the fall of red

i hate you!

Chloe struggled to accept the news she had received two days ago. She found herself stationary most of the time, only getting up when necessary. It felt as though her entire life had ground to a halt, and no matter how hard she tried to distract herself, she couldn't shake off the feeling.

She mainly sought solace in sleep, as it provided a brief respite from her thoughts. When asleep, she didn't have to confront the memories of Red, particularly the image of her brown eyes with a speck of gold in them. Her eyes, always tinged with a hint of pain and sadness, were undeniably captivating. In Chloe's eyes, every aspect of Red was infused with beauty, even the pain reflected in her eyes.

She didn't answer any calls or texts from her worried and frantic family, which drove Cinderella to dial Uma's number in a state of panic, fearing that something terrible had occurred to her daughter. Upon learning about the situation, the family intensified their efforts to contact their youngest child and little sister. Still, she remained steadfast in her decision to ignore everyone, retreating into her world.

Chloe's state of mind was teetering on the edge, the weight of her emotions keeping her confined to her dorm room. She longed for this seclusion, unable to muster the strength to face the outside world. Her once bright hope had dimmed to a mere flicker, slipping through her fingers like fine sand.

Her days had become an endless cycle of tears and regret as she found herself yearning for a different outcome. Her thoughts often drifted to the night in the forest, the memory of a distant, thunderous sound etched in her mind. She was haunted by the realisation that it was Red. If only she had chosen a different path that fateful night, perhaps Red would still be alive. Alive and lying with Chloe on her bed instead of Chloe gripping onto Red's hoodie while crying.

Uma sat on a weathered wooden bench in the school courtyard, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon as she engaged in a solemn conversation with the fairy godmother. Their topic was a memorial for Red. Despite being new to the school and lacking close connections, Uma felt compelled to honour Red's memory.

"It will be our way of sharing the news with everyone," Uma said softly, her gaze shifting to observe the oblivious children bustling about on their way to class.

The fairy godmother nodded in agreement. "It will."

"Today, at 3 pm, we will make the announcement. Do you think Chloe will join us?" Uma inquired, her tone tinged with lingering guilt over her unresolved issues with Chloe.

"I believe she will. Something in her heart will pull her to it." FGM smiled sadly before excusing herself.

She was right. At 1 p.m., Chloe received an email from the school about a mandatory assembly. At 2 p.m., Chloe sat on her bed, now wearing Red's hoodie, staring at the empty bed. At 3 p.m., Chloe pulled herself out of the bed and put her shoes on, not before tearing up, thinking back to the time Red had given them to her before walking out of the door and to the assembly.

She walked to the courtyard, seeing Uma speak to the FGM, before weaving her way through the crowd, hoping not to touch anyone in the hoodie in case their smell overpowered the lasting scent of Red. When Uma saw Chloe, she slowly nodded towards her, to which Chloe smiled slightly. She knew what was happening and appreciated that Uma was doing it.

"Thank you for joining me today, even if it was mandatory. I wish I could stand in front of you and give you good news, but instead, today, I am going to tell you about a girl. As many of you are aware, I am from the Isle, a place that was cut off from Auradon for many years. Recently, we have been able to travel from one place to another as we wish. I wanted to give even more children the chance the VKs have had. So I invited a young girl from Wonderland—Princess Red of Hearts. After a while at this school, I told her she must leave. That will forever be my biggest regret. A few days later, we found that Red had taken her own life. I promised to protect and care for all of you. I promised I'd give those without a chance one. I failed. I failed Red. I know that not many of you have had a good relationship or any relationship with Red. Still, I hope you will understand that no matter how you feel about someone, nobody deserves to feel so hopeless that they can not fight the battles of their own mind. Although she may not have spent much time in Auradon, she will forever be a part of it. And she didn't deserve her fate. She didn't deserve how she felt."

As Uma finished speaking, Chloe's emotions overtook her, causing her to rush to the stage. With tears streaming down her face, she embraced Uma tightly, seeking comfort in her arms. Uma returned the hug, holding Chloe close as they both stood on stage, surrounded by the weight of the moment.

"Thank you," Chloe whispered, clinging to Uma's jacket.

"I'm sorry, Chloe," Uma said, her embrace conveying both empathy and understanding as she held the teenager close.

Chloe and Uma then sat in silence for a while on a bench. Uma checked on Chloe every few minutes, ensuring she was okay, and she nodded in response every time. But she wasn't okay. Chloe had moved on from the shock and pure sadness part of grief and had moved to anger, although it wasn't anger at Uma or herself. Right now, she was mad at Red for leaving her.

Uma walked Chloe back to her dorm in the evening, the lamplight casting long shadows across the corridor. "Goodnight, Chloe. Remember, if you need anything, my office is just a call away, any time," Uma said, her voice reassuring. Chloe expressed her gratitude, and as Uma closed the door behind her, Chloe slumped against the frame, her emotions welling up. Tears streamed down her face, her confusion and inner turmoil overwhelming her. In the solitude of her room, she grappled with a whirlwind of emotions, each one a tangled thread in the fabric of her being.

As Chloe's mind began to be clouded by her anger, she stood up, took off her shoes, and tried to stop her tears from running down her face. This worked until she moved around her room, falling over Red's shoes again.

Chloe stood up and grabbed the shoes.

"I hate you! I hate you for lying and hurting me! I hate you; I hate you! You tried to kill my mom. I hate you! You became my friend, and I hate you!!" Chloe walked over to the side of the room she hadn't stepped foot in since she found out Red had died. She began opening drawers and the closet, trying to find somewhere to put the shoes so she wouldn't have to face the fact that she would never be able to return them to Red.

"I hate that you didn't leave a note of anything!" Chloe threw a few boxes out of the closet.
"I hate that you made me feel safe around you!" Chloe shoved the shoes inside, but something resisted stopping the shoes halfway, meaning the door wouldn't shut. Her anger built up as her movements became more erratic.
"I hate you for making me love you, Red!" Chloe grabbed the object, forcing the shoes to stick out of the closet. Her hand grabbed a familiar object—the pocket watch.

Chloe fell back, leaning against Red's bed.

"I hate that no matter how hard I try to blame you, I still blame myself. I hate that everything in my body is telling me to forget you...I hate that I can't remember what your voice sounds like. I hate that I know I'll use this to bring you back. I hate that I can't live without you, Red."Chloe felt her anger gradually subside as she gazed down at the delicate gold watch in her hand, her fingers clutching it with a desperate determination.

She was resolute in her determination to bring Red back, no matter the cost. She couldn't bear to be without Red, and she saw the acquisition of the pocket watch as a powerful sign from the universe. To Chloe, it was a clear message that Red's destiny did not involve death.

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Sorry that i didn't post a chapter yesterday guys! hope you enjoy this one! things are starting to look better now that red might be back! key word might...
<3