Fifth Destiny // Ever After High as Fifth Harmony Fanfiction

Chapter Four: Apple Pie

{Chapter 4 POV: Apple White}

"Why'd you interrupt me? I was having an awesome time with Blake!" Holly shouted, running through the studio door. She crossed her arms over her chest angrily.

"Cerise has something to tell us. It's important, Holly," I answered. Cerise deserved our undivided attention- it seemed like it'd taken her her whole two-week leave of absence to muster up the courage to tell us whatever she had to tell us.

If this was important, I wanted to make sure I was there for Cerise. I'd been there for Holly a few minutes ago... Not that she'd needed it. I'd been totally ignored by the two new love birds, Holly and Blake.

"Fine," Holly sighed, taking her spot at the table.

Duchess, Holly, Lizzie, and I turned to Cerise, waiting for her to speak.

Cerise took a big breath, then started. "Okay... Remember how I didn't wear my hood during our last performance?"

The four of us nodded our heads.

"Well... That was the first time I've done that in fifteen years. It was terrifying," she continued.

"It's just a hood. Why are you so scared to be without it?" Holly asked, innocently.

"It's not the hood- it's what's under the hood." Cerise pushed back her long brown and white-streaked hair, exposing a pair of fuzzy wolf ears where the rest of us have normal human ears.

"Wow," Holly gasped.

"Those are real?" Lizzie questioned.

Cerise nodded. "My father is the Big Badwolf."

"That's why you always wore the hood. You were afraid of people finding out, because if someone found out, you'd..." I trailed off, knowing the punishment would be banishment, the harshest punishment in Ever After- or even harsher than anything done before.

"I'm sorry. I used to make fun of you for that- I didn't know..." Duchess apologized. She'd been doing a lot of that lately.

"I understand. I hate having to wear it too. That's why I have to tell you this. It's probably best if I quit the band. I'm sorry," Cerise said, the white parts of her eyes turning red and tearing at the corners.

"You can't!" Holly shouted.

"We won't let you!" I blurted.

"Off with that idea!" Lizzie screamed.

Cerise sniffed, not knowing what to say.

"Please? We'll promise to cover for you if anything comes up. I'll protect you from Headmaster Grimm, if he ever finds out. I won't let them banish you or hurt you!" I reasoned, bursting into tears. The band had just started, and in the short time became one of the closest friends I'd ever had. I didn't even care that she was technically against everything I believe in. To hex with everything I thought was right. Nobody deserves to be punished for simply existing.

"Apple!" Holly gasped. "That's against the rules!"

My heartbeat quickened, and the tears burned my pale fade. I dm hadn't expected myself to change today. "If what it takes for me to be 'happy' is for Duchess to lose her prince and be trapped as a swan, Lizzie and Raven to be in prison forever, and for Cerise to be banished or worse, than I don't want it anymore. If I continue to live my life knowing I'll have everything and my friends will have nothing, then I'll be living a lie, a fake paradise. You all should be just as important as my story is said to be," I cried.

Cerise looked startled, like she'd seen a ghost, or killed a wolf. Duchess, Lizzie, and Holly stayed extremely still, as if something terrible had just happened.

"Please stay in the band," I begged, feeling myself crumble into pieces. I was whole on the outside, but on the inside I was breaking down into a sweet and sour mush, like apple pie.

"Okay, Apple. I will," Cerise smiled, trying to boost my crushed spirits. She came over to my chair and gave me a hug.

This was the scariest thing I'd ever experienced in my life. Apple White... Going Rebel?