Hi guys. So, here's the next chapter. Please review, favorite, and follow.
CHAPTER 4
Antoinette was at her desk, typing on her computer the monster of the paper that would soon be due. Honestly, the teacher was insane to ask their students to write a ten page paper before Coronation. She rolled her neck. She had gotten far, about seven pages, but even then she noticed that her argument needed more evidence if she wanted that ten page count. Standing up, she decided to go to the library to see if they had any sources. Antoinette briefly wondered why she was stressing about this if it wasn't due for several more weeks, but decided not to think about that. Otherwise she would only procrastinate.
Putting on her slippers, and her robe, she fluffed her hair out of the collar. She was slightly thankful that her hair wasn't as thick as her mother's (who went through several hairbrushes a month-despite it being as straight as a pin now). Her hair swayed behind her as she walked to the library. However, something caught her attention. Smelling the air, she realized someone was baking. It was nearing curfew and she couldn't help but wonder who was tip toeing the line. Going towards the kitchens, several people came to mind. Maybe it was one of the children of the fairies from Neverland, their internal clock was much different then regular mortals.
Nevertheless, Antoinette followed the smell of the baked goods. Traveling through the abandoned halls, furnished with replicas of artifacts from the past, Antoinette chased the loving smell. Finally, she came to the kitchen door, and opening it she found the four new students.
"Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Antoinette mumbled as she pulled on her robe sleeve. Perhaps, wearing the robe with little dancing mice was not the smartest idea. Four heads turned to look at her, but no one spoke.
"I'm terribly sorry. I smelled something delicious and I had to find out what it was."
"Um… you're okay," Evie said, a smooth smile crossing her lips. Antoinette looked about to see Carlos traying up the cookies. Standing by the island, she gave them her own smile.
"Makes me think of home, growing up in a bakery and all." Mal and Evie glanced at one another, and the boys had yet to respond. Stifling an awkward sound, Antoinette turned to the fridge and pulled out a water. When the door closed, there stood Jay.
"Nice robe," He commented with an easy grin. Antoinette frowned as she moved around him. She briefly thought of how ridiculous this was, a giant kitchen, and Jay had to stand right in front of her.
She glanced down at her robe and blushed at the little dancing mice. It had been a gift from her aunt last year. The robe itself was probably the most comfortable one she had. Antoinette shook her head clearing her thoughts.
"You know, those cookies remind me of a certain cookie my father makes around Valentine's day." Antoinette took a drink of water.
"What cookies are they?" Carlos asked as he plated the cookies. They were slightly lumpy, something must have upset the natural balance of the ingredients.
"Love Potion Pecan." Mal dropped a dirty bowl. As she looked around she noted the startled looks on her new peers. Antoinette raised an eyebrow.
"What?" She creeped closer to where Carlos was standing. She could feel Jay standing close to her. Resting her hands on the counter she turned back to the group.
"They don't ever work. Usually, the person who buys them gives them to their father, or sibling, or a close friend."
"So, they never actually worked?" Mal asked, seeming to be put off by the news. Antoinette clocked her head to the side.
"Well, there was this one time, but it wasn't the love potion. The two had bought them for each other, and even though they had been close friends they never actually told each other that they cared deeply for each other. I think once they realized they both liked each other romantically that everything kind of fell into place." Antoinette sighed, thinking of the young couple, she had remembered hearing that their wedding would be later this year. Glancing around once more she saw that none of her peers would meet her eyes, reaching a hand behind her she grabbed a cookie. Hiding it behind her back she decided to continue the conversation.
"What? Why do you guys look upset?" She gave a soft chuckle. "Do you not believe in love or something?"
"It's just different where we're from." Mal had said it, but Antoinette gazed over at Jay, who refused to look her in the eye.
"Love doesn't exist on the Isle?" Jay looked up at her and held her gaze for a long time. Her stomach clenched when she heard a few girls giggle in the distance, how could they not have known what she had just learned. Would anyone who learned the same thing feel such an unfortunate and painful twist as she had when they learned about the loveless Isle? Jay turned away from her.
"No, love doesn't exist on the Isle," Jay mumbled. Antoinette frowned. She walked over him, the others were still and silently watching the exchange. Antoinette rested a hand on his shoulder making him look down at her. He had several good inches on her after all.
"Well, you also believed that being able to come over here was never going to happen either," she sighed. "And now you're here. Maybe. Maybe love is a possibility."
Jay looked at the girl. This girl who claimed to be the daughter of a villain, but was the farthest thing from him, or Mal, or Evie, or even Carlos. She may share the same DNA as her mother and grandmother, but Jay realized that she was no villain's kid.
"I'll believe it when the barrier comes down," a voice said, bringing them back to the present. Turning around Carlos stood next to Mal. He was gazing up at her in awe of saying something so terribly...simple and complicated. Antoinette smiled at the paradox.
"You never know. You just might find something else here." She allowed the words to bounce off of the walls before she turned on her slipper's heel and walked out.
The smell of the cookies tried to lure her back to the kitchen, but she knew she had to go into the library. Taking her hand out from behind her back, she smiled at the cookie she took. Walking without thought she continued, and as she raised the cookie to her mouth she thought nothing of the potential it could have. Afterall, Antoinette was born in a bakery, she of all people should have thought of the potential consequence of stealing a cookie.
The next day rose with a steady sun, and light fluffy clouds. Sunshine danced on the morning grass dew, and despite the lazy way of the rising sun there were already several people walking through the old castle. The footsteps of heavy feet echoed through.
Benjamin walked down the halls with much on his mind. He had a dressing appointment to ensure his tux would be on point, the choir who had said they would sing for his coronation (the same one who did so for his father and his mother's coronation) were asking for transportation, there was a tourney game that was against his school rival, and there was still the press conference which he still had to do a mock conference with Antoinette and several others.
A thought occurred to him. He had not seen Antoinette yet. Checking his phone he raised an eyebrow, he had no notifications of text or email or anything from Antoinette. Sending her a quick text he continued on his walk.
Antoinette woke up the next morning with a headache. She rubbed her temples and groaned when sunlight caught her attention. Antoinette stumbled. Her throat closed for a moment as she began to cough. Walking to the wardrobe, she leaned her head against the open door, already drained of energy. Picking up the closet dress, Antoinette tugged it on and pulled her hair back. Antoinette glanced at her heels and a shudder went down her back. Better wear my flats, she thought to herself.
"Hey, have you seen Ant?" Chad asked Ben. Ben shook his head. The two young princes stood by the lockers in the open air hallway. The air around them brushed by them gently with the scent of flowers.
"I was just about to ask you the same question," Ben said, nervousness lacing his voice.
"Hi guys," called a voice behind them. Ben and Chad shared a grin. Satisfied and relieved that their companion was okay. She must have overslept. Chad turned around.
"Well, look who- AH!" he shouted. Ben held a face of shock with his mouth slightly open. Chad looked at his cousin. Her pale skin even pastier to the point where it actually was unhealthy. Her eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses, and her hair, which she always had great pride in, was tied up in a ponytail.
"Ant? Are you okay?" Antoinette leaned against the lockers as she looked up at Chad. She let out a cough, her hand on her opposing shoulder to catch the saliva and snot in her sleeve.
"Mmmm, I don't know. I ate something last night and I think I'm sick from it," Antoinette said, she rested a hand on her stomach as a strong cramp passed through.
"Oh my God," she said. Chad pulled her shoulders up, trying to give her support.
"Did you eat chocolate last night?" Ben asked. Antoinette glanced at him over her glasses. Antoinette's allergy to chocolate had been harmful to her for as long as any of them could remember.
"There must have been chocolate chips in that-" Antoinette started, but she cut herself off when another painful twist in her stomach happened.
"Okay, you're going to go see the nurse. They'll have your medicine on hand," Chad said, already pulling her towards the correct direction. Ben called after them.
"Do you want me to come with you?" He hollered. Antoinette groaned out a no. They didn't notice the purple haired girl they passed.
Mal was the daughter of the Mistress of Evil, but something in her heart twisted. Mal grinned to herself trying to convince herself that it was from the idea of making someone sick pleasing her, but when she saw the cluster of hives appear on the back of Antoinette's neck, her stomach gave an uncomfortable clench.
"This sucks." Chad looked over at his cousin, and gave a gentle smile. Antoinette gave a smile back, but rubbed her stomach as another cramp came through. The nurse had given her the medicine in case she consumed any sort of chocolate. Antoinette laid up against the pillows underneath her.
Her headache had disappeared, but there was still a dull thud. Her neck itched from the hives, but she knew better than to touch them. Chad had to admit that Antoinette's skin was starting to slowly get back to it's normal color.
"At least we were able to get you medicine before you got too bad." Chad smiled at her, but Antoinette didn't want to hear anything about it. It was already bad enough in her opinion.
"Can you get me my homework at the very least? I probably have to look at at least twenty five new emails regarding Ben's appointments and coronation," Antoinette complained. Chad raised an eyebrow at her.
"Yes, I will bring you your homework, but you really need to be more careful. An allergy isn't anything to sneeze at, especially a food alle-"
"I know. I'll be fine. At least it's not like some people where their throat closes up," she said. Chad gazed at her.
"How can you say that? You could have seriously gotten hurt. Who even gave you the cookie?" Antoinette swallowed her saliva along with her fear. Technically….
"No one gave it to me. There was a plate of cookies on the counter in the kitchen and I took one." She shrugged, as if her allergic reaction wasn't that big of a deal. Chad pursed his lips. Once again she was reminded of how very rare it was for Chad to show this side of his personality to anyone outside of the family.
"I'll be okay. The medicine has already kicked in," Antoinette let out a sigh, "now, will you please, please, please go? I'll be fine. I just need to rest, and you just need to go to classes. If I'm lucky I'll be able to go to the tourney game. Now go on. I'll be fine."
Antoinette gave a small, encouraging smile, and Chad begrudgingly left. As he left, the gentle arms of sleep tightened their grip on Antoinette.
Antoinette was five when she met Prince Benjamin of Auradon. Her red hair was as straight as a pin, and her smile shined brightly whenever the small child was happy, whether from meeting a new friend or sneaking a snack from the bakery downstairs. At that particular moment the young girl had been playing a rousing game of hide and seek with her cousin. She ducked out of the way behind some curtains as she saw the blob of blonde curls pass her.
Sneaking a peek to see if the coast was clear, she didn't see anyone and quietly snuck passed the safety of the fabric. Antoinette kept looking around, and eventually turned around and walked backwards to make sure her cousin wasn't following her. Later people would say how she almost did it naturally, some believed it was because she was trying to avoid bullies, but no one would ever consider that it was to watch her cousin walk away from her never even knowing he had passed by her. Nevertheless, when someone is walking backwards, they don't see what is supposed to be in front of them.
Bumping into another body, a loud clatter followed.
"I'm sorry! Are you okay?" A little boy's voice cried out. Looking up from where she had fallen Antoinette saw a boy not much older than herself. She shushed him. A steady sound of footsteps could be heard running towards them from the area which Antoinette knew Chad had just gone.
"Follow me, before we get caught!" Antoinette responded with a hushed whisper. She grabbed the unknown boy's wrist and ran into the nearest door. Closing the door, Antoinette put her ear to the door to listen.
"What ar-?"
"Shhhhh!" Antoinette muttered. Didn't this boy know how to play hide and seek at all? Silly. She listened closely as running footsteps ran past the door. Still, she kept her ear close to the door.
"I think we're okay, but we should give it a moment before we go out. He tends to make a circle around," Antoinette said, finally turning to the boy. She finally got a good look at him. His hair reminded her of Jacque's fur. Fluffy and light.
"I'm Antoinette, who are you?" Her question, though direct, simply carried the air of any curious child.
"My name's Benjamin," he said, bowing slightly and promptly ignoring the way her cheeks blushed. Afterall, it was very rude to mention when something like that ever happened according to Mama.
"You have jelly on your jacket, Ben." Funny how one little thing can change so much in life. Ben had never gone by the nickname, but as it rolled around his head he found it oddly appealing to say the least. How dear of a friendship was born that day.
