This Enchanting New World

Chapter 2

Daughter Gothel was the adopted child of Mother Gothel. No one knew who her real parents were, but she liked to believe that they were from Auradon, waiting for her so they could pick her up and march her there and tell her that it was all a terrible mistake, but that it was all over now. She supposed that was a naive thing to dream about, but she was an optimist, even if she was ironically nicknamed Goth. In truth, she was a human sunbeam. 

The tower was overgrown with plants and flowers, and hidden by a curtain of flowering plants. Of course, none of them were golden or magical, though a girl could dream. It was in the center of a ruined area that was destroyed by a landslide, which ended up forming a pit of rocks. Goth had torn apart part of these rocks to create a secret escape. She sometimes used that escape to sneak out. Really, that was her most mischievous act.

Now it made for a perfect hideout and ideal fort for her, Dizzy Tremaine, and me. 

I slipped through the gap in the rocks like it was a portal to another world. Oh well, I thought. Someday. Dizzy arrived soon after me, giving a little squeal of excitement. 

"I am never going to get tired of doing that! It's SO FUN," she giggled happily.

 "Hey, Dizzy," I greeted, "I'm glad to see a familiar face." 

Her face grew concerned. "Did something happen?," she fretted. 

"It was hard getting over here-everyone was rude to me as usual. And some guy stole my crown!," I vented. 

"WHAT? The nerve! That crown is SO AWESOME!," Dizzy screamed. I grabbed her headphones and slipped them on, which ironically knocked over my crown. 

"Okay, okay, point taken. I just have some huge news to share with the two of you!," she exclaimed.

"Well, then, why are we waiting around out here? Come on!," I beckoned as I scrambled through Goth's trapdoor. We giggled.

Goth's face lit up like the sun when she saw us. We tackle-hugged her, collapsing into a fit that was equal parts laughter and tears, equal parts happiness and sorrow. 

"Goth, I'm so glad to see you. I was very worried all day," I said to her. 

"Your hair looks amazing!," Dizzy added.

"Thanks, so does yours. How did you dye it?," Goth replied.

"I used garden shears and dented soda cans," Dizzy exclaimed proudly.

"What a coincidence. I recently made this poncho out of curtains," I said.

"Your outfits are both so cool!," Goth complimented. She may be into fashion, like me and Dizzy were as well, but she really was nothing like her mother.

"Okay, okay, enough time making small talk. It's getting us nowhere," Dizzy said. Her eyes welled up with fresh tears. "And I know that's both of you guys's worst fear."

A profound, somber silence fell upon the compact room. One that sat low, twisted for a bit, and had damage in it. 

"I guess you two deserve to know. I'm going to Auradon," Dizzy proclaimed.

My jaw dropped and quivered, eyes widening and glossing over with magical mist. Goth couldn't even look at her.

"You...you are? You're..leaving? Going..there?," Goth mumbled, almost speechless. She didn't even look Dizzy in the eye- instead, she was gazing out her tower window at the horizon.

"I'm sorry," Dizzy said sweetly.

"You'll be leaving us! And...," I burst into tears like some fragile princess, as perhaps I was, "I'll still be stuck here." I sighed in apathy,  "I should be happy for you, I know I should. But instead I'm fretting about my own power and having that status you're getting for myself. I guess that's in my blood. Maybe I really am wicked."

"No, no, I understand," Dizzy replied, stars in her joyful yet grieving eyes, "It isn't fair, for some to have their dreams come true and get happy endings and nice things while others live in this terrible place-"

"-with so much sadness and so much pain," I finished. It was a famous line said by my mother to Giselle.