Chapter 2:(1665 words)

To say that Daring was astonished would be the understatement of the century.

It was finally the day of the bookball team try-outs, and Daring was looking forward to show the male population of the school that he was and always will be the best at bookball.

It was just another reason for girls, and some boys too, to be crushing on Daring Charming.

He was the eldest child of King and Queen Charming, and was their favourite too, since he actually wanted to follow his destiny, and, why wouldn't he? As the future 'Prince Charming', most people fawned over him, fainting left, right and centre the second he entered a room. He slayed whatever monster he had to slay, saved his princess and lived happily ever after. What more could he want?

His brother and sister, Dexter and Darling Charming, were younger then him by ten months, and were twins, though they were pretty much opposites:

Dexter wasn't charming at all, and was scared of many things, whereas Darling was fearless and most boys wanted to marry her one day, because of her charm and since she was a Charming.

On his way to the changing rooms, he walked past Apple White, daughter of Snow White, who caught his attention by waving her hand and motioning for him to come over.

Most people always think that he and Apple were a thing, an item, though Daring never really felt that way for her. His mother wished for him to marry her, it was his destiny, after all. He definitely wanted that for his life, so for now, he ignored those feelings telling him how awkward and weird it is to date one of your closest friends who you have no romantical feelings for, and chose his destiny first.

She was standing with the O'Hair twins, daughters of Rapunzel, Briar Beauty, daughter of Sleeping Beauty, and Ashlynn Ella, daughter of Cinderella, some of her closest friends.

However, she pulled him aside to speak with him, privately.

"Yes, Apple?" he questioned.

"Daring, I just wanted to wish you good luck on the bookball try-outs today!"

"Oh, thank you, Apple. Of course, I won't need it. Still, thanks."

She smiled sweetly at him, and he just let it happen, "Your welcome, see you later."

She hugged him, with Daring letting it happen once again, and then she left to go join her friends while Daring goes to the changing rooms to get changed.

Once he's ready and walks outside to the bookball stadium, he saw the group of boys wanting to join warming up.

One of them was wearing a bright red hood and a mask, like everyone else, and looked too skinny and tall to be tackling, so he wondered what position that he would want to play.

'He is going to get obliterated by the others,' Daring thought with mischief, 'There's no way that he can run that far, or even catch the book.'

It turns out that the mysterious boy wanted to play as running-back, which made perfect sense since-

"Wow, that 'boy' can sure run, huh?" smirked Hunter, who was standing next to Daring as the running-backs ran ten laps around the stadium.

Cerise obviously pulled ahead of everyone and finished the ten laps while beating the record of fastest time, pushing him aside to second place.

He couldn't believe it; how could this strange boy beat him at something so simple?

"Uhh, yeah," he was at a loss for words.

Hunter was grinning slyly at this, leading Daring to believe that he knew something that he himself didn't.

He decided to make the boys play a game of bookball to see how they are in the spotlight. 'Let's see who's better now,' he thought excitedly.

It was the end of try-outs, and Daring was once again amazed by the sheer skill this boy in the hood had at the game.

He stood near the bleachers, writing the names who would join the team on a sheet of paper, and deciding with Coach who would be a good addition.

Right underneath Hunter's name, he wrote:

- Boy in Hood – Running-back

Hunter checked the list afterwards, seeing all of the positions, and chuckling lightly at the name the stuck-up prince gave for his close friend.

Daring called up all of those who were in the team, just pointing at the one in the hood, and calling the others by name.

"Hey, you," he pointed to the shy boy at the back.

All they did was walk strongly up to the prince, and nod.

"You made it onto the team as running-back, congratulations," he informed.

The boy was wearing a mask, like all others, and at this moment, he took it off to show his face… or should he say 'she'.

Standing smugly in front of him, stood the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

The point that bugged him the most was that she was a girl! They shouldn't play sports like bookball.

All Daring could do was drop his jaw at the surprise. Like all of the others did, some blabbering on about how strange it was and others even fell over at the surprise.

However, unlike all others, Hunter giggled with a ferocity, almost joining some others on the floor until he stopped and smirked at the girl in a friendly manner. This didn't go unnoticed by Daring.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" asked Daring at his friend.

Hunter grinned and informed, "Yes I did, she's my best friend other than Ashlynn, and I support her fully with her decision, Daring."

He couldn't believe his ears, his friend knew? But it was a girl!

"Hunter, sh-she's a… a girl!" he exclaimed.

"I know, and she beat all you others, didn't she?" Hunter raised an eyebrow at them.

Sparrow Hood, son of Robin Hood, got up from the floor and told Daring, "It's true, y'know. I mean, she's way better than me, and I'm the back-up running-back!"

The mysteriously beautiful student looked at Sparrow and smiled.

A smile that made Daring's stomach do flips. 'Why was that happening?' He's have to go and see Baba Yaga if it gets worse.

"Thanks, Sparrow," God, even her voice sounded angelic.

She turned her head to look back at the now silent prince, her hair shimmered in the sun, making it look like she was glowing.

"Daring Charming," she confidently began, "I'm Cerise Hood, daughter of Little Red Riding Hood, I would say that it was nice to meet you, but I would be lying." Then she turned and strolled merrily to the entrance.

Hunter couldn't hold in his laughter.

Daring recovered from the shock of having a girl react like that to him, and grumbled with embarrassment. Then he remembered that he was Daring Charming, he was supposed to make women's hearts flutter, not the other way around.

He ran from the group and stopped the hooded girl.

"Wait, what do you mean?" he pleaded.

She turned slowly to look at him, her eyes a cold grey, as if a rebellious storm was contained in each one of them, bringing them, and her, to life.

"If you can't figure it out for yourself, then you don't deserve to know," she quoted, and turned around to enter the school.

Daring walked back to the group of boys, though most had left. Only Sparrow and Hunter stayed behind for him.

"What happened?" questioned Sparrow.

"I asked her about what she meant and she told me that if I couldn't figure it out for myself, then I didn't deserve to know," he looked thoughtful. Hunter huffed a laugh and informed him, "Well, you were being very unfair, Daring."

"Whatever do you mean?" he confusedly asked.

Hunter looked at him with a look on his face that screamed 'seriously?' He didn't understand. Hunter then added, "Cerise isn't wrong, y'know. What she said was true."

He sighed, shaking his head at her actions. And then he remembered how he felt at those actions. He quickly blushed, looking back at the castle to hide it.

'He can't 'like' her! He was betrothed to Apple! He can't like someone else, not now!', his mind was rushing out words as if he was running out of time.

"How do you know her," he asked Hunter, becoming curious.

"Well, she's supposed to be Little Red Riding Hood, and I'm the Huntsman, so since we lived in the same area because of our parents, and because of our destinies, we became friends from a very young age," recounted Hunter.

"Yeah," began Sparrow, "I think she's a distant cousin."

"She's really not," Hunter shook his head with amusement.

Sparrow sighed dejectedly and walked off, but not before saying goodbye to both of them, which left Hunter and Daring.

"You're still playing her, right?" Hunter suddenly asked, a concerned expression on his face.

'Wow, they really must be close friends for him to be that worried, he hardly ever acts like that,' concluded Daring.

He mulled it over for a while before deciding that he didn't want to make Hunter angry, so he slowly nodded his head. Hunter sighed with relief as he walked away to the school, probably to talk to the unusual girl.

Daring just sighed and waved goodbye as he trekked back to the school thinking over the events of the day, and mostly about the mysteriously hooded girl, apparently Cerise Hood.

He couldn't like her, not when she was a commoner, and definitely not when she broke the unspoken rules of EAH. She must be new.

He ultimately decided that he would keep a look out for the talented girl, she was one of the few girls at the school that don't 'like' him.

She stood out from the rest, she was special somehow, he just didn't know why.

Daring, confused at what she and Hunter were talking about, walked to his brother, Dexter's dorm room to talk.