Never Happily Ever ((Complete)) #EAHWattyAwards2018

Chapter Eight: Briar Beauty

The limousine pulled up to Book End, and Briar got out. She thanked the driver, then started through the row of shops lining the street of Book End.

Book End was the biggest and most popular shopping center for miles. It is also the closest to Ever After High, and is in the crossroad between the many kingdoms. Generally, the students of E.A.H.'s kingdoms were not near Ever After High, but Briar's kingdom was close enough.

Briar walked down the rows of shops, even though she's been at Book End a million times, it still amazed Briar how colorful and much the ships were.

She looked in the windows for anything that caught her eye. She looked for fifteen minutes, then decided to get a drink.

Briar ordered a Hocus Lotte, then sat down at one of the many bright blue tables outside. A few minutes later, Ashlynn Ella sat down opposite Briar with her own Hocus Lotte.

"Hey Ashlynn," Briar said, surprised to see her old roommate, "how was your first full day of summer break?"

Ashlynn just shook her head and took a sip of her lotte.

"I'm sorry," Ashlynn apologized, after a while, "I'm just really distracted."

"That's okay."

"I really miss school," Ashlynn replied, looking at Ever After High.

"That's the first time I've ever heard that," Briar said, her eyebrows raised.

Ashlynn chuckled at Briar's surprised look, but then returned to an unhappy face. "It's just, in school there are no parents trying to tell you what to do."

Ashlynn looked down at her lotte, "my parents are planning another date." she said after a while,"even after the horrific night last night."

"Wow," was all Briar managed, "what happened?"

Ashlynn didn't reply.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Ash. Your right, it's not my place to ask," Briar apologized.

"No, it's okay," Ashlynn said, looking up at her friend."His name was Prince Dallance. He was so rude, like, he just... he would make some nice comment, but then add how he was so much better then everyone. But my parents don't know any of that because their just thinking of me getting married. BUT I'M ONLY FIFTEEN!!" Ashlynn finished her rant.

Briar didn't know what to say. How could someone's parents be looking for a husband for their daughter when their barely halfway through their teen years.

"I just don't get it," Ashlynn continued, "my mother grew up with these two nasty step-sisters, while she always wanted her prince. I don't want a prince, I just want..." Ashlynn didn't finish, but Briar knew what she wanted.

"Hunter," Briar said out loud.

Ashlynn nodded, then started to cry. An arm reached around Ashlynn and Briar gave her friend a hug.

"Nothing's easy Ashlynn," Briar said,"but we're all going to get through it. Weather we go though the same fairytale that our parents did, or we make our own. We just have to live life, and not worry about it."

After a few moments, Ashlynn looked up at her fellow princess,"your right Briar, thanks so much."

"No problem Ashlynn."

The two girls chatted for a while, then the subject turned back to fairytales.

"Briar, do you think you'll marry a prince?" Ashlynn asked.

Briar shrugged,"don't know."

"I mean, in my story I, or my prince has to choose, which is really hard if there isn't anyone you want, or to many people that you do want. But for you," she continued,"you just get kissed by a prince, and live happily ever after. Easy."

Briar smiled at her friend as if she agreed with her statement. But deep inside, Briar was amazed that Ashlynn didn't look deeper into her story.

"Why don't we go look for some shoes?" Briar suggested, trying to get both of their minds off of their destinies.

"Okay," Ashlynn agreed.

The two walked into a shoe store in Book End.

Ashlynn excitedly hurried over to the glass slippers isle, and Briar followed her friend while rolling her eyes.

"Come on Briar," Ashlynn exclaimed,"try on a pair!"

Ashlynn held up a beautiful high-heels glass shoe for Briar to try on.

"Okay," Briar agreed,"but only if I get to pick out a pair for you next."

Ashlynn nodded eagerly, as Briar slipped on the pair of shoes.

"How do they look?" Briar asked.

"Well, they do clash with your pink and black," Ashlynn admitted.

Briar stepped out of the shoes,"now I got to go find you a pair!"

Briar tool a while. Ashlynn usually only wore glass shoes, but Briar wanted to find something that wasn't glass, but that she loved it just as much.

Suddenly, Briar found them. A pair of blue sparkling high-heeled shoes with silver swirls on the side. The shoe itself looked like it was made of a bunch of crystals, but was hextremely comfortable, unlike the glass shoes.

Briar came back to Ashlynn to find her trying on another pair of glass slippers.

"I found you something hextremely perfect," Briar said, hiding the shoes behind her back.

Ashlynn's green eyes lit up with delight as Briar pulled out the pair.

"Oh my fairy godmother! These are gorgeous!" Ashlynn hexclaimed.

Briar smiled as her friend put them on.

"And they're hexactly the right size!" Ashlynn continued. Then she gave Briar a huge hug,"thanks Briar, these are the best."

Ashlynn paid for the shoes, and the friends walked out of the shop.

"I'm actually going to head back to my castle Ash," Briar said, hexhausted from the long day with her roommate.

"Okay," Ashlymm replied,"see you in September."

Briar called her shofar, and sat down at a light blue table outside a coffe shop and thought about Ashlynn's comments about fairytales.

Ashlynn thought getting woken up after one hundred years was the easiest thing in the world. But yet Ashlynn was complaining that she had to choose it didn't seem right to Briar that Ashlynn was complaining.

I guess everyone hates their story, Briar thought as her limousine pulled up.