Scarlet (An SGE Fanfic)

Hope in the Toilet

Dot

A bathroom. That's what my home was reduced to. And unfortunately, within the next few years, I would become well acquainted with this particular room.

When I was younger, I could turn objects into a variety of foods, from vegetables to breads and cakes; pretty much anything except for meat. But by the time I was three, after my father had exploited my gift for monetary gain, I could only turn things into my most delicious, most popular, most expensive creation: fudge. But fudge, it seems, is not great for a sustainable diet, especially when you're living in a boy's bathroom. I'd been able to sneak a couple of pastries from the kitchen, but I was growing pretty desperate. I couldn't go back to Evil, at least not yet, but soon enough, I would either be discovered or die of starvation.

The door crashed open for the one hundred and seventy fourth time today. I tried to keep quiet, but a few small sniffles escaped.

"Hello?" called a voice. The voice seemed vaguely familiar, but in my starved, distraught state, I couldn't put a finger on it. The person knocked on the door to my stall.

"Excuse me, I returned, trying to deepen my voice.

"Dot, open the door." That's when it came to me. Agatha. Slowly, I swung the door open, trying not to meet her eyes. My bottom lip trembled, and with Agatha's concerned expression fixed on me, I broke down.

"I thought Sophie was my friend!" I blubbered. "But then she took my room and my friends and now I have nowhere to go!"

"So you're living in a boys' toilet?" Agatha asked skeptically.

"I can't tell Nevers they kicked me out," I sobbed, too upset to even try for dignity. "They'd torment me more than they already do!"

"But there has to be somewhere else—"

"I tried to sneak into your supper hall, but a fairy bit me before I escaped!"

Agatha grimaced, then glanced nervously toward the door. "Dot, if anyone finds you here, they'll fail you!"

"Better failed than a homeless, friendless villain," I pointed out, burying my face in my hands. "How would Sophie like it if someone did it to her? How would she like it if you took her prince? No one could be that Evil!" And it's true that Agatha wasn't Evil. I, of all people, could see that Sophie was the Evil one from the beginning. It was Hester and Anadil who had turned a blind eye, and now they were the ones degrading themselves to her henchmen.

"I just need to talk to her," Agatha said anxiously. "I'll help her get Tedros back, okay. I'll fix everything, Dot. I promise."

My sobs softened. Agatha was a hero. And heroes made things right. Sometimes, I wondered why I had been put in Evil when I seemed so different from everyone else. But this was the first time I wished I was Good, wished I could help people instead of being useless.

"True friends can make things right, no matter how bad they seem," Agatha insisted.

"Even witches like Hester and Anadil?"

Agatha touched my shoulder, and I leaned into her hand. Neither the Nevers nor my father had ever been generous with physical affection, so even this small shoulder touch from Agatha made me feel like I at least had one friend in this world.

"Even witches."

Slowly, I raised my face from my hands. "I know Sophie says you're a witch, but you wouldn't fit in at our school at all."

There was a moment of silence. "I mean, how did you even get here?" Agatha asked, picking crumbs of chocolate from my hair. "There's no way to cross between the two schools anymore."

"Of course there is," I dismissed. "How do you think Sophie attacked all those nights?"