Ever After High: Secret Storybooks

Chapter Seven: Lizzie Hearts

It'd been quite a long day. I'd studied hard and I'd written a letter to send to my mother, The Queen of Hearts, in Wonderland, updating her on things here in Ever After. I'd also had a wonderlandiful tea party with Kitty Cheshire and Maddie Hatter, some of my closest friends. I was really in need of some rest.

But who could rest when the campfire event was this evening? Maddie and I had signed up to be a part of the committee putting it all together. I'd designed the perfect snack menu, and had helped Ginger with baking in my only free moments today. Maddie would be in charge of lugging in the big old Book of Fairytales from the Enchanted Library. Apple had put together a playlist of soothing background music to play while they read from the book. It was going to be absolutely lovely.

There'd even been an invite list, and only the kids invited would be allowed to sit and read from the book. Daring had written it and gotten it approved by the committee. There were a few questionable invitees, such as obnoxious Sparrow Hood, his extremely shy cousin Cerise Hood, and conniving Duchess Swan, but Daring insisted that everyone he'd picked be invited, and he'd pushed especially hard to get Cerise approved.

Poor Cerise. Probably the next name atop of his list of girls to mess with, I felt sympathy for her. After my experience I couldn't see why anyone would possibly like cheating Charming.

The invite list Daring had created probably wouldn't have even had me on it if I hadn't joined the planning group. Luckily, I was on the list, along with a lot of the most important fairytale characters in the grade: Cerise Hood, Daring Charming, Briar Beauty, Faybelle Thorn, Raven Queen, Dexter Charming, Ashlynn Ella, Hunter Huntsman, Sparrow Hood, Poppy O'Hair, CA Cupid, Darling Charming, Kitty Cheshire, Holly O'Hair, Apple White, Hopper Croakington, Duchess Swan, Blondie Lockes, Maddie Hatter, Cedar Wood, and myself. Ginger had been invited but had arranged to visit her mother tonight, but agreed to make the treats for the event anyway.

It wasn't a fancy event, but was exclusive. I wanted to look nice, but not over-the-top. I fixed my hair and touched up the red makeup heart around my left eye.

One of the many things my classmates didn't know about me was that I was pretty great with makeup. Some of my other hidden talents were fashion design and writing music, just to put it out there.

Back in Wonderland, Kitty and I would always give each other makeovers at our sleepovers. I'd do our makeup and Kitty would paint our toenails. We had some of our deepest conversations at those sleepovers, and I missed times like that. Sure, Maddie was wonderful and so were our friends Alistair and Bunny, but Kitty and I had a closer bond. We knew each other as if we were twin sisters. Unlike real twin sisters Holly and Poppy O'Hair, we don't share a dorm at Ever After High, so it'd been a long time since Kitty and I had really had any long exchanges, not even on the phone. Things were different here than in Wonderland.

Here, everyone just misunderstood me. Kitty and my friends always knew just what I was trying to say, even when all it came out as was "off with your heads!" Here, everyone just gave me weird looks and scooted a little further away in their school desks or on lunch benches.

At promptly 7:00 pm, I made my way down to the school's fire pit in one of the big side yards. It was on the west side of the school property. The setting sun made all the benches and the fire-ready pit cast long shadows on the fresh green grass. Everyone already at the gathering sat on the wooden log benches, and there weren't many of them. Only Daring Charming sat on a smaller bench, looking only large enough to fit two or three students. He had his right hand out on the bench, as if he was saving a spot for someone. My mind instantly went to Cerise. Briar and Faybelle sat next to each on the log next to him, making small talk but not seeming amused to talk to each other. Cedar stood with a big white sheet of paper in front of the campfire area. She was in charge of checking everyone's names off the list.

"Hey Cedar," I said, walking past her, not sure of where to go, and settling uncomfortably on a bench to the other side of Daring. I didn't want to talk to him, but I didn't want to look awkward sitting by myself. I just waited for everyone else, anyone, maybe Cerise, to sit in between us.

"Hey, Lizzie," she called over her shoulder to me, preparing to greet Raven Queen and Dexter Charming next. I could see Cerise coming up behind them, looking slightly girlier than usual, and I wondered if Daring had asked her here on a date. It wasn't even any of my business, so I wasn't sure why I even cared. I guess I saw similarities between Cerise and I, and I was hoping we could be friends.

My mind shifted to what story I'd be reading. It could be anything, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to my very own Alice in Wonderland- or as they'd soon be called, Apple White and the Seven Dwarves and Alistair in Wonderland. I shuddered at the thought of the future, where I'd have to order the execution of both Alistair and Maddie. The only thing that kept me a Royal was the reassurance that Alistair and Maddie get away safely. I sure hoped they would.