la vie en rose

01

Rose

Everything was perfect. The skies were blue, and the clouds drifted along the wind. It was the same old scenery, the buildings stood tall with the cracks present at each corner, and the occasional traffic that polluted the air with a gray hue. It gave out a cold air in the streets as a blonde girl skipped on the road as her air headedness seeped out from her, making her parents worry.

As she skipped along the rough road, she could not help but reminisce of the wild events at her school. It was as if a decade ago that she stumbled on a rat with a golden key on its hand. And after that event, the whole structures that fairytale does not exist tumbled, and she met every creature that inhabited the land.

She darted from left to right with the traffic lights blazing, cars honking from the traffic, and the pedestrians that waited alongside the same streets. It would have been an ordinary day if she has not spotted a teenager with an uncommon blue hair in their place.

"Hawk!" She called out with her hands waving as the pedestrians winced from the loud voice she has. This did not faze her, and she rushed to his side as soon as the cars stopped with the traffic light turned red. Once she was at his side, it was this moment that she noticed their height difference; if it was not from the tall heels she wore, he will tower over her with his tall structure.

They had always been together, she would often find herself at his side, and he would do the same whenever she was around. She did not mind it, in fact, her heart could not stop beating as his scent would alert her when he is near. As cliché as it may sound, his scent is like an apple, and it may have to do with the origin of his fairytale.

"Rose?" He called out as time slowed down in her vision. It may be true that the others often regarded her as a clueless girl, but it was at this moment that she found him handsome. "I waited for you at the entrance," Hawk said, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

Heat rose to her face, dying it with a rose hue, and she could not focus nor look at him in the same light. "I-" she stammers, waving her hands in a frantic motion, "Why- Why are you bringing pots... today?" It was a stupid attempt to overturn the conversation, but she has no choice since she has embarrassed herself quite enough.

"No time to talk, Rose." Hawk intertwines his hands over hers, grabbing it towards an abandoned alleyway. She avoided the people's gazes along the way, head down, and waiting for Hawk to finish opening the portal.

The red bricks glinted with a blue wisp forming a wooden door with a golden handle appeared. It was opened by Hawk as they walked towards the busy yard, filled with students, and the teachers roaming the place. "Rose, you are late again."

She looked up to see the floating hair of the Rapunzel descendant, Astoria, who seethed in anger towards her. She bit her lip, bowed to her in complete apology, "I am so sorry." It did not last long with Hawk stopped her from bowing. The fluttery feeling reappeared in her stomach with the warmth of his hands remined in her arms.

"Just... lay down the pots needed." Astoria gave up from her whims, successfully removing the tense atmosphere created on the room. She looked around to see many people gathering with their respective plants, and Hawk noticed her gaze to the other people.

A pot was given in her arms softly, making Rose look up to meet his blue orbs. Her heart started beating fast with the fluttery tingling on her stomach returning. She panics, leaving him to stand beside the granddaughter of the Frog prince.

Hearing a poor attempt of hiding laughter, she grabbed a handful of blonde locks to cover her blushing face. "Oh shush, Joy. If you ever find someone you would fall in love with, I will tease you too," Rose grumbled.

Does she love him? 

Surely, she does not love the way the wind gently sways his blue hair, the cute little dimple on his left cheeks that always shown up when he smiles, and the way he treats her. It was as if he knew everything that she likes, and he would always try to put up a front whenever he was embarrassed.

Maybe she likes him.

The door opened with a loud bang, making the students quiet down. Headmistress Cinderella walked gracefully to the front with her grace and poise in her steps. Giddiness filled her spirits as Rose bounced in place, her hand waving to her grandmother. It has been days since she met her with the busy schedule of ruling her kingdom.

"Grann-" Her shouts went unnoticed as Headmistress Cinderella started writing down the instructions with the use of her wand. She pouted with her arms crossed in her place, and her friend, Travis, laughed at her in amusement.

She was about to tease him back when her grandmother stopped with her lecture, indicating of the start of the practical lesson. "Class, gather the potions on the shelves. Remember, start the wave counterclockwise."

Vicky

In the corner of the room, a certain blonde with a frizzy hair smirked at the announcement. "Potions, my favorite." Her violet eyes narrowed at the potions situated at the near shelf of their station. She waves her wand around as the ingredients floated around their station.

With a flick of her wrist, it fell down the boiling cauldron as the liquid turned into a clear substance with a jasmine scent. "Cyrus and Ruby," she called out with a sing song voice. They staggered to sticking close to the blonde, and she did not pay them no heed.

She turned towards them with an odd smile on her face. It effectively scared them out of their wits, wondering what they have done wrong. "Little Rose should have given up being the school's favorite." There was an unusual gleam in the violet eyes as it was not visible nor common to the eye colors of their world.

"With this concoction, little Rose would be gone out of this story," she paused as her gaze shifted to the ditzy descendant of the Cinderella. "And I shall remain."

There was a hand that patted her shoulders with a bit of a tremble. The high-pitched tone of her minion squeaked in fear with her smile faltering from Vicky's gaze. "Will we get in trouble? Remember, she's the granddaughter of the Cinderella." Before she was about to reprimand her, the sleepy voice of her cousin stopped the argument.

He wipes away the stray tear in his eyes, looking at the granddaughter of the evil stepsister. "Only if we got caught," Cyrus stated with the flick of his wrists, duct tape appeared in Ruby's mouth. "That should shut you up."

"You really are my cousin," she purred out as the potion is finished boiling in the cauldron. The clear vial containing the potion is poured into a single rose in a pot. "If my calculations are correct," she stopped as she placed the pot near their station.

"She would mess up their batch of Rose pot."

Boom! There was an explosion in their station in which their cauldron drained out their finished pot. Astoria fumes as tears formed in her eyes, and Rose feels guilty in their situation. She scooted away from her friends as she curled up in a ball in a corner of the room.

As she kept her tears in bay, there was an identical rose plant beside her. "Is this for real?" She looked around as her classmates are either busy gossiping or entirely focused on their plants. Her hands gingerly held the pot as she zoomed past the students to her group of friends.

"The potion should break her defenses and caused her to faint."

"Guys! I found-" She was cut off by the searing pain in her lungs, causing her to find difficulty to breath. The surrounds were hazy as everything spun around her vision. She screamed until her throat was sore, and everyone grabs ahold of her limbs to calm her down.

Vicky smirks as they stood amidst the panicking crowds of students. "Everything is according to plan," she sang in a sing-song voice.