The Land of Stories: Gleefully Ever After

Having a Ball

Chapter 7 – Having a Ball

Chapter Notes:  In which we meet some old friends, and there is lots of gratuitous pointing…  

Chris and Darren stood in the center of a bustling market town, gazing about in awe.  During the cart-ride with Smithers (whom Chris could barely look at without feeling like his head was going to explode) they had learned that Quinderella would be hosting a royal ball at the palace that evening.  All around them, people were buzzing with excitement at the prospect.

“Does everyone here look kind of familiar to you?” Darren asked.

“Yeah.  I couldn’t name any of them, but I think I recognize a bunch of extras from Glee.”   

“This whole experience is so trippy.  I mean, how does this mash-up thing work?  Do you think all the main characters on Glee ended up as main characters in your book, and the extras are the minor characters?  Or do you think the characters got fused together based on looks, or personality, or names, or what?”

“I can’t find any rhyme or reason to it.  Coach Beiste is nothing like the witch I wrote about, and Rapunzel didn’t even show up in the tower in my book.  Sandy Ryerson made a perfect bridge troll, so I guess that one was based on personality…  And Rick the Stick is a bully, like the Big Bad Wolf.”

“Well, I thought Kurt was flawless as Goldilocks.  Not the original folk-tale little girl, but your version of the kick-ass, sword-wielding outlaw.  Kurt Hummelocks is totally awesome.”

“You got a little crush there, Dare?”

“Hey, don’t be jealous.  You’re the only one I really love,” Darren teased back, making kissy faces at Chris.

Chris rolled his eyes.  “And now we’re going to meet Quinderella.  I guess that’s kind of appropriate.  I mean, the name works.  And in my book Cinderella is pregnant, and Quinn is the only member of Glee Club who’s been pregnant….  I wonder who King Charming is going to be.  Do you think it’ll be Finn, since he was her boyfriend during the whole pregnancy thing?”

“No.  I bet Finn is Froggy.  That would explain why he’s so tall.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.  Oh, god.  I’m afraid Puck is going to be King Charming.”

Darren laughed.  “Would that be irony?  Or satire?”

“Neither.  It would just be wrong.  But I’ll bet that’s what happens.”

“Well, we’ll find out tonight.  Come on.  Let’s stock up on supplies while we have the chance.”

Chris and Darren spent a delightful afternoon wandering around the marketplace, marveling over all of the beautiful handcrafted items for sale.  Chris had to put his foot down and insist that they spend the gold coins Froggy had given them on food only, rather than buying souvenirs for all of their friends back home.  As much as Darren begged, and as tempting as a shopping spree was, Chris knew that they’d need to budget wisely if they didn’t want to end up starving before they completed the Wishing Spell.