Christmas is near, so I thought I'd write a little Christmas-themed love story. As fun as I've had writing my "Forever Wicked" series, I miss writing Carvie stories. Why I love this ship so much, I don't know myself. The cause is the first book ("Isle of the Lost"), but the reason behind the cause is a mystery even to me.
Anyways, enjoy.
AUTHOR'S NOTE #1: Did the first Descendants movie take place around the start of the school year? If that's the case, then Descendants 2, which takes place 6 months after the first movie, takes place after Christmas. I don't know for sure, but let's just pretend this is the case. It's my intention for this story to take place in between the first two movies. Plus, Christmas is coming, so...
AUTHOR'S NOTE #2: Italics mean narration by Mal.
Leave a review after reading, if you like. Feedback is always appreciated.
The sky was raining tiny frozen droplets and covering the lands in a thick layer of a soft white substance. Every home, building, and castle all over the kingdom is covered in colorful lights and plant-like decorations. Trees decorated with lights, tinsels, and ornaments can be found in the heart of a city or inside a house. Everyone was wearing sweaters, parkas, gloves, scarves, and toques as protection from the cold temperature. What could all this mean? What possible phenomenon could there be that would warrant such colorful beautification of Auradon (as if it wasn't colorful enough already)?
Christmas.
Yeah, Christmas, Mal thought. A holiday that celebrates snow, pretty lights, gingerbread cookies, and some fat guy with a giant beard who is said to live in the North Pole. Sounds like a sap-fest, right? Well, that's what I thought once. We never celebrated Christmas on the Isle of the Lost. I mean, why would we? Our parents say that Christmas is just a holiday all about peace, love, and snowball fights. But I'm not on the Isle of the Lost anymore. I'm here, in Auradon. And all my AK friends want to make sure me and my fellow VKs have a wonderful first Christmas. I can't say I'm optimistic since I'm still adjusting to Auradon's ways, but it's best to mingle and see what happens. Who knows? Maybe I'll actually like Christmas.
Well, to be specific, it's only two days before Christmas. The recently crowned King Ben is hosting a Christmas party at Beast Castle on Christmas Eve. All the students of Auradon Prep are invited and their parents are welcomed as well. The party is said to last until midnight, as in Christmas Day. Any excuse to stay up all night is an immediate plus for Mal, but she knows it's important to understand the positive nature of the holiday.
In case one would be wondering where Mal is at the moment, she is sitting on the top of a tower at Beast Castle, watching the snow fall from above. She's not even wearing any winter clothing. She's wearing her favorite purple leather jacket. It's one of the things from the Isle of the Lost she prefers to hold close. After all, it makes her, well, Mal.
Unfortunately, the story you're reading is not about Christmas, she said to the listeners/readers of the story. Rather, it's a story about how this particular holiday helps bring two people closer together... in a way. Who am I talking about, you ask? Well, that's the problem. When someone so obvious can only be seen by someone like me, then there's something very wrong.
Mal sees a peculiar-looking snowflake heading her way. The snowflake was strangely shaped like a heart. What a coincidence, she thought. What the heart represents happens to be connected to the story she was wanted to tell. She holds out her hand and the snowflake lands on her palm. She smiled as she stared at the snowflake. Maybe the arrival of this tiny icy creation is the green light for her to start writing the important parts of the story. In her attempt to blow the snowflake off her hand, her blowing caused it to break apart into teeny tiny ice drops just following the wind.
Who am I talking about, you ask again? She repeated. Well, you are very familiar with these specific two and I'm pretty sure a lot of you see their relationship being similar to that of siblings. Boy, are you all in for quite a reveal.
Mal jumps off the tower and magically floats down to the snowy ground, preparing to write the story.
Mal entered the castle through the front door and walked to the ballroom, where Ben's Christmas party was taking place. Evie, Jay, Carlos, Audrey, Chad, Lonnie, Jane, Doug, Jordan, and Ally were all there to help Ben with the ballroom decorations. The castle staff would've taken care of this, but Lonnie is the one who insisted that Ben's closest friends would be the ones to help him. Jay, Chad, and Jordan were reluctant, but Lonnie is just too kind and too sweet to say no to.
"Hey, Mal," Ben greeted. "I've been looking for you all morning. You wouldn't answer my calls."
"I left my phone in my dorm," Mal explained. "Didn't want anyone ruining my morning on the roof."
"How you can be so casual about that, I'll never know," Ben commented.
"I jumped off the tower, just so you know," Mal added.
"Considering you have magic, I now wonder why I worry at all," Ben replied.
Mal pinches Ben's cheek and says, "You're so cute when worry."
"Really?" Ben asked.
"Seriously, though, I defeated my mom, remember? It can't get any worse than that," said Mal.
"I guess I got nothing to worry about," said Ben.
"Atta beast," Mal teased.
Ben blushed and chuckled. She's got one unique sense of humor, he thought.
"So, what can I help with?" Mal asked.
"Anything," Ben answered. "All tasks are being ticked off the box. Evie, Jay, and Carlos are on tree duty. Audrey, Chad, Jane, and Ally are handling decorations. Lonnie and Jordan are setting up the equipment. The best you can do is choose whichever one you want to assist with."
"What about you?" asked Mal.
"I got papers to sign," said Ben. "I know, it's Christmas and yet I still have a mountain of paperwork to take care of."
"It sucks," said Mal.
"I know," Ben agreed. "Well, I'll see you after lunch, if not at lunch."
Ben kisses Mal on the cheek before leaving the ballroom. Mal waited until he was gone to wipe her cheek.
Hey, I'm new to this whole romance thing, she explained. I was lucky to get used to the whole holding hands thing. In case you forgot, Ben and I haven't even kissed yet. Well, there's cheek kissing, but every single one is from him, not me. Okay, enough about me. Let's get back to the real story.
Mal approaches her three best friends - Evie, Jay, and Carlos. Why the three of them volunteered to fix up a 25-foot Christmas tree, well, just ask them. Evie was on top of a ladder attaching the ornaments to the tree. Carlos and Jay were passing said ornaments to her.
"That is one tall tree," Mal commented.
"You should see the one in the middle of Auradon City. It's enormous," said Carlos.
"Doesn't all this feel very surreal to you guys?" asked Mal.
"It definitely is, Mal," Evie agreed. "Our first Christmas together. If only our parents understood the beauty of it."
"Well, until then, if it ever happens," Jay said doubtfully. "We'll have to make do with each other and our Auradon friends."
"One step a time then, huh? Works for me," said Evie.
Mal was about to help with the tree when she thought of something. Something fun (for her, at least). Carlos was standing right below Evie. If Evie were to, let's say, fall off the ladder...
Hey, if you want more details on this story, it's gonna happen, she said. Worst case scenario, they both end up in the hospital with minor injuries.
Mal walks towards a box of ornaments near the ladder. After making sure no one is looking, she "accidentally" bumps into the ladder. Evie starts to lose balance. She loses her footing and falls off the ladder. Carlos looks up just in time to catch her in his arms. Evie's split second frightened scream may have caught the attention of everyone in the ballroom, which means everyone saw what just happened.
The room was silent as Evie remained being carried by Carlos. The two just stared at each other in a very awkward manner. The kind of awkward manner that made Mal smirk. If Carlos didn't have those freckles on his face, the blush under his cheeks would be clearer.
"Nice catch," Evie smiled.
"Uh, y-you're-you're welcome," Carlos stuttered nervously.
"Have you been working out?" Evie asked. "You're holding me up for an awfully long time without any problem."
"Um, well, being a member of the Tourney team means I have to work out so... yeah, I've been working out," Carlos replied, if awkwardly.
Evie giggled for some reason. Maybe it was something in Carlos' voice, she didn't know. She just giggled. And now Carlos giggled without even knowing why. Mal had to cover her mouth to hide her own giggle. This is too precious, she thought.
"Uh, dude," Jay called. "Everyone's watching."
Evie and Carlos look at everyone to see the looks on their faces. Their facial expressions scream "awkward."
Carlos quickly lets go of Evie. He puts his hands behind his back and avoids eye contact to avoid the awkwardness. Evie adjusts her hair and fake-coughs in an attempt to do the same.
"So, uh, thanks," said Evie. "You saved me from spending Christmas in traction."
"Y-Y-You're welcome," Carlos said nervously.
After petting Carlos like a dog, Evie proceeds with decorating the Christmas tree. Carlos just stood there looking like a tomato. Tomato, as in his face is so red, it's a wonder no one has noticed... except for Mal.
You see the way he looks at her? The way he smiles when he looks at her? How he's so embarrassed after an awkward moment with her? Mal asked. C'mon, it's so obvious. Our boy Carlos in I-N-L-O-V-E with our girl Evie. And here's the best part. He's felt that way about her since the first time they met. Or was it the second time they met? I just remembered they met once at Evie's 6th birthday party. If Carlos suffered from puppy love at the age of 4, then I'm sticking with my previous statement of him being in love with her from Day 1. Point is, this is the story I wanted to tell. About a boy and a girl. Now, I know what you might be thinking: But, Mal, Evie already has a boyfriend and it's Doug.
"Are you okay, Evie?" Doug asked, extremely concerned. "No broken bones? No fractures? No head trauma?"
"Doug, I'm okay, really," Evie assured him. "Carlos prevented all of that stuff from happening."
"How about I take your place in the tree-decorating task?" Doug offered, for his girlfriend's sake.
"Doug, seriously, I'm okay," Evie repeated. "I appreciate you being a concerned boyfriend, but, really, I'm fine."
"Okay, people. Let's get back to work," said Lonnie. "Although, I may have to agree with Doug, Evie. Best to stay away from ladders."
"Then Doug can be on ladder duty. That way, he can make sure I don't fall," Evie suggested.
"I think someone's been eating way too many gingerbread cookies," Jay whispered to the dog lover.
"I can hear you, Jay," said Evie. "It's just the Christmas spirit, that's all. Can't let one little accident stop me from getting this tree done."
"How about we all help with the tree?" Jane suggested cautiously. "Just in case. We get that done, we can get everything else done faster."
Evie shakes her head, but she didn't say no.
"In that case, we're gonna need more ladders," said Chad. "I'll go get them."
"You just want an excuse to get out of this room, don't you?" Jay guessed.
Jay accompanies Chad out of the ballroom so they can get more ladders together, and for Jay to make sure Chad doesn't escape from decoration duty. Everyone else drops what their doing and helps out with the tree. Evie and Carlos, meanwhile, they're constantly stealing glances at one another. Carlos is still blushing while Evie tries and fails to stop feeling giggling every time she makes eye contact with him.
Look at those two. Seriously, look at those two. How can eye contact like that be considered platonic? Mal thought, mystified by everyone's obliviousness. I know love is not some game I can toy with, but... there's a story to be written. Besides, I'm doing them a favor. Should they live the rest of their lives not knowing the truth about each other? Or are you gonna tell me they're better off not knowing it? Well, too bad. I'm me.
After an entire morning of decorating, everyone left for lunch. Evie, on the other hand, returned to her dorm to finish her own decorations. Mal was not particularly happy with the idea of decorating their dorm, but the holiday spirit has truly taken over Evie so there was no stopping her. Everything was already done except for the Christmas tree. Just as she was about to add the final ornament, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in. It's open," said Evie.
Coming in was Carlos De Vil. Evie was quick to smile upon his presence, because she's been waiting for him.
"Oh, good. You're finally here," she said happily.
Evie pulls on Carlos' arm and drags him towards the Christmas tree. He sits down on the floor while Evie grabs a couple of gift boxes. One is from Carlos to Evie and the other is from Evie to Carlos.
"But it's not even Christmas Day yet," said Carlos
"I know, but since we VKs are born to break the rules, I thought you and I can open our gifts early," Evie said excitedly. "No harm in that, right?"
"As long as it stays between us," said Carlos.
"Okay," Evie agreed. "Oh, me first."
Evie quickly opens her gift, eager to see what's inside. Inside was an old ring. Old, as in, locked-away-in-the-attic-for-years old. The apple-shaped jewel on it was cracked, looking like someone had taken a bite out of it. That "bitten" part appeared to have been glued back to where it was supposed to be.
Evie was stunned. Unresponsive.
"I know. It's horrible," Carlos said, embarrassed. "I was gonna use it for parts, but then I met you and I thought about giving it to you for your birthday. That's when I glued the broken piece back. Then we came here to Auradon and I decided to just throw it away 'cause I thought you'd want something nicer. But then Fairy God Mother gave us the whole seeing-treasure-in-the-junk lesson and it got me thinking... that ring represents what you've done for me. Before I met you, I was, like the ring before, not whole. There was piece of my heart ripped out by my mother. She never loved me. Then I met you and you repaired me that part of me."
Evie's eyes move away from the ring and towards Carlos as he spoke. The blank expression on her face makes it hard to tell what she's feeling.
"I know this sounds cheesy and pathetic," Carlos said awkwardly. "But I wanted you to know..."
Evie cuts him off by embracing him. Carlos blushes again as he slowly hugs her back. You don't get a lot of hugs on the Isle, you know. Or any at all, in fact.
"I love it," Evie said with full sincerity.
"You... you do?" Carlos asked, surprised.
"No reason to lie to you," said Evie. "Care to do the honors?"
"O-O-Of-Of course," Carlos stuttered.
Evie gives Carlos the ring as he takes her hand. He slips the ring on her finger. The two smile at each other afterwards. Carlos was just so surprised that Evie, of all people, could accept an ugly ring as a Christmas gift. Evie was so touched that he would choose a gift that symbolizes their friendship. Then the smiling and staring stopped when Carlos realized he was still holding her hand.
Carlos pulls his hand back and uses that same hand to scratch his head in embarrassment. Evie had no reaction other than a simple smile, which she dropped almost immediately.
"I just wish I could give you a gift just as good as yours," Evie said sadly.
"Well, let me see," said Carlos.
Carlos opens his gift. Inside the box is a new laptop.
"I know, it sucks," Evie said, assuming that is what he is thinking.
"Are you kidding? I've been thinking about getting a new one for weeks," said Carlos.
"All I did was give you something brand new. You gave me something that's actually meaningful," said Evie.
"No, I'm serious. I love it," Carlos assured her. "You just saved me a lot of trouble and money."
"Well, the fashion business is extremely lucrative," said Evie. "You sure you like it?"
"I would never lie to you," said Carlos.
"Never?"
Evie and Carlos turned their heads to the door to see Mal. She had that smile on her face as if she was suspicious about something.
"The door was open so I thought I'd let myself in," said Mal. "Am I interrupting something?"
"No, we were just... opening our gifts," said Carlos.
"You can open yours if you want, since you've pretty much busted us," said Evie.
"No, I can wait a couple more days," said Mal.
"I'll, uh, show myself out," said Carlos. "Thanks for the gift again, Evie."
Carlos takes his new laptop and leaves. He looked oddly flustered, and so was Evie. Mal tried not to look suspicious herself as she made sure to remember this moment.
In case you're wondering, yeah, I was listening in the whole time. And thanks to the open door, I was also watching the whole time, Mal said. Now, you might be asking, does Evie feel the same way? Well, while I might know the answer, I'd rather if you just sit back and read the next part to find out.
Mal and Evie return to the castle to finish the decorations in the ballroom. Along the way, Mal notices Evie checking out the ring on her finger. The ring that Carlos just gave to her. She's been staring at it the whole way from Auradon Prep to the castle. Either this is the best gift she's ever received in her life or she was really just checking her nails. Nah! It's obviously the former.
"Are you sure you want to be wearing that ring in public, E?" Mal asked. "I mean, I don't care, but won't you?"
"The ring may be hideous and I may get a lot of negative comments on my InstaRoyal account if I post a picture of this, but the meaning behind it is more precious than any piece of jewelry," said Evie.
"Sounds like you and Carlos are way closer than I thought," said Mal. "To think, you two only became friends a day before the four of us become a team. That one day must have been something."
"Well, in our defense, it was the first time we both spoke to someone who understands us," said Evie.
"And the pillow?" Mal questioned, remembering when Evie gave Carlos a new pillow back on the Isle.
"I told him it wasn't because I cared about him, but I know now that was a lie," said Evie. "I just never told him yet, but I'm in no rush."
"The way he is around you, it's quite... weird... don't you think?" Mal asked slyly.
"What do you mean?" Evie replied, confused.
Mal turns away and rolls her eyes at the blue-haired narcissist's obliviousness. Hilarious but annoying, she thought.
"Well, he appears hypnotized every time he looks at you. He can barely speak properly talking to you. Not to mention the way he holds your hand," Mal said, letting Evie know she was watching and not just listening.
Evie smiled and blushed uncontrollably.
"Do you ever think that there's a possibility that he might, ooh, I don't know, maybe have a crush on you?" Mal wondered slyly.
"W-Wh-What? Tha-That's-That's ridiculous," said Evie. "He and I are like brother and sister."
"A brother who gifted her sister a ring and slipped it on her finger in a very non-platonic way," Mal teased.
"He wasn't proposing, M. It's just a little joke," Evie said, flustered to the max.
"If you say so, Princess De Vil," Mal joked.
"Stop it," Evie begged, bumping her friend's shoulder.
That flustered tone. The blush under her cheeks. Oh, yeah. There's your confirmation, Mal said. I wonder just how she herself is so oblivious to her own feelings. She keeps using that brother-and-sister excuse that is obviously an excuse only to me. She may treat Carlos like a brother, but behind all the touching and the sibs-talk and that innocent look on her face lies a wonderful truth that may just horrify or delight her if she ever found out. But it's not for me to tell. Just another one of those for-me-to-know-for-you-to-find-out kind of things.
Carlos returns to his dorm to try out his new laptop. After adjusting the settings, he quickly transferred everything he had on his old laptop to the new one. Aftert that, he just did what he would always do on his free time. Surf the internet and create digital blueprints filled with ideas for new inventions. Being in Auradon has given him much more freedom and resources to do what he loves. His next idea involves an upgraded version of a 3D printer. All he needs
Knock-knock!
"Come in," Carlos said.
The door was not locked, so the knocker let herself in. It was Mal.
"Hey, Snowball," Mal greeted.
Carlos rolls his eyes. He's not a fan of that nickname. And considering it's Christmas, a holiday where it snows, it annoys him even more.
"You dropped this," Mal said, giving him back his phone.
"I don't remember dropping this," Carlos said, confused.
"Well, you're welcome," Mal said casually.
Mal turns around and smirks a mischievous smirk, all the while winking at herself via the nearest mirror. How else do you think Carlos dropped his phone?
"So, that was a lovely gift you gave to Evie," Mal mentioned.
"You didn't really have to eavesdrop," Carlos said as he blushed.
"Uh, the door was open, I was already on my way, and you two just happen to be exchanging gifts by the time I got there. Why wouldn't I eavesdrop?" Mal replied. "You've been acting weird all day, Carlos. I can see it. And I can tell it's because of Evie."
"I-I-I'm n-not acting w-weird," Carlos stuttered embarrassingly.
Mal raised an eyebrow at him, as he basically confirmed that he's been acting weird.
"Even if I am, what's it got to do with Evie?" Carlos asked, avoiding eye contact.
"Well, let's see," Mal started. "You two became fast friends on her first day back to school. Ever since, she gets awfully touchy with you from time to time. You can't seem to keep your cool whenever you two are near each other..."
"Okay, so I'm still adjusting to the idea of friendship," Carlos interrupted. "What are you getting at?"
"There's something about your conversation with her that got me. You told her, you'd never lie to her," said Mal.
"And I would never," said Carlos.
"So, you would tell her pretty much anything and everything?" Mal asked suspiciously.
"I would," said Carlos.
"Even how you feel about her?" Mal teased.
"Of course," Carlos replied.
"I mean, how you really really feel about her?" Mal asked, continuously trying to push him.
Catching on what Mal was insinuating, Carlos shuts down his laptop and buries his face in his hands. He felt like he was busted and the feeling is overwhelming considering the type of secret that Mal seemed to have figured out.
"Is it that obvious?" Carlos asked, voice cracking.
Mal grins as she tries to hold back her laughter. She sits down next to Carlos as she tries so hard not to laugh or chuckle or even giggle.
"I've watched you fall in love with Evie even before any of us even understood what the word love meant," said Mal. "To be honest, even back on the Isle, I've been waiting for you to tell her the truth. Deep down, I wanted the best for you, and Evie is the best because she brings out the best in you. But you did nothing. You didn't tell her. You didn't make a move. You didn't do nothing. Kinda disappointed."
"I never even wanted to feel like this," Carlos said sadly.
"And I never wanted to fall in love with Ben, but I did," said Mal. "We can't control what our heart wants. We just listen to our hearts, just like Belle told Ben."
"And my heart tells me to just leave her be, to let her be happy with Doug, even at my expense," said Carlos.
"But do you ever wish you could tell her?" asked Mal.
Carlos turns away and looks down in sadness. It hurt Mal to see him so down and depressed. She already knew how deep his feelings for her were, but maybe she didn't know how deep it is until she saw that look on his face.
"Thanks for giving me back my phone," Carlos said casually.
Carlos opens his laptop and returns to his work. Knowing he would rather avoid any conversation involving his feelings about Evie, Mal decides it's best to just get up and leave the dorm.
Poor boy, Mal thought sadly. You know that one harsh lesson in life? You can never have everything you want. Well, Carlos can never have Evie's love no matter how much he wants it. Then again, he only has himself to blame. He had every opportunity to tell her and he didn't take it. Still, poor boy. I wouldn't have cared back then, but thanks to that whole Isle of the Doomed adventure and coming her to Auradon, I've learned to care. That's one reason why I'm writing this story for you. As folly as all this may be, I'm doing it for him... and her.
Later that day, Carlos was in the Chemistry Lab cooking up something for the Christmas party tomorrow. He thought he'd show everyone that science can be like magic by mixing some chemicals for a grand presentation. He had to wear gloves and protection goggles for the sake of safety. Despite following his own instructions to the tee, he made a little mishap that caused a mini-explosion. His goggles and shirt are now covered in soot and there's a cloud of red smoke coming from the beaker he was using. Just in time for a certain blue-haired VK to come into the lab.
"Hey, Carlos," Evie greeted.
"Hey, Evie," Carlos greeted.
"Um, how's the preparations for your little chem-show?" Evie teased, laughing in between words.
"Very funny," Carlos replied sarcastically. "I just need to start over."
"I can lend a hand if you want," Evie offered.
"Thanks, but I can handle it," said Carlos.
"Do you not want me to stay here with you?" asked Evie.
"Of course I do, but..." Carlos paused. "This was my idea. I know Chemistry is your expertise, but I'm more at your level than you think."
Evie tried to smile, but that smile dropped instantly. Carlos takes off his goggles upon noticing.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Carlos asked.
"Carlos, how exactly do you feel about me dating Doug?" Evie asked.
"Uh, why do you ask?" Carlos replied nervously.
Evie bites her lower lip and closes her eyes very tight as she tries to muster the courage to tell him the reason behind the question. It wasn't easy because the topic is very sensitive.
"Mal thinks you like me," Evie confessed. "As in like-like me. As in the romantic kind of like."
Evie starts laughing because she feels so embarrassed bringing this up to him. Carlos feels like he has a fever, because his face is red hot from what he just heard. Bad enough that Mal found out how he truly feels about Evie but Mal telling Evie about his feelings is much worse.
"I know, it's ridiculous," Evie said, still embarrassed. "Now I feel silly bringing it up. I know it sounds weird and absurd. I mean..." She cut herself off with her embarrassed laughter.
"Well, she's wrong," Carlos lied. "I know I can be super awkward around girls, you included, but that doesn't mean I feel anything like that about you. Like you said, i-it-it's ridiculous."
"Yeah, it is," Evie agreed. "But seriously, how do you feel about me and Doug? And please don't lie. You said you'd never do that to me."
"Yeah," Carlos remembered. "I just want you to be happy, Evie. Doug seems like a really nice guy, and if he makes you happy then I should be happy too. You don't have to worry about how I feel... unless he hurts your feelings, that is."
"Well, I can guarantee you he will never do that," said Evie. "Sure, he's goofy and a bit too bold for his own good, but I wouldn't be dating him if I didn't see something in him."
Carlos just nodded and smiled, even if he felt differently on the inside.
"What about you?" asked Evie. "Are you ever thinking about finding yourself a girlfriend?"
"I don't know," Carlos replied. "I mean, I'm still getting used to my new life here in Auradon. I mean, it's nice that you and Mal both found someone special, but I just don't think I'm ready."
"I understand," said Evie. "But if you ever need advice, you can come to me."
"Thanks," said Carlos.
"So, if you don't need my help, then I should just go and find Doug," said Evie. "See ya."
"See ya," Carlos said.
Carlos kept on smiling until Evie was out of sight. His smile dropped. Lying right to her face, it hurt so much. Watching her be with someone else hurts him enough but to be unable to be honest with her about his true feelings with her only hurts a million times more. He should be blaming Mal. Instead, he blames himself. All this could have been avoided if he had just been honest with Evie from the start. Maybe then Mal wouldn't have tried to do it for him.
Speaking of Mal, she's been watching the whole time. Standing in the corner, hidden from the naked eye with an invisibility spell. Neither Evie nor Carlos knew that she saw them and heard every word.
Again. Poor boy, Mal thought sadly. I hate to have to put him in this position, but if he truly wanted to have a love life, he could at least learn how to be strong and open up. I should be feeling disappointed. Instead, I pity him. Evie is the perfect girl and the one guy who truly loves her can't so much as give her a hint on how he really feels. I guess love is a lot more complicated than I thought.
And so that ends the first chapter. Just in case you might ask, it's gonna be a short story, which means it'll only have a few chapters. Plus, I want this to be done before/at Christmas.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!