Happy Ever After Holidays

1. The Season of Giving and Decision Making

December 1st

"Cerise! Daring! Guys! I have the greatest idea!" The youngest and savviest Charming child, Darling, approached her older brother and his girlfriend at their usual lunch table.

"What is it?" Cerise asked as both she and Daring turned their attention to Darling.

Darling paused a moment to calm her breathing and excitement. She was quickly entranced by the gently falling snowflakes she saw through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows in the castleteria in the corner of her eye.

The holiday spirit was pumping throughout the whole school, especially Darling. She loved this time of year.

"Darling?" Daring said, calling her focus back to what she was going to say.

"Oh, right! Secret Santa! You guys, me, Raven and Dex!" Darling squealed, sitting across from Cerise at the long wooden table.

"That's a great idea! But... Just us? You don't wanna invite... You know who to join in?" Cerise asked, gesturing to behind Darling.

Luke Montague, a really close friend of Darling's for a long time, was talking to Darling's other closest guy friend, Chase Redford, a few tables away.

Darling sighed, seeming stressed. "Which one?" She glanced at Luke and Chase. Luke, who faced toward the group, caught Darling's eye and smiled at her. That didn't make things any easier for Darling, who didn't know how to straighten out her tangled feelings. Luke was her best friend, and she didn't want anything to ruin that, even though she really did like him.

Chase, however, had enrolled at Ever After High just this year and Darling liked him more and more with every passing day. He was so much like her. Luke wasn't exactly... Chase was so confident, so courageous, so ambitious. And Luke- well, he's a very different story.

"Still, Darling? Just tell Luke you like him!" Cerise advised, scooping some mashed potatoes onto her spoon.

"And just forget Chase?" Darling cried, covering her face with her hands.

"You and Luke are best friends! Best friend boyfriends are the best boyfriends," Cerise whispered, her hand cupped around the side of her mouth. She winked, and Daring put his arm around her and gave her shoulders a squeeze. Cerise and Daring were best friends for most of the school year last year before they began dating.

Daring jokingly rolled his eyes. "Girls are so dramatic." He paused and then looked his sister right in the eyes. "But I disagree, pick Chase."

"Why?" Darling questioned, confused at why Daring would even care.

Daring shrugged and smiled his charming smile. "He's better at bookball."

Cerise gasped sarcastically, laughed and punched Daring playfully on the arm. "Of course you related it back to sports, Daring. You don't have to make your decision now. But I can only give you until the end of the week, because then we need to pick names from a hood so we can start shopping. Okay?" Cerise told Darling, who had not touched her lunch yet because of the situation.

Darling nodded slowly and stared at the thickening snowfall outside the castle walls. She wished she could bundle up and run outside to play in it and forget about all her troubles.