Once Upon a Time: Ever After High (Book 14)

Ch.101 Wake-up call

(Flashback) At first, nobody was around when the phone in the living room of a nice house started to ring. That is until a high school girl walked in while wearing a purple graduation cap and gown with a red sash hanging around her shoulders.

"I'll get it mom!" she shouted as she picked up the phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

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The moment Brooke heard the voice of the young girl, that's when everything began to change as her face lit up with a small gasp. She started seeing visions of her memories, from meeting Raven for the first time at her apartment door in New York to breaking the first curse to the moment she met Danny in Camelot and their first kiss, she even saw when they reunited in the future where they shared their kiss in Wonderland. And lastly, she saw the moment she stood back while she let her daughter run off to safety as she stayed behind in the hideout with her sword.

As soon as it was over, Brooke could barely speak as she stood there full of surprise. She couldn't believe what just happened, she was awake, she remembered everything. And that's when she realized who the girl on the other line was. She knew the voice anywhere. The voice that belonged to her young high school self.

"Hello?" her young self spoke on the other line "Who's calling?"

"Is this..." Brooke breathed as she tried to calm herself "Brooke Page?"

"Yeah. Who's this?"

"Uh-" she replied while trying to think of an answer "I'm uh- I'm a friend of your parents."

"Oh, you must be calling about the graduation party. Well, you see, there's gonna be a little wedding after graduation, so you can say that's gonna double as the graduation party."

"It's my- I mean your graduation?" Brooke gasped.

"Yep. Sure is. Are you a friend of my parents from work or something? Should I go get them?"

"Oh no," she shook her head, "Wait. I uh- I just called to congratulate you."

"Oh," her young self remarked astonished, "Um, thank you."

"So..." Brooke added with a smile "What's next?"

"To be honest..." her young self hesitated.

"You're having doubts."

"Well um, my friends and I have been through so much over the years. And now that we're growing up... it's kinda hard letting go if this place."

"Believe me," Brooke mumbled with a small smile "I know. Um, can I give you a piece of advice? Advice someone gave me a long time ago at my graduation?"

"Sure."

Brooke began to feel her eyes watering as she continued, "Home isn't a place. It's the people in it. And they will always be with you."

She could feel her young self taking that advice in, and she could swear her young self was smiling a bit.

"Who'd you say this was again?" she asked.

"Just someone who believes in you," Brooke smiled.

"Brooke!" she suddenly heard her mother's voice in the background that nearly made her gasp "We're gonna be late!"

"Hold on, mom" young Brooke replied as she went back to the call "I'm sorry, I gotta go."

"Have fun at your graduation, kid," Brooke smiled, "And when you're opening your gifts, make sure you don't miss the tiny one that fell behind your dresser. You're gonna want that one."

And with that, the call ended.

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After the call, young Brooke gave a curious look as she walked up the stairs and into her room where she peeked behind her dresser and was surprised to find a small gift box. When she picked it up, she saw her name on the tag as she began to untie the ribbon that was wrapped around it as she took off the top. And to her surprise, inside was a magic blue bean.

And at that moment, she began to think about the person on the other line. Whoever that woman was, she sure gave a piece of wonderful advice. One that she will surely follow.

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The moment the call ended, Brooke sat there with this wonderful feeling as she allowed her joyful tears to flow down her cheeks.

"Brooke?" she suddenly heard Shannon's voice call "Is everything okay?"

But the moment Brooke saw her, Brooke gave a gasp when as she remembered who she was looking at. And at that moment, she jumped out of her seat and run up to the little girl as she picked her up in her arms and swung her around while breathing heavily with satisfaction.

"Not 'Brooke', Shannon," she smiled at once she set her down "Mom."

"You remember," Shannon gasped with a smile "You called the number?"

"I did," Brooke beamed.

"Well, what happened?"

"I-" she began in a mumbled "I remember that call. I always remembered it. It was so weird. Because it was me. I'll explain everything, but right now, I need to find your father."

"I think I know where he is," Shannon's eyes widen, "And you should know, he's already awake."

"He is?!" Brooke gasped.

"I'll explain later, but he's in trouble. He's trying to stop Morgana."

"Oh no," Brooke breathed with shock when she gave a scowl "Not that witch."

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By the time it had gotten dark, Morgana made her way to the community garden where she walked up to the wishing well. But as she did so, Aaron was following behind her with a bat in his hands, and he took a swung at her head, it had barely touched her as she used her magic to send the bat bursting into pieces.

"You know," she began as she turned to him with a smirk, "I thought you'd bring more to that fight than a piece of dead wood."

"I've got nothing left to lose," he growled while holding up the broken bat handle that now had a sharp end "So let's do this."

"You can't beat me by yourself."

"Who said I was by myself?"

All of a sudden, Morgana felt a strong force knocking her down on the hard ground. And when she looked up, she spotted Mia with her hands out with Ross behind her.

"Damn," he breathed amusedly, "I wished I had my magic back."

"I should've known," Morgana grinned while getting up and brushing her black cloak "The 3 Musketeers back together again. Two are powerless and one has magic. Well, guess what Mia, even with all your magic, you're not strong enough to defeat me."

"I'll take my chances," she growled.

"Very well. Then all of you must prepare to die."