Darling Charming: Finally Extraordinary

1: Here We Go Again

I had the same dream again that night. The dream where I slay a dragon, or, save a prince, or both- and the whole world loves me for it. This dream is all it will ever be- a dream. Nothing more than a recurring memory of an event that had never happened, fading away more and more each night. I'll miss it when it's gone. It's all I have to hold on to.

I woke with a start. I wake like that every morning that I'm at home. I'm never waking up from a nightmare- I'm waking up to one. Dreams I have are better than the reality I live in, which is why I cherish them so much.

Every morning, I start my daily routine mindlessly, my mind itself too busy being weighed down by the thoughts of what terrible things the day could bring. I brush my hair, imagining that it'll just turn black, or red, or orange, or green, or purple- just not my family colors. I brush my teeth wishing they were as dull as everyone else's. I wash my face wishing my eyes weren't magically mesmerizing. I get dressed wishing I could put on jeans and a tee shirt like any other normal teenage girl.

And every night I go to bed crying, knowing that after my beautiful dream I'll have to start the day all over again. When I turn off the light I don't fear monsters under the bed or ghosts coming to haunt me; I'm peaceful.

I long for the day I can wake up and not fear my family. No one understands, and no one ever will. I don't have friends, just presences who think they know what I'm going through but really don't know me at all. I dream of change and I wish for control.

So I pushed myself out of bed and pasted a smile on my face in a desperate attempt at optimism. "Darling," I tell myself every morning, "you're beautiful. You're amazing, wonderful, smart, and strong. You can change your life as long as you believe," but the words seem to fall flat in my ears, and my heart rejects them a bit more every morning.

I put on a light blue dress with fat white polka dots that I'd retrieved from my closet a minute earlier. I slid my feet into shiny silver flats and pinned back some of my blond curls with a bobby pin. Next, I placed my silver tiara on my head. I once attempted not to wear it and had been scolded, of course.

I pushed the door of my room open and galloped down the stairs. In the hall where no one could see me, I danced around pretending to sword-fight with an imaginary knight, then laughed at myself when I tripped over thin air. For the first time that day, I smiled, content with the moment.

"Good morning, miss Darling," the chef called to me as he pulled a tray of blueberry muffins out of the oven.

"Good morning, Chef!" I said cheerily back, feeling a bit better as I took a seat at the breakfast table with my brothers.

"Hey, Darling," my twin brother Dexter said, passing me a piece of sizzling turkey bacon.

"Hey, Dex," I responded, accepting the delicious smelling bacon.

"Hey, we have to talk," my older brother Daring said through muffin bites. He looked at me like the topic of conversation was serious, so I ignored it for a moment. Then I realized this was not what a 'proper princess' would do, and nodded an okay back.

"Well," Daring started, "I'm sorry about yesterday."

"Me too," I piped, not looking him in the eye and pretending to be distracted by my same-as-every-Saturday blueberry muffin.

"Darling..." Daring tried. I know, I know. He was trying to be a good brother. Really, I wanted a good relationship with him, but I didn't want him to simply pity me like everyone else does. I've been pitied my whole life. If there's anything I need more of, it's recognition for my awesomeness, but to most I'm just an ordinary damsel in distress.

"You don't have to be sorry. It was my fault anyway," I made up, even though the fault was most definitely not mine. It wasn't necessarily his either, but that was beside the point.

"Well... I guess I should be saying thank you. I didn't know you had that in you," he replied hopefully.

"Thanks. I did," i admitted, adding but you should have said something, in my head.

"Darling, seriously. I wouldn't have taken the credit from you if I had a choice." That was just an excuse. He could have said something. He never does. He never stands up for me. He's the golden child, the future of the Charming family name. What he would have said would have made a difference.

"You should've said something," I sighed, still not meeting his loving-older-brother gaze. His attempts to be a good brother were failing and I knew it was driving him crazy.

"Good morning, children," our father announced, marching into the room. Daring immediately dropped the conversation like I knew he would. Whether he didn't want to get me in more trouble or didn't want to stand up for me, I'll never know.

"Good morning," my brothers said at the same time, getting up from the table. They both trudged over to the closet in the hall and obtained their school backpacks, getting ready to leave for Ever After High again. February break was over, and they'd be returning to boarding school today.

"Bye," I whispered, trying to hold back tears. I hate when they leave- I'm by myself with people who don't care about me for months; I have no one to talk to.

"Goodbye," daring declared, just as dad would.

"Bye," Dexter waved, tripping over himself clumsily.

And then they were gone again.