Rewrite (Raven x Apple)

~Chapter Forty-Four~

Reality is a hard pill to swallow. Especially when you lose someone you love. Apple White learned that lesson the hardest way possible. A long, painful two weeks had passed since Raven's death. The school had gotten quieter. A lot quieter. It had hit the entire school hard, sure, but it didn't cut anyone deeper than Apple. Trying to talk to her normally was like trying to navigate a minefield while blindfolded. One wrong word and she broke down into tears.

And just like that, the school was separated into two sides again. The Royals and the Rebels. Without Raven, it was as if a barrier had been built between the two sides again.

Apple could only stand to go to a few classes a day. And when she was in classes, she wasn't paying attention or taking notes like how she normally would. She would sleep in Raven's bed, wear her clothes, and re-read the little sticky notes she left around the room a million times. Because it was all she had left of the girl who was so harshly ripped away from her.

It's incredible how grief can completely destroy someone.

The deafening sound of the bell ringing forced Apple to face the real world again. She pulled her head up, looking around at the room and the students who were scurrying out of the room. She glanced down at her arms, which were turning red and had marks on them from pressing her hair against them. Apple sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"You have to stop falling asleep in class, Apple," Ashlyn commented, putting a hand on Apple's shoulder.

"I know, I know. I'm just...tired."

"You're always tired now." Ashlyn brushed a strand of hair out of Apple's face. "Where did Apple White go?"

"She died with Raven."

Ashlyn gasped. "Apple!"

Apple rolled her eyes, standing up and grabbing her things. "What?"

"I know you're going through a hard time right now, but please, talk to me. We're all grieving her, but-"

"But I'm overreacting, it's just a rough patch, yada yada. I know. I've probably had this talk about a thousand times with everyone else.

Ashlyn, stunned, watched as Apple started to walk away.

"Apple, wait!"

But she didn't. Apple walked out of the classroom without another word. Ashlyn knew that Apple didn't take Raven's death well, but she didn't know that it hit her that hard.

Apple was, obviously, not in the castleteria during lunch. Probably hibernating in her dorm again, wrapped up tight in Raven's blankets while wearing one of her hoodies.

Briar and Ashlyn sat in silence while they ate, an empty seat across from them.

"Is Apple okay...?" Briar asked, finally breaking the tense silence.

"Of course, she isn't. She hasn't been."

"But her birthday is soon. Graduation is too. Is she just gonna try and forget about those too amid her grief?"

"Probably." Ashlyn sighed, glancing around the eerily quiet castleteria.

"Apple loved Raven in a different way than everyone else loved Raven."

While the death did hurt Apple, it also majorly impacted the Rebels. Their leader was gone. Just like that, they had nobody to direct them, stick up for them, nothing. Gone.

"But why would someone want Raven to just...drop dead like that?" Cerise asked, playing with the cafeteria food on her plate.

"I don't know. Maybe they wanted something from Apple? Like, maybe they wanted to date Apple or something? Or her destiny?" Maddie replied.