Audrey and Freyja

Audrey woke up to the warmth of the sunlight.

She slipped out of bed and went into the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw
her hazel eyes blinked back. Her waist long hair, the color of spun gold, didn’t have its usual sheen.
Her hazel eyes looked faded, her luscious red lips a touch dry. Even the glow of her creamy skin had
dulled.

But still a princess, she thought.

As for her beauty routine, it could fill a dozen storybooks (suffice to say it included goose
feathers, horse hooves and a vial of cow’s blood.

Half an hour later, she stepped out from her house in a pink top and blue jeans, sparking
heels, and hair in an impeccable braid.

Audrey saw her father stood with Lis. His hand on the widow’s shoulder. What her father saw
in that woman, she had no idea. Once upon a time, her mother had been as flawless as a storybook
queen. Lis, meanwhile, had a small head, round body and looked like a turkey.

Her father whispered mischievously into her ear and Audrey’s cheeks burned. If anything
happened to Lis’ two sons, he’d be serious as death. True, her father had tucked her in bed, given
her a kiss, spoiled her with girts and dutifully acted the loving father. But Audrey wasn’t blind. She
knew the truth. She had seen it in his face ever since her mother died.

Her father didn’t love her. Because she wasn’t a boy. Because she didn’t remind him of
himself.

Now he wanted to marry the beast. Five years after her mother’s death. A simple exchange of
vows and he’d have two sons, a new family, a fresh start.

She had seen her mother, Evelyn, die, in front of her. Her mother died of a broken heart.
Every night, her father disappeared in Lis’ house and return by sunrise. Her mother knew her father
didn’t love her, watching how he treated Lis’ sons and with Sophie.

Two sons, whom her mother knew were her fathers until the day she died. Lis and her father
didn’t bother trying to hide it anymore, because they knew that her mother had given up. Because
they knew Evelyn didn’t had the courage to fight them anymore. Her mother couldn’t face the rest
of her life alone, so she just gave up.

Audrey grabbed her phone and stuffed it in her pocket, blinking back tears. Her mother loved
her, no matter how weak she left her. Her mother was her real family.

And she would make her father pay.

She headed to her favourite place to spend during the weekends; the town garden.
 When she reached the garden, she didn’t stop there. She went into the very end of the
flower garden, where there was a secret gate, which creaked as she opened it. It opened to a
beautiful field. Filled with all kinds of life.

Thousands of butterflies and birds flew in every direction.

She sat down on the green grass before something caught her eye. Some yellow dust,
glittering in the sunlight. Shaped as a big oval, swirling around like a black hole. She had always been
a curious girl.

Was this a trick? Or was this real…

Slowly, she trusted her hand at the yellow swirl. In shocked, her hand went though. Audrey
hesitated, but then stepped in.

She was suddenly falling. Falling through darkness. Her head felt like it was about to burst
and her body was paralyzed as she continued falling through the deep void. Everything around her
seemed to be spinning.

This happened so quickly her brain was paralyzed. She couldn’t think anymore, as if she’d
lost the top of her head and any thoughts were flying away before she could catch them. She closed
her eyes, praying this would all end.

When she opened her eyes, she wasn’t in the garden anymore. She was in a deep forest.
Her whole body was aching in pain as she pinched herself, expecting herself to wake up in bed.

Her heart was beating like a drum. Her whole body seemed to be shaking as she looked
around her.

“Is anyone here?” She shouted. “Help—”

Someone landed behind her as she felt something cold touch her neck.

She turned to see a beautiful girl about her age, with creamy skin and black-hair that
reached her knees, streaked red. With blood-red eyes under dark brows and luscious red lips. She
wore a black dress with a red top completed with stylish black boots.

The most surprising about this girl was her demon horns sticking out of her hair and devil-
like red wings. She carried a red and black trident, which she aimed at Audrey’s neck.

“Who are you?” The girl said sourly.

“Who are you?” Audrey shot back. “Is this a Halloween party?”

“Why are you here?” The girl pressed the trident harder into her neck. “But the most
important question is… how are you here?”

Audrey blinked. “Audrey, my name is Audrey”

“Audrey?” The girl chuckled. “Anyone names Audrey doesn’t belong here, it belongs in a
cage,”

“How about you?” Audrey ignored her.

“Better if you don’t know,” The girl snapped. “Where are you from?”

“Smandeville,” Audrey said. “Where am I?”

 “Smandeville?” The girl asked. “Is that in Rainbow Gale? That’s where the worst Evers
come from,”

“Evers? Rainbow Gale?” Audrey choked. “I’m s-sorry, I’m lost already,”

“I’m guessing your not from the woods,”

“Woods?” Audrey asked. “What wood—,”

“I always suspected there was a world beyond the woods,”

“WHERE AM I?” Audrey screamed.

“You’re currently somewhere near Foxwood,” The girl groaned. “Are you sure you’re
not from the woods?”

“Foxwood?” Audrey asked. “I don’t remember learning about that in school,”

“Are you a never or ever?”

“Never? Ever?”

“Evers are Good-doers, you know… about all their nonsense about finding a Happily
ever after,” The girl said. “Nevers are short for Nevermore,”

“So, Evers are Good?” said Audrey. “And Nevers are… villains?”

“If that means you’ll stop asking questions, yes.”

“You’re a Never?”

“Yes, and I’m guessing you’re an Ever,” the girl stopped. “Smandeville… is that in
Pifflepaff Hills?”

“It’s in America,” Audrey said.

“America?”

“Can you tell me your name?”

The girl hesitated. “Freyja,”

“Can you show me how to go back?”

Freyja snorted. “As if I’m a fairy-godmother,”

“But you have to help me!” Audrey gasped. “You seemed to know a lot about this
place.”

“Maybe you should get yourself a wizard.”

“A wizard? Like a fairy tale wizard who does magic stuff?”

“You really are stupid.”

“Where are your parents, if I could just talk to them to ask for directions—”

“Dead.”

“But I have to get home!”

 “Like I said,” said Freyja. “Go find yourself a wizard.”

“Y-your serious?”

“Why would I lie?”

“T-they’re r-real?” Audrey spluttered. She moved the trident from her neck. “And
get this away from me,”

“Of course, they’re real,” Freyja said. “Didn’t you learn about them in school?”

“Can I check your phone? I just needed to c—”

“Phone?” Freyja asked. “Is that a type of wand?”

“Wand!” Audrey snatched out her phone from her pocket. “This is a phone!”

Freyja snatched it from her. “What the—”

Audrey snatched it back and pressed the screen, activating it. “See? Don’t you
have Wi-Fi here?”

“So, you’re not from the woods?” Freyja asked.

“For the last time, Freyja. No.”

“I’m guessing you have nowhere to live,”

“I’m not staying!” Audrey almost yelled. “I’m going to get home by today!”

“Whatever you say,” Freyja groaned.

“Can a wizard teleport me home?” Audrey pressed.

“How am I supposed to know?” Freyja snapped. “You can always live in The School
for Good. Still accepting students,”

“I’m not staying!”

“I’m a student at School for Evil, so I need to get back to school before teachers
suspect anything,”

“Suspect? You’re sneaking out?” Audrey said. Freyja grinned at her. “Yes, I am,”

“It’s already 3am, schools going to start anytime soon,” Freyja continued. “You
either follow me or starve to death, your choice,”

Audrey didn’t trust her, but Freyja had a point. She didn’t know anything or
anyone and would most likely starve or be eaten by and animal. “Fine,”

Audrey followed Freyja as they walked through the thick jungle. There were no
animals in sight nor people.

“Where is everyone?” Audrey whispered to Freyja.

“We have a very important rule in this world,” Freyja said. “Never go to the
woods at night,”

“Then aren’t you afraid you’ll get hurt or something?” Audrey asked.
 “I’m a devil,” Freyja snapped.

Audrey pointed at her wings. “Do they work?”

“For a limited time and height,” Freyja answered. “But as I learn to control them,
the longer,”

“Where is this… school?” Audrey asked, almost tripping over a rock.

Freyja pointed in front of them. Audrey couldn’t see anything at first, but as she
squinted her eyes, she saw two towers, a flag on each tip.

“Listen closely,” Freyja said. “Once you reached the gates, there should a
teacher there; Professor Alyse. Give her this,” Freyja handed her a flower-ground ticket.

“Where’d you get this?” Audrey asked.

“Stole it from an Ever,”

“What if she asks where I’m from?”

“Tell her you’re from Camelot if you want to look good, and Foxwood if you
want to look loyal,”

“Camelot?” Audrey stopped. “You mean Camelot, Camelot? Like King Arthur’s
kingdom?”

Freyja stared at her. “Yes, what else can it be?”

Audrey saw the school getting closer.

“Will she just let me in?” Audrey pressed.

“Yes,” Freyja said.

Audrey crashed into an invisible barrier. “What?”

Freyja shot her trident at the barrier, which blasted out a red spark of light that
hit the barrier before it broke a small hole in it.

“Quickly,” Freyja said. Audrey climbed inside.

It was so dark she could hardly make out the pathway.

“See you tomorrow,” Freyja said.

Audrey spun around. “You’re not coming with me?”

“It’s school for Good, not dungeons,” Freyja snapped. “Just follow the pathway,”

Audrey watched then hole fix itself as Freyja ran back in the deep forest.

Nervous, she followed the brick path until she reached a massive doorway. Just
like Freyja said, a teacher stood there.

The teacher wore a pink and blue knee-length dress, with pencils sticking out of
her hair, keeping it together.

The teacher turned to her, as if she already knew about her.

 “Flower-ground ticket?” The teacher said.

Audrey reached out her shaking hand, holding the ticket in her shaking arms.

The teacher didn’t even look at her a second time. She whished her hand at her.
Suddenly, Audrey’s head felt heavy. Her eyes unable to stay open. It was like as if she was about to
fall asleep at any moment.

Then it went all dark.

The next time she opened her eyes, she felt a soft velvet blanket on her. At first,
she thought that she was at home, about to go on her day like any normal day.

But then the memories came floating back. She sat up immediately, looking
around. She was in a gold and pink room, with murals of princesses kissing dashing princes. Her
pillow was made of a pink velvet. A closet was placed in next to her bed with an open door, showing
two pink uniforms. Massive jewelled mirrors glared back from pink walls. Another bed was in the
corner of the room along with another beside her bed.

She looked out the window as saw a sparking lake around the Good School. But
this was all in front of the two castles. What could behind them? She stood up at saw a schedule on
her bedside-table along with a perfume and a lipstick. She reached in her pocket but her phone
wasn’t there.

She held up the schedule:

Audrey of the Woods Beyond. Good, 1st year. Purity Tower 56

Audrey of the Woods Beyond? She thought. This must be her room. But how did
the teachers know where she came from? Her eyes widen. If the teachers knew where she came
from… then they could help her get home!

She opened the door slightly. Sixty beautiful girls in pink pinafores packed in the
hallway, giggling, gossiping, trading dresses, shoes, bags, bangles, creams and anything they bought
with them.

Audrey closed the door again. She had to blend.

With her blond hair and creamy white skin, she looked exactly like the Ever-girls. The
uniform had a knee-length skirt with sleeves that reached her elbows. The high-heels that came with
it was glittery and was also pink, matching her uniform.

She brushed her teeth before quickly applying a light sheen of make-up.

Taking a deep breath and stepped out. She glimpsed a staircase at the other end.

A confident stroll and no one would notice her.

A beautiful, blond girl smiled sweetly at her and reached out her hand. So beautiful
she didn’t look real, with blue eyes, waist-length hair and succulent lips.

“Hi, I’m Layla,” Layla said. “I didn’t catch you name,”

Audrey took her hand and shook it. “I’m Audrey,” she smiled tightly. “Umm… when
does… class start?”
 “Not yet, dear,” another girl with curly brown hair, green eyes, thin eye-brows and bee
stung lips said to her. “And I’m Charlotte, by the way,”

Audrey pursed her lips.

“Where are you from?” Layla said.

Audrey didn’t know what to say. Freyja had told her to say she was from Camelot, but her
schedule said ‘The woods Beyond’.

“I-I’m from… The Woods Beyond,” Audrey made her choice.

All the girls turned and Audrey knew she made the wrong choice.

“Woods Beyond?” Layla said. “Is that in Jaunt Jolie? Or maybe near Camelot,”

Audrey opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out.

Suddenly, they all heard a loud ring coming from the outside. Audrey turned. “What—”

The sixty girls looked at each other and ran to the end of the staircase, walking down
quickly while Audrey followed in confusion.

“Where are we going?” Audrey asked.

“To the Theatre of Tales for the welcoming!” A girl with black hair tied in a ponytail
answered. Audrey didn’t ask more questions.

Each school had its own entrance to the Theatre of Tales, which was split into two
halves. The west doors opened into the side for good students, decorated with pink and blue pews,
crystal friezes, and a glittery bouquets of glass flowers.

The east doors opened to evil students, with warped wooden benches, carvings of
murder and torture and deadly stalactites dangling from the ceiling.

As students herded into their halves for the Welcoming, fairies and wolves guarded the
silver marble aisle between them.

She looked for Freyja, and saw her huddled in the crowd of villains, hands cross and her
eyes searching the crowd, as if looking for someone.

But now Freyja didn’t have her red wings, horns nor trident. She was dress in a black
uniform like the other Evil students.

Finally, Freyja caught her eye. Freyja looked at her pink pinafore and then the other chatting
students.

But then all the talking stopped. Audrey looked around confused.

Then, she heard it.

The stomp of boots… the clash of steel—

The west doors flew open to sixty gorgeous boys in swordfight.

Sun-kissed skin peeked through light blue sleeves and stiff collars; navy boots matched high-cut
waist coats and knotted slim ties, each embroidered with a single gold initial. As the boys playfully
crossed blades their shirts came untucked from tight beige breeches revealing slender waists and
flashes of muscle.

Sweat glistened on glowing faces as they thrust down the aisle, boots cracking on marble,
until swiftly the swordfight climaxed, boy pinning boys against pews. In a last chorus of movement,
they drew roses from their shirts and with a shout of “Milady!” threw them to the girls who most
caught their eyes. (Layla found herself with enough roses to plant a garden)

Audrey saw each girl longing for their own rose. She didn’t even try to get one. What was
the use of a boy when she was going to go home?

All the villains booed the princes white they prepared to take their seats—

And one more walked in.

Hair a halo of gold, eyes blue as a cloudless sky, skin the colour of desert sand, as if his blood
ran purer than the others. That boy took a look at the other boys, and pulled his own sword… and
grinned.

Forty boys came at him at once, but he disarmed each with lighting speed. The swords of his
classmates piled up beneath his feet as he flicked them away with inflicting a scratch. Audrey gaped,
bewitch while Freyja hoped he would impale himself.

The boy dismissed each challenged as quickly as it came. And when the last had been left
swordless, he put back his sword and shrugged, as if to say he meant nothing by it at all.

But the good boys knew what it meant. The princes now had a king. (Even the villains didn’t
find reason to boo.)

The girls of good had long learnt that every true princess finds a prince, so no need to fight.
But they forgot all this when the golden boy pulled a rose from his shirt. All of them jumped up,
waving kerchiefs, jostling like geese at the feeding. The boy smiled and lofted his rose high in the air
—

And threw it into the crowd.

Layla caught it.

“Hello. I’m Layla,” she said, making sure he saw all of her roses.

Audrey turned to an adorable girl next to her, with dark brows, hazel eyes, black hair tied in
a pretty braid and almond-shaped hazel eyes.

“Who is that?” Audrey said.

The girl gaped at her, as if she was stupid for not knowing. “Tedros, son of King Arthur,”

Audrey’s eyes widen. “Son of King Arthur?” she choked. “A real-life prince?”

The girl nodded, confused.

Audrey studied Tedros’ high cheekbones, thick and silky blond hair, and tender lips. His
broad shoulders and strong arms filled out his blue shirt, tie loosened and collar undone. He looked
so serene and assured, as if he knew destiny was on his side.
 “Welcome to The School for Good and Evil,” said a massive dog with two heads.
Audrey gawd at it in shock. The two heads were attached to one body, pacing over a silver stone
stage, cracked right in the middle. One head was rabid, drooling and male, with a grizzly mane.

The other head was cuddly and cute, with a weak jaw, scanty fur and a singsong voice.
No one was sure if the cute one was male or female, but whatever it was, it seemed to be in charge.

“I’m Pollux, Welcoming Leader,” said the nice head.

“AND I’M CASTOR, WELCOMING LEADER ASSISTANT AND EXECUTIVE EXECUTIONER OF

PUNISHMENT FOR ANYONE WHO BREAKS THE RULES OR ACTS LIKE A DONKEY,” the rabid one
boomed.

All the children looked scared of Castor, even the nevers.

“Thank you, Castor,” said Pollux. “So let me first remind you why it is you’re here. All
children are born with souls either good or evil Some souls are purer than other—,”

“AND SOME SOULS ARE CRAP!” Castor barked.

“As I was saying,” said Pollux. “Some souls are purer than others, but all souls are either
good or evil. Those who are good cannot make themselves eviller and those who are evil cannot be
good—”

“SO JUST’ CAUSE GOOD ISWINNING EVERYTHING DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN SWITCH
SIDES,” snarled Castor.

The good student cheered, “EVERS! EVERS”; while the evil students retorted, “NEVERS!
NEVERS!” Before wolves dumped water buckets on the evers and fairies cast rainbows over the
Nevers and both sides shut up.

“Once again,” Pollux glared at Castor. “Here at the school for good and evil, we will try to
make you as pure as possible,”

“AND IF YOU FAIL, THEN SOMETHING BACK WILL HAPPEN TO YOU BUT I CAN’T SAY, BUT
IT INVOLVES YOU NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN!”

“ONE MORE TIME AND THE BODY IS MINE,” Pollux yelled. Castor stared at his feet.

“As I was saying, every child in the endless woods dreams of being picked to attend our
school. But the school master chose you,” Pollux scanned both sides. “For he saw something very
rare. Pure good and Evil,”

“All of you must and will respect each other, whether you’re good or evil, whether you’re
from a failed fairy tale or a famous one, all of you are chosen to protect the balance between good
and evil, for if that balance in compromised… our world will perish,” Pollux’s face darkened.

Audrey gritted her teeth. The last thing she needed was the world perishing while she was
still in it.

Castor raised his paw.

“What,” Pollux groaned.

“Why doesn’t Evil win anymore?”

 Pollux looked as if about to bite his head off, but it was to late. The villains were rumbling.

“Yeah, if we’re so balanced,” yelled a boy from Evil. “Why do we always die?”

“We never get weapons!” yelled an impish boy.

“Our henchmen betray us!”

Our nemesis always has an army!”

Freyja stood up. “Evil hasn’t won in two hundred years!”

Castor tried to control himself, but his face swelled like a balloon. “GOOD IS CHEATING!”

Nevers leapt up, hurling food, shoes, and anything else they got their hands on to the
horrified Evers

Audrey couldn’t breathe with all the questions in her head: Evil hasn’t won in hundred
years? Won what? Why could the two-headed dog talk? How do the wolves have not yet eaten
anyone? How are there fairies? Magic was real?

Wolves and fairies pounced on the angry horde around them, but this time not even
rainbows and water couldn’t stop them.

“The school master is on their side!” An albino screamed.

“We don’t even have a chance!”

“Its not at all balance if one side is always winning!”

“Evil hasn’t won since the school master took over!”

The nevers fought past fairies and wolves.

“It’s because you’re idiotic apes!” Pollux’s voice echoed through the crowd.

The villains looked up dumbly.

“Now sit down before I give all of you a slap!” shrieked Pollux.

They sat without argument.

“Students, all of you have only one concern here,” Pollux said. “Do the best you can.
The finest of you will become princes, warlocks, knight and witches, queens and sorcerers—”

“OR A TROLL OR PIG IF YOU STINK!” Castor spat.

Students glanced at each other across the aisle, sensing the high stakes.

“If there’s no further interruptions,” Pollux said, glaring at his brother. “Let’s review the
rules,”

“Rule thirteen. Halfway Bridge and tower roofs are forbidden to students,” Pollux lecture.
“The stymphs are orders to kill intruders on sight and have yet to grasp the difference between
students and intrudes,”

“For the next two years, Leaders will train to fight their future nemesis,” Pollux
continued. “Followers will develop skills to defend their future Leaders. Mogrifs will learn to adapt
and survive in the woods. Finally, after third year, Leaders will be paired with Followers and Mogrifs
and you will all move into the endless woods to begin your journeys…”

“For every challenge, you will be ranked with your classes so you know exactly where
you stand. There are 120 students in each school and we have divided you into six groups of 20 for
your classes. After each challenge, you will be ranked from 1 to 20. If you ranked in top five
consistently, you will end Leader track. If you score in the midrange repeatedly, you’ll end up a
follower. And if you’re consistently below 13, then your talents will be best served as a mogrify,
either animal or plant.”

Students on both sides murmured, already placing bets on who would end up a banana
tree.

“I must add that who receives three 20s in a row will immediately be failed,” said
Pollux. “Furthermore, as the first Theatre of Tales is in Good this year, Nevers will be escorted here
for all joint school functions,”

“Why is the Theatre in Good?” An evil student asked.

Pollux looked at her. “Whoever wins the Circus of Talents gets the theatre in their
school.”

“And good hasn’t lost a Circus or Trial by Tale or, now that I think about it, any
competition in this school for the last two hundred years,” Castor harrumphed. Villains started
rumbling again.

“But good is so far from Evil!” another voice shouted.

“After the Tale by Trial, the top ranked in each school will be named class Captain. These
two students will have special privileges, including private study with select faculty, field trips to the
endless woods,” Pollux ignored them. “Also note, both beautification and etiquette are for Good
girls only, while good boys will have grooming and chivalry instead,”

“Breakfast and super will take place in your school halls, but you’ll all eat lunch together
in the clearing,” Castor grunted.

“And the most important rule of all…” Pollux said. “Never go to the woods at night,”

“You may return to your schools! Supper is at seven o’clock sharp!” Pollux announced.

As the good and evil students went back to their dorms, Audrey tried to catch Freyja’s
attention, but she ignored her completely.
Pure Good and Evil

The next morning, sixty princesses dashed about the first floor as if it was their wedding
day. On the first day of class, they all wanted to make their impressions to the Princes and Teachers
or anyone that might lead them to their happy ending.

They flurried into each other’s rooms, trailing so much perfume Audrey was about to pass
out.

She had to see the teachers. She had to ask them how to get home. They would surely
know, wouldn’t they? The schedule on her bedside table had said she was from the woods beyond,
beyond the endless woods, they called it.

After two hours, Audrey sat in her beautification class while Professor Anemone lecture
them about her lesson ‘Making smiles kinder.’

“Now the key to communicate with your eyes,” she chirped, and demonstrated the
perfect princess smile. The others mimicked her smile.

Professor Anemone walked around, surveying the girls. Audrey did her best to mimic the
smile, trying to think of things that made her happy.

A picture of Tedros popped up in head, with his twinkling blue eyes, his thick, curly golden
hair with his tender lips

“Not so much squinting… A little less nose dear, dear… Oh my, absolutely beautiful!” Professor
Anemone stood in front of Audrey, who looked at her in confusion.

“That, my dears, is a smile that can win the heart of the steeliest prince. A smile that can
make peace in the greatest of wars. A smile that can lead a kingdom to hope and prosperity!” the
Professor said. “Only one can have a heart pure good.”

A 1st popped up above Audrey’s head. Audrey frowned, when did boys make her happy?
When did she ever thought of a boy and smiled? She hated boys! She always hated them since the
day she was born!

Layla glared at her with furious eyes, as if angry she’d taken her place as first Ever. But
when Professor Anemone turned to her, Layla smiled brightly at her, fluttering her beautiful blue
eyes.

“Perfect dear, just a little less… smile,” the professor said. “You don’t want to look
childish, do you?”

Professor Anemone turned to the girl behind them. “Smile, Camila, not grin.”
 Camila, with thick brows, hazel-brown eyes, red lips and flowers in her dark black-hair
which hung of her shoulders, frowned.

Freyja sat in her seat in her as Professor Sheeba Sheeks taught special talents.

“Every villain has a talent!” she bellowed in her red, pointy-shouldered gown. “But we
must turn your bush into a tree!”

For the day’s challenge, each Never had to show of a unique talent to the class. The
more potent the talent, the higher the students rank. But the first five kids failed to produce
anything, with Raven whining he didn’t even know his talent.

“Is that what you’ll tell the school master at the Circus?” The professor thundered. “I
don’t know my talent’ or ‘don’t have a talent’ or ‘want to trade my talent with the Ooty queen!’”

“She had me at the last bit,” whispered Kiera who had long-black hair that reached her
mid-back, a long nose and almond brown eyes, to Freyja. She snorted.

“Every year, Evil loses the circus of Talents!” Sheeba yelled. “Good sings a song or
waves a sword or wipes their bottom and you have nothing better? Don’t you have shame! Enough! I
don’t care whether you turn men to stone or turn men to dung! You listen to Sheeba and you’ll be
number one.”

“Which monkey is next?” She boomed.

The woeful displays continued. Mara’s hair turned glowing-red. Zurie turned her pencil
into cake, Vlad’s skin turned pale, Carrie made smoke come from her mouth, Seth turned her desk
into a bat.

“I’ve never seen such uselessness in my life,” Sheeba gasped.

When it was Kiera’s turned, she looked up at Freyja. Freyja yawned.

But then, Kiera let out a gorgeous whistle. Everyone in the class stared at her.

The window smashed opened to a million wasps and bats and hornets and swarmed
Freyja.

Freyja gasped, and climb under her desk.

“You can stop now,” Sheeba ordered.

“I-I’m don’t know how,” Kiera said.

The wasps stung everyone in the class as everyone screamed.

“MAKE IT STOP!” Sheeba yelled.

“I DON’T KNOW HOW,” Kiera claimed.

Freyja jolted back as she scampered under the teacher’s desk.

Mara scampered in next to her.

“Theres not enough space for two!” Mara said.

“Then maybe you should get out,” Freyja snapped.

 “You get out!”

“Shut up before the wasps find us!”

Bats flew in along with wasps and hornets and stung them.

Freyja and Mara scampered back out.

Freyja looked at the wasps and bats, stinking and biting everyone in the classroom.
She knew there was only one more hope before everyone died.

She blasted the wasps with her trident.

The teacher and students turned to her. They took in her horns, wings and black
tridents that she just transformed under her desk.

She blasted a red light from her trident to the bats and hornets, missing it and blasting
a hole in the wall.

After a few minutes, each wasp, hornet and bat fell on the floor, dead.

Freyja reverted back to human before she stared back to her teacher. “Was that as
useless?”

“Mark my words, my useless ones!” Sheeba whooped, wobbling to her feet. “This one
will win the Circus Crown, only one can be pure evil!”

Freyja looked up at the top rank, spewing red smoke above her head. She whipped to her
classmates, but they were no longer looking at her contempt or ridicule. They were looking with
something else.

Respect.

Kiera gave her a look so horrible she thought she might burst into flames. Freyja smiled
back innocently.

Audrey sat on her bed while her two-roommates annoyed her with questions they should
be answering.

“Where do you live?” Layla asked.

“Smandeville,” Audrey snapped. “Beyond the woods,”

“Beyond?” Camila looked at her. Audrey stared back and she shut up.

“Who’s your king?” said Layla.

“We don’t have a king,” Audrey said.

“Who’s your mother?” asked Camila.

“Dead.”

“And your father?” Layla said.

“He’s farmer,” Audrey said. “These questions are quite personal—”

 “What fairy tale is he from?” Camila asked.

“Fairy Tale? No one’s family is a fairy tale. He’s from a normal family with normal
faults.”

Her roommates stared at her.

Audrey’s eyes widen in realization.

Why didn’t anyone here seem homesick? She thought. Why didn’t they cry for their
mothers or try to escape? Why did they who so much about this place?

“What fairy-tale is he from?”

Audrey’s eyes found Layla’s nightstand. Next to the vase of roses she got from the
welcoming and a stack of Princess-books—was a glass slipper that only one princess in this entire
world had.

Audrey’s eyes shifted to Camila. Camila’s nightstand, along with a lipstick, gloves and
princess-hair-clips was a bright red-apple. Audrey noticed Camila’s skin, as white as snow, her lips, as
red as blood.

She wasn’t just in another world.

She was in the world of Fairy-Tales.

And now she was stuck in a room with Cinderella’s and Snow White’s daughter.

The first thing Audrey did at lunch was look for Freyja.

She burst out the doors along with sixty Ever-girls.

She never liked fairy-tale princesses. They just sit around doing nothing, waiting for a
handsome Prince to save them. Villains were the true Queens and Kings. They didn’t fear death.
Instead, death made them feel alive. They wrapped themselves in it like suits of Armor. Villains made
the story happen.

The classes were just the same. They taught girls to smile and wave and look pretty and
the boys to fight and save.

Her eyes darted around the crowded of Nevers and Evers and finally saw her.

Sitting alone, just like the other nevers. Audrey sat next to her.

“Why are you here?” Freyja snapped, not looking at her. “Shouldn’t you be waltzing?”

“Look, you’re the only one who can get me home—”

“I can’t get you home, idiot,” Freyja said, turning to her.

“Then surely you know someone who can,”

“Why should I help you?”

“B-because I-I…” Audrey stopped, looking for words until she finally found it. “Because I
know your secret.”
 “What secret?”

“That you can break the barrier, and that you sneak out every night,” Audrey said.

Freyja chuckled. “How do I sneak out with roommates?”

“You probably threatened to kill them,”

“We’re Nevers, we do anything we can to get someone in trouble,” Freyja said.

“Especially your nemesis,”

“Nemesis?”

“Another word for enemy,”

“Then why did you help me at all yesterday?”

“Because I couldn’t get rid of the flower-ground ticket,”

“Do you think the teachers can get me home?” Audrey said. “They know where I’m
from,”

“Where?”

“The Woods beyond!”

Freyja blinked. “Woods Beyond?”

“I need to get home,” Audrey said. “Do you think I should go back to the place
where I first arrived?”

“How am I suppose to know?” Freyja said. “How is the world like in the Woods
Beyond?”

“We don’t have magic, fairy-tales or talking animals,” Audrey said.

“Sounds terrible,”

“It is,” Audrey agreed. “Anyway, can a wizard send me home?”

“If it is so terrible, then why do you want to go back?”

“Because—” Audrey stopped. “Because…”

“Because?” Freyja challenged. She heard a loud ring coming from both castles.
“Lunch’s over, I better go before Lady Lesso fails me,” She stood up, grinned, gave Audrey a patted
on the head and left.

But Audrey was still staring at her thighs, Freyja’s words echoing in her mind;

“If it’s so terrible, then why do you want to go back?”

She erased the thought. She had a father, and soon a new family, she had to get
back.

But what if she stayed for at least a few more days? Said another voice in her head. It
won’t hurt, will it? And her father was happy to rid of her so that he and Lis would live peacefully
without her. And Lis’ two sons would help him with the farm.
 Plus, this was her dream; to be able to do magic and meet her favourite characters in
this world.

Someone grabbed her hand.

“You’re going to be late!” Camila said, dragging Audrey to her next class.

Audrey followed the daughter of Snow White to her class.

As Freyja walked to class, she wondered about Audrey’s question;

“Then why did you help at all me yesterday?”

What had made her help her yesterday? Of course, what she told Audrey was fake. (She
stole it from an Ever so that they would get in trouble or most likely expelled)

But whatever reason she helped Audrey that day, she wasn’t going to help her again.

But what if she’d exposed her secret? Came another voice.

She wouldn’t, she’s an Ever.

But Evers can be cruel sometimes to get what they wanted…

She banished the thought. She wasn’t scared of anything. So, what if she got expelled? Its
not like she would die or turn into stone, was it?

But the truth was she had no where to live if she got expelled.

Both her parents were dead, and it wasn’t like she could rob a bank.

She had no choice but to help Audrey get home if she never wanted to see her again.
Wishes

Audrey knew the other ever-girls didn’t believe her story from the looks they gave her. She
couldn’t think with Layla, Merlisa and Tiana snickering behind her.

She couldn’t hear their conversation, but she managed to catch some words; attention…
lying…. Woods…poor…

But she knew that their conversation involved her because she heard her name said over
and over again.

They were sitting on the lake-side banks of Halfway Bay. For the third time that day,
Audrey came to find a class was Girls Only.

Evil didn’t need to decide what ‘girl’ skill and ‘boy’ skill. But here in Good Towers, the boys
were off to fight with swords while girls had to learn dog barks and owl hoots.

No wonder princesses were so impotent in fairy tales, she thought. If all they could do was
smile, stand straight and speak to squirrels, then what choice did they have but to wait for a boy to
rescue them?

Princess Uma looked too young to be a teacher. Nestled in prim grass, backlit by lake
shimmer, she sat very still, hands folded in her pink dress, with her black hair to her waist, crimson
lips, olive skin and almond shaped eyes. When she did speak, it was in a giggly whisper.

Every few words, she would stop to listen to a fox or dove and respond with her own howl or
chirp. She barely made it through a sentence.

She realized the entire class staring at her. “Oops!” She spoke. “I have too many friends!”

Audrey couldn’t tell whether she was nervous or an idiot.

“Evil has many weapons on its side,” said the Princess of animals. “Poisons, plagues, curses,
hexes, henchmen and black magic. But you have animals!”

Audrey snorted. When faced with an axe-wielding hunter, she would be sure to bring a
butterfly. Judging by the other faces, she wasn’t the only one unconvinced.

Princess Uma noticed it.

She unleashed a piercing whistle and a barrage of barks, bays, neighs, and roars blasted from
the Woods beyond the schools. The girls plugged their ears in shock.

“See!” Princess Uma chuckled. “Every animal can talk to you if you know how to talk to them.
Someone even remember when they were human!”

Audrey remembered what Pollux had said with a chill. She had to get out of here fast if she
didn’t want to become a daisy.

“I know everyone wants to be a princess,” said Uma. “But those with low ranks won’t make
good princesses. You’d end up shot or stabbed or eaten and that’s not very useful. But as a sidekick
fox or spying sparrow or friendly pig, you might find a much happier ending!”
 “Once upon a time, an animal saved my life and in return, it received the happiest ending of
all,” Princess Uma held out a storybook flipped to the last page. A painting of a beautiful princess
cowering as a stag speared a warlock. The princess looked just like her.

Audrey saw other girl’s eyes widen to worship. This wasn’t just a teacher, this was a living,
breathing princess.

“So, if you want to be like me, you’ll need to do well in today’s challenge!” Chirped their
new idol, summoning the girls to the lake. Audrey felled herself shiver, despite the balmy fall sun. If
she was placed last for three challenges, she’d never see her home ever again.

Another reason why she needed to get home. Fast.

“But if animals are going to help us, first we have to tell them what we want!” Uma said,
kneeling before the gleaming blue lake. “So, today’s challenge is…” She swirled her finger in the
water and a thousand tiny fish surfaced, white as snow.

“Wish fish!” Uma beamed. “They dig into your soul and find your greatest wish! Very helpful
if you’ve lost your tongue or voice and need to tell a prince to kiss you!”

Before Audrey could gag, all the other girls were looking into the water with curiosity.

“Now al you have to do is stick your finger in! The one with the strongest, clearest wish
wins!”

Audrey wondered what these girls wish for. Palaces, perhaps.

Essa went first. She put her finger in the water, closed her eyes… when she opened them,
the fish had turned different colours and were gaping at her, confused.

“What happened?” said Essa.

“Foggy mind,” Uma sighed.

Then Camila put her finger into the water, the fish turned red, orange, and peach and
started assembling into some king of picture.

What do good souls wish for? Audrey wondered, watching the fish jumble into place.
Peace for their families? Health for their families? Destruction of Evil?

The fish drew a boy instead.

“Tristan!” Camila chimed, recognizing his hazel eyes and dark brown hair. “I caught his
rose at the welcoming.”

Audrey groaned. She should have known.

Then Merlisa with her green eyes and black hair, dipped her finger and the fish changed
colours, gliding into a mosaic of a blue- eyed boy, pulling an arrow into his bow.

“Jasper,” blushed Merlisa. “Honor Tower, room ten,”

Charlottes’s fish drew grey-eyed Stephen, Tiana wished for Nicholas, Bella’s painted
Filip, Marilyn’s drew Oliver…

At first, Audrey found it dumb, but now it was scary. This was what good souls craved?
Boys they didn’t even know? If this was good, she was definitely Evil.
 “Love at first sight,” Uma gushed. “The most beautiful thing in the world!”

Audrey frowned. Who could ever love boys? Preening, useless thugs who thought the
world belonged to them.

Layla provided the grand climax, sending her wish fish into a spectacular rainbow vision
of her fairy-tale wedding with Tedros, completed with castle, crowns, and fireworks. All around girl’s
eyes welled with tears, either because the scene was so beautiful or because they could never
compete.

“Now you must hunt him, Layla!” Uma said. “You must make this Tedros your mission!
Your obsession!”

“Oh, should I give your ranks?” Uma said.

“She didn’t go yet,” Layla pointed to Audrey. Audrey would have clobbered her, but
there was no menace in Layla’s voice. Perhaps she wasn’t so bad after all.

“Oh dear, one left?” said Uma, staring at her. “It happens every time,”

Audrey leaned over the water to see the fish glaring up with droopy eyes.

Mines easy, thought Audrey. I just wish to go home, that’s it. Home safe.

She stuck her finger into the water.

The fish started trembling like tulips in the wind. Audrey hears wishes wrestle in her
head—

Don’t fail… home safe… don’t fail… father dead… home in bed… friends… home safe—

The fish turned blue, then yellow, then red. Wishes swept into a cyclone—

“Not just foggy,” murmured Uma. “Completely confused!”

The fish turned black as night and flew to Audrey like magnets to metal, pooling her hand
in a shivering mass. Girls fled in horror. Frantic, Audrey tried to wrench her hand but her head
exploded in pain—

Home school Mother father Ever Boys Never Good Bad—

The fish shook harder and harder, faster and faster, until she couldn’t tell one from the
other. The fish then let out a tortured scream.

Fail don’t fail live boy good home bed mother love friend nemesis—

Audrey finally pulled her hand out of the water and scampered back from the lake. She
turned to see all the students and Princess Uma hiding behind trees.

“What… was… that?” Audrey said.

The princess just looked at her in shocked.

The fish disappeared back in the lake, tired and finally left alone.

“Your just confused,” Uma said. But Audrey knew there was more to that when she saw
her face. But she didn’t bother to ask. Perhaps it’s better not to know.
 “Why do we need to uglify?”

Freyja looked at Professor Manley’s bald, pimpled head and squash -coloured head and
skin, and tried not to gag.

Around her, Nevers sat at charred desks with rusty mirrors, cheerily bashing tadpoles to
death in iron bowls. If she didn’t know better, she’d think they were making a birthday cake.

“Why do we need to be revolting and repugnant?” Manley shouted. “Kiera!”

“Because it makes kids cry?” Kiera guessed.

“Wrong! Malice!”

“Easier to get ready in the morning?” said the short-haired girl with grey-eyes

“Wrong and stupid!” Manley blast. “Birsha!”

“It makes us confident!”

“No, you idiot!” Manley banged his ruler at her desk. “Jeth!”

“So… others hate us?”

“Wrong!” Manley scorned. “Only when you give up the surface can you dig beneath it.
Only once you relinquish vanity can you embrace who your truly are!”

Freyja frowned, stirring her bowl of black tadpole juice, which was still moving.

Audrey put herself on a bench while evers and nevers crowded the clearing like an
overcrowded zoo.

Camila sat beside her.

“What do you want?” Audrey said, remembering Camila’s wish.

“And… um… how’s that boy you wished for?”

Audrey glanced over to Tristan sword-fighting with Jasper in a distance.

“Tristan?” Camila’s face fell. “He likes Layla, just like every other boy,”

“But he gave you his rose,”

“By accident, I had to jump in front of Layla to catch it,” Layla looked at Layla, who was
snuggling against Tedros as they watched Jasper and Tristan fight. “Do you think if every girl rejects
him, he’ll ask me to the ball?”

“Ball?” Audrey turned.

“The evers snow-ball! It right before Christmas and every one of us has to find a boy to take
us or else we’ll fail! We get ranked as couples and based on our presentation, appearance,
demeanour and dancing! Why do you think we all wished for different boys at the lake?” Camila
said. “Girls are practical like that, boys just want the prettiest one,”

“What if a boy doesn’t get a date?” Audrey said.

“He’ll only get half ranks,”

 Audrey heard the tone of her voice. “Half ranks if a boy doesn’t get a date and failed if a
girl doesn’t get a date? How is that fair?”

“If a girl doesn’t get a date, she’ll might as well be as good as dead,” Camila said sadly.
Audrey bit her lip. Now a date for the ball was a matter of life and death.

“Who do you have your eye on?”

Audrey swallowed a gag. “Me? Umm... I—um…”

“No one?”

Audrey nodded weakly.

“It’s fine. Your pretty, you’ll get one easily,”

Audrey wanted to puke now, but she shoved down the nausea. Just another reason to get
home fast.

But if she couldn’t… well… she better find a way for a boy to like her. Which is easy
enough. But it wasn’t the difficult part she was worried about; it was she didn’t even know if she
liked any boy here. True, there were handsome and charming boys, but she hated all of them.

She wanted to ask Camila about how to get home, but Camila didn’t believe her, like all
the other girls. Only one in this entire place did…

Audrey dumped herself next to Freyja, who was talking to Kiera.

“Who is she?” Kiera snapped, looking past Freyja and at Audrey.

Freyja turned. “Why are you here again? I can’t help you, and even if I could I wouldn’t,”

“Just tell me someone who will,” Audrey begged.

“Who is she?” Kiera asked again.

“No one will believe you, my sweet,” Freyja said.

“But surely—”

“WHO IS SHE?” Kiera blasted. “It’s barely a day and I’m already the third-wheel!”

Freyja snorted.

“Audrey,” Audrey grumbled. “You?”

“Kiera,” Kiera murmured.

“Friends?” Audrey looked at Kiera and Freyja.

“Side-kick,” Freyja said. Kiera glared at her.

“Look, I don’t care if she’s your friend or side-kick or nemesis, I—”

“Probably Nemesis,” Kiera murmured.

“— just need you to tell me how to get home!” Audrey finished.

Kiera stared at both of them. “What?”

 “Not sure she’ll believe you if you tell her,” Freyja said to Audrey. “But you can try,”

Audrey looked at Freyja then at Kiera. “I’m not from this world—”

Kiera snorted. “As if—”

“I know it’s hard to believe, but—”

“It’s impossible to believe,” Kiera cut in.

“—but I need to find my way back—”

“That’s not happening,”

“I HEARD CATS THAT LISTEN BETTER THAN YOU!” Audrey blasted. Freyja snickered.

Kiera pursed her lips. “Fine, go on,”

“I am not from this world,” Audrey said. “I am from a completely different world, and
don’t ask how I just stepped in a yellow circle and get magically teleported here—”

“How?” Kiera asked. Audrey stared at her. Freyja grumbled. “Can you finish the story?”

“As I was saying,” Audrey glared at Kiera. “I got teleported here and I need to find my
way back,”

“That’s the story?” Kiera said, unamused. Audrey nodded. “So will you help or not?”

“No interested,” Kiera said. “But the library could get you some information if you
want.”

Audrey’s eyes lit up. The library! Of course! How did she never think of it before?

“Wait, but where is the library?” Audrey asked.

“We don’t know, darling,” Freyja said, standing up and snapping to Kiera to follow. “But I
hope to see you gone by tomorrow,”

“She means good luck getting home,” Kiera murmured.

As the two nevers walked away, Audrey never felt more alone.

But as she followed the evers back into class, she felt confidence pill up in her. She was
going to find her way home. She was going to make it home safe and sound and back in bed, with
her father and stepmother.

Even if she was on her own… for now.