Lunch took place in the Clearing, a picnic field outside the Blue Forest gates. To get to the Clearing, students had to journey through tunnels of trees that grew narrower and narrower, until the children came through a hollowed trunk onto emerald grass. As soon as Y/n and Tedros came through the Good tunnel, they followed the line of Evers receiving picnic baskets from nymphs in red hoods, while Nevers from the Evil tunnel took rusty pails from red-suited wolves.
As they grabbed their baskets, Y/n looked over to see Agatha sitting in a shady spot by herself.
"Go sit with her," Tedros spoke next to her. "I'll go sit with the princes. She needs a friend."
Y/n smiled at him and then walked over to her friend. She sat down next to Agatha and reached into her basket to find a lunch of smoked trout sandwiches, rampion salad, strawberry soufflé, and a vial of sparkling lemon water.
"Looks delicious doesn't it," Agatha stated. "I was just about to dig into mine."
Just as Y/n was about to take a bite of her sandwich... Sophie swiped it.
"You don't know what I've been through," she sobbed, scarfing it whole. "Here's yours." She plunked down a pail of gruel.
Y/n and Agatha stared at her.
"Look, I asked," Sophie garbled between bites. "Apparently Nevers need to learn deprivation. Part of your training. This is lovely, by the way."
Y/n looked at Sophie's pail and then back at Y/m. Agatha hadn't taken her eyes off of her.
"What?" Sophie said. "Do I have blood on my teeth? Because I thought I got it all."
"Here Y/n you can have mine," Agatha spoke as she handed her the basket.
"We can share it." Y/n split the sandwich in half and handed one half to Agatha. "Thank you."
"Have you told her yet?" Sophie asked.
"Told me what?" Y/n said, finishing off her sandwich.
"We learned something about you Y/n. It's important," Agatha spoke.
"Oh?" Y/n said, raising an eyebrow.
"So we went to see the School Master," Agatha started. "And we learned something."
"Something about me?" Y/n looked at both of them.
"There's a pen called the Storian. It writes everyone's fairytales and it basically keeps track of certain people's lives to make their fairytale."
"So what does this have to do with me?"
"It's writing your story right now Y/n," Sophie said annoyed.
"Wait what?" Y/n looked between the two girls. "How do you know?"
"We saw it writing about you. There was a picture of you and Tedros when you first met in the hallway. It's writing about your story here," Agatha stated. "And now we're not allowed to go home until your story is over."
"How does my story end..?"
"The School Master gave us a riddle. He said once we solve it, then we'll be able to go home," Agatha finished.
"And the riddle is?"
"What's the one thing Evil can never have and the one thing Good can never do without?"
Y/n thought for a moment but then shook her head. "I have no idea what that means. I'm not good at riddles."
"Neither are we apparently," Sophie groaned.
"But I'm going to talk to Professor Sader about it. He's the only one who can help us," Agatha stated.
"Better hurry. My days are numbered," Sophie said glumly and recounted everything that had happened with her roommates, including their prediction of Sophie's doom.
"Did the School Master say anything else?" Y/n asked.
"Only that one of us cared about you deeply while the other envied you," Agatha said.
"Wonder who that could be," Y/n mumbled.
"So does that mean one of you is the villain in my story? There's always a hero and a villain."
"Something has to come between us. The answer must be from the riddle," Sophie stated.
"I don't know what could possibly come between us," Y/n said.
"Maybe Sophie's obsession with the boy who seems to fancy you," Agatha replied.
"Tedros?" Y/n questioned. "He doesn't fancy me."
"Whatever you say."
Across the field, Everboys slowly trespassed into Evergirl territory. Girls waited like flowers to be picked, but Beatrix seemed to be attracting them all. All besides one boy, who was giving Y/n a charming smile and waving from his seat.
"He was supposed to rescue me," Sophie whimpered.
"Sophie, we have the chance to save our village from a two-hundred-year-old curse, to rescue children from beatings and failings, to escape wolves, waves, gargoyles, and everything else in this awful school, and to end a story that will kill you. And you're thinking about a boy?"
"I wanted my happy ending, Aggie," Sophie said, tears sparkling.
"Getting home alive is our happy ending, Sophie."
Sophie nodded, but her eyes never left Tedros. And Neither did Y/n's.
*Later on*
"Welcome to Good Deeds," said Professor Dovey to students gathered in the Purity Common Room. "Now we're behind your other subjects, so we'll dispense with the usual pleasantries. Let me begin by saying that over the years, I've seen a disturbing decrease in esteem for this class."
"Because it's after lunch," Tedros whispered into Y/n's ear.
"Shh," she spoke while smirking.
"Every time you do a Good Deed with true intention, your soul grows purer. Though lately, my Good students have been doing them as if they were chores, preferring to cultivate their egos, arrogance, and waist size! Let me assure you, our winning streak can end at any time!"
"Not if the School Master controls the Storian," said Agatha.
"Agatha, the School Master has absolutely no role in how the stories play out," Professor Dovey said impatiently. "He cannot control the Storian."
"He seemed pretty good at magic to me," Agatha replied.
"Excuse me?"
"Agatha..." Y/n started.
"He can split into shadows. He can make a room disappear. He can make it all seem like a dream, so surely he can control a pen—"
"And how might you know all this?" Professor Dovey sighed.
"Agatha, don't,' Y/n said, more sternly this time.
"What is she talking about?" Tedros whispered to Y/n.
"Don't worry about it right now," Y/n replied.
"Because he showed me," she said.
Y/n dropped her head and groaned.
Their teacher smiled tightly. "Oh, Agatha, what an imagination you have. It will serve you well when you're waiting for someone to rescue you from a ravenous dragon. Let's hope he arrives in time. Now, the three keys to Good Deeds are creativity, feasibility, and spontaneity—"
Agatha opened her mouth, but Y/n pinched her arm to silence her. Agatha remained silent after that.
Before Surviving Fairy Tales, the students of both schools found themselves summoned to an assembly in the Clearing.
As soon as Y/n and Agatha popped through the tree tunnel, Kiko grabbed Y/n.
"Tristan changed his hair!" She wailed.
Y/n glanced over at Tristan, leaning against a tree. His hair was blond now, drooping over one eye. He reminded her of a certain blonde boy she knew.
"He said he did it for Beatrix!" Kiko cried.
Y/n looked to see Tristan's eyes staring at Beatrix. She looked at Tedros and then back at Tristan. Tedros had two shirt buttons undone and his tie loosened with its golden T. Tristan also had undone two buttons and loosened his tie with its golden T.
"That's definitely not creepy at all," Y/n mumbled.
"What if I'm blond like Beatrix?" Kiko hounded. "Then will Tristan like me?"
Y/n looked back at Kiko. "You need to find a new crush immediately honey. He's trying way too hard to get a girl's attention when she doesn't even seem interested in him."
"ATTENTION."
She looked up to see the entire staff lined up next to each other, including Castor and Pollux who were now joined together again.
Professor Dovey cleared her throat. "Students, we have called you here because there have been some unfortunate rumors—"
"Lies, as I call them," said Lady Lesso. Y/n recognized her from the first assembly they had.
"So let us be clear," Professor Dovey continued. "First, there is no curse on Evil. Evil still has the power to defeat Good."
"Provided Evil does their homework!" Professor Manley growled.
Nevers muttered, as if they didn't believe this for a second.
"Second, the School Master is on no one's side," said Professor Dovey.
"How do you know?" Ravan, a Never, shouted.
"Why should we believe you?" Hester yelled as Nevers catcalled—
"Because we have proof." Professor Sader stepped forward.
Everyone went quiet as they all looked around each other. Suddenly, Y/n noticed someone sitting on the other side of her.
"You have the better view over here," Tedros whispered.
"Last but not least," said Professor Dovey, "the School Master's primary responsibility is to protect the Storian. For that reason, he remains in his well-fortressed tower. Thus, regardless of the tales you may hear, let me assure you: no student has ever seen the School Master and no student ever will."
All eyes landed on Agatha as Dovey had finished her sentence. Y/n squeezed her hand to show her that she believed her.
"Ah, is this the storyteller?" Lady Lesso leered.
"It's not a story!" Agatha shot back. She saw Sophie shake her head to say this was an ill-advised battle.
Lady Lesso smiled. "I'll give you one more chance to redeem yourself. Did you meet the School Master?
"Agatha, please. Don't do this," Y/n pleaded. "I believe you."
"Yes."
Y/n looked down for a moment and then looked up to see Lady Lesso glaring.
"You lie to a teacher!" Lady Lesso lashed.
"It's not a lie!" a voice shouted.
Everyone turned to Sophie. "We were both there! We were in his tower!"
"And I bet you saw the Storian too?" Beatrix sneered.
"Matter of fact, we did!" Sophie retorted to laughter.
"And did it start your fairy tale too?"
"Actually, it started Y/n's!"
Suddenly. Y/n felt hundreds of eyes fall on her. She could feel a blush creep onto her face as she avoided eye contact with everyone.
"Thanks, Sophie," Y/n muttered.
"What is she talking about?" Tedros whispered.
"You're hilarious. There's no way the Storian would write a story about an average reader. It's just not possible," Beatrix exclaimed.
"And what makes that so hard to believe?" Agatha chimed in.
"Ugh. The 'Mistake,'" Beatrix groaned. "Good has never been so wrong."
"Watch it," Y/n warned her.
"And what are you going to do about it peasant?"
"Nothing because I'm a better person than you'll ever be. I wonder if that's why Tedros has absolutely no interest in you," Y/n snapped.
Beatrix gasped so loudly, Tedros cracked a grin.
"Don't talk to Beatrix that way!" a voice said.
Y/n turned to see a blonde-haired Tristan speaking to her.
"Back off Tristan!" Tedros snapped back.
"Or else what? I'm sure your little girlfriend is a witch like her friends too. I bet she can defend her-"
He lost patience and punched Tristan in the mouth. Tristan drew his dulled training sword, Tedros whipped out his, and they clashed in a duel. But Tristan had been studying Tedros in Swordplay, so they both used the exact same ripostes, the same retreats, and even the same fight calls, until no one knew who was who.
"FIIIIGGGHHHHHT!" Ravan roared.
Nevers rushed Evers and dive-bombed into the dueling boys. Whooping Everboys charged in, inciting an epic brawl that splattered Evergirls with mud. Agatha and Y/n couldn't help but laugh at girls brought to their knees by dirt, until filthy Beatrix pointed at Agatha.
"She started it!"
Screaming Evergirls charged after Agatha, who climbed a tree. Nearby, Tedros managed to reach his head from under the boys and saw Y/n looking between them both.
Help!" He cried.
"I'm sorry," she called. She grabbed his sword and ran toward the girls who were trying to attack her best friend. Beatrix was pelting pebbles at Agatha from below.
Y/n grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her against the tree, holding the sword up to her chest.
"If I were you, I'd stop it," Y/n hissed at the girl. Beatrix's face turned pale as she could see the seriousness on Y/n's face.
Suddenly, all of the students froze. Y/n slowly turned around and saw Lady Lesso touch her cold, gashed cheek. Staring at the blood on her hand, she grew eerily calm.
Her long red nail rose and pointed at Agatha and Y/n.
"Lock them in the tower!"
A swarm of fairies seized Agatha and Y/n and dragged her past smirking Breatix towards the Evers' tunnel.
"No, it's my fault!" Sophie cried.
"And this one." Lady Lesso stabbed her bloodstained finger at Sophie. "To the Doom Room."
Before Sophie could scream, a claw covered her mouth and pulled her past petrified classmates into the darkness of trees.