The Tale Must Go On

Chapter 1: Charity 179

Ava woke up first. As usual. She moved around the room, not being especially quiet because the other girls should be waking up soon anyway.

"Wake up ladies!" She called out, flinging the curtains open.

Emily groaned, rolling away from the bright light, closing her big, dark blue eyes tight.

"You know I need more beauty sleep than you, Ava! I get eye bags super easily."

Fiona sat up, and observed her surroundings. Her bedroom with her best friends "Emily, no one cares." she warned.

"Anyway, it's time to get up. Also, you wear enough makeup to cover any potential eye bags anyway, so I don't think you need to worry." Ava called to Emily

"Uh, well, I wouldn't NEED to wear that much if- you know, it's not even that much- at least I know HOW to wear makeup!" Emily sputtered

Fiona wandered over to Zara's bed. As usual, she wasn't awake. Zara was a very late sleeper.

"We should probably wake Zara up." Ava said.

"Agreed" Fiona stated. "Sleeping Beauty's granddaughter never wakes up on time"

"Well, you can do that while I slather loads of makeup over those eyebags." Emily said saltily

"Hey, it was either you don't have 'eye bags' or you get to class on time. Take your pick." Ava replied.

"Not class, breakfast. Which I don't eat anyways." She sighed. "But I am sorry about being rude, you were just trying to help, and it wasn't very Good of me. I can be irritable in the morning." Emily replied

Fiona slipped on her favorite dress - a sparkly purple sheath - and put on some golden silk slip ons. "Ready to go" she called. Fiona always ate bran cereal at breakfast. Unlike some evergirls, she ate, she just ate healthy enough that she didn't get fat. "Someone wake up Zara. I don't want to miss breakfast." Fiona said.

"Not it!" Emily called, sitting at her vanity table, brushing her long blond hair.

"I'm feeling kind of....fancy today. Emily, do you think there's any chance you would braid my hair?" Ava asked tentatively, ignoring what Fiona had said.

"Oh, of course!" Emily replied, makeup half done. "Come, sit!"

She gestured to her perfectly made bed.

Ava obeyed, pushing her long hair behind her so Emily could reach it.

Emily's dainty fingers started weaving at an incredible pace.

"Do you want a traditional braid? French? Fishtail?"

"French sounds safest." Ava decided. "I couldn't tell you the difference, so I hope I picked well."

"Alright, I think a French braid will look good on you!" Emily said cheerfully, and started attacking Ava's head with enthusiasm.

"I guess I'm going to end up waking Zara up, right?" Ava said. "Because Fiona isn't doing it and neither are you. Ooh, this will be fun, being able to wake her up my way." Ava said with a grin.

"I'm getting a bit nervous for Zara now..." Emily replied. "What do you have planned?"

"Well, I was thinking that because she's making us run late, I might give her some water to wash her face with... in bed." Ava said mischievously.

"Ava! Be Good!" Emily chided, finishing up the braid.

"Would you like to wake her up instead?" Ava asked innocently.