Hope
Apple could scarcely believe her good fortune as she waited for Cedar to pick up her phone. She was going to be free of Rotbart! Free! He'd leave her story, and her life, and she'd never have to worry about him again. And once he was out of the picture, she'd persuade Raven to do the right thing and embrace her destiny as the wicked queen. She was sure Raven would come around in time, especially if it was clear that there was no alternative.
And due time, Apple would get to live out her glorious family story. Raven would try to kill her, Hunter would save her, the seven dwarfs would take her in, Raven would find her and poison her, Daring would save her with True Love's kiss and propose, and then she'd finally get her promised happily-ever-after! No more fear. No more uncertainty. And then Apple would take over as queen and spend the rest of her wonderful life caring for her people and raising her daughter to be the next fairest-of-them-all.
It'll be perfect, she thought. Absolutely perfect! She hadn't felt this happy and hopeful since Legacy Day.
"Hello?" Cedar's voice said on the other end.
"Hi Cedar, it's Apple!" Apple announced. "Sorry to bother you, but I have a little dispute to settle." She said with a pointed look at Rotbart. Rotbart just stood there smirking at her.
"Uh...OK..." Cedar said.
"I just want to know: is today Raven's birthday?" Apple asked. She smiled as she anticipated Cedar's inevitable "no."
"Yes." Cedar said.
"That's what I thou-wait, YES?!" Apple said in disbelief.
"Sure. Maddie and Cerise and I are taking her out to dinner tonight. I'm just wrapping her present right now." Cedar replied. "Why do you want to know?"
Apple didn't say a word and hung up. Her face was a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and bitter disappointment.
Rotbart, on the other hand, looked extremely smug.
"Well?" He said.
"Well, what?" Apple muttered.
"Don't you have something to say?"He prompted.
She glared at him, furiously pulled her purse, and wrote a check for three hundred dollars. "Here." She said shortly.
"And?" He said as he took the check.
"I'll arrange for the spa date."
"AND?" He pressed.
"What ELSE do you want?!" She snapped. "I was WRONG, OK?!"
He grinned. "Just wanted to hear you say that. Here," he said as he gave her back the check. "Pick up the tab for their dinner tonight."
And then he swept past the confused and angry Apple and walked out of her dorm room.
"Goodnight princess." He said as he walked away. "False hope is the best kind of hope in my book." And his sinister chuckling echoed a bit in the hall.