The Apple of My Eye: A Collection Of Short Stories

Once Upon A Slumber

The locker slammed shut, startling Kyle.

"Hey, Kyle!" Wendy and Bebe called out, their smiles beaming.

"Uh, hi?" Kyle responded, slightly bewildered.

Wendy retrieved a note from her pocket and handed it to him.

"We're just going to cut right to the chase. We want to invite Apple to an all-girls slumber party!" Bebe leans in. "And don't worry we'll make sure she's safe and with Wendy by my side, her secret heritage too."

Kyle unfolded the invitation and perused the note, which announced the event was set for this Saturday.

"I mean, I'm not sure... It would be one thing if it were just the two of you, but the entire class? And no offense, but some of you girls are mean," he remarked.

Wendy simply shook her head in response.

"It would be a great social experience for her. To feel like an ordinary girl for once, not having to worry about her destiny."

***

"A slumber party, how enchanting!" Apple exclaims, springing from her canopy bed with excitement. She rushes to her closet and rummages through dresses, tiaras, and jewelry.

"Starlight, you have to remember that this is a sleepover in the Land of the Readers. They can't know that you're a princess, much less the daughter of Snow White," Kyle explains with caution.

He walks up to her suitcase, pulling out her tiaras, and carefully placing them on her dresser. Apple let out a slight sigh but then she nodded her head in agreement.

"Alright, Darkstar," Apple says, offering reassurance with a gentle kiss on the cheek.

'I hope I can trust Wendy and Bebe. I don't want to risk losing Apple.'

***

The princess tapped on the door thrice, suitcase ready. Excitement bubbled within her, toes dancing in her pink, fuzzy bunny slippers. As the door creaked open ominously, Bebe stood there, welcoming Apple.

"Apple! Come on in, we were just getting things started."

She guided them down into the basement, and Apple felt a twinge of fear, recalling the nursery rhymes of her childhood where witches often imprisoned princesses in such places. However, her apprehension was unnecessary; she was with Bebe, after all.

As they entered, the basement revealed itself to be incredibly welcoming, filled with girls engaged in lively conversation, surrounded by an array of snacks and drinks. A red-haired girl glanced over, taking a moment to study Apple's features.

"Bebe, who's this?" Red inquired.

"Red, meet Apple," she replied.

The other girls paused their activities and crowded around.

"This is Kyle's girlfriend?" whispered one. "She seems like such a goody-two-shoes."

"I imagined her taller," another commented.

Apple usually maintained her confidence, but those remarks stirred some insecurity within her.

"No one talks about my BFF like that. From now on, if you have something to say, you can come to say it to me," Wendy declared protectively.

"Yeah! And that goes for me too. I'd be more than happy to kick you out," Bebe chimed in.

Both girls flashed a supportive thumbs-up to the princess, who smiled gratefully. They gathered on the large, fluffy white carpet at the room's heart. Red produced a deck of cards, each adorned with intricate artwork.