Eryx dove in for a kiss but Christina put her hand up to stop him.
"What are you doing here? How are you here?"
"Dad and I moved after Mom well-"
"She passed?"
"Yes, freaking shark attack"
"I'm so sorry Eryx,"
"Dad thought a change of scenery might be nice, I begged for us to move here, I'm so happy to see you Nerida"
The hall was still crowding with students, surprisingly Shaggy appeared, disheveled and tired but with a coffee carrier in hand.
"Surprise," Shaggy smiled, "Mom like, rushed me out the door so I like, stopped to grab coffee"
"Hey, sweetie, you're the greatest," Christina took the offered beverage, giving Shaggy a kiss.
"Ahem," Eryx coughed.
"Oh," Christina flushed, "Eryx, this is Shaggy, my boyfriend, Shaggy this is Eryx, a friend from Ever After"
Eryx looked at her.
Just go with it! She silently pleaded.
"Yeah, moved here a week ago," Eryx nodded, holding his hand out.
"Nice to meet you," Shaggy took the hand, almost wincing at Eryx's surprising grip.
"Shaggy, we're supposed to meet the others in the creepateria for breakfast," Christina reminded Shaggy who was shaking out his wrist, "Do you want to join us, Eryx?"
"I'd love to"
Eryx instinctively went to grab Christina's hand only for her to lean into Shaggy instead.
It hurt.
…...
A year earlier.
Eryx shuffled his way into study hall. Ever After High was so big and dry, very, very, very dry. He missed home school. His first day had been spent fending off merman-obsessed girls and trying not to get lost. Shifting his bag from one arm to the other, he chose an empty desk in the back of the room. Slumping into the chair, he let his bag hit the floor and closed his eyes.
"May I join you?"
Eryx jumped, eyes opening to find a fairy, no a hybrid before him, wearing a butterfly print shirt, black skirt, and tennis shoes, her hair hung well past her shoulders fading from black-brown to purple, most eye-catching, however, were her glinting fangs and sweeping horns. Still, she looked nice, not overly cheerful like Apple or snide like Faybelle.
"Sure"
She sat across from him, pulling her textbooks from her bag.
"You're a villain?" he caught sight of the cover of one book.
"Supposedly, not going to be though"
"Then why-"
"Being a Rebel is no reason to fail my classes, I'm Christina"
"Eryx, today's my first day"
"Oh, I'm sorry"
"Sorry?" Eryx laughed, "Why?"
"Have you met Grimm?"
"Oh...yeah"
Now, Christina laughed.
"You have a nice laugh," Eryx said, instantly blushing. He didn't want to sound weird but conversation had never been his strong suit.
"Thanks," Christina smiled, "Everyone says it sounds like my Mom's but Mom swear it's Daddy's"
"And, what do you think?"
"I think it's just mine"
The two went back to their respective tasks until the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day.
"Aren't you headed to the dorms?" Eryx asked when he saw Christina head for the doors of the school.
"I live close so I go home every day"
"I wish I had that option"
"Being on dry land no fun?"
"Not at all"
Christina walked back to him, "C'mon, I think I have a solution"
…...
Now:
Christina felt sick. Staring at her phone during her free period she contemplated calling her parents so she could go home. She wasn't unhappy to see Eryx but having her ex-boyfriend and her current boyfriend around was overwhelming. Made worse by her lie. How could she tell Shaggy Eryx was her ex? How could she explain to Eryx that she'd moved on but still wished to be friends? She didn't want to lose them both!
Stomach lurching, she finally called her mother.
"I'm coming home"
"Butterfly, what's the matter?"
"I'll tell you later"
Alissa knew Christina wasn't one to blow off school, "Alright"
…...
Christina burst through the front door, breezing past her parents and thundering up the stairs into her room. Slamming her door behind her, she locked it tight. Throwing herself onto her bed, Christina burrowed under her blankets and shut her eyes.
The world could wait. It had to wait. She couldn't face it right now.
…...
Ever After:
A routine soon developed, Christina and Eryx would sit together in study hall, sometimes talking, sometimes reading, sometimes both. After the last bell rang they went to the beach where Eryx was able to blow off stress while Christina sketched the landscapes.
"May I see?" Eryx loomed over her, hair dripping with water.
"If you dry off, you'll mar the sketches if they get wet," Christina held her sketchbook to her chest.
"Yes, Ma'am," Eryx laughed, pulling off his shirt to dry his hair,
Christina averted her eyes.
"All dry!" Eryx promised a few minutes later.
"Now, put your shirt back on!"
"Nah, I don't think I want to"
"Eryx!" Christina blindly swatted at him.
"Okay, okay"
Christina only looked back when Eryx had tugged his shirt back on.
"Here," she passed him the sketchbook.
"You're good"
"It just keeps my hands busy, I always have to be doing something," Christina explained sheepishly.
"Like your music?"
"How'd you know about that?"
"I saw you in the music room earlier, I totally would have said hi but you seemed focused"
"You should have, I wouldn't have minded"
"What song were you singing?"
"Once Upon A Dream, It's Mom and Dad's favorite, they dance to it all the time"
"Can you sing it now?"
"No," Christina shook her head, "I don't feel comfortable doing that"
"That's okay, maybe some other time?"
"Maybe"
…...
Now:
"Christina?" Alissa knocked on the door to her daughter's room, it had been two hours and she hadn't come out of hiding, "May I come in?"
there was no response.
"Christina, please, tell me what's wrong? Did something happen?"
Finally, Christina dragged herself from bed and unlocked the door before pulling her mother inside
"What happened?"
"Eryx is here"
Alissa blinked rapidly, "Eryx is here?"
"Uh-huh, he moved here and he goes to Monster High. He found me first thing this morning," Christina frantically explained, "Then Shaggy arrived and, and I couldn't-"
"Tell him Eryx was your boyfriend?"
"I feel icky!"
"Breath, Christina, take a deep breath"
"I-I can't. What do I do, Mom?"
"First, breath, secondly let's have some cookies and talk this through okay?"
"Okay?" Christina allowed her mother to lead her from the room.
