A/N: Yes, the chapter title is another song reference; it's from one of my favorite '80s hits, "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper.💜🎶🦋

As you guys know, I love writing long chapters. With that said, I never want you guys to feel obligated to read any of these chapters in one sitting, let alone one day. If you're worried about losing your spot in the chapter, feel free to leave a bookmark comment (ex: "Bookmarking here, coming back later.💜", "Can't wait to keep reading.💞🦋", etc.). I've done it before in some stories, and some of you have done it in my stories; I have no issues with it.🩵

Oh, and make sure you're caught up on the previous chapters before diving into this one, as always! Without further ado, here's the long-awaited Chapter 9!🧡

"We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain. Need to paint with all the colors of the wind."~Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz {from their song in the major motion picture, Pocahontas}

Rosalie's POV

"–Whether you've heard my spiel before or are completely new to the process, I'm here to walk you through it, so it can be a great experience for everyone," Ms. May explained, and then, she stepped off the platform to welcome a few other teachers, and grab the stack of blue flyers from her desk. Click.

"We're going to do a few introductions for those of you who don't know my colleagues here. First, we have Ms. Claire; she has been teaching Art here for almost six years now, and will be working closely with our stage crew." Clack.

Ms. Claire stepped forward and smiled in greeting, "Hi, everyone. I've been helping Ms. May with school plays and concerts for as long as I've worked here, and it's always a wonderful experience to help our talented casts and stage crews put on each production." Click, click.

Clack. "Next, we have Mr. Davis; he is the sophomores' Algebra teacher, and is in his fourth year working here. He will be assisting our stage crew with lighting & sound, as well as helping build the backgrounds and other set-pieces." What in the world is that sound?

I glanced around the room, figuring it was just someone tapping their foot or clicking a pen, but didn't see anything amiss. Shrugging it off, I focused back on the introductions.

"Good afternoon, I'm glad to be able to help bring our school's newest play to life, and can't wait to see the creativity you all have to offer," he nodded. Tap, clack.

"Working alongside the costume, makeup, and hairstyling sections of our stage crew with me and Ms. Claire is Ms. Mendoza, who is currently in her second year as a staff member here and the Chemistry teacher for the sophomore, junior, and senior classes."

"Yes, I was unable to assist with last year's production, and I'm glad to be a part of the team this year. Although I have a deep love for theatre, it's been a long time since I've worked on any plays, so I hope you'll be patient with me," she smiled. "Last, but certainly not least, Ms. May is the main director and will oversee the cast and stage crew to make sure everything goes smoothly and any issues are handled accordingly," she finished. At least it stopped, whatever it was.

"Now, does anyone have any questions for us?" Ms. May asked. When no one raised their hand, she continued, "In that case, we'll pass out these flyers to you; they have everything you need to know about the auditions, along with our school emails you and your parents/guardians can contact us by if any questions or concerns arise."

With that, she gave the other teachers one stack each and they started handing them out.

~ ~ ~

Kenzie's POV

I'm surrounded by angels. There was no denying it. Ally's sweet-as-sugar aura, Rose's confidence-boosting assurances, and Em's beautiful balance of mischief and brotherly affection. Jasper's gentlemanly ways, Edward's calm presence, and Ben's heart-melting gestures. My amazing and understanding teachers I was proud to learn from. Dad, Laur, Aunt Lyla, and Angela with their welcomed wisdom and hearts of gold.

"Here you go, Kenz."

"Hmm? Oh, thanks, Ben. Here, I'll trade you," I smiled, handing him his fidget cube and accepting the stack of flyers for me, Ally, and Rose.

"No problem, I hope it helped," he nodded back, grinning softly before heading back to his seat. After passing the other two flyers to Als and Rose, I took a few sips of soda, and looked over the paper.

~ ~ ~

When Ms. May called our attention back to the front, I looked up from drawing a mini Emerald City at the bottom of the page.

"Now, we're going to split you into three groups. If you're in the tech section of stage crew or want to be a part of the tech crew, you'll be going with Mr. Davis to the auditorium. All members of the costume section of stage crew will be with Ms. Mendoza in that corner of the room," she explained, gesturing to where the costume racks were, "and will be sorting our current costumes into their respective bags."

"And, those of you who will be auditioning next week to be our play's cast will be up front with Ms. May and I to get in some practice for the audition itself," Ms. Claire added.

"We will be holding auditions for our hairstylists and makeup artists when we all reconvene in here. Anyone who has questions can hang back at the end, and anyone who doesn't will be free to go home for the weekend," Ms. May finished.

Ben and the rest of the tech crew followed Mr. Davis over to the auditorium, Ally relaxed in her seat with her sketchbook, and Rose stood up to go join the costume section. "Can you two watch my bag for me?"

"Of course," I nodded, and Ally smiled in agreement.

"Thank you. Break a leg, Kenz," she murmured, pulling me into a quick side hug before strolling over to the costume racks with the others. Fingers crossed.

~ ~ ~

Alice's POV

Laughter echoed off of the building, footsteps splashed through puddles, jokes were traded like candy.

"–course," Kenzie's voice sounded from my left as I came back to the present. Turning to Rose, I smiled before going back to my drawings.

"Now, for those of you who will be coming in for the cast auditions next week, we're going to do a trial run of how it will go. You'll come stand up here on the platform, one at a time, and say your name, grade, the role you want most, and the song you're going to sing for your audition. Once you finish, you may return to your seat," Ms. May explained. "Are there any questions?"

At that, Kenzie raised her hand. "Yes, Kenzie?"

"What if we haven't picked our audition songs yet?" she asked.

"That's okay, just name one of your favorite songs, as long as it's school-appropriate. Everyone has until their given audition day to pick a song to sing," Ms. May replied. "Who would like to go first?"

Kenz raised her hand again and Ms. May nodded, taking a seat in one of the chairs facing the platform.

Ellie looked my way and I gave her a reassuring nod, "You got this, Kenzie." Sending me a grateful smile, she stood and made her way to the front, carefully stepping up onto the platform as silence descended over the room.

"Hi, my name is Mackenzie Forge, and I'm in the 10th grade. The role I want most is Dorothy Gale, and one of my favorite songs is 'Dream A Little Dream of Me' by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong."

I set down my pen and clapped with everyone else as she smiled and curtsied before coming back over to her seat. "You were great, Ells," I spoke up, as she took out her soda and the next person went to the front.

"Thanks, I just hope I won't feel as awkward up there on Tuesday," she nodded, taking a long drink.

"You'll blow them all away, no doubt. They would be crazy not to cast you."

"That's really sweet and I appreciate the confidence boost, Als, even though you've never seen me act," she finished with a chuckle.

"True, but like I said before, an artist can recognize another artist's spark," I reminded her.

"Alright, alright, I surrender," she agreed, raising her hands in mock defeat. "Have you considered trying out for the debate team? You'd be really good at it," she added.

"No, art's more my style, though Edward's asked me the same thing before." After that, we lapsed into a comfortable silence; I finished up my drawing, letting the brief flashes of possible futures fade into the background, their respective threads settling at the back of my mind.

~ ~ ~

"Great job, everyone! Please return to your seats if you haven't already; Mr. Davis and the rest of our stage crew will be joining us soon, and then we'll start tryouts for our makeup artists and hairstylists," Ms. Claire announced.

"How did it go, Kenzie?" Rose asked, settling back in her seat.

"Pretty good overall; I'm feeling a little better about next week, though I'm sure my nerves will kick into overdrive on Tuesday," she nodded.

"I'm glad some of your worries went away. Just remember to show those nerves who's in charge. They won't win unless you let them," she advised.

"I'll remember, and thank you, Rosie."

"Anytime."

~ ~ ~

Kenzie's POV

"Is it okay if I draw the two of you?" I asked.

After exchanging a surprised look, they both nodded, smiling softly at me. "Of course," Alice replied.

I took out my sketchbook and set my pencil bag next to me before starting on the portrait. Rose turned slightly toward me, her smile directed at the wall and Ally crossed her legs at the ankles, giving me a clear view of her side profile as she focused on her own sketchbook. It shouldn't have surprised me how easily they relaxed into natural poses, but I was still blown away. Em has a gift for art; I wonder if he draws them too.

After I'd finished their outlines, I switched pencils to draw their faces, and went on from there, switching pencils and shading as needed. I don't think I could have asked for better subjects if I tried.

They never seemed impatient or bored, and aside from a few laughs–likely from my tendency to scrunch up my nose or the way my tongue stuck out a little when I was focusing on the tiny details–they stayed in the same positions they'd started out in.

"Alright, I'm–"

The sound of footsteps and talking stopped my train of thought as Mr. Davis led the stage crew back into the room. When Ben caught my eye, he sent me two thumbs up and a big grin. I smiled back, mouthing, "I told you so."

He nodded with a teasing eye-roll before following some of the other stage crew members to the other side of the room.

"What were you saying, Kenz?" Ally asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I finished the drawing and I can color it in later," I smiled.

"Can we have a look at it now?" Rose questioned softly.

"Of course, here," I nodded, passing my sketchbook to Ally. They were silent as they looked over it, but before I could ask if something was wrong, they looked up at me in awe.

"Kenzie, this–I–wow," Rose stuttered out, shaking her head in disbelief. "I know Alice said that you're talented, but I don't think she did you justice," she chuckled.

"I'm glad you like it," I smiled, looking down at my lap and fiddling with my rings as I felt my cheeks heat up with their telling blush.

"You don't have to hide, Ellie," Ally chided gently. "You have real, beautiful talent; own it."

I only had time to nod and smile at them again before Ms. May called us to attention one last time. "We are very proud of all of you, and you should be proud of yourselves too. I can tell we have a great stage crew and I can't wait to see the talent that all of our potential cast members bring to the table on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively! Now, we only have our hair stylist and makeup artist auditions left for today, so if you aren't involved in that, you're free to go, and I hope everyone has an amazing weekend!"

A few minutes later, almost everyone was gone, except for Ms. May, a few stage crew members who were helping with auditions, the others who were auditioning for this part of the stage crew, and of course, the three of us.

"I'll stay in here in case they need any help," Rose said, as Ally stood to go get situated at the tables Ms. May had set up.

"Have fun, I'll wait for you in the hallway," I replied, grabbing my bag.

"Thanks, Ells, we'll see you soon," Ally replied, as they grabbed their bags and headed over to Ms. May.

"Happy Friday, Ms. May," I called in her direction.

"The same to you, Kenzie," she smiled back. Then, I checked that I had everything and went out into the hallway, taking a seat on a bench.

The thunder rumbling from the sky and the raindrops pelting the windows served as background noise while I replied to a new message from Laurel, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, my date was amazing!!!💞💞💞"

"That's awesome, Laur; I'm glad he treated you right.😊💜🦋"

"Enough about me, how did the workshop go?!?!🎭"

"Better than I expected; my nerves stayed with me, but overall, it wasn't bad. Rose and Ally were like my own little cheerleading squad.🩵"

"It's what you deserve, sister dearest, and don't you dare listen to anyone who dares to say otherwise.💖"

"I'll try my best. Have a good night, Laur. I love you.🩵💜🩵"

"I love you too, Kenz.💜🌙"

~ ~ ~

Turning off my phone, I got my sketchbook and pencil bag back out to color the drawing of Rose and Ally, pausing occasionally to get a drink and shake out my hands when they started cramping.

I was a little disappointed when the storm dissipated into a light drizzle, no longer having a good amount of background noise while I worked, but I didn't want to chance interrupting the auditions with my music. Nevertheless, she persisted.

Once I was satisfied with it, I put my signature in the bottom-right corner and closed the book, tucking my art supplies safely back inside my bag. "Right, my umbrella," I muttered, glancing at the clock. They'll most likely still be a while.

Nodding to myself, I jogged down the stairs, catching myself on the banister when my foot slipped on a wet spot. After taking a few deep breaths, I went down the last few steps carefully, letting myself relax when I reached the first floor.

"Man, stairs really don't like me this week," I muttered, opening my locker, taking out my umbrella, and locking it before returning to the stairwell.

Thankfully, I made it back to the bench incident-free and didn't have to wait very long before Rose, Ally, and everyone else filed out of Ms. May's room.

I slid my bookbag over my shoulders and when Ally offered me her arm, I easily hooked mine around it before we set off for the parking lot with Rose leading the way. "So, how'd it go?" I asked, pausing to open my umbrella after we stepped outside.

"Amazing; Ms. May chose me as one of the makeup artists and hair stylists!" Ally beamed, half-skipping as we neared Rose's car; a gorgeous ruby-red convertible.

"Yeah, the auditions went smoothly, and from what I saw of the costumes, they look really good," Rose added.

"Congrats, Als; I'm glad everything worked out for you two," I smiled back, closing my umbrella when Rose unlocked the car.

"Thanks! You can take the passenger seat, Kenzie; I'll sit in the back," Ally added, opening my door for me and closing it once I was inside. Then, I set my stuff at my feet and buckled in.

"Where to, Kenz?" Rose asked, pulling up Google Maps on her phone and setting it in the holder.

"1824 Dahlia Avenue," I replied. She nodded and typed it in, listening as the robotic female voice directed her out of the parking lot and toward the center of town.

"Hey, Ellie, what kind of music do you like? Aside from show tunes, of course," Ally piped up from behind me.

"As far as genres go, mainly pop-rock, some classic rock, and the occasional country tune. Now, if we're talking about artists specifically, I'll say Taylor Swift, Ricky Montgomery, Panic! at the Disco, Queen, and Bon Jovi," I replied.

"Ooh, nice! Rose and I like a few of them too, and Emmett loves Bon Jovi and Queen," she smiled.

"Thanks, glad I'm in good company. Oh, and you can't go wrong with The Beatles, Metric, and Paramore, either," I added.

"You know your classics," Rose smiled appreciatively, before turning onto my street.

"I try," I chuckled, grabbing my keys as she parked in the driveway.

"You succeed," Ally corrected. "We'll stay here, take as long as you need. You might want to grab two daytime outfits; the boys have a mischievous streak."

"Noted, I'll be back soon," I chuckled, getting out, closing the door, and jogging up to the porch. Once I was inside, I headed up to my room, put my stuff down, and started packing an overnight bag.

Pajamas, two outfits, hairbrush, check. Phone, charger, sketchbook, check. I grabbed a few bracelets, a different necklace, and another pair of earrings, carefully sliding them in the bag's front pouch.

I stopped in the bathroom, easily sliding my toiletries in their bag and packing that away too. With one glance around my room, I put my pair of ballet flats, box of contact lenses, and spare glasses in the bag.

Seeing that the rain had stopped, I traded my raincoat for my leather jacket, setting the former in my bag before zipping it closed.

"That should do it," I nodded, slipping one of the straps over my shoulder, walking downstairs, and locking up.

"Ready to go?" Rose checked, once I was settled back in my seat.

"Yeah," I nodded, hoping I didn't sound as nervous as I felt.

"Ooh, Rose, put on your playlist!" Ally suggested.

"Yes, ma'am," she chuckled, doing as Ally requested, and easily guided the car back onto the main road while music filled the silence.

It wasn't long before Ally and I were singing along, "Walking the streets with you and your worn-out jeans. I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be. Laughing on a park bench, thinking to myself, 'Hey, isn't this easy?'"

By the next line, Rose had joined in, "And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town. I haven't seen it in a while, since she brought you down. You say you're fine, I know you better than that."

I stopped singing after that, my focus drawn to the beautiful forest views we were passing as Rose smoothly guided the car through a few winding stretches of road. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Ally smiled, noticing my change of focus, while Rose turned the music down.

"It is. No matter how familiar it is to me, I'm never not amazed by it," I answered softly, not wanting to ruin the serene feeling of the semi-silence.

"That's really sweet," Rose smiled softly, turning onto a slightly less winding stretch of road that seemed to appear out of nowhere from the foliage.

"We're almost home!" Ally cheered from the backseat, and I laughed when I glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing her bouncing in her seat like a kid on Christmas. Rose shook her head, fond exasperation clear across her features.

~ ~ ~

All of my focus was drawn to the front as she turned the last corner and the Cullens' house–no, scratch that, mansion–captivated me. "Woah," I breathed, too distracted to be embarrassed by my lack of articulation.

From the pristine floor-to-ceiling windows that gleamed in the dwindling daylight to the beautiful wrap-around porch of the towering 3-story, I felt like I'd stepped outside the borders of reality.

Rose parked in the garage after hitting what I guessed was the opener, and my jaw dropped. It was massive; even Tony Stark, Iron Man and leader of The Avengers, would be impressed.

Alice hopped out and held my door open for me again as I stepped out, and shut it for me while I adjusted my bag on my shoulder. "C'mon, we'll go in the front. Rose will be back later tonight; she offered to run some errands for me."

Hooking her arm through mine once again, she led us out of the garage and up onto the porch. "After you," she chirped with a curtsy, holding the door for me.

"Thank you, Ally," I curtsied back once we were inside.

"Here, we'll drop your stuff off in my room, and I'll give you the grand tour after dinner," she smiled, guiding me up the stairs–past what seemed to be a framed collection of graduation caps along with a variety of other artistic pieces–to the third floor.

Walking past the first few doors, she gestured for me to follow her through the only open one. Even if she hadn't told me where we were going, it was clear as soon as we walked in that it was her room.

There were shelves spaced out along the left wall, filled with trinkets and knick-knacks of all shapes, colors, and sizes. On the desk, there was a collection of sketchbooks, notepads, and next to it in a clear organizing unit was just about every art supply I knew of. Against the far wall was a neatly made bed with a beautifully carved chest at its foot.

"You can set your bag down wherever," Alice smiled, and I nodded, carefully setting it in the desk chair. "There's a bathroom next to the staircase, and when you're ready, we can head down to the kitchen."

"We can go down now, if it's alright with you," I replied, quickly fixing my jean chain when I realized it was tangled.

"Of course, follow me," she agreed, and we set off back down the stairs, except we stopped at the second floor this time. "The dining room is through there," she pointed to a room off to the left. "And, the kitchen is in here," she finished with a grin, leading me into a well-lit room to the right.

A woman with long caramel waves in a violet dress–Esme, I assumed–stood behind the kitchen island, humming a sweet little tune as she cooked. She looked up with a beautiful smile–bright enough to rival Alice's–when we walked in and came over to greet us, her short black heels clicking against the floor. "Hi, you must be Kenzie. I'm Esme, it's wonderful to meet you, sweetheart."

She stepped closer and pulled me into a hug, which I gladly reciprocated, once I had somewhat recovered from my shock. Every bit of nerves I'd had about meeting her melted away with my heart as I rested my head on her shoulder.

"It's lovely to meet you too, Mrs. Cullen," I smiled back when we parted.

"Please, call me Esme," she requested, stepping back to the island to keep cooking, playfully nudging Alice away from the stove.

"Of course. Is there anything I can help with, Esme?" I asked, resting my hands on the edge of the island.

"Sure, if you don't mind. There are some chives here that need to be cut up, or you can stir the alfredo," she nodded.

"Not at all, I love cooking; I'll chop the chives," I agreed, moving around the island to stand beside her at the cutting board. "Where are the others?" I asked, as I started cutting the chives.

"The boys are upstairs playing a video game, Carlisle is finishing up his shift at the hospital, and I believe Alice asked Rose to pick some things up from the store for your sleepover," Esme answered, turning the stove down a few notches.

"Yep, she'll be back in an hour or two," Ally added, setting down her phone.

"Finished," I spoke up, carefully setting the kitchen knife off to the side.

"Perfect, thank you, Kenzie. Just scrape them into the pot," she smiled gratefully, holding the pot still so I could slide the shavings into the mix. "Alice, can you take the shrimp out of the fridge for me?"

"You got it!" she chirped, skipping over to the fridge, taking out a covered bowl, and bringing it over to us. Once Esme stirred it in, she turned the stove down to the lowest setting, covered the pot, and went to the cabinets.

"Make yourself comfortable, sweetheart," she called over her shoulder, and I nodded, taking the seat on Ally's right on the other side of the island.

While Esme dished up a plate of food, Ally turned to me. "What would you like to drink, Ells? We have apple juice, ginger ale, milk, and water, of course."

"Ginger ale, please," I replied, as Esme set silverware and a plate of shrimp alfredo with a slice of garlic bread on the side down in front of me. "Thank you, it looks delicious," I smiled.

"You're very welcome," she replied easily, before starting to clean off the other side of the island and the countertop.

"Glass or can?" Ally questioned from the fridge.

"Can, please."

"Here you go," she smiled, sliding it to me. "I'll be right back. Bon appétit!" She kissed my cheek and skipped out of the room, the sound of her footsteps echoing as she went upstairs.

Chuckling at her abrupt exit, I dug into my dinner while Esme started doing the dishes. "Woah," I sat back after swallowing my first bite.

"How is it?" she asked.

"Delicious. I'm pretty sure this is the best alfredo I've ever had!" I replied, going back to it.

"Thank you, Kenzie, that means a lot to me. It's one of my newest recipes," she smiled, setting two bowls in the drying rack.

"Esme, the boys aren't upset with me, are they?" I questioned. I haven't seen Em or the others since I got here. Don't tell me I screwed up those friendships too, and when they've hardly started, no less.

"No, of course not. What made you think that, honey?" she asked, taking a seat beside me.

"I haven't seen any of them since I've been here, which seems pretty out of character, especially for Emmett, and no one else came down for dinner." I took a sip of my ginger ale when I felt my doubts start bubbling up on top of each other.

"I promise no one is upset with you, Kenzie. The boys had dinner before you three got here, and they tend to get caught up in their video games, especially Emmett," she laughed softly at the end, briefly squeezing my hand comfortingly.

"That's good," I nodded, some of my worries fading as I finished my food and tried not to fidget with my jean chain too much.

Before I could stand up to put my dishes in the sink, Esme gently stopped me. "I'll take care of these; Alice should be back soon," she assured, getting to work on the new dirty dishes.

"Thank you, Esme. I can see why Ally and the others speak so highly of you," I smiled.

"Of course, and I can say the same for you," she agreed easily.

Lost for words, I smiled gratefully in response, positive that my cheeks were turning scarlet. C'mon, Kenz, are you really that surprised? Well, yeah, I mean–

My inner debate was cut short by something like a thunderclap, quickly followed by...hail? "What in the–"

"Shortstack!"

I jumped at Em's sudden entrance–his voice only amplified by the open space–and nearly slipped off of my stool, before I was lifted off of it altogether. My shriek of surprise quickly turned into laughter as he pulled me into a bear hug, spinning around a few times before gently setting me down so I was standing in front of him.

"It's good to see you too, Empire," I chuckled, trying to tame my now-frizzy hair and letting the adrenaline wear off, feeling like I'd just stepped off of a Tilt-A-Whirl.

He beamed, his eyes lighting up in realization at the new nickname. "Not bad, Kenz," he nodded his approval, ruffling my hair and chuckling when I tried to swat his hands away.

"I try my best," I replied, giving up on fixing my hair completely.

"Ready for the grand tour, Ells?" Ally piped up, dancing into the room as if she'd never left it.

"Yeah," I nodded, taking another sip of my ginger ale. "Thank you again for dinner, Esme. It was amazing," I smiled gratefully her way.

"Of course, sweetheart. I'm glad you enjoyed it," she beamed back. With that, I hooked my arm around Ally's and let her lead me to the stairs, Em following along behind us.

"Hey, Shortstack, how do you feel about Mario Kart?"

"I love it; why do you ask?" I smirked, sensing a challenge.

"Oh, just wondering if you might be up for a little tournament later," he shrugged innocently, smirking right back, mischief radiating from it.

"Sounds like a plan to me, Hercules," I nodded, getting a bright grin in response before Ally and I continued up the staircase.

"We'll start at the top and make our way down from there," she explained as she led the way up to the third floor.

"These are beautiful," I remarked, admiring the various paintings, collages, and other pieces that brought the walls to life.

"Thank you. Some of the details were easier to work on than others," she replied with a smile, glancing back at me and not missing a step as we reached the last landing.

"Wait, you guys made all of them?" I questioned, stopping at the top of the stairs.

"No, not all of them, but they all need some TLC every once in a while. Esme made a handful of the paintings, I made a few of the collages, and the boys worked together on some of the sculptures," she smiled, and despite it leaving me floored, it made sense.

There was no denying how closely-knit their family was, so it wasn't hard to imagine them having full-blown arts and crafts days. "That's still really impressive, Als."

"Thanks, Iris," she smiled back at me, before starting the grand tour. "There's Esme's arts & crafts room," she began, pointing to the second door on the left. "My room, of course, with Emmett's next to it," she gestured to her room and the door to the right of it as she talked. "And then," she paused to lead me to the other end of the hallway, "Here are Edward and Rose's rooms. Any questions so far?" she asked, turning back to me.

"Just one, what's that room?" I asked, pointing to a door slightly separated from the others that peeked into view from behind a rounded curve in the hall.

"Oh, that one is empty for right now. Carlisle and Esme haven't decided what to do with it yet," she explained.

"Ah, gotcha," I nodded in understanding, forgetting for a second that they were still somewhat new in town.

"Shall we?" she gestured to the stairs with her trademark grin.

"We shall," I nodded, and we made our way down to the second floor, arm in arm.

"There's the kitchen, of course," she nodded in its general direction, before leading us into its neighboring room. "And here is the dining room," she smiled, letting me look around. A large round table dominated the center of the room with a stunning chandelier glittering above, and a circle of carved wooden chairs around it.

The walls were a beautiful periwinkle, and decorated with paintings and several family photographs; Christmas, Halloween, dances, and just about every other occasion under the sun.

One in particular caught my attention; it was of Alice and Rose as the Queen of Hearts and the White Queen, posing in front of an unfamiliar house with jack-o-lanterns in the windows behind them.

~ ~ ~

"Alright, everyone say, 'Emerald City', on three! 1, 2,–"

"Emerald City!" we chorused, grinning as the camera flashed.

"Hold on, honey. Let me fix your dress before we go," Mom said, helping me smooth out the skirt while Laur twirled around behind her with Angel and Soph.

"Beautiful as ever, sweetheart," she smiled once she was done, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"So are you, Mom," I smiled back, "And you too, my little mischief-maker," I added, tickling Laur from behind.

"Hey, it's my j-job," she managed to say in between her giggles.

"She's not wrong," Soph chuckled, with Ange nodding in agreement.

"Whose side are you on, Scarecrow?" I jested.

"Dorothy's, of course," she shot back with a smile, helping Laur sit on her shoulders.

"Fair enough," I amended. "Here, from one princess to another," I handed Laur my wand, her eyes lighting up in response.

"Really, for me?" she asked, holding it carefully with both hands.

"Mhm, it's yours for the night. Use it wisely."

"Thanks, Zie-Zie!" she beamed, holding it close as we headed for the car.

"Anytime, Rora. I love you."

~ ~ ~

A/N: Ta-da! You guys have no idea how happy I am to finally have this one done, and now, we're headed into the double-digit chapters!😊💖🦋

🎶Featured Music- "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas, and "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift.

Questions of the Day-

~ What did you think of Esme & Kenz meeting?💖

~ Which characters and/or character dynamics are you most excited to see/see more of in the story?🫂

~ How well do you think the sleepover is going to go?🔮

~ Are you enjoying the flashbacks so far?✨

If you haven't already, please consider checking out the teasers for "A Midnight Masquerade" & "In Another Life..." in "Starlight Central Station"; every bit of respectful & honest feedback is appreciated.💞

~Love, Sunset