Once Upon a Time: Ever After High (Book 13)

Ch.51 Lounge bonding

After setting up the last lantern, Natalie was about to head back when she came upon a room that caught her eye.

The teacher's lounge.

She peered through the window; empty. She tried to open it, but it was locked. But that just gave her the idea to use her magic to blast the lock on the doorknob as she managed to open the door and stepped inside.

"Cool," she snickered, feeling a bit rebellious since no student was allowed in the teacher's lounge.

"Looks like someone's being a bad girl" she turned around to see Christina Matthews, also known as Bunny Blanc, daughter of the White Rabbit.

"It's the apocalypse Christie" Natalie smirked, "We can practically do anything."

"In that case, mind if I join?"

"Not at all."

They went over to the refrigerator and opened it up to find some coke.

"Oh yeah" Natalie grinned as she pulled two out and handed one to Christina "Here we go."

They plopped themselves on the couch while popping open the soda cans.

"This is nice" she commented while taking a sip "A chance to kick back and relax while trying not to think of the apocalypse."

"Yep" Christina agreed "All we do now is just hide and hope."

They both took more sips until a thought came to Christina.

"Hey Natalie" she spoke.

"Yeah?"

"Is it me, or is this the first time we've ever hung out together? And I mean without you bossing me around like you used to."

"Oh" the fairy replied a bit surprised "I uh- I guess it is."

"Wow," Christina remarked "That's uh, pretty weird to think of that. We've never really hung out together since I arrived."

"Yeah. I guess we just never thought of that."

"Well, it feels really strange being next to you without being your sassy self to me like how you were back at Ever After."

"Tell me about it" Natalie snickered "I've changed a lot since the curse."

"You've changed for the better."

"I know, and I'm actually proud of it."

"I'm glad you are" Christina smiled.

"And look, I know we've never gotten along before, and I just wanna say I'm sorry for how I've treated you before. Life of a Dark Fairy means I'm supposed to be, well, dark."

"I know, and I forgive you. I've actually gotten used to your behavior over the time, and I'm still trying to get used to the new you now."

Natalie let out a small laugh "Well get used to it, cause you're gonna be dealing with it for now on."

Christina laughed as well, but that's when another thought came to her as she froze.

"What?" Natalie questioned.

"Oh um-" she mumbled, "It's nothing."

"Christie come on, you can tell me."

Christina let out a sigh before confessing "What if we do manage to break this curse and go back to Ever After? What will your mother think when she sees you being all nice and stuff when she raised you to be evil?"

At that moment, Natalie felt her heart drop, remembering how she used to admire her mother and her wicked way. But now that things have changed, she had no idea what to think of it.

"Well-" she sighed "Since the whole 'following your destiny or you'll disappear' thing happens to be a hoax, I really hope she'll be okay with it. I mean, she won't lose me like she thought she would. But at the same time, she raised me to be this dark fairy who was feared by everyone, and now that I'm not that fairy anymore, all I can say is that I hope she'll accept me. I still love her, and I know she still loves me."

"I know she does, and if she truly does love you, then she'll accept you."

Natalie let out a small sigh before taking a sip of her soda.

"You know I gotta be honest" she suddenly put in "I'm glad the destiny thing was a fake, it was actually pretty stressful on trying to be the Dark Fairy. But now, I feel free."

"I'm glad you do" Christina smiled as she held up her soda "Here's to life."

"Let's hope we'll live for it" Natalie added before giving their soda cans a toast.

_________

Still in the cafeteria with everyone else, Mira paced back and forth in front of David who was watching her from a table.

"Mira would you stop pacing?" he ordered.

"I can't" she snapped "This whole apocalypse is driving me crazy and I don't know what to do about it."

He sighed "I know."

She suddenly stopped when she spotted Elena who was sitting between Olivia and Terrence at a table, reminding her of what will soon come if they do manage to break the curse.

"You okay?" David asked her.

"Of course I'm not okay" she groaned "Is now a good time to tell Elena you know what?"

"What?"

"You know what I mean David."

"Oh um, I don't know. I mean depending on whether or not we survive this, she'll gonna find out one way or another."

She let out a small groan while rubbing her face.

"I don't think I can do this anymore" she breathed with her head aching with depression.

"Do what?"

"Keep this in any longer, I'm just gonna go up to her, and tell her in her face."

"Are you serious?" he gasped.

"I might as well tell her now in case we all die in this apocalypse. And besides, I would never forgive myself for not telling her."

He let out a big sigh "If you must, I won't stop you."

"Okay," she breathed "I'm just gonna tell her the truth; That we can't stay around any longer, and then if we manage to break this curse, we'll have to leave, and quite possibly forever."

"What?" a voice gasped.

Already knowing who it was, Mira felt her heart stop and her knees wobble before turning to see Elena next to her with a shocked look on her face. Looks like she didn't have to tell her after all.

"You guys are leaving?" she gasped.

"Elena-" Mira held her hands up "Let me explain."

"No need" she replied, still feeling shocked "You guys can't stay around forever? Why didn't you tell me this?"

"Because we were looking for the perfect time to tell you" David explained.

"You could have told me before" she argued "I would have understood. But now? At a time like this?"

"I'm sorry Elena" Mira apologized sadly "We wanted to tell you, but we were too scared."

"Same" Olivia sighed.

"Wait you knew about this too?" Elena gasped.

"I wanted to tell you after they told me about it," Olivia told, "But they said they wanted to tell you themselves."

Elena couldn't believe what she was hearing. She could feel her heart racing and her body heating.

"Elena-" Mira began, only to stop when Elena took off and out of the cafeteria.