20. .
. .
"There's no such thing as 'happy ever after'."
~O~
Once upon a time there were a group of young teenagers who came together and formed a bond that transpired the boundaries of friendship. They became family. Together they sang, and laughed, and danced, and cried. They discovered hidden feelings, and fell in love. They felt what it was like to live and be happy. Their lives became so intertwined that it was hard to imagine each of them as individuals.
But things change.
If you ask them how, the stories would vary.
The fiery red head with aqua eyes would look straight at you from her office desk. She would palm the pen in her hand and, with a frustrated sigh, tell you it all began when she unknowingly fell in love with Boy Wonder…and then realized it.
The dark haired magician would tell you the exact same thing.
~O~
(I love him.)
(So do I.)
~O~
In the shadows of the night, Boy Wonder would silently watch, but instead of the knowing smile that usually graced his features, he would grimace; he knows why it happened. He knows why their perfect world imploded.
It was his fault. He knows it.
It was because he couldn't find the heart to say two measly words. He was too scared, too hurt, too confused, to say the words that could have quelled the fire.
It was just two simple words.
Maybe if he had said them… things would be different.
The other red head, the sweet green one, would beg to differ.
If asked, she would tell you that if she hadn't done it – hadn't said those damn words - everything would still be the same. Everyone would still be happy.
They were a catalyst, the stroke that lit the match, if you will.
She would smile and tell you again, that maybe if she didn't say it…maybe none of this would have happened.
~O~
(I'm sorry)
~O~
He, on the other hand, would tell you nothings changed, not really. He was still the same more or less. Sure, maybe his heart was heavier, maybe his days felt empty, and maybe, he felt a pang of heartache when he ran his thumb over the picture sitting on his desk.
But still. Nothings changed.
He would tell you that they just grew apart, that time changed everything…. no one was at fault here.
Absolutely no one.
And if there were, it wouldn't matter. Because the fact of the matter is: she never really loved him. Not as much as he loved her.
(But it's alright; he's used to being alone anyway).
~O~
They all knew, if given the chance, they would turn back the clock. They would take a jump back in time and do things differently.
Each of them would do anything – and they mean anything – to get one more chance.
(Well, all except for two.)
.
.
The blond girl (who, please note, is rather overdramatic) would narrow her eyes and tell you it began the day she tripped and fell. She fell into different reality where her whole life was turned upside down. Everything bad turned to good, and hate turned to love. She learned to laugh and smile with ease in this new world. But soon enough she was shocked back into the reality. Something happened that made her realize that she was stuck in a make-believe world. The world she loved so much existed inside her head. It wasn't real. None of it was.
So she escaped to reality.
She would, then, go on and tell you that she's okay now, she's finally happy.
She would tell you that she doesn't regret leaving.
She's out of that horrible world and safe and sound in the arms of reality where she insists that it's for the best.
And before she turned around and went back to her normal day she would tell you one more thing: It's all his fault.
Besides, Alice doesn't belong in Wonderland anyway.
~O~
(In short, it began the day she met him.)
~O~
He, of course, would scoff at this. This red headed boy would roll his eyes– while pondering why the bloody hell there were so many redheads, weren't they supposed to be rare? – and swear it wasn't his fault. He didn't do shit. It was entirely her fault. He would sneer and say it all started when she showed up at school with her stupid smile and clumsy feet (actually they were his, but it's not like he'd admit that). It all started because she showed up and ruined his entire life.
And after a moment his anger would fade and then he would laugh and wave off the subject like it wasn't a big deal.
Like it didn't hurt to think about it.
Like he didn't miss her.
Like it wasn't his fault.
So yeah.
He's sure as hell it didn't begin with him.
And after another pause he would suddenly smile, insist he was totally fine, and tell you he had to run.
He has a date.
Multiple in fact.
~O~
(In short, it all began the day he kissed someone that wasn't her.)
~O~
Once upon a time everything was perfect.
And then it wasn't.
Because time goes on and people change; they do things they wish they hadn't; they say things that aren't true. They lie and cheat and hurt the people they swore they wouldn't. They make empty promises and whisper sweet-nothings that mean just that – nothing.
Because there's no such thing as happy ever after.
In one day everything came undone. Punches were thrown and words were spoken. The truth came into the light and their world combusted into flames.
So if you asked them to tell you the story of how everything happened, of how this fairy tale went so wrong, you would have to understand a few things first.
First and foremost: there are no such things as happy endings.
Remember that.
There's no such thing as a happy ending.
And that's only the tip of the iceberg.
If you really wanted to know, you'd have to learn so much more.
You would have to understand why an oak tree means so much. You would have to understand the significance of the color 'ploodle'. You would have to know what's stored away in the back of a drawer, once lost but never again to be found. You would have to know why November is the best month and why March is the saddest. You would have to understand the importance of the number sixteen and countless of other fragments of conversations and jokes shared between this group of friends.
You would have to understand that before all the grief and trauma – before all the heartbreak, before the tears and before the marriage – there was a time of growth which slowly melded into an era of peace. To do this, you have to go back in time.
And this, my friends, is where our story begins.
A/N. Welcome to the world that doesn't make sense, otherwise known as my world. This is an AU story. And this chapter will probably be edited and updated more than the story itself jk. But, please, continue on. Read and try to understand. Message me if you're confused about anything. And please leave a review to let me know what you think!