No Happily Ever After (The Fairytale Diaries #1) Read Free

her.
    ***
    Shortly after Zoe got the hang of petty theft activities and recognized she was quite good at her craft, she became obsessed with Benjamin Bar.
    Not in any typical teenaged crush type fashion.  On no.  What Zoe saw in Benjamin Bar was the ultimate score.  Benjamin and his family represented the epitome of Faraway's upper echelon.  His mother, Madre Bar, was well known and loved as the high school counselor.  And his father, well, who knew exactly what Abraham Bar did.  But whatever it was, it provided obscene wealth.  Not that Benjamin was the sort who necessarily exuded wealth.  But Zoe had an eye for these things.
    He was a tall and rather well built senior.  With his thick, wavy, black hair, chiseled face, and piercing dark eyes, he might have been very appealing, were it not for his rather unappealing personality.  Benjamin was never mean or even unkind to anybody.  He made good enough marks to be thought of as smart.  There was just something vacant about him.  He was the sort of teen who would normally be popular.  He'd be the sort of guy all the guys wanted to be friends with and all the girls wanted to date.  Except that his peers had been alienated by his oddness as early as Kindergarten.  He existed on the fringe of the "in" crowd but Zoe observed he had no close ties to anybody.  He never dated.  He participated in extracurricular activities and fared well, but he demonstrated no real passion or ambition for anything.  He seemed to always be pondering something other than whatever he was doing at the time.  Detached.  Aloof.  Cold.
    But Zoe knew he came from a place that seemed for all practical purposes, enchanted.  As a child, she had loved to play in Faraway Forest.  She'd been truly at one with nature and would spend sun up to sun down exploring the quiet wood.  Over the years, she'd gotten to know every nuance of it and that's how she'd found Benjamin's house.
    It furrowed deep in the woods about five miles outside Faraway.  She'd happened upon it once entirely by chance.  It was giant; a mansion.  By far the grandest structure she'd ever seen, the house seemed to be a three story living creature, reaching up into the thick canopy of trees.  Its walls were shining maple wood and its dozens of windows glinted from the few sun rays that snuck in through the tangle of tree limbs.  A wrought iron gate loomed at the end of the winding drive leading up to the house, with an ornate sign reading Bar Estates. At times she'd explored there as a child.  She'd found a hole in the gate and easily been able to get closer to the house.  Even then, before her dreams of thievery had solidified, she'd been a talented sneak.
    The grounds of Bar Estates were sumptuous with lush gardens, a babbling brook and ancient towering trees.  She'd spent many an hour there, secretly watching the massive quiet place, and wondering what was inside. 
    One week before Christmas, Zoe decided she was going to find out.
    ***
    She happened to be seated within ear shot of Benjamin at lunch.  Of course, Benjamin wasn't saying anything, just sitting forlornly quiet among the hub of his so called friends.  But then, Mrs. Bar came into the cafeteria.
    The counselor was every bit as striking as her son.  She had his same tall dark looks with shining black hair trimmed smartly even with her jaw, and a strong fit body.  She dressed stylishly and as usual, she wore an inviting smile.  She made her way through the sea of students, pausing to chat with people who addressed her.  Finally she found Benjamin and leaned down next to him.  She spoke softly to her son, thinking no one was listening.
    But Zoe heard.
    "Hey, bud," said Mrs. Bar kindly.
    "Hey," he said morosely, barely bothering to acknowledge her.  He continued picking at his food and staring straight ahead.
    "You excited about your game tonight?" she asked hopefully.
    "Oh yeah."
    "Great!" she enthusiastically exclaimed, even though his agreement was