Fairytale Fate: The Legend Begins

♚ C H A P T E R • T W O ♚

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"If I'm honest I have to tell you I still read fairy-tales and I like them best of all." - Audrey Hepburn
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"Good morning, class," Mr. Hoffman said in his thick Boston accent as he walked into the buzzing English classroom. After he placed his brown briefcase on his desk, he grabbed a dry erase marker and in big, bold letters he wrote 'FAIRYTALES' on the whiteboard.

Aura perked up slightly at the sight while a boy in the back of the classroom scoffed. "What are we, five?"

Mr. Hoffman, without skipping a beat, turned around and pointed the marker at the young man. "Mr. Skies, with your typical behavior, you might as well be." Laughter spread around the room as the boy rolled his eyes.

The teacher looked around the classroom and pointed at a student towards the front. "Miss Winters, how does Snow White and the Seven Dwarves end?"

The girl paused before speaking, "The princess never wakes up, Sir."

Mr. Hoffman nodded. "And what do we learn from her story?"

"That, um, we should be cautious around strangers? That being naïve can have consequences?"

Their teacher nodded contently then turned to face the entire class. "Every fairytale seems to follow the same, simple formula: hero and villain are introduced, hero goes on a quest of some variety, then they ultimately fail by either being defeated or outsmarted by the villain. They all teach us important life lessons. So, I want you all to grab one of those books on the shelf," he motioned to a large bookcase with a set of weathered, brown books, "and pick three stories to follow the exercise we just did, but more in-depth — I want at least a page per story. Don't be afraid to get creative. It'll be due on Monday, so use the rest of class wisely."

As the class began to work, Aura felt a soft tap on her shoulder. When she turned around, she was met with a pair of blue-green eyes and a kind smile she knew all too well...as did the butterflies in her stomach.

"A little dark, don't ya think?" Jake said in a low whisper to avoid the teacher's sharp gaze.

Aura raised a quizzical eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Just that the good guy never gets to win in any of these stories. It's like he's trying to make us depressed."

"I just think it's funny that no one has tried to rewrite them with a happy ending."

The pair quickly dropped their heads and pretended to write when they caught the glare of Mr. Hoffman. When he turned back to his computer Jake tapped on her shoulder again.

"So how are you feeling about the play?"

"Nervous...really nervous, actually. Especially if Casey's ankle doesn't heal in time for the show."

Jake's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Why are you nervous? You might actually be able to perform!"

Aura tugged on her ear. "What if push comes to shove and I have to go on instead of Casey, someone who's been in theater her whole life, and everyone thinks I suck? Not to mention Casey already hates me, so imagine what'll happen if she doesn't get to play the role at all," Aura sighed. "I'm sorry, you didn't ask to be ranted to."

Jake leaned forward in his chair, twiddling his pen between his fingers. "Something that I've found is when directors cast understudies, they're just as talented as the person who gets the part. The only difference is that they haven't found their confidence yet." He gave her a wink before turning back to his work.