Page 21 of Switched

“Perhaps both,” says Beauty. “You are an important part of this school’s story, so you are bound to this place, but you have to understand your sister may be on a different path from your own.”

“But we’re sisters,” I say. “She has to be wired for good. I am.”

“I hope you’re right,” Beauty says. “Why don’t you tell me more about her? Did you bring what you have done for the project so far?” She motions to a desk floating a few feet off the ground. She floats a chair over to me so I can sit next to her.

“I’m not ready to show it to anyone yet.” Because I don’t have anything done.

“I am not here to judge. I’m a great listener.” Beauty pats the chair next to her. “Maybe we can find some books to help you finish it without having to read a book on Rumpelstiltskin.”

It’s hard to say no to a professor who is also a princess. I unroll my parchment.

I’m embarrassed, but I show her the empty tree with Mother’s and Father’s names at the roots. That’s all I’ve really done. Per the prince’s instructions, my brothers’ and sisters’ names, along with mine, should be filled in. There should also be Father’s likes and dislikes, information on the shop, and what Mother cooks for dinner. Since this is supposed to be more than a chart, I should also include smells, like what our boot’s scent is (shoe leather, of course). I should include information on my grandfather and grandmother and how they had a shoe business and how my grandmother went to a fairy godmother training school, but I haven’t done any of that yet. I can’t get myself to sit down and do it.

Beauty thumbs the bare tree. “You don’t have anything to say about your family?”

I was planning to keep quiet, but the words come out in a great big rush. “No, because I’m angry with my family! For Father not finding Anna! For Mother being foolish enough to believe Anna is fine because she got a Pegasus Post saying so! For my brothers and sisters not understanding what is going on! And I’m mad at Anna for choosing him over her family!” Wow, it felt good to say all that out loud.

“You have every right to be mad, but what you’re talking about is the present. This project is about your past.” Beauty places a finger on the spot where my FTRS schooling should go, along with any honors I’ve received. “You weren’t always mad at them. What was your relationship like with Anna before?”

I push the scroll away. “I don’t remember.”

“Don’t or won’t?” she asks. I don’t answer. “The past can be a tricky place to revisit, especially when it hurts. Why don’t you tell me about your other siblings. Who is Hamish?”

I can’t help but smile. “He tells the best jokes, but Felix is the one who knows how to fix anything, and Trixie has the best voice you’ve ever heard—well, other than AG’s. And Anna—” I catch myself. Beauty almost tricked me. “I don’t want to talk about her.”

I see a fairy shutting down her station for the night. Aren’t they open till nine?

“Regardless of what happened, she’s still your sister,” Beauty says. “You must have enjoyed doing things with her.”

“Maybe.” I turn my eyes away from the empty tree trunk on the scroll. “But it was all a lie.”

“Why do you say that?”

I’d rather hide in a stack than talk about this, but Beauty’s face is so kind that I find myself opening up. “Because for the longest time, I thought she was happy, and it turns out she wasn’t. I thought all she cared about was her Rapunzel idolization and her cute hair clips and being with her friends. But she secretly felt like she was living in my shadow and I was taking her chance at running Father’s shop away from her.

“I want nothing to do with shoes or the shop. I want Anna to have it, but now she’s not even here to tell all of this to! She’s gone, and I’m not sure she’s ever coming back, so there’s no chance I’ll be interviewing her for this project, which means I’m going to fail and get kicked out of the MMC program.” I feel the tears spring to my eyes. “But do you know what the worst part is? Now I can’t tell her how sorry I am that I made her feel that way. If she knew that, she’d come back. I know she would.” I feel hot tears run down my face.

Beauty pulls me into a hug. At first, I resist, but then I slowly fall into the curves of her shoulders, letting my face get smashed by her long, sweet-smelling locks. I cry as she strokes my hair like Mother would if I were home. I didn’t realize how badly I needed a hug till just this moment.

“Sometimes a good cry makes everything feel better,” Beauty says.

“I’m not a crier.” I wipe my eyes with the back of my sleeve.

“But it felt good, right?” she asks.

“Yes,” I admit. I stare at my parchment, which now has tearstains on it. “I keep thinking about how good Anna would do in the prince’s class. She’s always known what she wanted to be. But me, I still have no clue.”

“But you know who you don’t want to be—a villain, a thief, a pickpocket.” Beauty points to the me section of my family tree—the only part I’ve filled in about myself—where I’ve listed my previous, um, achievements. “And you know what you’re good at.” She motions to where I’ve listed archery, fencing, and adventure as well as my favorite class at FTRS, history. “If you keep exploring, I think you’ll find what you’re looking for. Don’t rush it,” she says. “That’s what I’ve been telling Allison Grace. You’re lucky to get to try so many classes and ideas on for size. The right path for you will show itself eventually.”

I spontaneously hug her. It’s a move out of character for me, but it feels natural with Beauty. “Thank you for listening and for trying to help.”

“Of course. I just want you to know you’re not alone,” Beauty says. “My door is always open. The library is open nine a.m. to nine p.m., but you can visit our pop-up castle anytime.” A light goes off behind us, and she laughs. “With the rugby game, you’re our first visitor in hours, so we’re going to close the library early.”

I guess tonight is not the night I’ll find a way to beat Rumpelstiltskin, but I still learned something important—Beauty might be the wisest royal of them all.

Pegasus Postal Service

Flying Letters Since the Troll War!