"Cerise..?" Cedar said as she walked into her dorm with her books clutched in her wooden hands. It wasn't that late to be asleep just yet, only 9:30 and it wasn't like Cerise was the type to not acknowledge Cedar's calling for her.

She then spotted Cerise laying soundlessly on her bed an something in Cedar just clicked and forced her to drop the books in her hands. Cerise didn't seem asleep, she was too lull and mostly tossed and turned in her bed, not from bad dreams Cerise claims, but from discomfort.

"C-Cerise?!" Cedar rushed up to her roommate's bedside, at first tapping her lightly and then gradually shaking her in an almost violent matter. She was getting nervous and wary of Cerise's condition, silently cursing herself for taking it so lightly when she walked in. But it seems Cerise had been like this for a couple of hours now and it felt strange looking at Cerise with an expression on her face as if she was at peace.

"Cerise, please wake up!" Cedar begged, at this point praying Cerise was practicing playing dead. Cerise didn't awake and forced Cedar into tears of distress. That was it, her roommate and best friend was likely dead. She needed to tell the others but now it was 10:12 and possibly too late at night to tell everyone else. But if she waited until morning her condition might get worse, but if she told the others now at this hour in the night, nobody might be concerned if interrupted during their rest.

She decided to do what she thought was best and waited until morning to tell everyone, though she could barely sleep that night, too troubled of all these thoughts of her roommate dead for slumber.

By the crack of dawn, Cedar woke up from what what felt like a ten minute rest and sprang to her feet to tell everyone in person, her fingers become severely too stiff to text right now with anxiety, as if they weren't already naturally stiff.

First she told Raven, who was overheard by the half-awake Apple. So her plan did work. Then they told Madeline, and Cedar couldn't help but have the rest of the Royals know as soon as Ashlynn asked her what was wrong, during her morning stroll.

Within an hour, everyone was gathered in Cedar and Cerise's room and was able to witness the presumably dead Cerise.

"How did this happen Cedar?" Raven asked as she knelt to Cerise's bedside.

"I..I don't know!" Cedar wailed as tears were beginning to flow from her eyes," I couldn't wake her at all last night no matter how hard I-"

"Wait, last night?" Hunter asked.

"Well, I found her like this last night and I didn't want disturb anybody because of how late it was and.." Cedar explained, suddenly feeling regretful in her choice.

"You still did the right thing telling us." Raven reassured as she looked over to Cedar.

"She isn't waking up though.." Cedar sulked as she lowered her gaze to the ground.

"You don't think she could be.." Blondie gasped as she held a hand to her mouth.

"It's too soon to think that." Raven stated.

"But she could be." Maddie suggested.

"Or she's not." Raven said in a bitter tone unusual for her that was able to shut Maddie up.

"Do you think she could be just in a coma?" Dexter suggested.

"Yeah, that's it!" Ashlynn stated," But we need to get the school nurses here before any of us jump to anymore conclusions."

"Good idea, Cedar do you mind?" Raven asked.

"It'd be my pleasure." Cedar said, her tone less gloomy and more relieved.

"But what the nurses can't even help her?" Blondie asked.

"Right now, there are only hope. And there isn't much we can do.." Raven responded.

"I can do a vlog on it! I won't use Cerise's name and I can ask if anyone knows anything about this ailment!" Blondie said in excitement that appeared unusual for the situation.

"Blondie, that'd be great." Raven beamed.

"C'mon Dexy, we got a vlog to shoot!" Blondie cheered as she grabbed the boy by the arm and rushed out of the room.

"Maybe, Hunter and I- not as a couple!- could speak to a few woodland creatures and see if they've heard of this ailment and know some remedies." Ashlynn suggested as she looked towards Hunter and blushed.

"That'd be really good too," Raven said with a smile on her face. The two walked out leaving Maddie and Raven in the room.

"I wonder if there are any cures from good old Wonderland that would work.." Maddie said as she rubbed her chin.

"It's worth a try," Raven responded.

"Then I guess I'll go put that cures and remedies book from my dad to use!" Maddie exclaimed as she skipped out of the room.

"It's great to see everyone working together for your sake.." Raven said as she looked towards Cerise again," But why did it have to be under these conditions?"

Daring had been standing outside of the room the whole time, devastated by this, unsure of how it could've happened. The most amazing person in his life, gone. But who would've been so selfish to take her from him? Did the fact that they were falling in love fall into the wrong hands? The only thing he had left to do was to visit Cerise once more.

He walked into the room with a grim look on his face, his footsteps near silent, but not silent enough to go unnoticed by Raven. She turned around and saw the blond prince standing before her, he seemed uneasy and more concerned than he needed to be.

"Oh, hey Daring." Raven said," I'm assuming you heard about Cerise?"

"Yeah.." Daring said, his eyes unable to make contact with Raven's and instead stuck on Cerise's motionless body.

"I don't understand how this would've happened, it makes no sense and Cedar doesn't know anything about it either and..Daring?" Raven asked to check and see if Daring was paying attention to her.

"Are you alright?" Raven couldn't help but ask.

"Never better." Daring said in an unconvincing tone.

Suddenly Raven's eyes lit up in realization of something," I, forgot something in my dorm and I don't want to leave Cerise at her bedside alone so would it be alright if-?"

"Yes, of course." Daring abruptly interrupted, already aware of what Raven was going to ask.

"Alright, thanks!" Raven said as she stood up and left the two of them alone.

Daring looked at her longingly, unsure of what he could do. Cerise seemed so serene in her slumber, but having her up and awake right now, having the two of them practically swoon over each other is what he wanted most. He put one hand on her shoulder and the other awkwardly under the bed. She was some what cold, but not freezing. Daring had never had his hands touch a dead body so he was unable to verify for himself if she was dead or not. He knew checking for a pulse right now was one simple thing that could put him at ease, but for him to lean over her chest and someone walk in, that'd be, a rather awkward situation. So instead, his fingers under the bed fidgeted around anxiously with an unsure Daring's eyes still stuck on the non-moving Cerise, but then suddenly, he felt an object under the bed. It felt, like a fruit. He lowered his head under the bed and reached out to grab what felt to be the fruit. He held in up in the better lighting and saw for himself what it was.

"An apple?"

"Hey Apple, when I fall asleep, what methods do you usually use to wake me up?" Briar asked as she flipped through the pages of the magazine she read for the umpteenth time this morning.

"We play loud music, why do you care?" Apple asked.

"I heard Cerise's in a coma or something right now and since everyone else is trying to help, I kinda want in on it too." Briar said as she placed her magazine on the bed before her.

Apple thought hard for a moment on this tidbit of information. If everyone knew that Cerise was in a deep sleep, would it be possible that someone found out she was poisoned? And worse, found out she was poisoned by Apple herself? That probably wasn't likely to happen as everyone one this campus believed Apple was who she appeared to be; nothing more than the innocent, gorgeous daughter of Snow White. She could only hope after this coma became old news people would still think of her like this. Suddenly, she felt her phone vibrate. She reached from the hidden pocket inside her bolero jacket and read the text. It was from Daring and she read it in his voice.

"Can you come over to dorm #29? It's rather urgent, hurry"

Apple turned off her phone and turned to Briar.

"I have to go see Daring, I'll be back in a bit, alright?" Apple said.

"See ya." Briar responded as she reopened her magazine.

Apple arrived at the dorm, not realizing who's dorm this was and found a dead-to-her Cerise and a furious Daring glaring directly at her.

"Daring! I haven't seen you in a week!" Apple said in a sweet tone with a hint of fake to it.

Daring held up the poison apple with a bite taken from it.

"This was your doing." Daring said in a low tone. If looks could kill. Hell, if Apple was a boy she could've been pinned against the wall by Daring who was fueled with anger.

"But, it could've been..Raven. She could've been practicing with her poisoning-"

"Why would she poison Cerise?" Daring pointed out.

At this point, Apple had no fight left in her to lie," Alright, I kinda poisoned Little Red Riding Wolf- I mean.." Apple actually intended to say that, in order to get a reaction of fear for Cerise from Daring.

But instead of fear, there was puzzlement," How did you know?"

"Well I didn't find out from Cheshire, that's for sure.." Apple said sarcastically.

"You had no right to poison her. And if you don't tell me how to break the spell, I'll ruin your name as the good girl of this school and tell everyone what you did." Daring warned.

Apple rolled her eyes and bit back a giggle," Who's going to believe you? You don't have any proof! And don't you know.."

"..True love's kiss will break the spell. But you can't do that, not as long as I know your little secret. And who would believe your story over mine? And if you do break her spell, then you'll be a rebel and lose everything. It's a lose-lose situation from your view."

Apple walked towards the door and said one more thing before she left.

"..Besides, it's just one girl and last I checked, the only person you cared was yourself."

Daring's mouth fell open at how harsh and hateful Apple really was. If only he caught that on video, then he would get everyone to believe him, but too little too late. And now, he was caught between saving the girl who became the love of his life within a matter of time and his name he worked so little to earn. Both meant so much to him, but which meant more?

If Daring lost Cerise, he would mentally make himself go back to Apple which he knew he shouldn't be doing, the heartless girl didn't know him for he was like Cerise and labeled him just like she did Raven. But what if he tries to break the spell, and it's too late but everyone finds out he kissed Cerise. Not only would he lose her for good he'd lose everything that mattered to him. Daring groaned and held his head in his hands. What was he to do?

Cerise was trapped in her slumber still, stuck in an eternal dream. Everything felt surreal and unlike anything she ever felt and it left her wondering, how and why? She caught on after a while she'd been sleeping for a very long time as dreams tend to last for about five minutes and this one seemed to have no end. For awhile she heard voices and phrases she heard other people around her say before and these voices were familiar but it didn't make sense as to why she was hearing them now. The voices stopped for a little while but once one was heard, a whole conversation amongst other voices would begin.

Did you hear Daring and Cerise are going out?

Alright, that caught Cerise off-guard. They were spewing random phrases before and she didn't expect the voice, that sounded similar to Hunter's, to say that.

"Apple's probably super peeved at them." A voice similar to Blondie's said.

"Oh you bet, how do you think Cerise got poisoned?" A voice sounding like Maddie's asked.

"I honestly can't see them lasting for too long though." Cedar's voice confessed.

"Yeah, Cerise is a bit too freaky for my bro and Apple would probably a be better girlfriend to him anyways." Dexter's voice said.
"They just aren't meant to be." Cupid's voice added.

"Well, duh, how many relationships do you ever see between a halfa and self-absorbed prince?" Raven's voiced scoffed.

That one stung a bit.

"What were they thinking? A commoner and a prince?" Ashlynn's voiced asked.

"They should probably quit while they're ahead." Kitty's voice remarked.

"To think Cerise even thought she had a chance with him, it's such a joke." Briar voice said.

And then they all began to laugh.

Cerise held her head and shut her eyes to keep herself from crying. She felt the need to break down, she felt the need to give up. No amount of love was worth this much torment. She shook her head and wanted to tell the voices they were right but the words refused to come out and she also felt that even though she'd admit to them they'd laugh at her even harder. She didn't know what else there was left to say. There were so many of them and she began to believe their words. She couldn't compete, not like this. She couldn't ask for her thoughts to be heard, not even when her own friends were laughing at her. Maybe she really was just a joke.

No.

No, she was far from a joke. She was better than that and she knew it. She stood up and shouted back to silence the voices.

"I may be a lot of things but I'm not a joke!" She shouted.

"And, I refuse to believe you're right! Daring and I, we have a bond that can't be broken down by your words and I won't give up on that bond! I don't care what you think, the only opinions that matter here are..mine and Daring's..So I don't want to hear anymore of any of your opinions because I won't be listening anymore! And I can tell, you aren't my friends' opinions, they would never say things like that. You're just the voices in my head, you're the things that keep me from letting myself have Daring. But you know what, you're not real! And unless I will it, you aren't there! So from now on..

..I won't let my insecurities keep me away from what I want."

Daring decided to do what he knew was best. He'd been sitting by Cerise's bedside, still indecisive on what he should do but then he realized, nothing would matter anymore if Cerise was gone. And he couldn't let his pride dominate over what he cared about most. Sadly, the only reasoned he would indulge in his reflection was because he was the only one who would be there to understand him inside and out. But then Cerise came along. Cerise was like a one in a million and he wouldn't have her slip away from him.

Daring took a deep breath and felt his heart pound as he finalized his decision.

He looked towards Cerise and locked lips with hers. The kiss was overflowing with passion and even though his eyes were pressed shut, he could feel his plan was working. Cerise opened her eyes and found her lips being pressed on to Daring's but she didn't fight it. Instead she just sat up a little and wrapped her arms around him.

"Ok Raven, I told the nurses and they sa-" Cedar, with Maddie at her side, stood speechless at the doorway as the two witnessed what they never believed they would be seeing.

"Well, at least Cerise is awake." Maddie observed.

They broke the kiss and Cerise looked at Daring endearingly," I won't let my fears and worries overtake me anymore.."

"As will I.." Daring replied," Or, won't I think.."

Cerise laughed and looked at Daring once more.

"Royal or not, you're still Daring."

"And rebel or not, you're still Cerise.."