What could have been (#EAHWattyAwards2016)

Chapter 16: Part 2 - The Play That Almost Was, And Then Wasn't! But Then Was!

Raven's PoV
"Well done everyone, very well played!" Lady Marion says when they return backstage.
Raven takes off the evil crown off her head, shaking her head a little bit so her long hair falls into place again. Apple giggles beside her, still wearing her dirty rags and still looking fairest.
"Can we do it again? Oh can we, can weee?" Apple pleads.
"Sorry ms White, just one go per play," Lady Marion says with a smile.
"Yeah and one time is enough, but, it was fun!" Raven admits, laughing.
Daring laughs his charming laugh, takes off his shirt and presses it against his face to dry the sweat away. "It was a blast!"
Apple giggles, clapping her hands together applauding. "It totally was! And Raveeen!~" she dances around Raven, placing her hands on her boulders. "You were spellbinding! I can't wait for the real thing now - when you will poison me for real!"
Apple continues her dance, dancing over to Daring. She strokes his back and is arms, his chest and grabs his hips, pulling him to her.
"I can't wait for our real thing either, Daring Charming," she looks into his blue eyes and smiles. "And I totally forgive you for dancing with Cerise at the ball. I mean everything is royally perfect again, now that we are engaged.~"
Daring smiles too and chuckles nervously. "Was I that good up there?"
"Mhm!~" Apple beams of happiness and slightly pouts with her lips, standing on her toes. "Give me a real kiss, Daring.~"
Daring swallows hard before giving her a tiny kiss on her lips.
Raven sighs and rolls her eyes at them.
"Now now, Apple and Daring! S-separate yourselvs!" Lady Marion claps her hands together two times and the two lovebirds magically moves three feet away from each other.
"Come on Apple, let's get something to drink," Raven takes Apple's hand and walks away.
Apple giggles as they hear Daring letting out a loud sigh of relief.

Cerise's PoV
The sun is already set, leaving Ever After a chilly evening. Cerise is walking alone in the Courtyard, slowly pacing around the different bushes and figure trees portraying the main characters from different fairytales. She walks pass the tree cut like Snow White, the current Queen of Ever After and co-ruler of the whole Magical World. Her pose is of grace and of beauty, or as Blondie would say: not too much this, not too much that but just right. As her ...former best friend forever after would say: too royally perfect.
Cerise sighs, looking away from the Queen-tree. She wonders if there is a tree cut like her mother, or perhaps her father, but she doubts it.
Her eyes falls on a wooden bench. She sits down with another sigh. She cover her face in her hands, mumbling to herself.
What's wrong with me?
She lets we hands drop to her knees, looking up to the sky which goes darker and darker by the second. Here and there stars comes out, shining brightly. She inhales deeply, filling her lounges with as much air as they can hold.
"WHAT. IS. WRONG. WITH. ME!?" Cerise screams out, loud and hard.
When she is done she exhales loudly and shrinks down a couple of centimetres. She knows exactly what's wrong with her.
Looking to the grassy ground, her eyes falls onto a pair of brown shoes. She tilts her head to the side, thinking for a second.
"Cerise?"
She suddenly jumps high up into the air, landing on her feet in a very uncomfortable pose.
"Hunter! Heeey! I-I didn't see you there... Haha..." she laughs nervously.
"Is everything...okay?" Hunter looks at her, there's both worry and confusion in his eyes.
Cerise sighs, scratching he arm. "Yeah no... I am feeling much better now, shall we go inside?.." She laughs that nervous laugh again and fires off an uncomfortable smile.
Hunter smiles back, but an genuine and caring smile. He takes her hand and sits down on the bench, patting beside him for her to sit down. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Cerise knew it wasn't an actual question because she had to talk about it, even though she really did not want to. She sits down with a thud beside him. He gives a caring smile.
"I guess...." Cerise begins, biting on the inside of her cheek. "I'm just really ...I've felt strange since school started and..." Se lets out a sigh. "And I... I'm nervous about the play." she bites her bottom lip and pulls her hood further more over her face. It wasn't what she needed to talk about but she didn't want to talk about the ball with him. Or the wolf thing for that matter.
"Me too," Hunter's smile grows wider. "But you know what they say-"
Cerise peers at him from under her hood. "What... do they say?" she whispers.
"It doesn't have to be perfect, as long as you do your best."
Cerise raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms across her chest. "Really? Who says that?"
"Me, I say that," Hunter smiles. He slowly reaches out his hand to stroke her cheek gently. Cerise feels her cheeks fluster with warmth.
"Ready to go back?" He smiles and takes her hand.

The air is chillier and colder now and it is almost completely dark. Cerise bites her bottom lip to keep herself from shuttering with her teeth. She's usually not one of those who gets cold easily but this evening is colder than the others has been. She sighs in relief when the warmth from the school halls embraces her.
"All students, teachers and parents to the Great Hall! Our next Fairytale-Play is about to start!" a message echoes from the magical speakers in the hallways.
"Sounds like we better make a run for it," Hunter says. "Do you feel like running?"
"Oh yeah," Cerise smiles. "Always."

The end is just the beginning...