A/N:
Hello everyone and welcome to chapter 29 of Through the Looking Glass...man can you believe it, almost 30 chapters...I didn't think that this story was going to make it this far in such a short period of time, but here we are. This will be the last chapter of the filler arc, as Chapter 30 is the beginning of the Winter Formal Arc. We will get to see quite a lot of things happening, including a very special performance by Purple Rhapsody, which is really hard to write, but will be really fun regardless. It's gonna be a bit challenging to get it right, but I'll do my best to bring you a quality chapter, and it will most likely be from Apple's point of view, since I haven't actually made any important chapters with her. When you've got this many characters, it becomes hard to write stuff around all of them...I just noticed that I neglected Kitty a lot in this filler arc, so I will be making most of chapter 33 about Kitty.
This chapter will be about Joey's choice, at least near the ending, and you will all get to see Blake and Joey's dynamic slowly start to change. After all, Joey didn't remember him for six months after Blake disappeared into the mirror, so having lost all of those memories and then regained them, it's changed him quite a bit. His attitude in Ever After is a bit different from the norm and how he would act. He's already shown interest in Duchess, and a few other girls, but Duchess is the girl that he will try to go after...let's just say that Joey isn't the same person that Blake remembers him to be...in this chapter you get to find out a secret that Joey had kept from Blake for quite awhile and a major event that will change their dynamic. You'll get to see just how everything turns out.
The Winter Formal will be a rather important dance as well, as it will be the changing point of various things in this story, though everything will be happening in Spring Unsprung, the things that take place in this arc will finally explode in that arc, so you'll all just have to wait and see what I mean by that...let's just say, it's gonna be explosive.
As for Blake and what happens to him in Spring Unsprung...well there are a lot of things that are still in the proto-stage, I haven't worked my story around that plot yet, but I will be outlining that arc soon, so I'll be coming up with most of the important events. As all other arcs, it will be either four or five chapters long, covering the events of Spring Unsprung, and the results of this arc will of course carry over into Way too Wonderland...every choice has consequences, and the choices made in this chapter will ultimately decide a great many things in the future of this story...so I do really hope you look forward too it.
As always, favorite and follow my profile for updates, review the story if you feel like it, and is you ask questions then please feel free to PM me. I will always be here to answer them...also if we could get the hashtag #FuckTheWalkingDead trending, that would definitely make me happy...as you all probably know, I am quite disappointed with this show that I have literally spent my last seven years watching and it pisses me off how this show was fucking ruined. I hope Robert Kirkman fucking wins the lawsuit against AMC because he is definitely getting cheated out of major bucks from this show...have a good one.
Ever After High
Through the Looking-Glass
Chapter 29
Joey's Choice
It was fun having one of his friends from his world in Ever After. In some ways, he could tell Joey things he couldn't tell Cerise, or Hunter or anyone else he was close to this world. It was hard for Blake sometimes, but he made do with what he had. Now that Joey was in Ever After, for however short that time may be...he could finally feel comfortable. It was difficult thinking about his home, wondering how his family was doing, how everyone was doing. It was hard having to think about the times he had played with Lucy and had hung out and spent time with her. No one in this world knew who she even was, so to them it didn't fully sink in like it would with someone he had known from childhood.
In his mind, it sounded a bit messed up. But there was no way for him to convince himself...it was a rather challenging thing, especially after he had forced himself move on. Outwardly, he was the happy, charismatic person he always was. He was outspoken, loving toward his girlfriend, a bit snarky when needed and took shit from no one. Inside, he was a ball of worry, anxiety and stress. He had his games to relive said stress, he had wooden dummies to take out his rage and aggression, and he at least had ways to cope with his anxiety. It was hard for him sometimes. The nightmares were worse now than they were before. There were days where he slept fine, and days where he barely slept at all...of course make up went a long way to hide the bags under his eyes. It was something he had taught himself for whenever he got into fights and had to hide his black eyes. It fooled his mom for awhile, but after several times, she started catching on. He didn't get into fights anymore, but he kept fresh make up on him in case he ever did.
He frowned as he looked up at his ceiling, silently petting Cadence who had fallen asleep by his side. His little dragon had kept his mind off those types of matters. She was a well behaved dragon, but she was still a baby, so he had to make sure she didn't tear anything up, though she never did, and he also made sure she got her milk and crystals whenever she was hungry. He was thankful to Ramona for helping him get an amazing pet like Cadence, but sometimes it was hard for him to take care of the baby dragon on his own.
At least Raven had helped him out, since she herself had a pet dragon and had gone through the same things he was going through. She had told him that in a few months, Cadence would outgrow her newborn tendencies and would rapidly start growing, to the size of a medium sized love seat. She would become more mature, but would still be in her toddler stage. It would take around thirty years for her to mature into a full dragon, which hadn't been seen in a long time. In fact, Legend had been the only fully grown dragon in Ever After for while. He was honestly looking forward to that, especially because she would be able to fly by then, and then he wouldn't have to walk anywhere.
Blake moved his hand away from his snoozing pet, reaching for his projector remote. He flicked the device on, reaching for his laptop. Sitting up in his bed, he started typing his password, accessing his profile, he moved his cursor to his anime folder and clicked it open, frowning a bit. He had several series stored on his external hard drive...it wasn't hard for him to just rip an entire program and just save it onto it. It was something he had been doing since he was thirteen. Now that he was sixteen, he had a decent collection of digital anime, along with his extensive physical copies.
Along with that, he had copied all of his movies into they're own separate file on his hard drive. He had nearly fifteen hundred movies, all of which he transferred onto his laptop the second he bought them. His physical copies were practically for display purposes only, since he could watch anything he wanted with a flick of the wrist. In his mind, he had been preparing for a Zombie apocalypse. He would just find himself a bunker, rig up a solar panel he had bought and use that to power his laptop, projector and anything else he would need. If he couldn't find a bunker, he would just take over a supermarket and hope for the best.
Of course, thinking back on it, it had been a silly idea. Taking over a supermarket would be a wonderful idea, at least until someone else tried taking over it. Without a gun, you would die, and if you die well, you become a flesh eating monster. Even though he wanted one to happen, he knew a zombie apocalypse would probably be the literal death of him. He rolled his eyes, exiting his anime folder. He moved to the movie folder, and started looking through that.
"Hmm...I think Twister is a good movie for me right now...eh, but it's all weather related. I could watch Titanic again, but it feels weird watching it on my own. I had Liz last time, and she wouldn't stop crying after the ending. I'll just watch Curse of the Black Pearl, it's been awhile." he muttered, scrolling all the way to the P list. Once he found the movie, he double clicked it. It took awhile to boot up, but it wasn't long before it started playing.
He stood up from the bed, partially waking up Cadence who just let out a yawn. She stretched her limbs almost like a cat before rolling over, going back to sleep. He smirked, shaking his head as he walked over to his fridge, pulling it open, reaching inside for a can of Mountain Dew Supernova. Thanks to his wish, literally every flavor of Mountain Dew, from the original Red, to the most recent Tropical and Arctic Game Fuels had been available for sale in Ever After. Everyone wondered what kind of drink it was, and didn't sell for a few days, it wasn't until after some people started drinking it that it became popular. It was a soda that to them just kinda showed up and became something they all could enjoy. He almost regretted not wishing Dr. Pepper Cherry and Vanilla Coke into Ever After, but he figured every dew ever made was alright for now.
As he was going to sit down in his computer chair, sinking into it as if it we're a bean bag. That's of course when he heard someone knock on the door. He sighed, cracking the soda open with his teeth, a small bit of fizz shooting into his mouth. For the untrained mortal, that would have easily gotten a soda can spilt onto the floor. But he was of course a trained individual who had been shotgunning soda cans since he was nine, so this didn't bother him at all. He unhooked the door chain and unlocked the door, not surprised to see his hooded girlfriend standing on the other side of the door.
"Hey sweetie, did you get bored?" he asked.
"You know me, hang out with Ramona, play with Carmine, the usual. May I come in?"
"Do you need to ask?" he replied, stepping side to let her in the room. She gave him a kiss as she walked into the room, setting her basket on the glass table. Cadence jumped off the bed, giving the girl a few yips in greeting.
"Hello to you too sleepyhead. How's daddy treating you? Is he giving you food when you get hungry?" she asked, taking a hold of the baby dragon. Blake rolled his eyes as he closed his door, making sure it was locked.
Dragons were highly intelligent. He had found out that the first person they often see, become their parent for their early years. Since Blake and Cerise hatched her together, she imprinted on them and acted as if they were her parents. She usually had to be put to sleep by Cerise at night, since she had to leave for her own dorm room. But she had gotten used to her not being there. The hooded girl glanced toward the wall, where the opening credits to Pirates of the Caribbean was being played.
"So...what are we watching?" she asked, glancing up to her boyfriend, who reclaimed his seat at his computer chair.
"Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl. In my opinion, the best in the series, but the others are good too. Except the fourth one." he said.
"Sounds interesting, I'm not into the whole pirate thing, but it beats sitting at the lounge all alone." she replied. She reached for the silver strings holding her hood in place, unfastening them.
"You know...you don't have to take that off. If you don't feel comfortable, you don't have too." Blake said, giving her a concerned look. She rose a brow, continuing to take her hood off. She quickly folded it, placing it on the pillow beside her. Cadence wondered over to it, resting her head against it, instantly falling asleep.
"I am comfortable here...we've been dating for three weeks now, I think I'm ready to start taking my hood off around you. Besides you already know about my wolf ears, so it's no use hiding them from you." she said.
She started unbuttoning her plaid flannel shirt, placing it around Cadence as a makeshift blanket. Blake swallowed hard, noticing she had been wearing a tight red spaghetti strap shirt underneath. It had been the first time he had seen his girlfriend without her long sleeved shirt. It had also been the first time he had actually seen her...assets. He quickly turned back to the movie, biting the inside of his cheek a bit.
"Is something wrong Blake? You're usually more talkative than this...if there's something bothering you, you can tell me."
"It isn't that Cerise...nothing is bothering me, honest." he said.
"Really? Then why don't you look at me?"
"Huh? Oh...I wanted to see the movie, the intro is really cool." he said.
"Are you sure about that? Because the movie's been paused since I sat down here." she said, making him blink a few times. He noticed the two white lines at the bottom of the screen, paused right at the beginning credits. He hissed in annoyance, hitting the space bar of his computer.
"Like I said, nothing is wrong! I promise."
"Then look at me, don't make me sit on your lap." she said, a teasing tone in her voice. He sighed, turning to face the girl, who snickered a bit at his flushed face. She glanced at her chest for a second, a proud smile on her face.
"Blondie was right, going a bit provocative did make you flush, how cute."
"What? You did this just to make me blush? What the hell Cerise? I didn't think you'd be one to give me blue balls." he said, an annoyed look on his face.
"It's nothing wrong, I'm your girlfriend, and I feel comfortable around you. I'm happy that I can be like this other than in my dorm. The only one that's seen me like this is Cedar, and that's because she's my roommate. You make me happy, and I want you to be comfortable around me too." she said, giving him a smile.
Blake felt his heart skip a beat...he wasn't expecting the girl to be so trusting toward him. He stood up from his seat, leaning down to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to herself, kissing him back with vigor. She moaned into his mouth, her fingernails digging into his back, though his shirt protected him slightly from injury. They broke apart to breath, staring into each others eyes...he gave her a smirk, bringing his lips close to her ear.
"I'm not taking my shirt off." he whispered, earning an annoyed growl from the girl. She pushed him away, crossing her arms in annoyance.
"Damn it, this isn't about your shirt...ugh...let's just watch the movie." she said.
He rolled his eyes, pulling on the laces of her boots, pulling them off her feet. She was of course wearing red fluffy socks, he was sure she was obsessed with the color red, and being the next Red Riding Hood wasn't an excuse. They both leaned up against the wall, using his comforters to cover themselves up. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, and she settled into his side, a smile on her face.
"You know...I like moments like these. I always thought I would never have a moment like this...I thought love was sappy and stupid. I guess all that I needed was to meet someone like you." she said softly.
"I'm glad that you changed your mind on love then. I've never felt this way either...I mean, I did fall in love with Lucy, but the stinging rejection was ingrained in my mind. It was hard not too, since she disappeared the following day...I'm still convinced she left because of that." he said.
"I'm sure she didn't...Blake don't keep blaming yourself for her disappearance. The fact that you opened up your heart to her, and she disappeared right after is just a coincidence. Maybe she ran away, maybe someone kidnapped her...or maybe she just...I dunno. But what I do know is that she wouldn't run away just because her best friend was in love with her." Cerise said, earning a sigh from the boy.
"If you say so."
"Blake, look at me."
He closed his eyes for a couple seconds, before turning to face his girlfriend. He looked into her silver-blue eyes, seeing the concern in them. She placed a hand on his cheek, her glossy crimson lips curling into a smile. She gave him a kiss on the lips, touching her forehead with his.
"Don't blame yourself for Lucy's disappearance...I can see how much it hurts you. Maybe you are right, maybe you are wrong...but the fact of the matter is that she left, and her answer left with her. You have to move on from that. I'm here for you, just like you're here for me...that's because I love you, okay?" she asked.
"I...okay Cerise, you're right...it's been two years since she disappeared in my world...so I just...have to let it go. I...I love you too." he said, flushing a bit. She was about to say something, but was quickly silenced. She ran her thumb under his eye, noticing the sort of oily feeling to it. He backed away from her just as she narrowed her eyes.
"Foundation? You use make up?"
"Uh...no?"
"Blake Bigby, tell me what's wrong with you or I'll twist your nipples with all my strength. Remember, I'm part wolf." she said, bearing her fangs a bit. He shuddered a bit, remembering Holo the Wise Wolf and how annoyed she had often gotten at Craft in Spice and Wolf. He sighed, closing his eyes.
"Fine...ever since I first arrived here...I've been having nightmares. They weren't an issue at first...but they've been getting worse. Sometimes I sleep fine for a few days, other times...I can barely sleep. I don't want to concern anyone, so I just hide my baggy eyes with foundation and take a shot of an energy drink to stay alert during the day."
"What? You've been having this problem for so long and you didn't tell anyone? Why?" she cried, a shocked look on her face. He backed away from her a bit, glancing at the bed sheets.
"I didn't want to worry anyone. Cerise I'm sorry, I really am okay? I've been dealing with it for awhile, and ever since True Heart's Day, I was perfectly fine...but they've been getting worse. Ever since I found out about the shard in my chest." he said, placing a hand over the area where it was located.
"Sweetheart I...damn it...I'm sorry okay...I didn't think you would be suffering so much. Forgive me for snapping at you."
"It's fine okay...you're just concerned. I haven't told anyone, well...other than Duchess, she heard me one night but didn't say anything about it. I promise to get some help."
"My grandmother told me, that talking about your nightmares helps you understand them. When you do, they're less likely to happen. Want to tell me what it was about?" she asked, slipping her fingers through his. He took a shaky breath, glancing up at the movie that had been ignored for the last ten minutes.
"It's always the same...I wake up in the Mirror Realm, and start hearing the Evil Queen's laughter. I run away from it, as far as I can...until I find this mirror. I'll be looking through it, and see my family on the other side. I scream at them, and pound on the glass but they can't hear me. I hear that damned laughter getting close and I try to break the glass, but I can't. When the Evil Queen finally reaches me, she stabs me in the chest with that shard and breaks it off. That's usually when I wake up."
"Okay...so maybe this dream is a recurring memory...that one memory that was taken from you by the Evil Queen. Maybe your subconscious is trying to make you remember through dreams." Cerise said, earning a curious look from the boy.
"That could be it...I never really thought about it that way."
"Hmm...have you had any other dreams?" she asked curiously, earning a nod from the boy.
"Whenever I'm not in the Mirror Realm, I'm wondering through the empty halls of Ever After High...I'll be looking for my friends but none of them are ever around. It isn't until I walk into the castleteria that I find them all turned into glass...mirrors to be exact. Recently, I've been seeing those close to me being shattered by the Evil Queen...the night before, it was Lizzie, last night was you...two days before that, it was Kitty." he said. Cerise swallowed the lump in her throat, reaching for her basket.
"Who else has been in this dream?" she asked, as she typed in the combination to open the safeguarded basket.
"Apple was first...the Evil Queen actually spoke in this one. She said, don't worry boy, I'm only doing what my useless daughter didn't have the gull to do. Then she turns her back to normal and shoves a poisoned apple into her mouth. I'll try to save her life, but I'm not her Prince Charming, so she chokes to death in her sleep. I managed to save Raven, and ran toward the exit...but when we reach the entrance, she gets impaled by a mirror shard, right through the heart." he said.
"How...how do I die?"
"I don't want to talk about it...sweetheart please." he said, giving her a pleading look. She gave the boy a nod, giving him a peck on the lips. He took a hold of her face, kissing her back a bit harder, earning a soft sigh from Cerise.
"I didn't want to bring those bad memories up...but at least we know the extensive effects of these nightmares. But I have a solution to it." she said, pulling a white napkin from inside her basket, holding it out to him.
"A napkin? What am I gonna do with this?" he asked.
"Nothing dumb ass, it's what's inside the napkin that will help you." she replied, flicking his nose. He glanced at it curiously, unfolding the napkin. He glanced back at her, brow raised in curiosity.
"A cookie? How is this gonna help?" he asked. She swiped the cookie from his hand, shoving it in her mouth.
"Wrong napkin...here." she said, handing him another napkin. He chuckled a bit, unfolding it. Inside it was a small crystal, in the shape of a crescent moon. It was attached to a thick leather cord, decorated with bright blue, soft pink, and light green beads. He held it in the palm of his hand, looking back at his girlfriend.
"What is this?"
"This my handsome boyfriend, is a moon crystal. There was this legend in Ever After, revolving around the nursery rhyme, Hey Diddle Diddle. When the cow jumped over the moon, it knocked a few crystals from it, and they fell down to the fairy world. For generations, children have been using them as natural night lights. This one was given to me by my Daddy before he became a teacher here."
"That's so cool...I didn't think something so cool would exist here...but wait, if your dad gave you this, then you must have had nightmares too...right?"
"I did as a kid. I used to think that no one would want to befriend me, or speak with me because I was part wolf. I started hiding behind my hood and not speaking to anyone. I would have nightmares of everyone hating me, and screaming at me. When I told my daddy, he went to a far away cave, and got me this moon crystal. It's helped me out for years, but I don't have nightmares anymore...I keep it around as a good luck charm...but now I'm giving it to you."
"Huh...no, I can't accept this...this means too much to you." he said, holding it out to her.
"No, you need it more than I do. These nightmares are crippling you, and I'm not going to watch you slowly deteriorate until these nightmares get the best of you. I love you Blake, I really do. I know I shouldn't, but I fell hard. I don't want you to suffer in silence." she said, hugging him tightly. He frowned a bit, wrapping his arms around the girl, burying his face in the crook of her neck.
"Thank you Cerise...I'll cherish this forever. I love you, you're the best thing that's happened to me in this world." he said, closing his hand around the crystal.
"I'm happy then, you're the best thing that's happened to me too...now stop hugging so hard, I know you just want to feel my boobs against your chest." she said, causing the boy to let go of her.
"S-sorry."
"It's fine...how about we restart this movie? Seeing as we've been messing around for half of it?"
"Don't say that! It makes it sound like we really were messing around!" he said, his face flushing like a tomato. She gave him a kiss on the lips, a smirk on her face.
"It's what you get for not taking off you shirt."
xxx
"Are girlfriends supposed to rustle your jimmies?" Blake said, glancing at Joey and Hunter, the three boys were hanging out at Hocus Latte, feeling the urge to get some hot chocolate.
"Hell yes! I've been dating Ashlynn for eleven months, and she teases the shit out of me all the time. She loves wearing silky gowns when we're alone, sweet talking me and then leaving me half cocked while she goes out with her friends...it pisses me off more than you know." the son of the Hunter said, earning a laugh from Joey.
"You two are losers for letting your girls blue ball you like that. What you're supposed to do, is blue ball them...or blue lip them...I dunno...make them wet and then just leave them hot and bothered. That should even things out."
"Joe shut up...if we leave them hot and bothered, then they'll just double their fucking efforts...trust me, Cerise would just up the ante somehow." the black haired teenager said, taking a long gulp from his lukewarm chocolate.
"Tell me about it...I tried doing that with Ash once, and she just started crying. She didn't stop until I got her ice cream, and then she told me never to make her wet again unless I was manning up and sealing the deal. It's not fun." Hunter said, not wanting to remember that one moment.
"You see, that's your problem, you let females take a hold of you. Once they have you in their French tipped grasp they'll never let you go. It's even worse when they're on the rag...it's why I don't have a girlfriend, too much work." he said, leaning back in his seat.
"Or you don't have a girlfriend, because you act like a misogynistic piece of shit who's never getting his dick wet in his life." Blake said, shrugging his shoulders as he finished his chocolate. Hunter pressed his fist against his lips, trying his hardest not to say anything.
"Alright...okay...you got me there."
"Sorry for being a dick about it, but you have to act a little...humbler? I mean...you need to stop thinking about pussy and value what they're worth! You've asked three girls out and all of them have rejected you. It was because of how you projected yourself, I mean, Duchess is a twat..."
"Hey! I'm right here you know!" the monochrome haired girl cried, as she was sitting by herself four tables from the boy.
"It's alright Duchess, I called you a twat in a nice way...you haven't proved me wrong yet." Blake replied, earning a chuckle from his friends. The girl just growled, sinking into her chair, eyes narrowed in anger. Once could almost hear the searing honks blaring in her mind.
"As I was saying, Duchess isn't exactly the nicest girl, but even I got a date out of her. It isn't because I'm handsome, smooth talking, an awesome singer or any of that. It's because I'm nice to people...what was the first thing you said to Lizzie when you met?"
"I don't recall...it was such a long time ago, you know me and my memory." Joey said, brushing off the boy's question.
"You asked her if she was a Valentine's Day delivery girl, because she liked hearts. Bad first impression...what was the first thing you said to Apple when you asked her out?" Blake said, earning a frown from the boy.
"Apple? Apple Apple...nope, I've never met no Apple. Who names their child Apple anyway? That's just cruel." the boy said, earning a chuckle from Hunter. Duchess had regained interest in their conversation, so she turned to them, not exactly wanting to join, but not exactly wanting to leave either. Blake set his empty cup down on the table, leaning back in his chair.
"Okay then, I'll remind you since you have bad memory. You walked up to her, after I told you Apple was off limits to everyone. You wrapped your arm around her her waist, and said and I quote, Hey honey, I've got a stiff pole for your wet hole if you agree to dinner with me tonight...what did she reply with?"
"Um..."
"What did she reply to you with Joseph?" Blake asked, standing up and pointing at the young man. He sighed, crossing his arms.
"A slap to the face."
"A slap to the face, but not just any slap...it was a back handed pimp slap, with her ring hand. You had a diamond encrusted apple shaped bruise on your cheek for the rest of the day. Trust me, I was slapped by Apple too, but she didn't hit me as hard as she hit you! Finally, the third girl you attempted to court, the sweetest kindest girl I have ever met, one Crystal Winter...what did you say to her?"
"Okay I get it! I suck at asking girls out, but it isn't my fault! I only had one girlfriend in my life and that relationship turned sour real fast...she...she just...well Blake you should know this story."
"Eh...what? I should know this story? I never met your girlfriend bro, you just told me all the fun stuff you did, but you were elusive as a naked mole rat." he said. Joey sighed, shaking his head.
"Of course she never told you...that girl that I spoke so much to you about, that I loved with all my heart...that was Lucy."
"What?" Blake asked, barely above a whisper. Joey nodded, bowing his head a bit.
"I thought she had told you...but I guess she decided to keep it secret. We were dating for around a year, I even got her this sweet charm bracelet for our first year anniversary, and she filled it with all of these cool charms. She was acting weird the night she disappeared...like something was concerning her, but when I called her the next day, she was gone...I never got the chance to tell her what she meant to me." he said.
Blake remained silent, the ever present look of shock on his face. He swallowed the lump in his throat, jumping to his feet, grabbing his jacket from the back of the seat, slipping his arms through it. He grabbed his hat from the table and put it on his head, brushing his bangs from his eyes.
"I gotta go...I just remembered I was supposed to work on the yearbook tonight...thanks for coming out you guys, it means a lot." he said, walking toward the door.
"Okay...see you later then." Hunter said. Joey however didn't know what was going on with his friend. He was going to follow him, but decided against it, as he was most likely rather busy. Duchess got up from her seat, grabbing her half full cup, leaving the cafe right after the boy.
"So...you and Ashlynn reach second base yet?" he asked, earning a frown from the boy.
"No." he said dejectedly.
xxx
"Blake wait up...jeez, don't make me run in the snow, I'm wearing heels!" Duchess cried, causing the boy to stop. She let out a sigh, catching her breath a bit, her hair falling around her face.
"What's up Duchess?"
"What...was that about? Back at the cafe?" she asked, looking up at the boy.
"That was nothing...I just remembered I needed to work on this and left. Nothing more, nothing less." he replied. Duchess crossed her arms across her chest, narrowing her chocolate brown eyes in annoyance.
"Blake, you are the only person aside from Sparrow that I give a remote fuck about. You have helped me realize a lot about myself, stuff that I couldn't have realized on my own. I do agree that I can be a twat some times, but I'm at least a good listener, I'm a swan after all. So tell me, what was that about?"
"Okay fine...it just...all sunk in. I told Lucy that I loved her, and she disappeared a day after...I didn't even know Joey had spoken to her the night before. Now that I know they were dating for more than a year...I understand why she left. It was totally my fault!"
"No it wasn't...you can't possibly think that she left because of you." Duchess said firmly, shivering a bit because of the cold.
"But she did! Christ! Joey and I are best friends, we have been since we met, and she's been what's kept us together...she was dating Joey, and I told her I loved her...she didn't want to cause any trouble between us so she took herself out of the equation. She disappeared so she didn't have to watch us fight over her...it all makes sense now." he snapped, glancing at the bracelet around his wrist, which shook with sadness.
"Don't make me slap you dammit! It wasn't your fault okay? When you fall in love, you fall in love. There's no denying it, there's no predicting it, it just happens! You told her that you loved her, but she didn't reject you, she fucking left. She took the cowards way out, instead of telling you that she and Joey were dating! That's what she did, it's her fault, not yours!"
"Duchess...I."
"Don't you interrupt me, I'm not done speaking! I don't know you well enough, I don't know jack shit about your relationship with Joey and Lucy, but I know enough that what happened isn't your fault. Never, let it be your fault, because it isn't. Falling in love sucks, especially when it's with someone unattainable...maybe she did it to stop you and Joey from fighting, or maybe she did it because she loved you too, and didn't want you to poison yourself with that unattainable love."
"That...makes sense I guess...but why couldn't she tell me? Why couldn't she just say she was dating Joey?" he asked, a frown on his face.
"A girl's heart is fragile...especially when we are teenagers. We're starting to grow into adults, we have hormone imbalance, we get self-conscious about our looks, and we have a monthly subscription to the Rag magazine. We can't possibly know what to do when your best friend falls in love with you." Duchess said, clutching a hand over her heart.
"I guess...I'll just never know what she was thinking...now that I at least have this, I guess I can...no...I'll never be used to this. But I understand now...when did you become a love doctor Duchess?" he asked curiously.
"Blame Cupid, I never miss an episode of her stupid love show...I don't want a relationship right now, not because I'm not comfortable with one...but because I'm scared that whoever I fall in love with, will just leave me behind. It's the fate of the Black Swan after all."
"Hey, that isn't true. You rescinded fate and told it to fuck off...you are Duchess Fucking Swan, you are beautiful, you're dancing is amazing and I'm sure if you can do a split you'd drive any man wild within a mile radius. Hone your beauty, become a gentler kinder person, and you'll have throngs of suitors waiting to take your hand." he said, giving her a smile.
"Well...I am good with splits...but that's not the point...I can't fall in love right now...because the one that I love, is in love with someone else...so I've got something I can't act on. I'll just focus on my dancing, by the way, I'm not flashing Joey, I changed my mind." she said, spinning on her heel, turning back toward Hocus Latte.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to the cafe, I left my jacket there...I stand out here any longer and my nipples will pierce through this shirt...I'll catch you later." she said, giving the boy a wave.
"Hey Duchess...do you have a best friend? Someone you can share your darkest secrets too?" he asked. She stopped, turning to face him.
"No...my only friend is Faybelle and she won't be back until the spring...the fuck you asking for?" she asked curiously.
"I'll be your best friend then...I'll be there when you need me...so don't be scared to approach me or my friends when you feel alone okay?"
"Ugh...you give them advice and then they expect you to piss on them as if they were a fire hydrant...whatever." she said, muttering swears under her breath. Blake shook his head as he left, taking her last statement as his answer. If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed her turn around and watch his retreating form, and he would have noticed the look of sadness in her eyes.
xxx
"Thank you all for coming, I know this meeting is a bit sudden but we really did need to host it now." Apple said, standing in front of the entire Student Council. Maddie stood on a podium next to her, a piping hot cup of tea sitting on top of it.
"What's this meeting about? You just asked us to show up with no details at all." Cerise said, earning similar mutters from the others. Blake leaned up a bit, wanting to hear Apple's explanation. Most of the Yearbook staff had also been present, as she had requested for them to be there as well.
"Yes, I apologize for that. The reason this meeting was called up on such short notice is because we need to discuss the upcoming Winter Formal. As you all know, it is a dance celebrating the coming of winter, however it just came to my attention that our guests of honor, the Snow King and Snow Queen will be unable to make it." she said.
"That's right, we tried asking Crystal why that is, but she said that her parents are a little busier with winter this year, so they cannot make it on the Winter Solstice. Hehe, I said solstice."
"Anyway, because of this...we will have to come up with something to replace their traditional visit. Crystal did say she would be able to attend, so we will at least have her there as the Snow Princess." Apple said, earning nods from everyone.
"So wait...I apologize since I'm still getting used to Ever After...what exactly happens during the Formal?" Blake asked, a curious look on his face.
"I can explain that. You see, the Snow King and Queen normally welcome the winter season and bathe Ever After with the first snowfall of Winter. Then, the Thronecoming King dances with the Snow Queen while the Thronecoming Queen dances with the King. Once the first dance of winter is celebrated, we end the night by placing a decorative snowflake at the top of the Christmas Tree in the square in front of the school." Raven said.
"It's a tradition that has been held in Ever After since the first stories started being told. But Crystal hasn't been able to convince her parents to show up this year, she doesn't know why, but her mother seemed a bit worried. She even said she could stay here for longer if she needed too. I'm honestly a bit worried." Briar said, a look of concern on her face.
"If the Snow King and Queen aren't here, then we can't welcome the first snowfall of winter, and then there's no dance, and we can't light up the tree and the tradition won't be spellebrated...and that can't happen! The Winter Formal is the most important and beautiful tradition in Ever After!" Apple cried, a disappointed look on her face.
"Apple, sweetie you're being a bit over dramatic." Blake said, causing the blonde and several others to gasp. Maddie dropped her tea cup, which clattered to the ground, surprisingly without breaking.
"Come on man, you can't just say something like that to her. She has a point, this is a tradition and we've hosted it for longer than you can imagine." Hunter said, earning a sigh from the boy.
"Alright, before you all plan my murder hear me out. Apple, may I take the stand?" he asked, earning a silent nod from the girl. He handed his MirrorPad to Cerise, standing before the joined Student Council and Yearbook staff.
"Okay then, in the last two months and two weeks I have been here, I have learned that this year hasn't been traditional. So how about we make the Winter Formal our own? The Snow King and Queen can't be here, so it can't be a Royal Formal...so what do we do?" he asked.
"We give up?"
"No we don't give up. The hell is wrong with you? We have to make the Winter Formal something different. Crystal is the Snow Princess so it's a safe bet she'll be responsible for the first snowfall of Winter...so let's make the formal around her. The Thronecoming King and Queen can't dance with the Snow King and Queen because they won't be here, so that means we need to replace that with something that'll fit." Blake said.
"So...you don't want to dance with Crystal?" Briar asked, a confused look on her face.
"Hey yeah, he's the Thronecoming King so technically he would have danced with Queen Elsa."
"Can we get back to the matter at hand please? I'm starting to get hungry." Cerise said, a look of annoyance on her face.
"What's wrong? Is Little Red jealous that her boyfriend was going to dance with Queen Elsa, and maybe even Crystal?" someone said in a teasing tone, earning a growl from the girl.
"Hey now, I don't appreciate you taunting my girl like that. For your information, I had a different idea...we will hold a raffle to see who gets the lucky dance with Crystal. It's rather simple really." he said, reaching into his backpack.
He pulled a glass jar from inside filled to the brim with Jellybeans. He had just bought it from Ginger earlier that day with his employee discount. He knew the number of beans inside because he had been the one to fill it. It was an unmarked jar, filled with brilliant colors and different flavored beans. He placed the jar on the podium, placing his hand over it.
"This my friends, is a jar full of beans. Not just any beans, the sweetest most awesome jelly beans created by the hands of the goddess Ginger. The exact number known is in my head, and of course written on a little card that Ginger made with the exact count when I filled it up. So, here's how it'll go down. This jar shall be in the possession of Crystal Winter, the Princess of Snow...Apple will handle the raffling tickets...Raven will keep track of the voters. One vote per person, per class, I will of course abstain." he said.
"So...you want us to guess how many beans are in that jar, and the winner get's to dance with Crystal?" Hunter asked, earning a nod from the boy.
"Precisely...whoever guesses the number accurately or gets close to the final amount, will win first place. A dance with Crystal, second place gets a dance with the Thronecoming Queen, Third place gets a dance with me, and fourth place keeps the jellybeans." he said, a smirk on his face.
"Okay...that's fair...but what's stopping any of us from buying a jar just like that and counting the beans ourselves?"
"Hey yeah, can't we just do that instead? It'll be really easy to get the exact amount then." another girl added, earning several mutters from the gathered council. Blake nodded, reaching into his pocket for his phone. He dialed Ginger's number, placing the device to his ear.
"Hello, Ginger? Yeah this is Blake...listen, I'll explain this to you later, but we cannot sell those jellybeans until after the Winter Formal. I'll tell you everything in detail but right now, I want you to take every single jar off the shelves and put the beans away. Don't let anyone talk you into buying one, trust me okay?" he asked. He got a few replies back before ending the call, giving everyone a smirk.
"You all thought you could pull a fast on me, I like that. Just for that I'll give you a little hint. There are less than three thousand beans in this jar. You have until December 19th to submit your guesses to my awesome sister, Raven Queen, if you have any questions, do ask me." he said, giving everyone a smirk. He handed the jar over to Raven who struggled slightly with it's weight.
"Jeez, are you sure there are less than three thousand beans in here?"
"Yes, since we will be the ones practically hosting the raffle, I'll give you and Apple the cards containing the exact amount of beans, guard them with your lives." he said, earning a nod from the two girls.
"Hey hey, I already know just how many beans are in that jar." Maddie said, giving the boy a smile.
"Oh really? Then tell me your guess." Apple said, earning a grin from the girl.
"2,649 jelly beans." she said. Blake's eyes widened a bit in shock. He opened the jar and took a handful of beans from inside, turning to face the crowd.
"The raffle starts next Friday, that guess was invalid...Cerise let's go." he said, shoving the beans in his jacket pocket.
"Can I eat some of the beans? Please?" she asked.
"No, I have to count these and subtract them from the amount left to get the new amount...can't believe Maddie got the guess right. Ugh...she scares the shit out of me." he said, shuddering a bit.
"She scares the shit out of everyone...I got a text from Joey, said he wanted to speak with you about something." she said, earning a nod from the boy. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, pulling out his cellphone as he walked. He shot a text to his friend who instantly replied back, telling him to meet up at the castleteria.
"Wonder what he wanted to talk about...I hope it isn't about Lucy." he said, a frown on his face. Cerise had already been caught up with everything, thanks to Duchess who felt concerned for her friend. She took a hold of his hand, giving it a small squeeze.
"It'll be fine. It was a bit of a shock to hear that they were dating before you told her about your feelings, but I doubt he put two and two together. He's not...well he isn't the brightest crayon in the box. He's a bit of a dumb shit if you ask me." she said, earning a laugh from the boy, who gave her a nod.
"Yeah, I agree with you there. He's a dumb ass and he's never gonna get a girl...I'm gonna miss him. He's supposed to leave tomorrow, I'm sure the potion is all ready for him. Maybe he just wants to say his goodbyes before anything else." he said, a frown on his face. Cerise was going to say something when she saw her father turning the corner. She let go of Blake's hand, getting a few feet away from him.
"Everything will be fine...one day you'll return home too." she said, continuing the conversation. Mr. Badwolf stopped in front of the two, looking closely at them.
"Cerise, why aren't you in class right now?" he asked sternly, the girl swallowed hard, glancing at Blake.
"We just came from a council meeting sir. We were discussing the topic of the Winter Formal, since the Snow King and Queen are unable to attend. In fact, I came up with a raffle idea to see who would dance with Crystal since she's handling the first snow fall. I'll walk Cerise to class and then head back to my own, alright?" he said, very politely.
"I would appreciate that boy...I would also appreciate you telling me when you want to court my youngest pup." the man replied. The blood drained from Blake's face hearing those words. Cerise stood in front of the boy, holding her arm out.
"Don't kill him, daddy please!"
"Why would I kill him? Sure, I don't think he's the right person for you, but he hasn't done anything to make me think otherwise. Just remember boy, you treat my daughter with respect and love. You have only one chance in this relationship, and I don't have to tell you to keep her secret. If I find out that you were the cause of it's exposure, you will never see my daughter again, understood?"
"Yes sir...I will never expose her secret. I'll guard it with my very life if I have too." he said firmly. The man nodded, giving him a pat on the shoulder.
"Good, take her to class...I look forward to seeing the results of this raffle." he said, once again resuming his walk down the hall. Blake released the breath he'd been holding, feeling drained.
"I scared shitless." Cerise said, earning a nod from the boy.
"So was I...guess we don't have to hide it from him anymore. I will protect your secret okay? I'm not gonna let anyone find out what it is, ever. Now come on, let's get you to class before he comes back." he said, taking a hold of her hand.
xxx
Blake felt a bit stressed when he walked into the castleteria. It was mostly due to Mr. Badwolf finding out about his relationship with Cerise. He had gotten an apology text from Ruby ten minutes after, saying she had accidentally told him during their last phone call. He of course didn't mind, but he did tell her to give him a warning next time so he would be prepared. He was sure the woman was giggling like a school girl at the thought of her daughter's boyfriend being afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, who she said was a sweetheart. Of course he hadn't seen that side of him yet, so he seriously doubted it.
It wasn't hard to spot Joey, he was the only one who was leaning against the post, holding his lunch in his hand instead of sitting at the table. He looked up from his food, setting his bowl down as he held his hand up in greeting.
"Yo, what happened to you man? You look like you saw the face of Beelzebub."
"I sort of did...I...never mind, I'll tell you some other time. So what is it you wanted to tell me?" he asked, sitting down at the table.
"Well...I've been thinking about this for a few days now and...do you know how I was supposed to leave tomorrow? I've decided to stay here in Ever After." he said. Blake blinked a few times in confusion, chuckling a bit.
"You're kidding right?"
"I'm not."
Realization finally hit the boy like a ton of bricks and he rapidly stood up, slamming his hands on the table. He was gonna say something but he remained silent, gathering his words before he said them. He was still shocked, confused and curious. He bowed his head a bit, closing his eyes.
"Okay...explain to me what you just told me, a bit slow so I can understand."
"Like I said...I've decided to stay here in Ever After. I got nothing back home, nothing to go back too." he said firmly.
"Nothing to go back too? Dude you have a sister! You have your family! How dare you say you don't have anything to go home back too? You can't just fucking decide something like that on your own."
"Well it isn't your choice now is it? I didn't ask to come here in the first place, you were the cause of that." the brown haired boy cried back.
"It was an accident. I thought that wand had no more wishes, I got you a way back home, and you have to take it. You have too, you can't abandon your family like they mean nothing to you!" Blake cried angrily, ignoring the few people looking in his direction.
"It practically feels that way. My sister isn't home anymore, she's too busy with her new boyfriend to give a shit. She's training for Ice Skating competitions too. My dad is nowhere to be found and all my mother does is drink all the time. I don't even have Lucy back there, so what point is there in me going back?"
"It doesn't matter...at least you can go back, at least you can see your sister and your mother again. I didn't have that choice, I can never go back, or see my family ever again. You on the other hand, can...you have that choice, don't waste it." Blake said, a firm look on his face.
"Well I'm sorry, I've made my choice...Madam Yaga told me that if I want to go home, my chance is now. If I spend too much time here, my body will absorb too much magic and the potion won't work." Joey said firmly.
"You're an idiot...why are you staying here, can you at least tell me the reason?" Blake asked, crossing his arms. Joey smirked, glancing around the castleteria.
"Look around you...this place is awesome. There's magic, cute girls, and you get to live in a freaking castle. You have a pet dragon bro and you know how to use a sword. If you can do it, then I think I can do it."
"That's a stupid and petty reason for wanting to stay here. Yeah, it's cool that you have magic, and having a pet dragon is awesome. Learning how to use a sword, hanging out with cool people and having a beautiful girlfriend is worth it. But it isn't fun after awhile, not when you are forced to forget about everything back home. I love my family more than anything, but you know what...I would never betray them to stay in Ever After." he said firmly.
"Then I guess we don't agree on that. You've changed Blake, you used to be cool...the old you would have jumped at the chance to leave Earth easily. You and I both know the real world is shit, or else you wouldn't write so much fanfiction about leaving it." Joey said, causing the boy to growl, his eyes flashing violet.
"You know nothing of the pain, the suffering I've had to do in silence. The humiliation I faced when Henry exposed my secret. You have no idea what it feels like to miss your family, to never be able to hug your mother, play ball with your father or hang out with your sisters ever again. You are a selfish individual who has no regard with cutting ties for personal benefit. You're not the same person I knew before I fell in that Mirror. If you want to stay fine...but don't blame me later on for making that choice, because you have to own it." he said, walking away from the boy.
"Pfft...whatever, you'll come around. Hey, can you give me Duchess's number? I want to ask her out."
"Get it through your thick head, Duchess Swan will never go out with you, so I would appreciate it if you stayed away from her." Blake said, a firm tone in his voice.
"Worry about your own woman man, I still got a shot. Hey, maybe we can be roommates?"
"No...my room is my own...you already got your own. Let me be the first to say Welcome to Ever After, I hope your stay here is everything you ever hoped for. Selfish prick." the black haired boy said, leaving the castleteria with a huff.
"Hey thanks!" Joey said, a grin on his face. He glanced around the castleteria, shrugging at the others. He grabbed a hold of his tray, licking his lips.
"Roast beef sandwiches are awesome, gotta love meat days." he said happily.
Sometimes choices are made for the benefit of others. Sometimes choices are made for the benefit of one's self. Whatever the choice may be, it will affect people around you. For those who don't have a choice and people that do, it will become a bit more complicated. Eventually, those choices will come back to haunt the one that made it, and the person that it will ultimately affect.
