"You think it's your mother?" Dexter asked as he wrapped Raven with a blanket. The two were in Raven's room in the dorms.
"I don't know," Raven shifted uncomfortably,"The thing was just spooky." Dexter turned from one of the cabinets and walked back to Raven's bed.
"Can I see your hand?" the prince had a roll of wrap.
"I told you I'm good," Raven lied. Dexter looked at her in a funny way. "Fine," Raven gave in a held out her deeply cut hand. It was still bleeding heavily. Dexter wiped the blood away with a cloth and wrapped her pale hand quickly. When he finished taping the wrapped turned a puke green color with bright orange polka-dots.
"Whoa," Dexter laughed.
"Isn't this just ugly," Raven held it out,"This must be Maddie's."
"I'll go get some from the nurse," Dexter stood up awkwardly. He suddenly kissed the top of Raven's forehead and quickly dashed out of the room. Raven laughed to herself. He was really sweet to her.
"Raven?" a high voice called from the door.
"Yes Apple," Raven hid her bandage under her blankets. She could recognize that voice everywhere, and Raven didn't need Apple's sympathy today. "Maddie is not here," Raven situated herself.
"Oh good," Apple let herself in. Whenever Apple visited, Maddie loved to play trick on her,"I wanted you to come find me but I'm desperate."
"Do you want to move back in?" Raven asked, trying to find out what was bothering her.
Apple moved closer to Raven's bed,"As much fun I've had with you, I'm gonna stay with Briar for now. I'm here about boy trouble's."
"I'm not an expert at love," Raven took her non cut hand and patted the bed,"But I'll try."
Apple sat on the edge of Raven's bed, and crossed her legs,"Well the thing is...I don't have any boy for trouble. Ever since Daring and Lizzie got together...I just don't have anyone to count on anymore."
"You know I used to think the same thing," Raven met her blue eyes,"But then I opened my eyes to see there was someone standing right in front of me. Dexter was always sweet of course, but I never realized that love can be mysterious and unpredictable. My advice, look around, see who may make their way into your life."
Apple looked down, then back at Raven,"I guess I never thought about it like that. You know me, I feel like destinies are written not made. I just need to adjust."
"There you go," Raven put her hand on Apple's shoulder,"You'll find the right guy."
"Thanks Raven," Apple stood up,"I really needed it." As she went to the door Dexter ran right into her. "Whoa sorry Dexter," Apple smiled as she continued to walk."
"See ya Apple," Dexter adjusted his glasses up right,"There wasn't any wrap."
"Seriously?" Raven looked at her cast. She snapped her fingers and the cast turned white,"I thought that would never work."
"And you made me walk all the way down to the nurse's office," Dexter pretended to be tired,"Too many stairs."
"Well that makes up for not walking in the forest," Raven grinned.
"You'll have to make up for that," Dexter smiled as he went back to the door,"I promised that I would put away books for the library so...goodnight Rae."
"Goodnight...oh wait!" Raven stopped Dexter from leaving. He turned to her, and she kissed Dexter's lips softly. When the they separated Raven smiled,"Now I made up for it."
"You still owe me a little," Dexter pinched his fingers. Raven laughed. She took her left hand a ruffed his hair a little bit.
"Tomorrow," she leaned against the door. Dexter ran his finger through his hair and walked down the out of sight. Raven shut the door, leaving the hallway empty.
"Shut up Hopper!" Briar laughed. The two sat on the thick rail of school's study balcony. Usually it was filled with people, but it was supper time.
"You are though," Hopper said awkwardly,"I know I'm not the only one who thinks so."
"Who else would think that I'm the prettiest girl in Ever After High?" Briar continued to laugh,"Apple is definitively the most. I'm like a fourth or fifth maybe."
"Well I'll settle for fourth or fifth," the frog prince folded his arms and grinned up at the starry night. Briar gave Hopper a playful shove,"One of these times I'm going to fall off the edge."
"It was your idea to sit on the railing," the daughter of Sleeping Beauty sat closer to the boy.
"No it wasn't!" Hopper turned to Briar.
"Okay maybe it was my idea but you didn't stop me," Briar admitted. The two laughed. Briar always liked living on the wild side, since she thought she would be sleeping for 100 years.
"If I said no you probably would suggest something much more dangerous," Hopper crossed his arms. Briar laughed again.
"Probably," she rested her head on the prince's shoulder and closed her eyes,"Have you told your parents that you no longer change into a frog?"
Hopper hesitated then sighed,"No."
"I haven't told my parents about you either," Briar let a tear roll down her cheek,"Things are never going to be the same are they?"
"No," Hopper put his arm around the sad girl,"But maybe it's for the better."
Briar lifted her head and kissed the pale boy's cheek. His insides melted as her lips departed from his face. She put her head back onto his shoulder and grinned,"Maybe." There was a long silence, where you could only hear the fall crickets chirping. The night air became suddenly very cold. "Do you hear that?" Briar suddenly shot her head up. Hopper took back his arm and looked around alert.
"What?" he scanned Briar looking for answers,"I don't hear anything-"
"Shh," Briar put a finger on his lips. Cracking noises echoed in the night. She looked out into Ever After. There was nothing. The night briers were already up for the night. Briar turned to see the balcony was covered with fog. She stepped onto the balcony with her tall heals, her hand out, commanding Hopper to stay put. She rubbed her arms as she walked into the fog.
She had seemed lost in it. Briar turned back to see she was surrounded by the grey fog. Cracking noises became louder as she walked. Suddenly thorns grew over her, to make a cage. She breathed heavily as she looked around. "Hopper!" Briar called as the thorns continued to close in on her. Her legs were wrapped in briers, gluing her to the called Hopper's name again as her arms became cased in thorns. They dug into Briar's skin, making her wince. Laughter echoed in her mind.
As Briar fell to the ground she looked around to see the ground was now mirror shards. She could hear Hopper calling her name. The briers continued in cover Briar. She laid on her back as the thorns completely covered her vision. The last thing she saw was purple flames before she became unconscious.
Briar opened her eyes to a dark room. She saw stone walls decorated with pink tapestries. She blinked several times before she rose her head up. Briar was in her own room, sitting on her bed. She was now in her pajama shorts and pink t-shirt . "Hopper," the drowsy girl mumbled as she slipped on her pink flats. Her brown eyes looked over to see Apple and Ashlynn asleep in their beds.
The daughter of sleeping Beauty quietly walked out of the room and into the hallway. Only a small lamp lit her way, but Briar was very alert. She had no idea what had happened after she was attack. She had to make sure Hopper was alright.
Briar knocked lightly on Hopper and Daring's door. She waited a couple of minutes and knocked again. There was a slight rumble of movement in their room. Suddenly Daring opened the door only a crack. His eyes looked at the smiling and waving Briar. He closed the door quickly. She could hear his voice talk softly to Hopper. There were more sounds of movement.
It had been a couple of minutes before the door swung open. Hopper was wearing a white t-shirt with red striped pants. His hair was a big red mess. He rubbed his eyes before he looked at who was at the door. He opened his eyes to see Briar standing with her arms crossed, grinning at him. It took only a few seconds for him to take her presence in.
"Hey," she whispered softly as Hopper shut the door behind him. He grabbed Briar's face and gave a deep kiss. Briar wrapped her arms around Hopper's neck as they broke apart and hugged. She had never felt more safe in the awkward boy's arms.