moment.
"Hello, may I speak with Martin? I'm here about the interview." Blake said, earning a nod from the cashier. She left for the back of the cafe, returning a few minutes with another man.
"Hi there, my name is Martin, are you Blake Bigby?"
"That's right sir, I'm happy you called, I'm really in need of this job." he said.
"Well follow me to the back and I'll interview you. We're in need of a night cashier, and I think you fit the bill." Martin said, leading the boy to the back of the coffee shop. Henry smirked, walking over to the counter, earning a smile from the cashier.
"Do you need anything else Henry?" she asked curiously.
"No, but I came to warn you...that guy that just walked back there with your manager...he's a bad dude."
"Bad? He looks really sweet! He complimented me on my shirt yesterday, even though I have to wear this apron over it." the girl said.
"No no no, that's just a front. Under that sweetness lies a dark evil man, who loves kicking cute puppies! Why, just this morning, I saw him kicking his pet dog! It was so horrible!"
"Are you serious? You aren't lying to me are you?" the girl asked.
"Not at all! I'm not a liar...he also disrespects women all the time. He might act polite, but that's in public. You should have seen him yesterday, pinching Apple White's rump with no remorse! Go ahead and ask her the next time you see her, I guarantee she'll say even worse things about him!" Henry said.
"I can't believe what a two faced...I need to talk to Martin right now! I can't have someone like that working here!" the cashier said, quickly walking into the kitchen. Henry took a sip from his coffee, turning on his heel.
"My work here is done."
"So you have experience working something like this before?" Martin asked, earning a nod from Blake.
"I've worked at corner stores before. They were usually summer jobs though, and recently, I did apply for a supermarket, but I arrived here before I got the call. I will say that I am experienced with working something like this, so I can handle anything you dish out at me." Blake said, giving the man a smile.
"That's what I like in a good worker! I have a few others to interview today, but you are by far one of the most positive applicants I have gotten!" Martin said. A sudden knock filled the room, causing the man to stand up.
"Excuse me, this must be one of my employees, we must be out of caramel again." he said jokingly, walking toward the door.
Blake decided to check his phone, in case he had gotten any messages. He had gotten one from Raven asking him where he was, which he quickly replied too, as well as one from Cerise who wanted to show him around the Dark Forest, since he had insisted her for a tour. He glanced at the clock at the top corner of his phone, and sent the hooded girl his reply, telling her that he was free the following day. Martin finished his conversation and sat down at his desk, glancing at his desk top for a few seconds, before looking up at Blake.
"Blake, I'd like to apologize to you...as it turns out, we already hired someone, so we currently have no open positions. My night manager didn't leave me a note or anything."
"Oh...that's a shame. Are you sure there isn't a spot available? I really do need this job." Blake said, almost insistingly. The man looked back at his computer for a few minutes, before shaking his head.
"Truly I'm sorry...this was all a huge misunderstanding, I do wish you luck on the job hunt. There are plenty of places here that are looking for youngsters like you."
"That's true...thank you so much for your time Martin, it's almost time for me to go back to class anyway. Have a nice day." he said, giving the man a handshake before leaving the office. The man sighed, shaking his head.
"I can't believe someone that nice can do such horrible things to puppies, not just that...poor Miss White too, she deserves some free coffee for her bout of sexual harassment." the man said firmly.
Blake frowned as he walked back to the high school. He was still surprised about his interview, he was sure he had the job in the bag, but then everything changed. Martin had told him a spot was open for him at the beginning of the interview, and by the end of it his attitude had changed. It didn't make sense, but if there wasn't a spot available, then there was nothing he could do about it. He still had half an hour before he was due at the Bookball Field for Grimmnastics, so he was gonna head to the arcade to kill some time. He glanced up from his phone, seeing one of his friends helping a few ducks cross the street.
"Hey Apple, you uh...helping ducks cross the street now?" the boy asked, grabbing the girl's attention.
"Of course! This is a high traffic area, and I would just hate for these little ones to get hurt." she said, giving the boy a bright smile.
"Well, you inherited your mother's love of animals, that's for sure. You need any help?" he asked.
"Not really, but I did want to talk to you...about what you said during Blondie's MirrorCast earlier today."
"I get it, you want to see my ID right? I assure you, that's what the J stands for." he said, reaching for his wallet.
"No, it isn't about your insanely long middle name...I just wanted to personally invite you to join the Royals. I believe you have a lot of amazing qualities, and even if you aren't Royalty, I believe that you should follow your destiny, once you find it of course. After all, you were brought here for a reason." she said, placing her hands together.
"Apple, as fun as that sounds, I think I'll pass. I haven't made my choice for a reason, I don't want anyone to pull the betrayal card from the bottom of the deck. I'm slowly making friends with a lot of the Royals and the Rebels, I feel it's too early for me to choose, or rather I don't have the right to choose. I'm not from here, if I leave then it wouldn't matter what side I pick." he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"I suppose that's true...I'm sorry Blake, I must seem like a horrible person, trying to push you into making a choice." she said, a frown on her face.
"Hey, I didn't say that! I'm happy people actually want me to pick a side, it's just difficult right now. That's why I'm staying on the neutral side of things, that way I can have time to interact better with everyone. Besides, there are some Royals I absolutely loathe." he said, growling a bit at the thought of Henry.
"Yes, some people are hard to get along with, I'll admit." Apple said, a frown on her face.
"Oh my godmother! How can you hang out with such a disgusting pervert Apple? Are you insane?" a passerby called out, causing the two to stop.
"Eh? What are you talking about?" Blake asked.
"Don't talk to me, you're sick you know that? Kicking your pet dog and kicking puppies? I hope you get arrested jerk!" the girl cried, throwing her cup of water at the boy. She walked away in a huff, nose held up high.
"Well fuck you too! Just so you know, I love animals! I would never kick puppies!" he shouted, brushing his jacket which was now damp from the water.
"What was that about? Why would she call you a pervert?"
"Hell if I know, I've never met her before. Are girls in this world always that aggressive Apple?" he asked curiously.
"Not normally, don't worry about it...I doubt anyone else will do anything like that...so tell me, how did your interview go? I heard you were called from Hocus Latte." the girl asked, pausing to wave at some boys. They all glared at Blake, muttering things under their breath as the walked past. He looked at them briefly, before looking back at Apple.
"Well, the interview started out great, the manager was really happy. Then out of nowhere, one of his employees spoke to him and his mood changed, he said he didn't have any spots left when he said he did. I don't know why, and now that girl threw her water at me for no reason. Whatever the case, I'm out of a job, think you can help me find one?" he asked.
"Sure, I've got time...but what about class? Do you have any right now?" Apple asked curiously.
"Eh, I'm sure Coach Gingerbreadman will understand me not showing up today...finding a job is just as important as going to class after all." he said.
"If you say so, though you should make an effort to go to class." She said sternly, earning a nod from the boy.
"Yeah yeah, I don't want a repeat of my Freshman year after all."
"Oh I know, let's try Beanstalk Bakery, they always have spots open." she said, earning a nod from the boy.
It didn't take them long to reach the establishment, which was situated near the other end of Bookend. The Beanstalk Bakery was in fact based around a giant beanstalk. It was an outdoor bakery, with various tables, which all had bright green umbrellas that bore the name of the restaurant. The back counter was resting upon the giant beanstalk, and the menu was actually a blackboard, listing all of the prices for various baked goods. There was another small building, most likely where all of the goods were made. The front counter was also a display, which had various pastries inside, along with their prices.
"Well, here we are. This place makes the best cupcakes in all of Ever After, they're really popular...is this your first time here?"
"No, me and Lizzie came here to work on Riddlish homework once, we had to leave when they didn't have her favorite tea scones." he said.
"Yes, that happens quite often...well let's go get you that application." she said, pulling the boy toward the register. The young woman behind it gave the princess a smile.
"Hello Apple, what would you like?" she asked.
"Actually, I was hoping you had job openings available...if that's possible." she said, batting her lashes a bit.
"Sure we do, we're in need of a server, are you the one applying? I think you would be a hexcellent server." the girl said.
"No no, the job is for my friend here, his name is Blake, he's the new transfer student."
"Oh." the girl said, turning to face Blake.
"It's nice to meet you miss, I'm really in need of a job...I don't have a resume or anything, but I'm not afraid to work. I'll even wash the grout with a tooth brush if I have too!"
"I'm sorry, but I don't have spots open for perverted puppy abusers! Honestly Apple, it's beyond me how you could hang out with someone who is alright with touching your butt in public." the cashier said, earning a wide eyed look from the princess.
"What?"
"Yo, who the hell told you this? This never ever happened! I would never do that to my friends, especially someone like Apple! Have some fuckin respect!" Blake snapped angrily.
"Oh right, I bet you talked her into believing it wasn't even her fault. You disgust me, get out before I kick you out myself!"
"Tch...fine, thanks for nothing." Blake said, stomping out of the establishment. Apple crossed her arms, eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"I may not know him for long, but I do know Blake would never do something like that. He has never touched me inappropriately, and he does not kick puppies either! Whoever told you this is lying, so never ever say something like that about him again, got it?"
"Yes Miss White, sorry Miss White." the girl said, bowing her head in shame. Apple walked away, a proud smile on her face. She glanced around the area for Blake, but didn't see him around. She sighed, realizing he must have gotten far away from her.
"I have to find out who started this rumor, that's three people know...I guess I'll go to Hocus Latte since this started there first." she thought, heading toward the coffee shop.
"This is bullshit..I can't believe this shit is happening right now." Blake muttered, as he walked through the streets of Bookend. A lot of people had started glaring at him as he walked, and he honestly wanted to know why.
The only thing he could think of was someone was spreading rumors about him. He hadn't sexually harassed Apple, and he had never hurt a puppy or a dog in his life. Just the mere notion of someone accusing him of that was enough to piss him off, especially because it hindered with his ability to get a job. He clenched his fists tightly together, taking a deep breath calming himself down.
"Think, there has to be a rational reason why this is happening...someone is talking shit about me and it's spreading like wild fire. Maybe I should have stuck with Apple, she seems to have a handle on the situation."
"Blake? Are you alright?" the familiar voice of Ashlynn Ella asked, causing the boy to look up. He blinked a few times, glancing away from the girl.
"Uh...yeah I'm fine...someone is spreading some messed up rumors about me, and it's messing with my job hunt." he said.
"Aw, that's horrible. I know, I do need some help with a shipment that just came in. I can't give you anything long term, but I can pay you if you help me. What do you say?"
"Ashlynn you are an angel sent down from heaven, thank you!" the boy said excitedly, following the girl into her shoe shop. Henry, who had been quietly following the boy frowned.
"Damn, I was hoping more people insulted him. Watching him get pissed off is so fun...but Ashlynn is such a good person. Hmm...maybe I can mess with her too, for turning me down last year." he thought, glancing around. He noticed Hunter walking through the alleyway, looking around the area for a few seconds before ducking into the back door of The Glass Slipper, an idea worked its way into his head. Nodding to himself, the boy walked off, a plan forming in his head.
xxx
"This is going great! Alright Dexter, are you ready?" Blondie asked, earning a nod from the brown haired boy. He gave her a thumbs up and she took a deep breath, noticing the red dot on his MirrorPad start blinking.
"Welcome back everyone, we're here with Sparrow Hood, to prove the legend of the Griffon! I heard, that if you play a soothing song, a Griffon will likely fly away from its nest! Let's watch!" she said, stepping away allowing the son of Robin Hood to take the front.
"Woo! This is a new song, I haven't named it yet, but I hope you all like it!" the teenager said, running his fingers over the strings, before playing a riff. Dexter aimed his Pad up at the giant nesting Griffon, watching it bob its head to the beat.
"Well it likes it." he quipped, earning a frown from Blondie.
"Yes, but it's supposed to fly away...oh wait, it's moving!" she cried, pointing at the creature. It let out a loud caw, a loud thump echoing through the area for a few seconds.
"Well, that's it...it didn't move at all." Dexter said, glancing down at Sparrow.
"I might have played the wrong song...oh by the way, check out my new album on MirrorTunes, it just dropped this morning! Sparrow Hood is rockin! Yeah!" he cried, once again strumming the strings of his guitar. They heard a groan behind them, seeing Headmaster Grimm walking out from the bushes.
"Headmaster look, we're doing a fine job with these legends! I think I have various things going for me. We can prove so many things now, like the legend of Unicorns being aggressive to everyone, and the truth behind Ogres kicking people from their swamps, oh oh, and we can do something else regarding Pegasi being able to walk on clouds!" the blonde cried, causing the man to faint.
"Is he alright?"
"I dunno...Headmaster Grimm? Yoo hoo? You okay?" Blondie asked, poking his cheek. She laughed awkwardly, glancing at the camera.
"We're having some...technical difficulties, please catch the rest of this legend on the website, we'll be back after a short break! See you soon!" she said happily, with that the screen went black, and the Webcast ended.