Apple frowned. She didn't know exactly where she was. It was a dark night, outside, warm air puffing out of her mouth, into the cold. She rubbed her hands together, desperate for the least bit of warmth. She looked up, at the sky. Small snow flakes fluttered down. A lamp, flashing, glowing yellow was the only think illuminating the dark street.
"Hello?" She said, and suddenly took notice. Her hands. They were different. They looked more... real? Apple grabbed her hair. It was a different texture, too.
Unaware what to do, she started walking down the street, hoping to find someone willing to help.
But soon the light showed again, she felt like she'd walked in a circle. But that wasn't so.
So Apple kept on walking, yelling for help, sometimes almost slipping on ice. Suddenly, she heard a feminine voice.
"No, Brad, no listen!" She yelled into her phone.
Apple frowned again. The girl had straight brown hair, maybe up to her elbows. Her face was full of makeup, from glittery eyeshadow and lark eyelashes. She had a slim figure, thin arms, thin legs. All she wore was a sparkly purple and pink dress, barely covering her thighs. She had black high heels, with a small black purse. She looked no older than 20. Well underdressed.
She laughed. "Hah, you wish it was like that." Apple watched as she walked right passed her.
"No- because I, WOAH!" Just as she was about to slip on some ice, Apple caught her, bringing her close to her body.
Apple let her stabilize on her feet before letting go.
"Thank you so muc-" She turned around, and once she saw Apple she stopped.
"Hey Brad, I'll call you back, okay?" She didn't wait for an answer, she declined, and shoved her phone into her purse.
The girl looked at Apple, wide eyed, staring at her without wasting a second to blink.
Apple shifted. "Can I help you?"
"2013." She spoke nearing Apple. The blonde felt it would be rude to back away, so she stayed put, her heart beating louder.
She continued. "2013, the first episode aired by Mattel. I was 10 years old, it was around 8 pm. I was supposed to get ready to go to sleep, but I was stuck to the TV. Then, the theme song played. Characters. Many characters on screen. That was the moment my life changed."
"What?" Apple breathed, unaware and completely confused what she was talking about.
"You were there. Apple. You were my favorite. Daughter of Snow White. Every 6 months, I waited. Waited for a new season. Until 2017. You left. They left. Raven, Lizzie, Blondie, Kitty, Briar, Cerise... everyone. Everything was gone." She said, her voice getting louder, sharper, more angry.
Apple had freaked inside. Who was this girl, and how did she know so much about her?
She girl stepped forward, and intertwined a lock of Apples hair in her finger. "You're here now. You're back. 5 years later." Tears were streaming out of this girls eyes, and she got dangerously close. In fact, so close that she smelled her breath, and realised she was in fact not sober, but very drunk.
"They took everything away from me. My childhood. My happiness. I related to you more than any other character on TV. You're friends, made me realise I wasn't straight."
She paused, then slowly hugged Apple. After a few moment of silence, Apple felt her sob into her chest. "I hate...everything. This isn't fair. It wasn't fair! 14 year old me deserved to be happy."
Apple awkwardly stroked her head." It's okay, it's okay, I'm here now."
"Hey, Diana! What are you doing?!" Someone suddenly yelled.
Apple looked up to see a girl running towards them. Diana, as her name was, looked up, her eyes red and puffy.
The red head nearness them, tearing Diana away from Apple. She dressed similarly to Diana, same age.
"Look, Sadie, it's Apple." She sniffled, still holding Apples hand.
"I'm sorry, she's just a little drunk," she awkwardly smiled. "Cmon Diana!" She said and started pulling Diana away. She instantly started protesting.
"No, Sadie! It's Apple! Apple! Don't leave me again not again!" She screamed her head off. But Sadie was stronger, and clearly less drunk, so she dragged the thrashing girl away with ease.
Apple stood and watched as Sadie dragged Diana away. A part of Apple wanted to follow them. To find out what Diana was talking about. Episodes? Leaving? 2013, 2017? Nothing made sense. And even if she couldn't get any answer, she didn't want Diana to be sad. It appeared that she meant a lot to her. Even though she didn't know it, had Diana been so miserable without her.
Apple didn't have a long time to think. As the girls turned the corner, and Diana spared one last look at the girl, she suddenly heard footsteps. Fast running footsteps.
Before she could turn around, she heard a concerning familiar voice yell. "Hey Apple!"
Apple had about 1.2 second to turn around before she was smacked square in the face. A sharp pain spiked her nose. She landed on the ground with a thud, groaning as blood tricked out of her nose. Her ears rung, her eyes blurry.
She looked up trying to identify the person who just smacked her, as they loomed over her.
"Don't be a wuss, Apple. You shouldn't be here." As female voice said.
"You're gonna die if you don't step up for yourself." The figure stood up, and swung her bat, right at Apple.
....
Apple awoken with a startle. It was still dark outside, Darling soundly sleeping next to her. Apple quietly groaned, her head aching. She reached over to her bag, and dug for her jar of pills. She rolled a pill on the her palm and swallowed it, laying back down. She tossed and turned until she realised that she won't be going back to sleep today.
She had no energy to get up, yet she did. As she changed, she couldn't help but think.
That dream seemed a little... too real.
So after she changed, did her morning ritual, and packed her bag. Just as she was about to head put, she tossed one last glance at Darling, and sighed.
She pulled out a piece of paper and pen and wrote:
Hey Darling! I woke up a bit earlier, and had some errands to run. Couldn't bring myself to wake you up. Don't be mad. Luv ya!
xoxo
Apple <3
And with that she head out the door. The halls were still quiet, only a few soft footsteps and morning birds singing outside. Apple walked until Baba Yaga's house came into few.
Hesitantly, she walked up the steps and knocked on the wooden door.
"Come in." Her voice quietly said, and Apple pushed open the door.
Baba Yaga was brewing something when she entered the room.
"Ah Apple, dear, what can I do for you?" Yaga said, not looking up from her work.
"Uhm, we'll, I have a question."
"Go ahead."
Apple sighed and twiddled with her fingers. "Is it possible to enter other realities through dreams?" She quickly said.
The question startled Yaga so much that she had dropped the bottle she was using into her cauldron, making it explode into smoke.
Both of them coughed, and Yaga answered.
"There are many universes out there, and dreaming is a powerful thing. Of course, the proper term in Dream Walking, but I'm a afraid nobody had mastered that in years. It is very easy to get a stuck in a different reality." She said, in a dark mysterious voice. "But anyway, why do you ask?"
Apple ducked some hair behind her ear. "Oh, I just had a dream."
"Tell me about it."
Apple was kinda shocked. It was rare that the old lady wanted anything to do with kids, but this seemed different.
"Everything was too... realistic. There was this girl who was screaming and crying about Mattel, episodes, and... not to mention she knew my name, and the names of my friends. It was honestly so surreal. And it was cold. And oh, at the end, someone smacked my with a bat. I'm just really confused. Everything felt.. too real." Apple shuddered. She looked up at Yaga, and frowned.
Her face seemed to have scrunched with sourness, and after a moment of silence, she spoke.
"Mattel? You say?" She questioned.
"Yes."
She suddenly thought to herself, and then turned too Apple again. "Don't worry about it dear. It was just a dream. But do me a favor, and please don't tell your friends. Besides, almost time for breakfast."
Apple wanted to ask why, but looked down at her mirror phone. Yaga was right. Has time really gone really fast.
Suddenly she found herself dashing down the hall, extremely hungry. Okay, not dashing, but hurrying in very deep thoughts.
She entered the Castletiria, and sat a amount her friends, not talking. Nobody noticed. She silently Aztec, and for that moment, Apple was invisible.
...
In a small classroom, most of the Royals were for their first class, standing, taking. Normal. Apple nervously looked around. Around her, Briar, Ashlynn, Meeshell, Blondie, Daring, Hopper, and many others. Where was Darling? She had been absent all morning.
Milton had stepped at the front of the room. "Hello everyone good morning. Before going to your classes, a five minute film will play. No talking. Please enjoy."
He stepped aside, and the room went dark. The projector started, and a video launched at the wall. About 30 seconds into the video, the door opened, and closed. She felt someone run up the her, partially out of breathe.
"Hey." Darling said, bending down to take a breather.
"Hi, where we're you?" Apple frowned
"Had to run some errands." Darling smirked and winked.
Apple found herself blushing, praying that the darkness hid her well enough.
"I Hope your not mad." Apple whispered. "For leaving you in the morning."
"Of course not Apple. I could never be mad with you." Darling answered, not looking at her.
Milton shushed them, and the girls shut up.
After a few more second, Apple felt electricity down her spine. She checked her surroundings. Everything was fine, but one thing was bothering her. Well, rather it was driving her nuts.
How close Darling was standing to her. Apple knew she liked the girl, but never had she really payed attention to the girls figure. Now she was realising how hot Darling was. She was a solid few inches taller than her, and in order for Apple to be the same height she had to stand on her tippy toes. Her arms and legs were quite thin, but you could tell that she was quite sporty. She had long locks of blue and white, with her outfits always matching. She had a quite slim body, with her chest size fitting perfectly with the rest of her body. She had a defined jaw line, with eyes that could kill you with a look. She was perfect.
Apple slightly gasped at the realisation, suddenly hugging her arms. She felt Darling arm on hers, her knee occasionally touching Apples. Her breathe hitched, and with every one of Darlings touch, her heart erupted in her chest.
The lights flicked on, snapping Apple out of her thoughts.
As the students filed out of the room, Apple holding her folder close to her chest. It was getting hard to breathe around Darling.
"A!" Darling yelled at her. Every nerve in Apples body screamed turn around!!! But she didn't.
Eventually, Darling caught up to her, softly grabbing Apples wrist. Apple turned to her, hoping that her face wasn't completely red.
"What's wrong? Did I do something?" Darling frowned.
Apples instinct forced Apple to rip her wrist out of Darlings grip before she completely exploded.
"No! Of course not! I just don't feel that well today."
"Do you need to be taken to the nurse?"
"No, I'm okay."
Darling shifted. "I'm sorry about last night. I got a little ahead of myself."
Apple nodded. "It's completely okay, Darling, don't feel sorry."
Darling gave her a small smile, before the bell rung.
"Hey, Briar has that party on Friday, do you think you'd want to... go with me?" Darling questioned
Apples eyes widened. "I'd love to." She said after a few moments.
Darling winked and flashed her one more smile before turning away, rushing of to her class.
Just now Apple realised her heart was beating fast. She was out of breathe and beads of cold sweat trickled down her forehead. She let out a dry cough into the sleeve of her white sweater, and watched in horror as a few drops of red appeared on her sleeve. She gasped, instantly taking the seater off, shoving it on top of some lockers.
She dug in her bag for the orange bottle, and let a green pill roll on her palm. She gulped it down with some water, and slowly started walking off to her class. She was so going to be late.
...
That's it for this chapter! It is so much longer than usual. Your probably thinking "Isla, two chapters in a span of 3 days? What!!"
I'm just kidding. Tune in for the next chapter!