Fifth Destiny // Ever After High as Fifth Harmony Fanfiction

Chapter Sixteen: Cerise in Pieces

{Chapter 16 POV: Cerise Hood}

"Hey," Daring said when I walked up.

"Hey," I responded.

"Hungry?" Daring reached into his back pocket and pulled his wallet out. He didn't have to pay for me, I'd just gotten paid today, but he liked to anyway. Then again, our single based on my life might be flying high on the charts, but Daring is a rich Prince Charming. No famous status tops future loyalty.

I laughed, knowing he was thinking what I was thinking. "That's an irrelevant question."

"I know, I know," he singsonged, laughing along with me.

He bought a hot dog for each of us and then we found a little bench to relax on for a while.

"So, how are things going with the tour?" Daring asked, reaching for my hand to hold and holding his hot dog in the other.

"Pretty good so far. At least, for me. Holly's going through a lot of drama right now. Lizzie is sorting things out with her boyfriend. Apple's been sort of quiet, and Duchess is, well, just Duchess."

"What's up with Apple?" Daring wondered, sliding a little closer to me.

"I don't know," I said, finishing the rest of my hot dog off.

"It's probably because of Ryan." Daring casually put his arm around me.

"Who's Ryan?" I narrowed my eyes at him, confused. What does this Ryan kid have to do with Apple?

"She didn't tell you about Ryan?"

"No, and now neither are you...." I slid away and turned to face him, demanding he tell me without saying a single word.

"Oh, right, okay. Ryan is this new kid we got at the end of last year, and he's pretty cool. I found out the other day that they assigned me and him the same dorm for next year. I'm pretty sure he and Apple are dating but I haven't talked to either of them about it."

"Apple has a boyfriend and she's not telling me about it?" I shouted. I jumped up, suddenly desperate to talk to Apple about it. How could she not tell me? I'm her best friend!

"Hey, if she hasn't told you yet, I'm sure she's just looking for the right time and place. I wouldn't take it personally. Apple wouldn't hide something from you without a good reason." Daring's attempt at comforting me had actually worked. I'd let it slide and give her time to tell me on her own, but if she never does, I'm definitely going to say something.

Who is this Ryan kid anyway? What's his destiny? What if he's a villain? What if he really can't be trusted?

Okay, maybe I should slow down, but I'm just worried about my best friend. She's so independent I know I shouldn't be worried, but I can't help it. Daring is still right.

"You're right, Daring, you're right," I sighed, slumping back down on the bench.

"I know. I usually am. Which is why I wanted to ask you before I make assumptions... How come, ever since you came out of the hospital a few weeks ago, you don't want me to kiss you?" Daring leaned close again.

The real reason I'd been avoiding Daring coming too close was because of what Austin saw when he's kissotaged me. I hadn't yet told Daring the wolf secret, and I didn't want to. The only thing I feared more than telling Daring was Daring finding out on his own.

"It's not that I don't want you to kiss me... Of course I do. I just... After the thing that happened at the hospital I... I just... He... Um..." I didn't know how to answer without giving the secret up.

"Cerise, what's really up? Do you like Austin?"

A triumphant fanfare sounded from Daring's phone. He pulled it out of his coat pocket and read the text.

"Hiding something from you.... Under her hair... Kiss... What it is..." He mumbled as he read.

Fearing for the worst, Poppy, that is, I ran from the bench and Daring as quickly and quietly as I could.

"Cerise? Wait!" Daring yelled behind me, but I ran right for backstage. I could wait the fifteen minutes until wardrobe from back there...

When I got to our dressing room, I yanked the door open and ran right into a sobbing Holly. "Holly? Are you okay?"

"Cerise? Are you okay?" Holly said in a really unstable, shaky voice. It's Holly's 'I'm trying to be strong even though I'm falling apart on the inside' voice, the same one she'd used yesterday when telling us all about the Poppy/Blake incident.

"No no no, I asked you first. You seem like you need someone right now."

Holly looked like she was going to protest, but then she didn't. "You're right, Cerise, I do need someone- Blaaaaaaaaaake," Holly cried, bursting into tears again.

"Oh my godmother, what happened?" I asked her, grabbing her hand and practically dragging her over to the couch in the middle of the room. I handed her a tissue from the box perched on the nearby table.

"Blake. He dumped me. He thinks we should just be friends. How can we be friends if I still feel something?" Holly wailed while wiping her eyes weakly with the tissue.

"Oh, Holly...." I sighed, patting her back. I'm really, really not good with advice.

Just then, Ally burst through the door next. "Oh! Hey! Cerise! And Holly! What are you guys doing here?" Ally was clearly hiding something. Unless she was hiding something else from me, I assumed it was her boyfriend.

"Reveling in our-" air quote, "happiness-" air quote, "What's up with you?"

"If you'll excuse me for a second..." Ally stated, backing out the door again. "Shhh, I'll see you later. Seems like a band crisis is going on," I swear I heard her tell someone outside. I swear her statement was followed by heavy footsteps heading away from the dressing room, most likely belonging to a guy. Then Ally popped back through the door, dashed over to us with a peppy spring in her step and sat on the available couch space to the other side of Holly.

"Blake dumped me, and he wants to be just friends," Holly filled Ally in.

"Oh, and I haven't kissed Daring in weeks because of the risk of this stupid secret coming out," I sighed, wishing I hadn't had to admit that. "What are you so smiley about?"

"Um, nothing, nothing." Ally answered quickly. She's clearly hiding something now.

The door opened and slammed again. "You'll never believe who I just saw MY BOYFRIEND with," Lizzie shrieked in her fancy wonderland accent, "OFF WITH HER HEAD!"

She was followed by Duchess almost instantly. "Guess who Poppy just tried to recruit for her team! AND TRIED TO ASK OUT," Duchess shouted angrily.

The drama swallowing the room like an envelope was so strong, I could practically feel it.