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"Classic fairy tales do not deny the existence of heartache and sorrow, but they do deny universal defeat." - Greenhaven Press
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Aura's mind wandered as her castmate recited his line next to her. She ran through the remaining items in her head: a shard of captivity from a great height, a sole of glass that lasted after midnight, the sand of flight from pixies' wings, travel to the lost city to find the heart of the sea, the healing waters of life's meadow, a chronicle of Fabula's tales, and the Letters of Destiny.

Aura wracked her brain as she attempted to decode the last object. The Letters of Destiny? What fairytale is that from?

The boy next to her waited in silence for her to speak.

"Aura!" the director scolded. "Come back to Earth and stop missing your cues."

She cringed at Madame Snyder's disappointed snarl, wishing she could find the stamina to focus through the rest of rehearsal. 'Back to Earth'... If only the riveting scenes of their high school play could top the thoughts running through her mind. Aura couldn't force herself to be present in this world when she was tasked to save another.

The blonde stared blankly at Madame Snyder, snapping out of her daze. "Sorry..."

The director sighed as Casey approached her, free of her crutches. "You know, if Aura isn't feeling well, I could fill in for the day."

Madame Snyder looked at Aura's soft, apologetic features. "Please don't start—"

"—No seriously. I've still got my boot, but I don't need crutches, plus you're not even rehearsing dance numbers today." Casey's dark brown eyes glossed over Aura's defeated figure, a honeyed smile on her lips. "I only wanna help."

Aura looked at her feet, knowing that if she looked at her instructor she would be brought to tears. "It's fine, Madame. I'll sit today out and be ready tomorrow."

The older woman sighed, seeming as though she was bored by the display. "Very well."

Aura watched from the back of the auditorium, resisting the urge to break down crying as Casey nailed each line.

Carolyn met up with her on a break, chatting with her for a few moments before Madame gave them a five-minute warning.

"I'll catch you after rehearsal, I'm gonna go get some water," Carolyn said to her sister with a small smile before jogging back to the dressing room.

She nodded politely at the castmates she passed, carefully stepping over a prop who's paint still hadn't dried completely. Her soft jazz shoes kept her quick footsteps quiet against the aged limonium floors. Finally the two black dressing room doors came into view.

Carolyn's heart dropped one hundred stories to her stomach as she pushed open the door. Eli stood in the center of the room; his neck craned down as his lips met Casey's. Their heads snapped towards the door as it creaked open, surprised by the blonde's appearance.

Carolyn scoffed, her face twisted into a bitter scowl as she stared into her boyfriend's eyes. "Fuck you."

Eli stepped towards her, pushing Casey away. "Care—"

His empty apology was cut off as Carolyn's palm collided with his cheek. Her face flushed with anger. "Let me guess? You 'didn't mean to?' Don't act like you didn't know what you were doing."

Casey crossed her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes at Carolyn's reaction. "Since you cheated first, anything is fair game."

Carolyn turned on her heel without challenging her, pushing past people who had gathered to witness the spectacle. She ran away from Aura as her sister tried to catch her attention, running through the double doors of the auditorium and out of the school, her mind spinning.

Rehearsal ended just a half-hour later, the whole cast too distracted as they buzzed about the gossip. Bailey ran to Aura after they were dismissed, her phone in hand.

"What the hell happened?" the brunette asked her friend as they walked. "Carolyn stormed out and now she isn't answering her phone."

Aura was ready to answer with what another castmate had told her when they reached the parking lot and saw Casey and Eli kissing under a tree.

"Oh..." Bailey trailed off; her eyebrows raised in shock.

"I think I know where she might be," Aura said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she resisted looking at the pair. Her eyebrows furrowed; her face serious. "Can you drive me to Shore Pizza?"

Bailey nodded solemnly, starting her car as they reached it. The time crawled by as they drove into town. Aura looked out the window, twiddling her thumbs and growing impatient. She wasn't sure what state she would find her sister in. Angry? Definitely. Brooding? Probably. Heartbroken?

Aura couldn't think of Carolyn in tears, not until it was happening in front of her. If her mind continued to anxiously wander, Bailey would be far too eager to turn around and key Eli's car. She decided it would be best to not engage in illegal activity.

They could see Carolyn sitting by the rocky shore in the distance as they parked in front of the light blue restaurant. Aura slowly unbuckled, turning to her friend. "I should probably go talk to her alone. Will you wait here without doing anything reckless?"

Bailey nodded, prompting Aura to walk away from the building towards the beach. She found Carolyn sitting on the sandy, rocky cliff above the shore. They sat beside one another in silence, carefully observing the waves as they crashed on the beach nearly twenty feet below them.

Carolyn's jaw was clenched, her eyes as foggy as the shore below. "Am I stupid for ever trusting him?" she asked weakly after some time had passed. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them to keep them from dangling over the cliff's edge.

Aura looked at her sister in disbelief, extending her arm to put a hand on Carolyn's shoulder. "Of course not, Cora. You couldn't have seen this coming."

"Couldn't I have, though?" she spat back, looking at her sister as she shrugged her shoulders, brushing off Aura's hand. Carolyn shook her head, her lips pressed tightly together as she looked towards the cloudy grey sea. "You and Gran were always so unsure of him. It's my fault for not seeing the signs."

"Hey," Aura snapped in a stern tone. She could feel the heat rising to her face as she thought of Casey and Eli together. "None of this is your fault. Do you understand me?"

Carolyn broke down suddenly, her face twisting into a pained sob. The emotions rolled over her in waves, a hot embarrassment catching up with her. She looked at her sister pleadingly as she tried to speak through sharp breaths. "What did I do wrong?"

Aura could feel her heart break as she pulled her twin into a tender embrace. If she really thought about it, she could count on one hand the number of times she had seen her sister cry. Carolyn was the one to comfort her far more often. Aura perched her chin on top of her sister's golden head, rubbing her arm soothingly. "Hey," she cooed. "It's not okay—what he did—but you will be."

Hello lovelies!
Poor Cora oh my god 😭
I petition we start the trend of #elisucks — anyone else?

Until next chapter!
♡ Melody & Rebekah ♡