Page 52 of Switched

Unhappily After…for Now

When I open my eyes, all I see are blue sky and clouds. Am I still in Cloud City?

I sit up fast and feel dizzy.

“Oh, my head,” I hear Jax moan. Children all around me are coming to as well. I look around.

We are scattered on the ground like bread crumbs, each one of us lying near a twisting, turning root of a fresh, new beanstalk. Everyone looks as dazed and confused as I am, especially when they see Erp lying in a giant-sized crater on the ground.

I am not home in my cozy boot, but I am back at Fairy Tale Reform School, safely on the ground. I smile. My head won out over my heart.

A sound like thunder rumbles through the ground as the staff bursts from the school, trailed by dozens of students aiming weapons. They look from the new beanstalk to Erp, who is trying to stand, to the kids scattered across the ground.

Tessa lowers her wand in surprise. “It’s Gilly and the others!” she cries, and everyone lets up a loud cheer. “They’re okay!”

Rapunzel lowers her crossbow and runs to Jax. “It is you!” He’s still just sitting up when Rapunzel tackles him in a hug.

It’s like a domino effect. Jack, his mum, and Milky Way have a reunion on a vine. Kayla flies to her mother’s and sisters’ sides, then drags them over to meet Erp as she starts telling everyone how he helped save us. Ollie and Blackbeard trade sword-fighting stories. Maxine and AG hug their fellow RLWs.

Students run over to the rescued kids, offering their mini magic mirrors so the kids can reach home and tell their parents they’ve been found. Even non-FTRS kids seem happy to have someone kind and forgiving wrap a blanket or cloak around them.

“No candy!” I hear a goblin boy beg. “All I’ve eaten for the past month is candy. It’s fun for the first week, but if I ever see a lavender gumdrop again, I think I’ll have the shakes.”

It should be a happy moment, but I can’t help thinking about the one person who didn’t come back with us.

“Jocelyn!” snaps Professor Harlow. She’s busy putting up some sort of shield that keeps sputtering out and dying every time she casts it. “Stop lollygagging and help me with this blocking charm! It takes two, and we don’t want to let anyone through!”

Jocelyn, who appears to have face-planted, attempts to stand and staggers over to Harlow to help her. Seconds later, the two of them manage to cross magic streams and send a glowing bubble up over the beanstalk, preventing anyone or anything from climbing it till it can be cut down.

“What about the giant?” someone cries as Erp finally stands and starts to stumble around. “Someone restrain him!”

“No!” Jack shouts, rushing forward. He steps onto Erp’s mega-sized toes. “Erp is harmless. I can’t speak for all giants, but Erp helped save us.” He hangs his head as he looks at his mum and Milky Way. “It was my fault everyone needed saving though. I got myself thrown into FTRS on purpose so I could get close to Gilly and convince her to go after Anna.”

“Sweetheart, why would you do that?” his mother asks.

Jack pauses again. “Because I was working with Rumpelstiltskin.”

The outcry is loud and angry and all at once.

“Young man, explain yourself at once,” Headmistress Flora demands. She sounds angry, but I know she’ll be fair with Jack. He may have tricked us, but he did help us escape. And if he’s willing to change, then maybe he deserves a place at FTRS.

But right now, I need to be alone to think about all that’s happened since I climbed into the sky to save my sister and came back empty-handed. I walk away from the crowd and sit under a large oak tree with my back to the school. I close my eyes for a moment, listening to the sound of the wind.

“Gilly?” I hear a gruff yet tentative voice say. “Mind if I join you?”

It’s Allison Grace, who is still partially in wolf form.

“How’d you know where I was?” I ask, looking back at where Jack is speaking to the crowd.

AG points to her snout. I mean nose. I mean snout-nose. “Powerful sniffer. You’ve got a strong scent.”

“Oh. Thanks. I think.”

AG sits down next to me, and neither of us says anything for a while. Then I hear someone calling her name.

“Allison Grace!” Beauty cries when she sees AG sitting with me. “Kayla said you came back, but when we didn’t see you, we feared the worst. Oh, and, sweetheart, you’re…” No one will say the word beast in front of her.

Prince Sebastian and Beauty quickly try to cover her with a cloak.