Unhappily Never After (Neverland Archives II) (ON HOLD)

Chapter 3 | Deja Vu

The simple fact is, however, that Emperor Constantine changed the face of Christianity for the worser-- 

Worser isn't a word, Gwen.

...for the worst. 

Gah. There's got to be a less offensive way to put that. Why did I have to get this subject for my research paper? Why? 

He changed it... he made it less... he fused it with pagan rituals... none of that sounds nice!

Whatever. I don't care. Beyond that, even,  I continue, my fingers flying over the keys of my laptop, Constantine committed the worst kind of religious sanctimony: he added false and pagan rituals to Christian traditions, making them appear to be acceptable by God when in fact, they were not. By so doing he misled the people of his era and those traditions are still misleading them today. 

I sit back with a satisfied, tired sigh, rubbing my right shoulder to get some of the tension out of it. I'd better get a really good grade on this stupid paper. I pick up my phone, look at the little white screen to see that it's 6:45 PM.

Something nags at the back of my mind, as if there's something I'm forgetting... but it's elusive when I try to discover it so with a shake of my head, I ignore the feeling. I'm almost done with this paper, and then I need to put back all these books, and then I can go home and sleep.

Oh, sweet sleep. I--

"I'm not Snow White

But I'm lost inside this forest.

I'm not Red Riding Hood,

But I think the wolves have got me,

Don't--"

I jump ten feet in the air when the phone in my hand suddenly starts singing "Wonderland" at me. The song has only been my ringtone for a couple of days so it takes me a second to realize someone is calling me.

I swipe my finger across the screen, answering the call, even as I ignore the dirty looks shot at me by the other people in this section of the library. "Hello?" I say, cautiously since I didn't bother to check the caller ID.

"Where are you?" Stacy's high pitched voice comes through the tinny speakers and I wince. "I'm at the library, Stacy..." I say, as if it's obvious. "I'm still working on that paper remember?"

"Again? You know you can just do research online, Gwen, you're so stupid sometimes."

I frown, tapping my goth-black fingernails against the table in irritation. "I like doing it this way. It gets me extra credit, too." I only add the last part to make her stop complaining; I don't actually care about the grade. 

A weird feeling settles in my gut, like a spider's crawling around in there, making a web. It's almost like deja vu but that's ridiculous, right? Maybe not so much, though. Stacy and I have the same conversations a lot. The same subjects. The same idiocy and nagging over and over again.

I sigh, and the sound is echoed by my older sister as she mutters, "Whatever. Are you coming?"

I frown again. Coming? Did I forget something again? Argh, my stupid brain, why can't I remember...

"You forgot, didn't you?"

"No." I say, automatically. "I just haven't remembered it yet."

Stacy lets out a small scream of frustration. "Dinner? Tonight at seven? Our once-a-month thing?"

I blink. "Is it Friday already?"

"Yes, Gwen! Yes it is!"

"Oh. Sorry."