Ever After High--The Secret Diary of Apple White

by Heather Alexander

  The headmaster told us that he was fairy disappointed in us for pulling the prank. I felt like he was hextra disappointed in me.

  And then, Diary, he gave us detention.

  We can’t attend class today until the Castleteria and the Grimmnasium are cleaned and spotless.

  He told Lizzie she couldn’t order other students to help.

  He told Faybelle she couldn’t use any magic.

  Then he looked right at me and told me not to get any help from woodland creatures. The three of us created the mess, he said, and the three of us would clean it all up.

  I was fine with that, Diary. I felt responsible for the mess in the Grimmnasium, and I wanted to fix it and hang new decorations. I’m not afraid of hard work and a little elbow grease.

  But he wasn’t done.

  He said that we might have released the mice and set the mayhem in motion, but our fellow students also took part. They threw food, misbehaved, and did not act in accordance with their fairytales. Therefore, he ruled that tonight’s dance is canceled.

  Canceled?

  He has to be kidding. Right?

  Charm you later,

  Apple White

  Headmaster Grimm never kidded or teased or joked while at the helm of Ever After High. Parents sent him their precious children to mold into upstanding storybook characters, so they’d grow up to fulfill their destinies and do the kingdom proud. Dances were delightful little details that he could delete from the script. And now that the decorations were destroyed, it was easier to cancel the dance than have the students spend time making new ones.

  He refused to change his mind.

  Apple walked in a daze down the hallway toward the Castleteria, letting Faybelle and Lizzie go ahead of her. Bad news traveled faster than word of a lost glass slipper. The whispering started and grew louder. Students hexclaimed in amazement that Apple was responsible for the dance being canceled. They wondered if she had flipped her crown. They couldn’t believe it.

  Neither could Apple.

  Apple knew she wasn’t guilty in the same way Faybelle and the other girls were, but she did hold herself accountable. She had let the mice out of the closet, and they’d destroyed the lovely decorations in the Grimmnasium. Guilt churned around inside her like undigested apple seeds.

  “How could you do something so selfish, Apple White?” Duchess blocked her path. “Now the dance is canceled, and it’s all your fault!”

  “Wait a spell. It wasn’t like that,” Apple protested. “I really never meant for this to happen. I was more hexcited for the dance than anyone.”

  Duchess turned up her nose. “A likely story. I think you did it for attention. It’s a publicity stunt.”

  “Why would I want detention attention?” asked Apple.

  “With the dance canceled, you won’t have to be embarrassed that your theme wasn’t as good as mine, because no one will ever see yours.” Duchess rested her hands on her hips. “Now you can pretend it would’ve been great.”

  Apple didn’t want to argue with Duchess. What was the point? Her mind was made up. Surely, the other students would believe that Apple had never meant for any of this to happen.

  Right?

  Duchess turned to the crowd of students that had gathered behind her. “See? She doesn’t deny it. Blondie broadcasted it all. Everyone saw Apple lead the mice to the Grimmnasium.”

  “I wasn’t leading them,” Apple protested. “It’s not what it looked like.”

  “It looks like you took away our dance,” Duchess declared.

  Disappointed faces stared at Apple. The students weren’t smiling like they always did when they saw her. Several students refused to even make eye contact with her. She had disappointed everyone.

  Apple ran down the hall, past the Castleteria, and all the way back to her dorm, where she flung open the door to her room.

  Diary Entry

  Diary, this day has just been spelltacularly terrible. Duchess has helped turn most of the student body against me—but I can’t even blame her. I’ve let everyone down! I was feeling so frustrated that I was tempted to climb into bed and pull the covers over my head, but that’s not what I did. My mother always says no good comes from wallowing in self-pity. I’ve also heard her say that problems don’t solve themselves. I’m taking her advice. Surely, there is something I can do to straighten things out.

  Raven came charging into our room a few minutes after I got back, and she had Maddie and Rosabella with her. They were all concerned and wanted to make sure I was okay. I thanked my friends for their concern and told them I was fine.

  Raven was fuming! She said, “You can’t be fine. Headmaster Grimm was royally unfair.”

  My friends told me that they knew I didn’t team up with Faybelle to scare everyone with a mess of mice and then destroy the dance. Raven said she knew me too well to believe this could possibly be my fault. I thanked her. It’s so nice to have such a loyal friend.

  Then it dawned on me that Raven hadn’t asked to hear my hexplanation. Like Headmaster Grimm, she’d jumped to her own conclusion. So I told her hexactly what had happened from beginning to end. Raven was still pretty upset for me. She wanted me to tell the headmaster that Faybelle lied. But the thing is, Diary, I did open the cage in the closet and let the mice out. The Grimmnasium mess was kind of my fault. And it was up to me to fix it.

  All of a sudden, Diary, I knew what to do. I needed to handle this like a future queen—like my mom, Snow White. So I told my BFFAs that I, Apple White, needed to fix this whole mess. And to do that, I needed to sit alone, find my inner leader, and think, think, THINK!

  After they each gave me a big hug and headed to the library to study, I thought about how my mom would handle this. She would probably consider everyone else’s perspectives.

  She’d say that even though Duchess’s words stung, I shouldn’t take what she said personally. Duchess was angry that her theme wasn’t chosen, and like everyone else, she was upset the dance had been canceled. I can understand that. I just wish she could see that we were on the same side—that I want the dance, not because it was my theme, but because dances bring the students together. And they’re fun. And we all get to wear the most fableous dresses.

  Then Mom would probably say that Faybelle only said I was involved in the prank because she’s the daughter of the Dark Fairy. She likes to cause a little trouble—but I don’t think she meant to get me into too much trouble. Plus, I still feel fairy terrible about letting the mice escape… and ruining all the decorations. Helping clean up is the least I can do.

  But, most important, I need to remember the other thing my mother always says: The great leaders focus on the BIG PICTURE. And the big picture here is the dance.

  I need to get it un-canceled. Okay, Diary, what in Ever After should I do? Any ideas?

  …

  I’ve got it!

  I am going to clean the Castleteria and the Grimmnasium fableously fast. Then I’m going to use my best negotiation skills and persuade Headmaster Grimm to reverse his decision. Oh! I can’t wait to hext Raven, Maddie, and Briar that I have a plan!

  I’m going to make what’s done UNdone.

  It’s time to fix things.

  Charm you later!

  Apple White

  Apple entered the Castleteria ready to clean. She wore a crisp white apron over her red gingham dress and white cleaning gloves that reached up to her elbows. Her golden curls were clipped into a loose bun. She carried a feather duster.

  “Look who finally showed up,” Faybelle snapped. She lazily picked eggshells off the floor and tossed them into a garbage bin. “So nice of you, Apple, to grace us with your royal presence.”

  Think big picture, Apple told herself. It’s about the dance.

  She smiled. “Sorry I’m late. What should I clean first?”

  Mrs. Trollworth peered over the edge of her glossy magazine. The cover of Ogre Life and Home featured an ogre lounging by the side of a mud puddle while drinking a fr
osty glass of swamp juice. “Take your pick. There’s enough mess to keep you girls busy for hours.”

  Lizzie chipped away at the icky, hardened porridge on the tables with a metal spatula. Apple reached for a sponge, dunked it in soapy water, and scrubbed alongside her.

  Mrs. Trollworth burped several times, emitting a pungent odor that mixed poorly with the sour smell of spilled milk.

  “Hexcuse me.” She placed her magazine on a chair and stood. “My belly doesn’t take to sitting. You girls don’t need me to watch over you, do you?” She didn’t wait for an answer and waddled toward the door. “Keep at it. I’ll check back.”

  As soon as she left, Faybelle abandoned her garbage bin and Lizzie tossed down her spatula. Faybelle sat on a clean chair and leaned back.

  Apple kept scrubbing, but it seemed the work would never be done. She eyed the girls. How long of a break were they planning on taking?

  Apple reached for a mop and pail. With the mop, she swished a little to the left. Then a little to the right. Then she spun around and dunked the mop back in the pail. Apple repeated this again and again until she got into a perfect rhythm. Mopping was actually pretty fun! In fact, Apple was enjoying herself so much that she let out a happy little laugh.

  “I demand to know what’s so funny!” yelled Lizzie. Lizzie could sound fairy stern, but in reality, she was much nicer than you’d hexpect the daughter of the Queen of Hearts to be.

  “I was pretending the mop was a handsome prince,” Apple hexplained. “It makes cleaning fun. There are more mops. We could have a dance-off!”

  “Wait a spell.” Faybelle waved Apple away. “Why would we clean? Trollworth took off.”

  “She’s gone?” Kitty said as she suddenly materialized with a bottle of periwinkle nail polish. “Mani-curses, anyone?”

  “Oh yes!” Faybelle fluttered her fingers.

  “For the love of Wonderland! I only wear red. Do you have scarlet or crimson polish?” Lizzie asked with a smile.

  “No, no, no.” Apple hurried over. “You can’t clean if your nails are wet.”

  “Who said we were cleaning?” Faybelle challenged.

  “If we can tidy everything up quickly, then we can ask Headmaster Grimm not to cancel the dance,” Apple hexplained.

  Kitty surveyed the Castleteria and yawned. “It’s an awful lot of work.”

  “Not if we do it together. Think of how happy everyone will be if there’s a dance tonight. We can divide and conquer the chores. Lizzie can sweep. Kitty can sponge. Faybelle can scrub. And I can mop. What do you say? Are we in this together?” Apple waited hexpectantly, her clear-blue eyes shining.

  “I don’t want to get into more trouble.” Lizzie reached for the broom.

  “Whatever-after,” said Faybelle. She didn’t reach for anything.

  “I’ll help after my nap.” Kitty curled up on a table and closed her eyes.

  At least I have Lizzie with me, Apple thought. She dipped the mop in the pail of soapy water.

  A few minutes later, Apple decided to give Lizzie some helpful advice.

  “Lizzie, it’s better if you don’t sweep the old orgemeal cookies where I’m mopping. It’s getting all soggy. Why don’t you sweep over there?” Apple directed cheerfully.

  “Off with your mop-head! I’ll sweep the floor with you!” Lizzie cried.

  “I’m sorry. I was only trying to help,” said Apple.

  “Reverse!” Lizzie replied. She liked to give orders. “You sweep. I’ll mop.”

  They switched jobs.

  “Um, Lizzie… you’re splashing me,” Apple said a few moments later, wiping droplets off her apron. “Maybe try using less water?”

  Lizzie let the mop clatter to the floor. “Oh bother. I decree a leave of absence for this future queen.”

  Apple sighed with frustration. No one was listening to her. If she couldn’t get them to clean maple syrup from a chair, how would she rule her subjects someday? What was happening to Apple’s leadership skills?

  I can tidy everything myself if I need to, Apple decided. Her mother had cooked, cleaned, and sewed for seven dwarves. Apple could certainly mop up some orange juice.

  Apple stacked the dirty dishes in a bin. She hummed as she deposited the shredded napkins in the garbage can. She liked making everything beautiful.

  Soon, she realized that her humming was the only sound in the quiet Castleteria.

  Had the others left?

  No. Faybelle was bent over her notebook, writing new cheers for the cheerhexing squad. She twirled her platinum-blond hair with one finger as she chanted the rhymes under her breath. Lizzie had built a tall castle with a turret and moat using her deck of cards. She balanced one card on top of another with complete concentration. Kitty napped peacefully, grinning as she dreamed. And Mrs. Trollworth still hadn’t returned.

  Apple waited for anger to rush over her, but it never came. With a shock, she realized she wasn’t angry. They were each doing what they were good at and what they were destined to do. She couldn’t change their stories.

  The big hickory-dickory-dock-clock chimed twelve o’clock. Time was running out. If she wanted to clean the Grimmnasium, make new decorations for the dance, and plead her case to Headmaster Grimm, Apple realized she couldn’t do it on her own.

  Apple glanced again at the three girls. Persuading them to lend a hand would take a lot of time, and she didn’t have time right now. Headmaster Grimm had called in a group of professionals to clean the kitchen. Apple needed professionals by her side, too.

  She bit her lip. What should she do? They had been instructed not to use hextra help, and Apple always followed the rules.

  She thought of all the students depressed about the dance. She thought of the care that had gone into planning it.

  This will not be the end of this storybook! Apple decided she would do whatever it took to get this dance back on story.

  She whistled. High, then low. High, then low.

  Silently, help arrived in the form of cute little woodland creatures.

  Three raccoons wiped down the tables with their furry tails. Two rabbits wrapped towels around their feet and hopped about, shining the floor. Chipmunks tucked spilled food into their cheeks. Sparrows plucked up bits of trash with their beaks and flew it over to the garbage cans. A skunk sprayed a lilac scent to freshen the air, while a fawn licked the window with her pink tongue.

  Apple helped them clean. “This is the way we sweep the floor,” she sang softly.

  Faybelle stopped writing cheers. Lizzie knocked down her card castle. Kitty woke up. They stared in amazement at Apple’s woodland cleanup crew.

  “Am I seeing this right? Did Apple White just break a rule?” asked Faybelle.

  “I didn’t want to do it. Really, I didn’t,” Apple replied. “As a general rule, I don’t like to break rules, but I gave it a lot of thought. So many others are affected by the dance being canceled. It’s unfair of us not to consider their feelings. My mother always says a good ruler trusts her judgment. I decided that one small wrong would be okay to help make a big right.” She waved in their direction. “I was on my own. I didn’t have any other option to make everything end Happily Ever After.”

  The three girls said nothing. Faybelle avoided Apple’s gaze. Kitty arched her back, and Lizzie flushed red. For the first time today, they felt ashamed.

  “I’m heading to clean the Grimmnasium now.” Apple walked out with the woodland creatures.

  To her surprise, Faybelle, Lizzie, and Kitty stood and followed her.

  Diary Entry

  Surprise, surprise!

  Our walk from the Castleteria to the Grimmnasium held way more surprises than I hexpected!

  The woodland creatures scurried ahead. Kitty lounged on top of the lockers, occasionally reappearing farther down the hallway. Faybelle shuffled behind me. Lizzie pulled out a croquet mallet and tapped a crumpled ball of paper down the hall as we walked.

  The school was fairy quiet. Classes were in session. I
was missing Crownculus, and I hoped that Humphrey would lend me his notes. I’m going to have a lot of makeup thronework to do.

  I hesitated in front of the closed door leading to Headmaster Grimm’s office.

  I wondered aloud if we should tell Mrs. Trollworth we were moving on, but Faybelle said she’d only ruin our fun. Had I skipped a page, Diary?

  Surprise #1: Faybelle thought we were having fun! Okay, then. Off we went.

  After that, the three of us walked together. Kitty stayed on the ceiling. She has a thing for heights. Then the bell rang. Classroom doors opened, sending students streaming into the hall.

  And, of course, Surprise #2: Duchess came storming down the hallway. She announced that she was going to talk to Headmaster Grimm about having the dance and doing it her way. She made sure to mention how my theme was so last chapter anyway.

  Then Duchess spotted me. “Check out the merry maid. Yesterday, you were a queen-in-training. Today, you’re scrubbing floors. The apple has fallen fairy far from the royal tree.”

  My mother taught me that if I don’t have anything nice to say, I should speak with a smile. With Duchess, I smiled so hard, my cheeks hurt.

  Suddenly, Duchess let out an unintentional honk, then dropped the folder she was carrying. Papers scattered everywhere! Then she blamed me for it so loudly that a big crowd of students gathered around.

  Whatever-after was she talking about? I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t close enough to touch her.

  And that, Diary, is when Surprise #3 happened: Lizzie, Faybelle, and Kitty came to my defense!

  Lizzie and Faybelle insisted that I hadn’t done anything. Then Kitty appeared right between Duchess and me. She told Duchess to walk away if she wasn’t going to play nice!

  At that moment, Sparrow hurried by and stepped on Duchess’s worksheet for Home Evilnomics. I knew if someone didn’t pick up her papers soon, they’d all be trampled. I bent over to pick them up and—