Odette Charming knew that Carl O’Brien was the love of her life.

He was popular, handsome, a football player, and an all-around good guy. They had a few classes together, and she was confident that, at the right moment, he would finally realize she existed. The fact that her last name made him laugh, along with most of the class, was beside the point. She told herself that it was harmless fun, no matter how embarrassed and hurt she felt.

It was her fault. A nerdy bookworm at the exclusive Alabaster Arts & Business University in New York City wasn’t exactly unique. Among the other students, she didn’t stand out for her beauty. Blonde and dull, she couldn’t compete with the bombshell cheerleaders Carl spent time together with. To make matters worse, her parents ran a business of collecting and restoring rare books. One day, she wanted to take over it. That was why she had dedicated many hours to learning all of the tools of the trade. Odette couldn’t be more ordinary if she tried. Minus having the most outdated weird surname in modern history.

The cherry on the top of the cake was that her family stubbornly believed that they were descendants of Prince Charming’s royal family. He was the prince in Cinderella’s fairytale who fell for the bullied girl with the mean stepmother and sisters. More so, among Odette’s family’s rarest and treasured artifacts was a pair of glass slippers supposedly worn by Cinderella at the ball.

As a child, she thought it was fun to mention being related to a fairytale princess, but it only ended in her being teased. The real world was not exactly filled with people who believed in fairytales. Now an adult, she couldn’t understand how her parents thought it was a good idea to tell people this crazy story.

The only good thing about that situation was her best friend—Elizabeth Rosenberg. After being teased in grade school and becoming an outcast for years to come, Odette met Beth at an annual ball that the Charmings sponsored. Beth’s family were florists and owned a company that provided floral arrangements for parties and special occasions. There was also a secret Beth had been smart enough not to share openly. The Rosenberg family believed they were the descendants of Sleeping Beauty. Their families’ eccentricity was what brought Odette and Beth together. They were like salt and sugar, water and fire. Odette was shy, while Beth had dreams of stardom. Beth liked to sing and act. Odette would rather read and stay away from the spotlight. Yet they were almost inseparable and liked to go to the theater together when they didn’t have classes, book and drama clubs, and exams.

In the end, Beth was more outgoing than Odette. Though Odette wanted to have more fun at university, she was also obsessed with her grades and studying hard. Lately, studying seemed like a waste of her life. Being the nerd didn’t earn her points with her classmates. On the contrary, some believed they could take advantage of her and force her to do all the work in the group projects. Having people taking advantage of her made Odette more reclusive and dependent on her best friend. Beth didn’t ask Odette to help her with her homework. Her best friend was smart on her own, even if she had different interests and life dreams.

One thing was certain, Odette had to reinvent herself and become someone else if she hoped for Carl to notice her.

Besides the library, her favorite place at the university was the spot under a tree on the far side of the campus. It had a great view of the football field where the teams used to practice. It was quiet, and she could read her book without interruptions. The happy chattering of a group of young women coming her way caught her attention. Odette raised her nose from the book she was reading and looked at the football field where the athletes were practicing and the cheerleaders were perfecting their routines.

“Hey, Charming,” someone greeted from afar. It was Keith, Beth’s older brother.

She waved at him and wondered where her best friend was.

Jumping from behind the tree, Beth grabbed Odette’s shoulders. “I knew I’d find you here.”

“You scared me! Why are you lurking in the shadows?”

“There are barely any shadows. It’s a sunny day, and you’re the one hiding under a tree instead of offering your skin some vitamin D.”

“I’m not a plant to perform photosynthesis. I’m good here, so I don’t get burned.”

Beth sat down, crossed her legs next to Odette, and hummed as she gazed at the sunlight beating down on the leaves. “So pretty and quiet today.”

Odette arched an eyebrow. “Why are you so happy?”

“Brian asked me out.”

“That’s fantastic! I know you have a huge crush on him.”

“He’s funny and cute. It’s about time I found myself a new boyfriend.” She laced her arm around Odette’s shoulders and pulled Odette against her. “And you know what else is great?”

Odette shook her head.

Beth beamed. “He has a cute friend, and we can double date. What do you say? Are you ready to leave behind the celibatarian life and find yourself a real guy to crush on?”

“I have a real guy to crush on.”

“Carl… Always Carl, who has no idea you exist and has all the cheerleaders worshipping the ground he walks on. Plus, he dates the queen bee of this college.”

“They don’t look happy together.”

“Even if they break up, you are too shy to talk to him. How are you planning to conquer his heart? By reading poetry in the moonlight and writing him beautiful love letters? Are you even sure that he knows how to read?”

Odette pushed her friend away. “Don’t be mean. Carl is much more than a football player. I’m sure he has a kind soul, and he…” She nibbled on her lip and silenced herself.

“What Carl has is great abs, strong legs, and he’s the star quarterback. He seems to be able to communicate with his own tribe, but who knows outside of his group.”

“Are you being mean today? Your brother also plays football. Do you think he’s ignorant, too?”

“I do, but he’s my brother, so I’m probably the last person who will say good things about him.”

Odette giggled. “You are so silly. I would love to have a sibling. It’s boring being an only child.”

Beth grabbed her friend’s cheeks. “Oh, the Charming curse. Did you know you are the first female to be born into the Charming bloodline in three centuries?”

“Yes. My grandfather loves telling that story at family reunions.”

“Don’t you find that weird?”

Odette arched an eyebrow. “Is there anything normal about our families?”

Beth shook her head. “No.”

Odette pushed her friend’s hands away. “Stop pinching my cheeks. It hurts!”

“You are so cute. I can’t help it.”

“Beth, you are a weirdo.”

Beth laughed. Coming down from her high, she asked, “Being an only child must put a lot of pressure on your shoulders. I guess that’s why you study so hard.”

“I’ll, eventually, inherit the family’s business. I do enjoy books, so it’s fine.”

Her best friend exhaled sharply. “Do you want to have fun or not? Can I tell Brian to bring his friend to our date?”

“I have to study.” She raised her hand before Beth could protest. “My heart only has a special place for Carl. No one else.”

Puckering her lips, Beth muttered, “You are boring. You’ll die a virgin if you stick with those outdated romantic thoughts. Carl is far from being a prince, and there’s a lot of fish in the sea.”

“I’m still young. I have plenty of time to…” She waved her hand as if it was enough for Beth to know how to finish the sentence.

“To have sex? You’re twenty-one. It’s not like guys wait around to have sex with the person they are going to marry. You don’t need to be such a prude.” Beth moved closer. “Or do you think that Chastity is up to her name?” She fell back onto the dirt as she laughed. “I’m too funny.”

“Chastity is popular and pretty. I’m not like her. She can do whatever she wants. It’s her life. It’s also not her fault that I’m in love with her boyfriend.”

Beth sneered. “You are too nice. She’s a bully and has been cruel to you for no apparent reason. Still, you want to give her the other cheek. Be happy you have me in your life, or you’d live a boring existence.”

“You are a good friend, and I know I’m lucky to have you.”

Folding her hands over her chest, Beth looked at her friend. “Do you want to go to my place? Mom is making us oven-baked pork chops with potatoes tonight. I know it’s your favorite. Your parents are still away, right?”

Odette nodded.

Beth sat up and wiped the dirt from her hands. “Then, just join us for a family dinner.”

“Okay.”

“You can sleepover, so I can spend the night talking about Brian and how handsome he is. I saw him shirtless the other day on the field while he was practicing. He’s so fit and—”

Odette put her hand over Beth’s mouth. “Just be quiet and stop talking about abs. I need to read this chapter for tomorrow.”

Beth pushed Odette’s hand away. “I thought you’d read it already.”

“I’m reading it one more time for tomorrow’s quiz.”