Ever After High, Fairy Tale Retellings Book #2 Read online

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  © 2017 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved. EVER AFTER HIGH and associated trademarks are owned by and used under license from Mattel, Inc.

  Cover design by Ching Chan and Véronique Lefèvre Sweet. Cover illustration by Erwin Madrid.

  Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  Little, Brown and Company

  Hachette Book Group

  1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104

  Visit us at lb-kids.com

  everafterhigh.com

  First Edition: March 2017

  Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

  ISBNs: 978-0-316-50192-7 (pbk.), 978-0-316-50190-3 (ebook), 978-0-316-43803-2 (Scholastic edition)

  E3-20170131-JV-PC

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Introduction

  Chapter 1: A Wolf in Princess’s Clothing

  Chapter 2: Does This Ball Gown Come with a Hood?

  Chapter 3: Better Together

  Chapter 4: Acting the Part

  Chapter 5: Just One of the Girls

  Chapter 6: It’s Coming from Inside the Castle!

  Chapter 7: Let’s Be Real

  Dedicated to every girl who ever

  dreamed of being a princess.

  Introduction

  Faybelle Thorn was having a fairy good day. Just that morning, she’d caused some great Dark Fairy trouble… and the fun was only just getting started. Ever since she cheerhexed a spell on the midterm hexam storybooks, all the characters in the Ever After fairytales had been mixed up. She smiled as she remembered the spell she had cheerhexed:

  Study hard and listen well,

  As I start to cast my spell!

  Whether you’re a princess, prince, or witch,

  It’s time to get ready for a great big switch!

  S-W-I-T-C-H! SWITCH!

  Cupid had ended up in Ashlynn Ella’s story and had to be Cinderella for a while. Faybelle wished she could have seen Cupid cooking and cleaning for the two stepsisters and their mother. It serves her right, Faybelle thought. Cupid was far too sweet for Faybelle’s taste. As the daughter of the Dark Fairy, Faybelle couldn’t stand sweetness… and then there was the fact that she never turned down the chance to cause some mischief and mayhem. That’s why she had decided to cast the spell that caused all these big switches. Now nobody was in the right fairytale for their hexams, and they would just have to deal with the consequences. Faybelle couldn’t wait to find out whose fairytale she tangled up next!

  CHAPTER 1

  A Wolf in Princess’s Clothing

  Where in Ever After am I? Cerise Hood wondered. She looked around, hexpecting to see the beloved woods and lakes and the spelltacular outdoors that were part of her story. But instead, she was standing on a hard marble floor. It was a magnificent floor and polished to perfection, but Cerise couldn’t imagine what it was doing in her fairytale. She took an unsteady step.

  “Whoa!” Cerise let out a big yelp as she toppled to the floor. What in Ever After? she thought when she saw what had made her trip: She wasn’t wearing her usual dress with leggings and lace-up boots, but a poufy pink gown and satin heels.

  “Oh dear! Are you okay, miss? Please, let me help you!” A maid with a worried look on her face rushed to Cerise’s side. She immediately started fussing with Cerise’s clothes and smoothing her dress.

  “Thanks, I’m okay,” Cerise assured her.

  “Are you sure? You look like you took quite a tumble there,” the maid said.

  “No, no, really. I’m good,” Cerise said. As the maid reached up to fix Cerise’s hair, Cerise quickly put her hands up to her ears. Her hood was gone! She immediately pretended to smooth her hair. “Thanks, but I’ve totally got this. Don’t worry about it,” she told the maid. She didn’t want the maid to spot her two wolf ears. They were Cerise’s big secret—her family’s big secret. She was the daughter of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, so Cerise was part-wolf.

  No one in Ever After knew that her parents had gone off book—except Cerise’s best friends forever after, Madeline Hatter and Raven Queen—and Cerise was determined to keep it that way, wherever after she was!

  “Well, if you’re certain you’re okay, I’ll finish dusting the parlor,” the maid said. “Please don’t hesitate to call for me if you need anything at all.”

  “Thanks a bunch. Oh, what’s your name?” Cerise asked.

  The maid let out a laugh.

  “You’re such a funny princess! Have you bumped your crown? It’s me, Sarah. I’ve been your maid since you came to stay here at the castle,” the woman said with a gentle smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, the parlor is waiting. And the chef has already set out some food for your breakfast on the table.”

  “Oh, um, okay,” Cerise replied, even though she was completely confused. First things first, she thought. Did she say castle? Did she say princess? I need to find out hexactly what’s going on here. She took a good look around. Besides the marble floor, there was an enormous full-length mirror in the corner, with a fancy solid-gold frame. There was a huge picture window with velvet drapes, and the longest, plushest-looking couch Cerise had ever seen, covered with silk pillows. There was a hexquisite mahogany table, and it was heaped with every type of breakfast food imaginable: pancakes and waffles, thronecakes and muffins, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and a bowl of fresh fruit salad. Delicate plates rimmed with gold and sparkling silverware decorated with gemstones completed the spelltacular spread.

  Well, I am definitely in a new fairytale, Cerise thought. This doesn’t look anything like the storybook for Little Red Riding Hood.

  Cerise loved going on new adventures and exploring, so she couldn’t help but feel hexcited about having fallen into the wrong fairytale. She would worry about why it had happened later. For now, she would just try to figure out where she was.

  Based on her surroundings, she knew she had fallen into a fairytale with a beautiful castle, but so many fairytales had castles that the possibilities were practically endless!

  Who else is here? she wondered. She followed her instincts and decided to explore. There was a beautiful grand piano in the living room, and fresh flowers were everywhere. The flowers were fairy beautiful exotic blooms, like orchids and long-stemmed roses. As beautiful as they are, I prefer wildflowers, Cerise thought. Though these roses are pretty hexcellent.

  She peeked around a corner and spotted Sarah the maid speaking to a man wearing a huge chef’s hat and nodding his head at whatever she was telling him. They both looked happy. Cerise already knew Sarah was friendly, and she had a feeling the man in the chef’s hat was, too.

  Well, this looks like a nice place to visit, Cerise thought, but I
really need to figure out which story I’ve landed in. As she walked past the full-length mirror, she did a double take. Is that really me? she thought, looking over her reflection. Cerise barely recognized herself in the fancy ball gown and the dainty satin heels she wore. The outfit was pretty, but she felt strange wearing it. I’m sure Apple White or Briar Beauty would love this, but it’s not really my style. She hoped there was a change of clothes somewhere in this big castle.

  Suddenly, she heard someone calling her name.

  “Cerise! Cerise! It’s me, Dexter! What’s going on? What are we doing here?”

  Cerise ran down the hall and straight into Dexter Charming… sort of. He sounded just like Dexter, but he sure didn’t look like Dexter! He was big and tall and covered in fur! What the hex happened to Dexter? Cerise wondered. She wasn’t sure, but she was still happy to see him. She and Dexter weren’t BFFAs, but Cerise had always liked the shy Charming brother. They’d had a few classes together at Ever After High, and she knew Dexter was a hexcellent student.

  Just then, Cerise remembered that she didn’t have her hood, and she quickly started playing with her hair to make sure her wolf ears were hidden.

  A moment later, Cerise put everything together and realized what fairytale they had both fallen into—the castle, her clothes, Dexter covered in fur… it must be Beauty and the Beast!

  Now what am I supposed to do? Cerise thought anxiously. Of all the fairytales to drop into! She didn’t know the first thing about being Beauty. Beauty was definitely a princess, and Cerise was probably the most unprincess-like girl at Ever After High. How in Ever After could she make it to The End of a fairytale in which she had to be one of the most famous princesses of all time?

  “Dex? I think I know why you’re a beast.… We were accidentally sent to the Beauty and the Beast story,” Cerise told him.

  Dexter was stunned. He looked at his furry arms. “What does that mean?” he asked.

  “All I know is that we need to make it back to Ever After High, and we need to pass our hexam to do it. That means we have make it to The End of the storybook. It’s just that the storybook is now Beauty and the Beast,” Cerise thought aloud as Dexter’s furry face went from looking confused to panicked.

  “Dexter, don’t worry, this should be a piece of thronecake for you,” Cerise told him. “I’m the one who’s going to have a problem being a princess. What do I know about being a princess? But you’re a Charming. Your brother, Daring, is destined to be the real Beast. You were basically born to do this.”

  “My destiny is to be a prince—a human prince,” Dexter said. “Not a beast prince—covered in fur with giant hands and feet! And not only that, I…” But then Dexter stopped.

  “‘Not only that’ what?” Cerise asked.

  “Oh, never mind,” Dexter said sadly before wandering off to the castle’s library.

  Cerise sighed. She was used to being in the great outdoors, not being cooped up in a fancy castle. She walked over to the window and looked out longingly at the woods. This fairytale is going to be a royal carriagewreck, she thought. How was she ever going to get the hang of being a princess? She was nothing like Apple or Briar or Rosabella Beauty. Her fairytale didn’t have a fancy castle or poufy dresses. Would she ever be able to make it to The End while trying to be Beauty? But then she shook her head defiantly. It was time for some positive thinking. She was going to make it to The End, pass her hexam, and get home to Ever After High—no matter what!

  CHAPTER 2

  Does This Ball Gown Come with a Hood?

  Cerise took a deep breath. Okay, one step at a time, she thought. First things first. She needed to find a hood, and fast. There was no point in worrying about becoming Beauty when she had her wolf ears popping out for anyone to see. Cerise went through every closet in the castle in search of a hood. She found a closet full of crowns and tiaras. They were hexquisite, but no matter how she angled them, not one completely covered her ears. Plus, she’d have to wear whatever she picked all the time, and she’d look pretty silly wearing a tiara with her pajamas.

  Next, Cerise found a chest filled with hats. At first she was hexcited, because what could be more perfect? She was certain she’d find a hat she could use in place of her hood. But as she tried on hat after hat, her hopes of finding the right one got smaller and smaller. There were some delicate, flowery hats that barely covered her ears. Then there was an enormous straw beach hat with such a wide brim she could barely make it through a doorway. There was a top hat, but it was so fairy tall she had a hard time keeping her balance while wearing it. Now I understand how Goldilocks felt. Cerise groaned. Some of these hats are too big, others are too small, but none of them are “just right.”

  She hesitated when she came to the kitchen closet, as she doubted she would find anything useful there. Might as well check, just to be sure, she told herself. But there were no hats or hoods in the pantry. She found a big wooden bowl and for a second considered whether it would make a good hat before realizing how silly that was. Keep your hood on straight, Cerise! she told herself as she put the bowl aside. Would she ever find the right fit?

  Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a chef’s hat. Maybe hope wasn’t lost yet! She carefully put the tall cap on her head. Hey, this kinda works, she thought. Now all I need to do is find a hexcuse for wearing a chef’s hat. Would Dexter believe I want to become a chef? I do love food, Cerise thought. And I love helping my mom bake pies with our old family recipes.

  Speaking of her mom’s recipes… Cerise spotted a big bowl of hexcellent-looking berries on the kitchen counter. A piece of Mom’s wildberry pie would definitely help make me feel better right now. Cerise’s heart dropped when she realized that pies probably weren’t part of Beauty’s story. Now more than ever, Cerise wished she were in her own storybook, where she fit in. She missed her village and her family. She missed her mom and dad. They always made things better.

  Hmm, she thought. Maybe some wildberry pie would do the trick. Checking first to make sure the coast was clear, Cerise grabbed the berries off the counter and tried her fairy best to remember her mom’s recipe. A sprinkle of this, a dash of that, and Cerise was ready to put her pie in the oven. It wasn’t quite “Red Riding Hood quality,” but she’d done her best—and it sure did smell delicious!

  She smiled happily until she caught a glimpse of herself in a shiny lid. She realized that her ears had popped out of the chef’s hat and were totally exposed. All this hat is good for is inspiring me to bake, Cerise thought. She groaned. She’d almost forgotten where she was and that her favorite red hood was missing.

  In desperation, she returned to her bedroom and pulled everything out of the closet, determined to find something that could work. But as she looked at the massive pile of clothes, blankets, and sheets in front of her, she realized she knew nothing about making herself a hood. Her mom always made their hoods, and Cerise hadn’t learned how to sew yet. But now she was in a bind, and she had to at least try to make a hood. You’ve got this, Cerise, she told herself.

  The first thing she tried were some big blankets piled on top of her head, but they were so heavy they wouldn’t stay put. Next she tried tying a fuzzy sweater around her hair as a makeshift headband, but it was too itchy… and it didn’t cover her ears.

  CRASH! Just then, something (or someone) came bounding into her room. What in Ever After was that? Cerise thought.

  “Who’s there?” she asked, her voice muffled from being buried under a huge pile of clothes.

  “Cerise? It’s just me, Dexter. What are you up to?”

  “Oh… Dex. Hi, I was just… umm… looking for something comfy to put on. You know the old saying, ‘a closet full of ball gowns and nothing to wear,’ ha. What’s up?”

  “So you’re having a hard time, too, huh?” Dexter asked sadly. “Turns out having big furry paws is even harder to deal with than you’d think. I’ve been fumbling around, knocking into things with my new tail, and accidentally squishing thing
s with my big paws. I’m no good at being the Beast! Plus, I was hungry and tried to fix myself a snack, but I ended up making a huge mess! I’d feel terrible asking the servants to fix the disaster on their own. I was wondering if you could come down and help me clean it up. I’m afraid I’ll just make everything ten times worse if I try to straighten up by myself.”

  Poor Dex, Cerise thought from behind the pile of clothes. But I can’t help him clean up until I have something to cover my ears.

  “Sorry, Dex,” Cerise called out. “But I’m kind of… buried in work at the moment. Maybe I can help you later?”

  “Okay, sure,” Dexter said. “I’ll see you—OOF!—later.” Cerise heard a crashing sound.

  “Um, what was that?” Cerise called with concern.

  “I just bumped into your dresser on the way out.… I knocked over a couple of things. I’d try to pick them up, but I’m afraid of breaking them. ”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Cerise said.

  So Dexter left, and as he did, he crashed into the door and let out a wail, which didn’t sound the least bit beastly. It sounded more like a cute little baby dragon yelping. “I’m never getting to The End of this fairytale,” Dexter said sadly.

  CHAPTER 3

  Better Together

  The minute Dexter left, Cerise climbed out from under the clothes. She felt bad about not helping Dexter. Now I feel like a beast, she thought miserably. But she just couldn’t take the chance of Dexter seeing her wolf ears. Cerise felt fairy stressed out, and she needed a break from worrying about becoming Beauty and about Dexter finding out her secret. She knew she just needed to relax, and that nothing made her feel more herself than being at home. It was time to go outdoors.

  She grabbed the pink sheet off her bed and quickly concocted a makeshift hood. It was tied kind of lopsided and didn’t really stay on straight, but at least she could leave the castle for a while with her ears safely covered. She found a skirt that was more comfortable than her big poufy dress and quickly slipped it on. Now she was ready to run.