Once upon a time, there was a poor, aging man who lived in the woods on the outskirts of town. He was tall and thin, with graying hair and deep hazel eyes. He was fixing a branch on the roof of his tiny home when he lost his balance and fell to the ground with a thud. The man clutched his leg, laying on the ground moaning. He couldn't think of anything else that could go wrong that day. The lord of the land had just repossessed his finest horse and doubled his debt instead of lessening it.

"Dear God... what have I done to deserve this? Can't you give an old man a break?" He shouted out, but he received no reply. The man sighed. Of course. He was all alone. The man struggled to get up but cried out in pain every time he moved.

"Is this how it ends!"

"Only if you want it to" a voice responded. It sounded like an old woman. But when the man looked around, there wasn't a soul in sight.

"Who's there!" The man called out. All he got in reply was a high-pitched giggle and feet running. He couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from, but it sounded like there was more than one person. The man shut his eyes as the footfalls got closer and the giggling got louder. He curled himself into a ball the best he could, thinking that this was the end. The wilderness had come for him.

And then suddenly it stopped.

The man unraveled himself and almost jumped at the sight before him. There was a little girl - probably no older than twelve - standing above him. She wore a dark purple velvet cloak. She was tiny and pale with pin-straight hair as white as snow. But what caught his attention was her lavender-colored eyes.

"Why are you laying on the ground?" she asked innocently.

The man looked around, but there was no other soul. "Where is your mother?"

She ignored him. "Are you hurt?"

The man watched her carefully as she began to circle him slowly. "W-w-well I fell-"

"You don't look hurt...Why don't you get up?"

"Because I hurt my leg-"

"Are you sure?"

And just like that, his pain subsided. It was as if he never fell. The man tested his injuries and stood up. "How did you-"

"No need to thank me," the girl said and walk away.

"Wait!" he cried out and she stopped. "Wait... there must be something that I can do to repay you."

"No need," the girl called over her shoulder. "I didn't do anything."

"Surely you did. I-I-I thought I was going to die out here."

The girl turned around to study the poor man. He was dirty and smelly, and severely malnourished. Here he was, all alone in the forest ready to die. "Do you believe in miracles sir?"

"Well after that, I surely believe in anything."

The girl began to circle around the aging man slowly. "And what about magic?"

"Of course." He was beginning to get nervous about the girl. Why was she circling him? He was grateful for her saving his life, but there was something about her that didn't feel right.

"Okay… I'll tell you what. I will grant you three wishes. Nay, two because I already wasted one on healing you."

The man laughed. "What? You can't be serious."

"Come on... I don't have all day."

The man decided to play along. "Fine... I wish for riches and the most beautiful woman in all the land to marry me," he said with a smirk.

The girl pondered on the request. "Alright, done. But on one condition: for every ounce of gold you make, you must give back one-third to the poor."

"Sounds fair."

"AND! You must always remain faithful. Where there is fear, you are brave. Where there is hurt, you must heal."

The man chuckled. "Of course. Is that all? What happens if I do not follow your conditions?"

He expected the girl to be annoyed that he was not taking the deal more seriously, but all she did was smirk. "You'll see." And in a blink of an eye, she was gone.

The aging man looked around the forest, but she could not be found. The forest was silent, but her giggles echoed in his mind. The man shook his head and went back to work. He must be going crazy, he concluded. But little did he know that his whole life was going to change.

In three days' time, the aging man stumbled unto riches and fell in love with the most beautiful woman in the land. It was not long until they married and moved into a manor of their own. But he never forgot the young girl's words: be humble, be faithful, be brave, and heal. Every day the man cherished his wife and gave money to the poor. When his highness asked for men, he was ready to fight. When the sick came knocking, he provided the care they needed.

It was not long until the king was overthrown, and the man took his place. The couple moved into the castle and the wife bore two children. It was happily ever after…

Until one day, the man caught his wife in bed with another man! Distraught, the man sought out revenge, but the young girl appeared to him in a dream. She said to him, "Remember our deal...you must remain faithful to her." Reluctantly, the man obliged and stayed beside his wife. He steeled himself away from her, busying himself with all kinds of work. His wife fancied herself other men. It was only a matter of time before the king gave in and slept with another woman.

When nothing happened the next day or even the next week, the young king went mad. "That witch!" He realized he was scared of nothing. He stopped giving to the poor. He stayed in the walls of the castle. He turned away those in need. And he went through women like they were water- all the while still married to his wife.

On the eve of his daughter's sixteenth birthday, the witch had returned. All in flames, she stormed into the castle, livid by the behavior of the man. The lights flickered; people scattered like rats. Not even the guards could stop her.

She stopped before the royal family and said, "I never asked for much… do you take me as some kind of fool!"

The man stood in front of his small family as if protecting them from the witch. "Leave them out of this... it is me that you want."

The young witch crackled. Lightning struck and thunder roared outside. "You! Why would I want you, you dirty old man!" She looked over to his wife. "Or this whore..." The parents looked away in shame. "No...no all I ever did was give you everything. And this is how you repay me!" The room went dark. The women cried and the men twitched with fear. Where did she go? Is she coming back?

Suddenly the witch reappeared, and the room had a purple glow to it. The witch was holding the birthday girl hostage. "Father!" the young girl cried.

"Let her go!" The king demanded.

He tried to make a go for it, but the witch held up her hand stopping him. "Ah, ah, ah...not so fast." The witch dragged a long finger down the side of the girl's face and said, "my, my...aren't you pretty." She grabbed the princess's face by her chin to take a good, hard look at her. "You'd make a wonderful wife someday… but where to put you."

"No… please," the queen sobbed.

The doors of the hall burst open and in walked the most handsome man in all the land. His muscles rippled through his clothing. His sandy blonde hair was carefully groomed back. His blue eyes were fierce and focused. He had a hand on his sword ready for a fight. "Let her go you hag." His voice boomed in the quiet room.

The witch smirked and let the princess go. Her parents scrambled to her, taking the princess in their embrace. "Fine… you can have her. But let it be known, children have the right to fix their parents'… transgressions."

"Don't you dare hurt them! Or I swear-"

But the witched just cackled and clapped her hands; lightning struck, and the thunder roared. In a blink of an eye, she was gone.

Days, weeks, and then months went by. But nothing of the royal family changed. They soon moved on with their lives, but it wasn't until the years went by did they realize what the witch had done.

"And that's how it started… so here we are, like 600 years later - and nothing has changed."

"This is like a fairytale," Taylor said in a daze. She shook her head as if to wake up from this dream. Oh how I wished it really was. "What I don't get is, why Troy?"

"That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?" Kelsi retorted and sipped her wine.

"Well," I began and took a well-needed sip, "I guess because he was there? I don't really know. We think that his parents may have been participants in this whole thing at some point. Or perhaps they also broke a deal with the witch? We don't really know." I shrugged.

Taylor huffed and put my mementos back in the trunk. "So, how do you break the curse anyway?"

"True love's kiss," Kelsi and I said at the same time.

Taylor's face dropped. "Seriously?"

I snickered and shrugged. "I don't know… maybe? I mean, that's what came to me in a dream."

"Then should've worked! I mean, you guys look so in love," Taylor said sadly as she looked at another photo of me and Troy. It was taken in 1977. Troy and I had just reunited. We were on the beach in Cape May, sitting before a bonfire. Troy sat against a washed-up log and I was between his legs. We had a blanket wrapped around us, my head resting in the crook of his neck. A friend of mine took this picture when we weren't looking.

Taylor was almost right. At that moment in time, we were happy, but we weren't in love. I cared for him and I missed him. Above all, I was relieved he survived the war. Not that I was worried, to begin with. But I wasn't in love with him. I had too much animosity towards him - just like I did when I came to Albuquerque.

"Well, like every story ever told, the heroes must prove themselves worthy, no?"

"I guess…" the dark-skinned beauty grumbled.

"Besides, we didn't have the technology you guys have today. Troy and I could go centuries before finding each other again."

Taylor sat there on the floor in deep thought. I grabbed the remote and went in search of the next rom-com that we'll probably not watch. "So what's the plan?"

"Mmm… for what?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the screen.

"To break the curse," Taylor said like it was obvious, "I mean, that's why you're here right?"

I shook my head. "Nope… no, we are not doing this… we are not-" I composed myself, "listen, I think that Troy and I are just meant to be like this forever. There's no 'curse' to break… just, cursed."

Taylor shook her head, her dark curls flying. She got off the floor and sat on the couch adjacent to me. She grabbed her forgotten glass of wine and took a sip. "No… no, I refuse to acknowledge that. Maybe you didn't come to Albuquerque to only reacquaint yourself with Troy. Maybe you were meant to find me," Kelsi and I exchanged a look, "and maybe my purpose is to help you find a way to break this curse."

Taylor wasn't the first friend who wanted to help me and Troy find our 'happily ever after', and I can guarantee that she won't be the last.

"That's a nice thought Tay, but-" I stopped short. Her eyes twinkled with excitement about solving a mystery and her lips turned into a small pout. She let out a low 'please' and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Alright, fine… give it a shot. But when whatever you cook up doesn't work, you'll drop it."

"I promise!" she squealed and dove back into the trunk. She picked up a journal or two and opened to the first page. I sighed and decided to put on The Wedding Planner. Maybe JLo can be distracting enough.

I tried not to think about the effort Taylor will go through to try and break this curse. And I really hope I don't have to pick up her ego when it doesn't work. We've tried it all: getting married; suicide; finding someone who specializes in this kind of stuff; even falling in love with other people. Nothing. Nada. Now we just see each other every couple of years for, I don't know… maintenance? I'm so sick of it all. I know I should be more supportive and positive, but I know what's going to happen, so why get my hopes up?

Monday had come faster than anyone would have liked. I let Taylor borrow my journals as long as she promised to give them back to me in the same condition that I lent them. I was honestly shocked when the next day I woke up and found her reading another journal. She definitely loves learning about all my experiences during some of the world's most pivotal moments in history. We watched a few home movies and sifted through more contents in the trunk. While I'm happy to have this secret off my chest…

Taylor has officially become obsessed.

I shoved my body against the locker trying to get it shut. It was a bit chilly, so I wore my oversized, thick black hoodie. That, plus my books and a bag I didn't feel like carrying - my locker has reached max capacity.

I suddenly felt the locker door shut, despite trying to use my body weight to close it. A smile graced my face, feeling accomplished. I turned around to thank the only person I knew who would come to my rescue, only to be met by a total stranger.

He was rather tall. I had to stretch my neck to get a good look at him. He had long dirty blonde hair that reached his shoulders. He wore quite an intense look on his face. A slight light brown stubble peppered his upper lip and along his jaw. His blue eyes peered down at me, but they weren't like the crystal blue eyes that I love so much.

"Hey," his velvety voice greeted.

"Hi," I breathed. He was gorgeous and he smelled so, so good. I tried to step back, only to realize that I was trapped between him and my locker. I blinked twice, trying to get a hold of myself. "Adam, right?"

"Close," he spoke with a smirk, "Austin."

Internally I kicked myself. Of course - it's Austin Adams. Senior. Quarterback. Captain of the football team. Like Troy, has a king-like status: every guy wanted to be him, and every girl wanted to be with him. Single. Does casual flings, over serious relationships; but never screws more than one girl at a time. Overall a decent guy.

It's amazing the intel you can gather about a person during a lunch hour.

"Right… well, thank you for helping me," I said with a smile.

"Anything for a pretty girl like you," he flirted, and I felt the heat rush up my face. I ran a hand through my hair and tried to remember how to breathe. I looked away from his intense gaze, trying to figure out a way to leave without being rude. "So listen, I was wondering if you would like to grab dinner or coffee with me sometime."

My eyes shot up to his deep blue ones. He was studying me, just as much as I was him. "Oh… I don't know," I managed to say and rubbed my arm nervously. "I'll have to check with my brother."

He smiled and let out a chuckle. "Sounds valid…" he stepped close and I felt my breath catch in my throat as his hand snaked around to my back pocket and pull my phone out. "When you find out… give me a call." I watched as he typed his number in and text himself. A quiet 'ding' sounded before he slipped my phone back into my pocket. "See you around beautiful."

I was utterly speechless as he stepped back, flashing me one last smile before disappearing into a sea of students.

"What the hell did Adams want?" a voice asked annoyed behind me. I sighed dreamily before turning around to the other gorgeous blue-eyed guy.

"What does it matter?" I challenged, my mood instantly changing.

Troy sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. His nose flared, so I knew he was pissed off about my little chit-chat with the football star. "Whatever… he's a douche. I wouldn't get involved with a guy like him."

Yeah, because you're so much better, I wanted to say but bit my tongue. I didn't want to start a fight. Not here. "What do you want Troy?" I asked and started down the hallway that Austin just walked through.

"Nothing… I just feel like I haven't seen you or Lena in forever," he answered and fell into step with me. My heart fluttered at the mention of him missing me, but I had to resist reacting. I knew it wasn't me he deeply missed, but a sliver of me hoped he was.

I chuckled. "She misses you too… she wanted to FaceTime last night, but I didn't want to risk it." I could already see my name flashing across the screen. Sharpay would pick it up and either yell at me through the phone or start an argument with Troy.

If you didn't know Troy like I do, you would've almost missed the pained expression that crossed his face - even if it was for a millisecond. "Nah I get it… Sharpay made me miss curfew. Mom wasn't too happy about it." We turned the corner and walked down another long white hallway. "Anyways, how was the sleepover? I'm guessing you told Taylor everything."

My eyes widen in surprise and I glanced up at him. "What makes you think I did?"

He gave me his famous cocky smirk and said, "the apology and long-ass hug she gave me before homeroom." He shook his head, "I'm lucky Chad didn't see… he would've thought something was going on between me and his girl."

I shook my head with a smile. "I'm sure he wouldn't have." Chad and Troy are pretty close, and Taylor doesn't seem like that type of girl.

"What exactly did you tell her?" Troy asked with a raised brow.

"Mmm it's not so much as to what I said, but whatever is in my journals."

"Gabriella…" Troy scolded with a sigh. "You gave her the journals."

"What? She wants to help," I defended as we slowed down to a halt in front of my next class. I looked around and lowered my voice, "And if I'm right about how resourceful Taylor is, she's gonna be bugging you about your journals pretty soon."

Troy leaned against the wall and ran a hand over his face. "Ugh… seriously Gabs?" I shrugged. "Alright, whatever… I gotta track them down. I don't even know if Mom brought them here."

I gave him a curt nod as the warning bell rang. "Hey if you're free after practice, come over for a bit… Ai's making empanadas."

Troy's face brightened as he stood straight. Some kids passed between us and into the classroom. "I'll be there!" he punched my shoulder like I'm some kid sister, before running off to his classroom down the hall. I sighed and walked into the classroom, taking the desk closest to the door. I opened my binder and uncapped my favorite pen to begin taking notes.

Mr. Reynolds closed the door and sauntered over to the front of the room. "Good afternoon guys…" he greeted before picking up a stack of paper, "I hope you all had a chance to look over your notes this weekend because… POP QUIZ!" There was nothing but groans emitting from across the room. I shut my binder and slid it underneath my desk. "Yes, yes… take one and pass it around."

My shoulders slumped as I took the top paper and turned around to pass it back. To my surprise, Austin was sitting behind me with a smirk on his face. He winked and quietly thanked me for the stack of quizzes before taking a page and passing it backward.

I blushed and quickly turned about-face to focus on the quiz before me. Since when was Austin Adams in AP US History?

Special thanks to Mimi for helping me decide on including their backstory or not. It took me a while to decide what transpired and didn't have the time to write it. Hope you guys liked it. -M