Chapter 9 - You Can Tell Me When It's Over

I weave through the hallway towards Teague's locker, shaking my head. I am so stupid. I can't even say the right name in a lie! And now not only do I have to go, but I have to convince Teague to go to the dance with me.

"Hey, sweetheart." There he is, with a boyish smirk on his face as he leans against the wall.

"Don't call me that." I cross my arms.

"And why not?"

"Just don't do pet names! I'm not your girlfriend!" I shake my head.

"Fine, fine." He puts his hands up. "So why did you come over here?"

"A...well..." I can tell my face is flushing. "Um...would you, by any chance, be willing to...a...come to the dance with me?" He cocks an eyebrow, and his smirk is bigger. So, I quickly add, "Brody was trying to get me to go with him, so I needed a good way to say no, and I somehow ended up saying you asked me." I can tell by the look on his face that he finds this funny. "Teeeaaaggguue!"

"Fine, fine. I'll go." I let out a sigh of relief. "Although, Mina, you should realize something."

Worry wells up in me. "Wha-what should I realize?"

"This is almost like a date." Mischief twinkles in his eyes.

Mina's POV

I lay on my back on my bed, groaning after the day at school. I've gotten myself into a bigger mess than before. Now I'm stuck with going to the dance with Teague in a week. I haven't even informed my mother that I'm going yet, because she'll probably lose it with me. And Nan will be absolutely unbearable.

I roll on to my side, and see that on my desk sits the Grimorie, in notebook form. I sit up and slide off my bed, carefully stepping over so that I don't trip over any piles of clothing. I grab it - and a pencil - off my desk, and begin to flip through the pages.

Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Templestiltskin and his brother, and then a new image. Teague and I kissing in the tower. I quickly turn the page. I don't need any reminders about the Cinderella quest right now.

I come to a blank page with lined paper, and a thought comes into my head. I hold the pencil, and begin to scribble down some words.

I don't know exactly why I'm doing this. In fact, it doesn't even make any sense. After all, why write in the Grimorie, especially now that there isn't anyone to read what I write? Unless this connects with the Fae Book - in which case Teague would find it - but I'm guessing and hoping that it doesn't.

I think it really has to be that I just need to feel like I have someone to talk to. Right now, I feel all alone in this place. Sure, there's Ever and Nix, but they don't really know what was going on in the past. Nan is great, but she doesn't understand the problems. Brody was way too protective, and we're not even together any more. And now I have to deal with Teague too. It's technically my fault I have to deal with him even more now, but still.

I just need help. No, I need more than help. What I really need is Jared. I need him, and I want him. I finally felt safe. And yet, now I can't even tell him that I loved - no, love - him. I can't deal with my heart breaking anymore though. So, it's time that I just realize I don't get a happily ever after. I'm a Grimm. Why did I ever even hope I might?

So I've finally realized that I'm never going to get that happily ever after. So why even bother? I'm giving up. I just can't do this anymore. I shouldn't even care about the curse. What's the point, after all? We'll all die anyways. There's no end to it.

I just had to get that out to something that I feel like I can talk to.

Mina

I sigh, looking at the full page I've written. The right page is blank, and I'm about to shut it until I see a golden flash start. It crosses each line, and in it's wake it leaves messy black lettering. I quickly begin to read.

Mina, don't give up hope. Somehow, someday, you'll find a happily ever after. I can't promise with who, or what it'll be, but there is something out there for you. Don't give up yet. I know things seem tough, but you have people who care about you in your life.

As for Teague? Don't let him fool you. He still is mad about what happened in the past. So be careful. Who knows what he's trying to pull? Just keep writing here. This place is safe.

You'll pull through, Mina. You always do. You're the perfect Grimm. You will be the one to break the curse. I just know it.

Grimorie

I stare at the page, my heart pounding fast in my chest. I can hear the rapid thumping. The Grimorie just responded. That's only happened once before, when I was communicating to one of the Fae princes. Which means...could it be? Could Jared still be out there somewhere? He always said he was connected to the Grimorie. This could be proof that he's out there.

That's when the awful truth sinks in. Even if he's out there, he's been combined with Teague, two halves made whole. He'd be writing this from Teague's form. Or maybe even Teague wrote it. I consider ripping the page out, but something stops me.

It's a small speck of hope. This message has ignited a tiny flicker of hope in me. That maybe I can beat this impossible task. That maybe I can deal with Teague. That maybe I do have a happily ever after. But that's not all that it's installed in me. It's installed in me one more hope. That Jared might still be out there. That's probably the smallest bit, mainly because I'm still so guilty.

I'm ready to tackle the world. Throw whatever you've got at me, Story. I'm ready.

Hm...A new development? Is Jared still out there somewhere? Or is Teague posing as Jared? Maybe this is something else? What do you guys think?

~Dagger