Ever After High: Over the Rainbow (ON HOLD)

Chapter One: A Crushing Dilemma

It was the start of the new school year at Ever After High, and the constant troubles of last year, (troubles like the Evil Queen, Cheshire Cat, and Courtly Jester) had the students hoping to focus on more mundane troubles this year. Take Poppy O'Hair, for hexample, she's trying to get her summer Princessology homework done at the last minute. Sparrow Hood's having troubles finding a room where he and the merry men can practice for their big back to school concert. And Ginger Breadhouse, she's trying to muster up the courage to approach her crush, Hopper Croakington.

"Hi, Hopper!" Ginger said eagerly. Hopper was knocked out of some sort of trance focused in the other direction.

"Oh, h-hey, Ginger," Hopper managed to say after collecting himself.

"How's your day going so far?" Ginger asked trying to hold the conversation for as long as she possibly could.

"Uh, good, I guess. How about-" Hopper stopped abruptly and stared off at the space behind Ginger. Ginger turned around to see Briar Beauty, Hopper's crush, walking past with Ashlynn Ella. Hopper tried to continue the conversation, but in a matter of moments, Hopper shifted from a human to a frog. Ginger let out a droning sigh and walked off.

She didn't mean to seem rude by leaving the conversation so soon, but it seemed like Hopper couldn't care less about what Ginger did. While walking down the hallway, Ginger ran into her friend and personal lifesaver, Darling Charming, literally. In the collision, Darling dropped all of her books on the ground. They both rushed to pick them up. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going; I was thinking," Ginger used as an excuse.

Darling's hero instincts kicked in and she placed one arm on Ginger's shoulder and used the other to carry the books she had just dropped, "tell me what's on your mind."

Ginger dropped her head and sighed, "it's Hopper." As if on cue, Darling's arm slid off Ginger's shoulder. Ginger looked up to see Darling shaking her head. They continued down the hall awkwardly for a moment.

"Ginger, that boy is no good for you," Darling broke the silence, "you belong with someone who actually likes you back, someone who will protect and care for you. Someone who will be able to fight for you and be your hero."

"I can't help my crush, so what if he doesn't treat me right or whatever. He's-" Ginger started, but was cut off by Darling whipping around followed by a breeze from her hair.

"I'm sorry, Ginger. If you refuse to listen to my advice, I don't see a reason to give it," and like that, Darling stormed off. Ginger sighed yet again and trod to her dorm room.

Ginger opened the door to her room and wasn't surprised to see Melody Piper and Justine Dancer sat around Melody's turntables. Ginger trudged over to her bed and collapsed on top of it with a loud groan. Justine and Melody exchanged glances. Justine motioned for Melody to say something. "Uh, yo, Ginger, what's got your headphones in a twist?"

Ginger let out another prolonged grumble, "Hopper Croakington and Darling Charming."

"What about them?" Justine asked the whining girl.

"I have an annoying crush on Hopper and Darling was zero help and I'm just grumpy about everything!" Ginger exclaimed with her face in a pillow. Melody began to chuckle. She tried to stifle her laughter, but to no avail; she let out a thunderous cackle. Ginger lifted her head up and pouted at Melody.

Melody wiped her eyes and looked down at Ginger, "sorry. It's just- you went to Darling 'turns-down-every-boy-in-a-ten-mile-radius' Charming for advice on boys?! For Grimm's sake, Ginger, our school even has it's very own on-campus relationship guru! Why did you go to Darling?"

"Sh-she was the first person I saw after the incident.." Ginger mumbled. Melody burst out laughing again, this time, Justine joined in a little too.

"Oh my Grimm, Ginger Breadhouse you are a mess. Promise me that the next time you see Cupid you'll ask her for advice?" Melody bargained.

"I promise," Ginger said as she continued to burrow beneath her covers to hide.

~~~~~

The next day in the castleteria, Ginger sat down to eat and scheme with some of her closest friends: Cerise Hood, Cedar Wood, and C.A. Cupid. They'd been trying to come up with a plan to get Ginger some alone time with Hopper without any "distractions".

"You could always go to the Multihex," Cedar pitched, "it's private... and dark." The girls snickered as Ginger began to blush and cover her face.

"No, no, no! It's too dark and we'd be way too close for a first date. Also, you think I'm acting apprehensive, but imagine Hopper in this situation! He'd get so flustered, he'd turn into a frog!" Ginger shook her head at the thought, "it's not that I mind his frog form, I just think shapeshifting during a movie would get us kicked out of the theatre or something."

"Ok, then nothing too restrictive or private; how about a nice, chill meeting at the Hocus Latte," Cupid presented, confident in her proposal.

Ginger huffed, "um, Briar loves the Hocus Latte; what if she walks in half-way through and Hopper loses it and leaves me all by myself! I'll wallow in self pity for a hot second, but then I'll eventually end up being happy for them and then after a while, I'll become the captain of the Bropper ship! I'll go to their wedding and then cry because I'm going to be a sad candy witch who's forever alone and desperate for just a single child to pay her any mind! Why is the universe so against my happiness!" Ginger exclaimed as she slumped onto the castleteria table dramatically.

The other girls shared a glance and then Cedar spoke up, "don't say that, Ginger! The universe doesn't hate you! You're just hextremely unlucky!" Cupid and Cerise quickly gave Cedar the 'why in Mother Goose's name would you say that' look. Cedar quickly realized her mistake and anxiously shrugged and tapped her nose in response.

Cerise cleared the awkward air and expressed her improvised idea, "maybe you and Hopper could meet up in a private place that has lots of fresh air. Whenever my family needs to meet privately, we have a picnic in the Enchanted Forest. Not that we need to meet up privately or anything," she trailed off as she uneasily adjusted her hood.

"I told you, I'm not a big fan of privacy-wait, Cerise you're a genius!" Ginger perked up, her eyes practically glowing in excitement.

"What? How?" Cerise responded completely baffled at Ginger's response.

"Your idea! It's perfect! Hopper and I have a picnic, but you all come too!" Ginger squealed, likely already planning the main courses in her head.

"Wait, what? I'm feeling like driftwood over here. Isn't the point of a date to be alone? Why would we come?" Cedar mumbled back in confusion.

"I think I get what you're planning, Ginger," Cupid piped up, "you're using us as a cover-up so you can use us as moral support and the two of you won't be alone!"

"Hexactly!" Ginger cheered and joyfully leaped out of her seat and onto her feet.

"Ginger, that plan is spelltacular! I'm in, but only if you'll be catering. To be honest, Ginger I'd go anywhere with you if your baking's involved," Cerise laughed.

Ginger giggled back and with the biggest smile on her face spoke, "it's settled, then. I'm going to host the most spellbinding Enchanted-Forest-picnic-party ever after and you're all invited!"