The Theater of Tales was located in Good, with two doors, one for Good, and one for Evil. The princesses of Good entered to find pink and blue glass pews, bunches of glass roses at the end of each pew, and glass engravings of Good battles, princes, and princesses. The other side however, had warped wooden benches, carvings of murder and torture, and deadly stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Between the two sides was a silver marble aisle and stone stage, cracked down the middle. A flaming rose was carved into the back wall of the stage.
Sixty princesses filed into the pews, smoothing skirts and fixing hair, while Evil students grumpily sat in blackened benches.
"Where do you think Ian is right now?" Ella nervously asked Lauren.
"At home in tears because we were kidnapped by plants." Lauren replied with a sigh.
"Well aren't you the optimist."
"Where else would he be?"
"Here, somewhere."
"Like that will happen."
Just as the words passed over Laurens lips, a sound, faint at first, made all of the girls, Avery included, stop cold. Heads swiveled just in time to see the Good doors burst open with sixty gorgeous boys occupied by sword fight. Boy trapped boy against pew, swords clashed, boots stomping on marble, Ella and Lauren searched the brawl for Zack and Ian, only to come up empty-handed with the boys moving too fast. While they fought, baby blue button down shirts came untucked from navy jeans, blue ties with a single gold initial swung back and forth with their owners movement, while black boots clomped down on the silver marble.
Finally, all of the boys came to a halt, drawing roses from their shirts, throwing them to the girls who most caught their eye.
Ella looked just in time to see Ian smiling wide and throwing her a rose. She caught it, heart brimming with ecstasy. The villains booed the princes, waving banners reading, 'NEVERS RULE, EVERS DROOL' and 'DOWN WITH EVERAFTER'
Shooting kisses into the Evil seating, the boys sat down. Just as Ian took a step near her, another prince blew open the doors. Tall, jet black hair, thunderstorm gray eyes, sun-kissed skin, he smirked at the sword armed boys, and drew his own. He deflected sword after sword, the weapons piling up next to him.
"Next?" the mysterious prince called out, daring the next challenger.
Ian stepped up, Ella in mind. The prince grinned, then, out of the corner of his eye, saw her. Blonde hair, blue eyes, rosy lips, she stuck out from the rest, as if she was glowing. And she was looking straight at him, no wait, next to him, at his challenger.
"She's mine." Ian muttered to his competition, sensing the lusting look.
"Never." the prince replied, taking the first swing.
The boys fought with determination, motivation in head. In a flash, Ian was knocked off his feet, the prince's sword to his neck. In another flash, Ella was pointing the prince's own sword to his neck. All of the Good girls gasped, while the Nevers cheered the brave princess on, especially Blake. Ella studied the hilt of the silver weapon she was holding.
"Excalibur. Who'd you steal it from?"
She lowered the sword and handed it point down back to its owner.
"Nobody. I inherited it from my father." the nameless prince replied smoothly, taking the weapon, holding on a bit too long.
Ella snatched her hand back and walked with Ian back to her seat next to open mouthed Lauren, Zack, and Avery. The handsome prince pulled out his rose and almost all the girls went wild, fighting each other for this boy's rose.
In the midst of all this, Ella examined her fingernails, thinking "I need a nail filer."
Once again, she looked up to see a rose coming straight for her. Catching it, Ella didn't realize she just changed her own life. Boys sat with the ones who caught their roses, but Lauren and Ian made no room, so he unhappily sat on the other side of Ian.
"Welcome to the Schools for Good and Evil," said the nicer of the two heads.
Ella looked up to see an enormous two headed dog pacing the stage. While one head was cute and cuddly, like a TV show dog, the other was rabid and fierce.
(One almost boring assembly later. *If you want to read the welcoming, get the book*)
The princess and princes got up and went back to their towers, trying to win each others attention.
"Many would not expect a princess to have reflexes like that," the anonymous prince complemented, worming his way between Ian and Ella.
"Many would not expect a prince to be slow enough to let a princess defeat him like that," Ella shot back, elbowing him out of the way.
"How could you treat someone like me so harshly?"
"How could you know me for more than an hour and I still don't know your name?"
He grinned, "Jackson."
The group arrived at the Charity towers, dropping off the three girls. Ella walked through the door, closed it tight behind Avery, and flopped down on her bed.
"I have never seen a boy with a crush on me so courageous." Ella sighed.
"You forget Ian," Lauren replied, changing into white fluffy shorts with light blue zebra stripes on them and a light blue short sleeved shirt with a white zebra striped pocket over the heart.
"He's different,"
"How?"
"'Cause I like him back,"
Lauren scoffed, and threw a brown paper covered package at her.
"What's this?" Ella asked, catching it.
"Your pajamas."
Ella undid the wrapping and pulled out black fuzzy shorts with white martini glasses, a white sleeveless shirt with a black martini glass over the heart, filled with a pink drink. While she was changing, Ella looked at Avery, who was wearing navy blue furry shorts with silver snowflakes, light gray t-shirt with a glittery blue star over her heart. Even though all of the were different, they all had one thing in common: a silver swan stitched over their hearts, the bird rested on animal print, hovered next to the glass, and sat in one of the top corners of Avery's star.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired and going to bed." Ella said with a yawn.
"Go ahead," Avery said, pulling her covers to her chin.
Ella walked to the opposite side of the room and backhand springed herself into bed.
Ella woke up to Rumple staring at her. She yelped, flinging the cat onto Lauren. The poor feline landed with an oomph, waking Lauren with a distressed meow. She sat straight up, fully awake.
"Morning," Avery said as she walked out of the bathroom.
Ella stretched and got out of her soft sheets, walking towards her closet. She pulled out a purple skirt, white shirt, and gray corset, a different colored version of yesterdays uniform. Taking refuge in the bathroom, she got ready for her very important first day. Ella's morning routine included but was not limited to: Showering, applying face masks, blow drying her hair, getting dressed, styling her hair, doing her long process of makeup, applying lotion, spritzing perfume, and finally, adding accessories. Once she was finished, Ella opened the dorm door to see the other girls bustling about the hallway and into other girls' rooms like tornadoes. Skye, Rae, Olive, Michelle, and Isabelle breezed through her door, dragging her, Lauren, and Avery into the bathroom and to the vanities. Hair was redone, Nails filed and painted, lips glossed, and just as the girls finished, fairies chimed the start of breakfast. Girls field into two lines and strode down the hall to breakfast.