"It's too bright for this," groaned Hazel as she covered her head with the neon pink comforter. The curtains had done absolutely nothing when it came to blocking out the rays of the sun. Hazel curled up into a tiny ball, wanting to get some more sleep.

"Well, we can't do anything about that, Haze. Come on, we gotta get ready for school." Genevieve straightened her cloak around her shoulders as she surveyed her appearance in the mirror. She had worn a crimson-red dress that reached down to her kneecaps; a matching bow; a sun necklace; black boots with a 2.5-inch heel and laces; alternating red-and-gold bracelets; and sparkly red-and-gold nail polish.

Hazel climbed out of the covers (who knew they were so soft?) and rubbed her eyes, yawning hugely. "Even though I was lights out by 9:00 p.m., I still feel exhausted." She slipped her flannel pajama shirt off, putting on a lacy, deep pink shirt. She continued to change into a navy blue, shimmery skirt that ended above her knees; black boots with 3-inch heels; a silver bracelet with a black gemstone; a silver necklace with a pink gemstone; and a silver ring with a blue gemstone.

Genevieve assisted Hazel with her platinum blonde hair, tying the locks into two French braids. "Lack of excellent sleep has finally caught up with you." She stroked the auburn-red and teal-blue streaks in Hazel's hair fondly. "Do you ever wonder who your mother is?"

"Sometimes," admitted Hazel, slowly applying chapstick to her lips. "If she were an AK, I'd be fine because I know where my goodness comes from. If she were a VK, I'd be worried because I might become evil."

"Morality is relative," scoffed Genevieve. "Everyone has darkness inside of them, deep inside their souls. Whether or not they act on those urges is completely up to them. The world isn't black and white when it comes to goodness. At least everyone is a shade of gray." She completed the braids with white hair ribbons, double-knotting the fabric.

"That's true," muttered Hazel. She faced Genevieve, tears glittering in her emerald-green eyes.

Genevieve placed one hand on Hazel's face. "Hey, if your mother is evil, Hubert and I will be beside you, no matter what."

"Thanks, Gemma. How did I ever get so lucky to have a friend like you?" Hazel beamed at Genevieve, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Genevieve wiped the tear away with her thumb. "We had a common enemy."

"Girls, you ready?" Hubert called from outside the door.

"Are you ready?" Genevieve asked Hazel.

"I'm ready as I'll ever be."

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

"You have got to be kidding me!" Hubert near-shouted, clutching at his schedule. "We all have Remedial Goodness 101, but at different times?!"

"This isn't ideal, Hubert, but this wasn't our choice." Genevieve shook her head at her schedule. "They're stereotyping us as evil when we're not."

"Simply because either one or both of our parents are." Hazel was ready, all right, ready to rip her schedule in two.

"We just have to make the best of this." Hubert inhaled deeply and exhaled, calming himself down. He still had a bit of an explosive temper from his youth, but he often controlled it.

"We all meet up at lunch, okay?" Genevieve inquired of her friends, who agreed with the plan. With that, they departed the main office of Auradon Prep, unsure of what the school day would bring them.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

Hazel seated herself in the Remedial Goodness classroom, placing her binder on the desk. Where was the professor? Who was the professor? Hazel bit her fingernails while she waited for someone else to arrive. When she turned around, Alex Bjorgman arrived, taking a seat beside her near the front.

"Hey. Hazel, right?" Alex queried.

"Yeah. Alex?" Hazel questioned.

The two shook hands, smiling at each other. Hazel seemed approachable, a kindred spirit. Maybe she could be the first person Alex would come out of the closet to. If he could build up the courage to do so. Coming out of the closet is easier said than done. But when you do, it's such a momentous occasion that is your choice. No one else can come out for you, and if they do, they're taking that decision away from you. Alex gazed at Hazel, and Hazel giggled.

"Why are you staring at me?" Hazel asked Alex.

"Because you're beautiful. I mean it in a platonic way." Alex put his hands up in case Hazel straightened her posture and took offense to the compliment.

"Thanks. For the record, you're beautiful too," replied Hazel smoothly.

Alex flushed a bit, covering his face.

"What? It's true," stated Hazel.

Alex blushed more.

"Aw." Hazel laughed good-naturedly.

Alex slowly broke out into laughter, relaxing. He hadn't known that his shoulders were tensed up. Hazel's smile had been quite contagious. Maybe she is Hans's daughter. Alex cracked his back slightly as Jane entered the classroom.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

Hubert and Genevieve waited for Hazel beneath a gigantic oak tree in the grassy fields of Auradon Prep. They both carried plastic trays with tuna sandwiches, Granny Smith apples, and glasses of water. Hazel rushed over to them, carrying her lunch tray. She, too, had a tuna sandwich, an apple, and a water glass.

"This is relatively healthy, but I wish that they had gluten-free bread." Hazel seated herself in the grass, placing her tray in front of her.

"Yep. I'm going to scrape the tuna off the bread and eat it straight." Hubert sat down in the grass, balancing his tray on his knees.

"I'm going to take the bread away as well and do something with it." Genevieve set her tray down on her backpack, kneeling on the grass.

"Well, don't give all of it to the ducks. A small amount of bread isn't harmful to them, but too much bread leaves ducks feeling full without giving them all of the important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients they need." Hazel thought for a few minutes before continuing, "Soggy, uneaten bread is an eyesore and rotting bread can create noxious odors as well as lead to greater algae growth that can clog waterways and crowd out more desirable plants. This concentrates the pollution and can eventually eradicate fish, amphibians, crustaceans, and other life in the vicinity, making good food sources even scarcer."

"You know how far you can go in a debate club with that photographic memory?" Hubert quizzed Hazel.

Genevieve smirked at Hazel, who grinned and laughed.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

Hey, guys, gals, non-binary pals. I hope you're all feeling okay; if not, my private messages are open to those who want to talk. Anyway, if you enjoyed this chapter, let me know in the comments.