FROSTBITE | HENRY MILLS [2]

VIII. party crashers

Chapter Status: Edited.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR MARY MARGARET! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

Mary Margaret smiles as she blows out the candles. For Mary Margaret's birthday, they decided to have a Snow themed ball in the school's hall. The walls are lined with white lights, and Regina and Emma use their magic to cover the ball with snowflakes. The room is absolutely breath-taking, all the boys wear black or white suits, and the girls wear different coloured dresses. Tahlia wears a "poofy" blue dress with long sleeves. Although Tahlia was told not to go, she had to, Mary Margaret is one of the sweetest people she has ever met, and there is no way Tahlia was going to miss this.

She dances with Anna, Henry, Nicholas, and even Chloe and Matt, but she cannot help but miss Sandy and Aaron who were both invited, but neither came. Tahlia declines the piece of cake Henry tries to give her and steps away from the group. Henry jogs after her, and she sighs, sitting down on one of the chairs that are against the hall's walls.

"Are you okay?" he asks, sitting down beside her with a plate holding the vanilla cake in his hands.

"I just feel so bad," she admits.

"I understand, but you were just trying to save her. Sure, maybe the plan was a bit stupid, but you can't beat yourself up for it," he says sympathetically.

"I'm an idiot," she replies in frustration, not having anything else to say.

"Maybe," Henry wraps his arm around her, "but you're my idiot," he smiles.

Tahlia rolls his eyes at his cheesiness but smiles anyway.

"Come dance with us, it'll make you feel better," he stands, offering his free hand.

"You still have to eat your cake," Tahlia points out.

He looks down at it before beginning to eat it quickly, making Tahlia laugh loudly.

"Done," he smiles, the cake still in his mouth.

"That's disgusting" she laughs.

He smirks before swallowing what was left.

"Now, come dance with us," he instructs.

"Fine," Tahlia sighs before standing up and taking Henry's hand.

He drags her to the dance floor where people were beginning to fill again as music plays loudly. Anna moves away from Nicholas and hugs Tahlia.

"Dance with me!" she says in a strange, slightly slurred, voice.

"We shall spin!" Tahlia declares, taking her hand and spinning her.

"That's my job," Nicholas teases, grabbing Anna and pulling her away from Tahlia.

"No, my wife," Tahlia cries dramatically, making them all laugh.

Tahlia has completely forgotten about Sandy. She never gets to have a good time anymore, it is always an endless cycle of drama, so it feels amazing to have one night with no worries. At least that was what they hoped. Suddenly, the hall's doors fly open, a gush of cold wind attacking everyone's skin. The music stops, the stereo frozen. Mary Margaret, Regina, Emma, Killian, and David all step forward in front of the crowd. They watch as the doors and the walls near them slowly freeze, a cold mist entering the doorway.

"Everyone step back!" David shouts.

Tahlia goes to step forward, but Henry grabs her arm and drags her back with the crowd. Two silhouettes appear, one female, the other, male.