The Apple of My Eye: Book Two (An Ever After High Crossover)

The Truth in Pain

His heart pounded furiously. The sound of footsteps echoed through his sensitive ears. Shrill screams spilled from the mouths of his classmates—some who had known him since Pre-K.

"It's the Loner Kid!" a boy exclaimed.

"What happened to him?" a girl asked.

"He's a monster!" a teacher yelled.

No one was willing to lend a hand. To them, he was no longer one of their own, just a creature harboring an inner darkness.

Kyle dashed through the school's crowded corridors, surrounded by faces twisted in fear and revulsion. As he attempted to navigate a corner, a formidable figure loomed, blocking the monster's path.

"I warned you, Kyle," came a commanding voice, cutting through the crowd's noise.

PC Principal stood there, arms crossed, with a rope hanging from his grasp.

"Now look at what your anger has done. Now you've lost your humanity."

Kyle shook his head, feeling the pain by the venom in his words.

"N-no...!"

Kyle clutched his face, trying to escape through the crowd once again. This time it backfired when Craig Tucker, the notorious bad boy of the school, tripped him, causing the monster to fall. As he tried to rise, sharp pains shot through his stomach, chest, and legs. The crowd, treating him like an unwanted intruder, continued to kick him down.

"I never meant for my anger to get out of hand!" Kyle tried to get through them but was failing miserably.

The crowd of familiar faces encircles him. Butters Stotch, the kindest kid around, clutching a pitchfork. Bebe Stevens, whom he rescued from the Evil Queen's clutches, yelling for his head. And Wendy, pretending that she didn't know of Kyle's existence,

"I did everything I could... I tried to control it!" Kyle pleaded, struggling to regain his footing.

Everyone was against him...

A sharp pain encircled his neck as he was dragged across the ground, labeled the monster he was. Kyle struggled to break free from the rope, but his strength was failing. He contemplated cutting through the rope, yet he refrained, not wanting to hurt anyone and validate their accusations. Before he knew it, his arms were securely restrained.

"If he won't kill himself, then we'll finish the job!" an underclassman shouted.

Kyle didn't have the will to move on. The guys were nowhere to be seen and his family was gone forever.

He was alone.

The crowd's gasps fell silent as a bright glow filled the darkened hall. Her golden aura cast her in the light of an angel descending from the heavens. With each step, her beautiful curls danced, and her pristine snow white dress fluttered around her.

As she stopped, the crowd's faces showed their astonishment at her courage in the face of the monster before her. Extending her arms, one adorned with a cherished bracelet, she touched his face with her gentle hands, bringing him comfort. Leaning forward, she pressed her forehead to his.

"Let's get out of here, my dear prince."

***

The Elven Prince's eyes snapped open to find himself swathed in blankets, with concerned bunnies nestled on his lap, shoulders, and head. Kyle turned his head and saw Apple kneeling by his bedside.

'She stayed by my side this whole time?'

Apple lay sprawled out on the mattress, her head and arms outstretched. She looked much cleaner than the last time Kyle had seen her. Glancing down, Kyle covered the lower half of his face, a wave of embarrassment washing over him as he realized he was no longer in his ragged tunic. Instead, he was bandaged up and dressed in a fresh set of pajamas that clung tightly to his body—so tightly, in fact, that he feared any sudden movement might cause a rip. With a sigh and a soft chuckle, he took a closer look at the pajamas, realizing whose they were.