ALMOST EVER AFTER

CHAPTER 2

2 d a y s a g o ~

Rosemary's mind was still reeling from all the chaos that she had just witnessed.

Why did it always happen to her? Just... why?

She thought she had done everything right.

She couldn't bare to look at the pitiful glances of the other students as she walked through the lengthy corridor of Aethera Academy. It felt more like a walk of shame.

"I heard she turned a musician into a goat!" Someone said. People laughed.

"They are going to strip her wings off, I heard Madam Shanbury talk to the council!"

There were murmurs everywhere.

"I am surprised they are even letting her stay here. She failed two out of three assignments and she's the oldest student in aethera academy." Someone chimed in.

"Huh, you know what? They are only keeping her because her mother is on the council." Rosemary gritted her teeth trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.

She was strong. She had gone through much worse earlier. She could do it.

They weren't really going to strip her wings would they? What would she do then? Live with humans like a mortal? Work boring mortal job? Perhaps she could become a baker–

Rosemary gently knocked on the double vaulted mahogany doors and entered swiftly. Sitting there was madam shanbury, the headmistress of Aethera. She looked as stoice as ever. Her glasses were perched on the tip of her nose and her face was twisted in a frown. She looked like a witch from the movies humans made.

"Madam shanbury... I can explain-" rosemary began.

"Explain what exactly, Rosemary? You were always a promising student that is why I gave you a second chance hoping you wouldn't mess it up. But look what happened. The wedding ceremony was in utter chaos. General Callahan is going to get us in trouble if he comes to know that his son left his own wedding with a bloody nose. Now how do you explain that Rosemary?"

She motioned her hands in the air. "What was the whole thing with the Petford girl anyway. You locked her in a barn?" She shot rosemary an incredulous look.

"I.. I did, Madam Shanbury. But it was all Callahan's idea. He said everything would be alright. It was all a matter of 30 minutes. I was going to make it alright. I just wanted the wedding to haplen smoothly. I never thought... She wasn't supposed to wakeup-"

"That's enough!" Madam shanbury said exasperated. "We are fairies. We help people find their purpose, their destiny. You couldn't even cast a spell correctly. Turned that poor man into a goat and made a laughing stock out of us all." Madam shanbury looked really disappointed.

Rosemary panicked. "I didn't mean to, I swear!" She squeaked. Her throat felt dry and she could feel the sting in her eyes.

"Look rosemary, the council had decided to cause a temporary suspension of your magic for a month." She said sighing. "To be frank, they talked about stripping your wings and I talked them into giving you a final chance. You can forget your dreams of becoming a fairy godmother. I'd say, go home, do something else. This is not it for you."

"No! Please dont say that!" Rosemary gulped. "Please give me one last chance. One! I promise I'll do everything right this time. You can strip my wings if I fail! I'll do anything, please!" Rosemary said. Madam shanbury looked sad.

"There's nothing that I can do at this point, Rosemary, I am truly sorry." She said.

"Please, Madam Shanbury." she pleaded.

Shanbury thought for a while and her eyes sparkled. "Well there is this one case..." She began, looking wearily at Rosemary as if she wasn't sure if Rosemary would be able to pull it off.

"It's a bit complicated. Nobody was ready to take this case on and it's been lying on my desk for a week now. It's a Cinderella case."

Cinderella? Rosemary sighed with relief. "That's a classic one. I did an assignment in my first year in the Academy." She said.

"Well, Rosemary. This Cinderella is... a bit complicated. And she's human. So obviously, your work would be in the human realm."

"What?! Human? Madam shanbury, but there's no... there's no magic in human realm. And and–" Rosemary guffawed.

"Well Rosemary. Like I said your magic has been suspended for a month. Just don't let anybody find out about your real identity. Take as much time as you want. I expect you to get cinderella and prince charming a happily ever after. Only then will I consider your assignment completed."

Oh god, rosemary thought. What would she do now? How was she supposed to be of any help without her magic? Live like a human with the humans for a month?

"Okay." he muttered. There was nothing else she could do.

"Oh and Rosemary?" Madam shanbury said cooking an eyebrow.

"Be careful. Don't let the... distractions of the human world get to you."

Rosemary gathered the files and turned to leave as soon as possible.

Her face was burning in shame. She ignored the sparky remarks of the students as she ran back to her room.

She felt like the biggest failure in the universe.