The End is Only the Beginning

2: Observation

Chapter 2: Observation
Aria Charming

Observation: the action or process of observing something or someone carefully in order to gain information.

I had seen my mom's beginning-of-the-year presentation too many times. Whether it was being rehearsed repeatedly in front of her mirror or to dad, or was being presented to a fresh crop of high school students, mom knew how to get her points across. She had succeeded in this fact, for sure. She asked me, for my own freedom year, to sit at the back and observe my classmates. She told me it was good practice for my future. Mom would more likely than not be passing down her responsibility of choose fitting destinies for her students to me after she retired. Observing those around me was great practice, and I was not opposed to it. Being observant is the best way to know as much as possible while saying the least words. I'm not necessarily shy, but it's easier for me to express my feelings in a creative form rather than verbally.

I was definitely able to observe better from the back of the room. From here, I could see many things. My cousin Taylor Queen still had headphones in and was staring at her mirrorphone screen although the presentation had already begun. A girl with strawberry-blond waves toward the middle wore an oversized brown and green sweatshirt that looked like something I'd seen in my parents' high school yearbooks. A shorter girl with low blond pigtails only a row in front of me was trying to hide the fact that she was texting someone named Ace. In one of the first rows, some girl with large pink crownglasses was clearly trying desperately to not fall asleep.

My mom was less than halfway through the segment when she asked my brother to come to the stage and explain the difference between how our destinies would be chosen and how our parents' were. Adam stood from his place and made his way up to the stage. Adam had the same crystal blue eyes and dark hair that I had. I noticed a slew of girls around the room swoon when they saw him. As Adam spoke, he explored the stage, moving left and right and speaking directly to the crowd. He put a lot of expression into what he was saying. Adam made everything he did into a theatre performance. He was much like our dad in this way.

Following Adam's "performance", Uncle Daring, better known to Ever After as King Charming, gave his speech about just how much we would love Ever After High. "The school has a lot to offer. It not only has an award-winning academic program, but also a well-decorated sports program, strong and supported arts and music departments, and a drama department whose performances were always greatly anticipated and attended, among many other extracurricular activities.

Following the presentation, Mom, assisted by our Vice Principal Ms. Blanc and Uncle Daring, distributed our student packets to us. Inside each were the specific student's schedule, a map of the school, dorm information, locker information, and two dorm keys. I was not looking forward to sharing a room. I lived in a castle- I've never had to share a room before and it never occurred to me as a child that I would have to. It would take a lot of getting used to, and if my roommate is anything like my cousins Cherry and Taylor, wish me luck. Wish me even more luck if my roommate is anything like my brother Adam.

"Aria, I've got your packet here," my Uncle Daring said, passing my packet to me. "Good luck, but just remember, if your roommate is a total drab, Cherry and Peyton have keys to the Charming room. If you ever need a getaway, you're welcome in there."

I thanked him but knew that in order to get the key I'd have to go through Cherry first. I didn't mind Peyton, but the chances of finding him during a roommate crisis were slim. Cherry is a lot of fun but a difficult soul to please.

Fingers crossed, I peeled open the packet and read off my roommate's name from the info sheet. "Anita Badwolf," I said out loud. I knew of Anita. She was the most mellow of the Badwolf cousins. I had seen her numerous times growing up, but we were not blood-related (she is my cousins' cousin) and not close enough to consider a cousin or a friend. I hoped she had stayed good-natured and good-mannered. I was counting on it.

Anita was different. There were four Badwolf kids, but really more like three, since Peyton is about as Charming as they come. The Badwolf sisters each had one child except Cerise, who had Cherry and Peyton. I had never regarded Ramona or Blaze Badwolf as my aunts, so I never considered Anita or Rudy my cousins. Anita, Ramona's daughter, is nothing like her mom. Ramona is the toughest of the sisters, but Cherry is the toughest of the cousins. Blaze may have once been fierce but I remembered her being goofy and so is her son. Anita was much like Aunt Cerise recalled being at my age, reserved.

I decided it would be a good a time as any to go up to my dorm and maybe meet her there. I climbed the multiple insanely sized staircases to the floor my dorm was on and followed the directions to the dorm number the info sheet had listed.

"Oh, hey," I said unexpectedly when I found my brother Adam talking to who I assumed was Anita in front of the dorm.

"Hey Aria. Your roommate over here is the worst," he joked, pointing his thumb at Anita, who just smiled shyly. There was a hint of a blush on her cheeks. She looked similar to Cherry but not too much. Her skin was much more olive than Cherry's, as Cherry had inherited just as much Charming skin genes as she had Badwolf/Hood. Cherry tanned and burned, but it appeared Anita didn't burn. Her eyes were a soft brown, which I wasn't sure was a Charming or Hood/Badwolf trait. Her hair was curly but not in tight curls, and it was shorter than Cherry's. There weren't any light tawny or red streaks either.

"Well, Anita, Aria, I'll see you later," Adam stated before scooting off to wherever the busy guy had to be next.

"So, you're Anita," I said as used my key to open the dorm door.

"Yes. Anita Badwolf, nice to meet you," Anita responded.

"Aria Charming," I said, putting out my hand for her to shake. She did so politely, then we stepped into our room.

"So is Adam your brother?" Anita asked, though I had just been about to open my mouth and ask what side of the room she wanted.

I nodded my head and picked a side without asking first.

"Oh." Anita went to the other side of the room without a problem. She didn't seem to mind me making the choice without asking her. "He seems very..."

I laughed at this. I had heard it so often before. "Charming?"

"Yes, exactly. Charming."

New Characters in this part: Aria Charming and her twin brother Adam, daughter and son of Queen and Principal Darling Charming and Luke Montague. Taylor Queen, daughter of Queen Raven and King Dexter Charming.