Author's Note: So this is a spiritual sequel/companion piece to "Sick Day". There was a mention in that story - near the end - where Evie mentioned that she and Doug's mother had gotten closer. Ever since then, ideas have been going through my head about the kind of relationship they might have, and then I said to myself why not explore that.
Please enjoy...
Evie was sitting at her vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her dark blue hair was styled back, falling down to her shoulders. Her tiara was perched on top of her head, the light reflecting off certain parts, causing flecks of color to dance on it. Her make-up, as usual, was flawless. Her green, black, and blue dress was perfect. She looked perfect.
And it terrified her.
What if it's too much, she thought. She considered at least going with a less bold lipstick color than blood red, her hands already reaching for a tissue.
"So, how do I look?" Mal's voice interrupted her before she could grab the tissue. Evie turned and looked at Mal who had finished getting ready for Family Day.
"Beautiful," Evie answered as she looked her friend up and down.
Since the festivities were more of a celebration than anything else, Evie talked Mal into a softer look than she was used to. Gone was the head to toe greens and purples done in combinations of denim and leather, studded and spiked to show off how tough and intimidating she could be.
Instead, Evie had found Mal a simple white, short-sleeved button up blouse that would match the blazer she'd made for her. The jacket was a vast departure for her friend who didn't know if she would be comfortable wearing the purple velvet with blue leather insert. In order for Mal to even agree to the combination, Evie had made a concession and made Mal's miniskirt out of the same material, though she made the skirt more blue than purple to really make the suit pop.
It was the shoes, a pair of black heels, which Mal had put up the most fight over. Of course, Evie won when she reminded Mal that Ben would be introducing her to his parents and she needed to look more appropriate when meeting the King and Queen.
"I think I should change," Evie said as she looked back toward the mirror.
"Why? You look great," Mal told her as she put on the blazer.
"I think this dress might be too…I don't know…too flashy?"
"Yeah, but flashy is standard procedure for you. You're Evie after all," Mal chuckled.
"Yeah, but, you're not the only one meeting parents today."
"Really?" Mal asked excitedly. "Doug wants you to meet his parents?"
Evie nodded. As much as that thought should've excited her too, it actually made her want to throw up. Quite frankly, the thought scared the hell out of her. His father was one of the seven dwarves – the people partially responsible for killing her mother the first time. Her mother was the Evil Queen – the person completely responsible for trying to kill their closest, dearest friend.
"They're gonna hate me," Evie said in apprehension.
"They are not going to hate you," Mal said to her.
"His father will definitely hate me," Evie reinforced. "All he'll be able to see is my mother. And oh God, his mother," she panicked. Suddenly Evie felt a cold shiver run through her. Mal watched as her friend began to practically hyperventilate, her breath becoming labored.
"Evie, breathe," Mal told her as she rushed over to her. "Breathe Evie," she said again as she stood Evie up and placed her hands on Evie's shoulders, steadying her. "Look at me, E. You're going to be fine. Doug's parents are not going to hate you, and they're not going to compare you to your mother. You know why? Because you are not your mother," she comforted. "Now, you don't have time to change, so you'll have to go with what you've already got on, pretty as it is."
Evie smiled, the first one in the past hour. "Fine," she accepted. "But…," she said as she leaned down to the vanity.
"What now?" Mal asked impatiently. She watched as Evie grabbed a tissue and began wiping off the red lipstick. She then replaced it with a more understated color.
"Okay, now we can go."
The grounds were packed with students and parents. The freshman students were showing their parents around. The upper classmen were busy filling in their parents on what had been going on lately. Evie guessed that she and her friends were a popular topic today judging by some of the stares they were getting. She tried to not look nervous, but inside she was feeling like thousands of butterflies were going crazy inside her stomach.
She had just finished watching Doug perform with Ben and some of the other boys and was waiting for him to come get her. Dude was busy fidgeting in her arms, probably wanting to be let down so he could run around, she thought.
"Evie," Doug said happily as he approached her. "How'd we sound?"
"Good, but I'm hurt you didn't tell me you could sing," she joked.
"Playing in the band isn't the only musical talent I have," he smiled.
As Evie saw that boyish smile cross his face, setting off the light in his eyes, she felt her knees become weak. He's so cute when he smiles, she thought giddily.
"Come on, my parents are waiting," he said. Evie swallowed hard and hoped no one could hear her gulp. She turned and handed Dude back to Carlos and let Doug take her hand and lead her away.
A few minutes later Doug brought her to a table near the gazebo where he and Ben had been performing. Seated at it were a couple that looked to be in their late thirties. The man was stocky and looked like if stood up he'd be just a few inches shorter than Doug's 5'9". She couldn't see his hair due to the flat cap he was wearing, but since she couldn't see sideburns, she assumed he was bald.
The woman was thin, not rail or sickly thin, but the kind that comes from taking care of oneself. Her hair was the same brown as Doug's, though her eyes were green instead of the same blue as her son's. So he gets his eyes from Dad, she thought. All in all, Doug's mother looked beautiful. Apparently catching the eye of beautiful women was a trait that father and son shared, Evie thought.
With each step Evie felt herself become more and more frightened. Mal's wrong, they're gonna hate me, she thought. She suddenly felt like was going to faint right where she was standing. She almost considered letting go of Doug's hand and running away. Before she could however, they had already reached the table.
"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad," Doug said cheerfully. They both looked up and smiled at their son. They then rose and gave him a hug, his mother adding a kiss on the cheek, her lipstick staining it. "This is Evie," he introduced her. "Evie, this is my Dad, Dopy, and my Mom, Connie."
"It's…it's nice to meet you," Evie stuttered.
Dopy extended his hand. Evie slowly took it and shook it, his father giving her a big smile and a nod. She nodded slightly.
"Hi, Evie," Doug's mother told her, a warm smile on her face. She held out her hand and Evie took it. After a friendly shake, Connie let go and began examining Evie. Evie suddenly felt frightened. Oh my God, she's looking for flaws, Evie thought. I knew this was going to happen, she's trying to find a reason to hate me.
"Doug, you said she was beautiful, but you were being modest," she told her son with a grin. She turned back toward Evie. "Sweetheart, you are gorgeous."
Evie couldn't help but smile, genuinely though she was still a little nervous. "Thank you Mrs. -"
"Call me Connie, honey," Connie told her as she led Evie to their table. Soon the four of them, with the exception of Evie, were talking while they ate. "You're not hungry, Evie?"
"I am, but apparently the King and Queen want to have lunch with me and my friends, so…," she trailed off, feeling very awkward over not eating with Doug's family.
"How fancy," Connie replied dismissively. Evie immediately slouched a little, something she never did. "Well the, Evie, if you can't eat lunch with us, then I insist that you join us for dinner later. Other than that, Doug tells us that you're from the Isle of the Lost?"
"Um, yes…yes ma'am."
"Must have been quite the culture shock coming to Auradon then? All the expectation to be good. Wasn't too difficult to adjust was it?"
"No, not really."
"Not really?"
Against her better judgment, Evie told Doug's parents about what happened with Chad when she first arrived. Evie could see it in Connie face, she was not pleased to hear about her doing Chad's homework. But her expression turned to sympathy when Doug told her about Chad trying to get Evie expelled.
"I've always said that boy was nothing but a spoiled brat. Honestly Doug, sometimes I question who you call friends," Connie said bluntly. Immediately Evie felt like she was being lumped into that statement since, while being very nice and polite, Connie was making her feel like she was judging everything that Evie said or did.
Before anymore could be said, Evie's phone chirped. She checked her message and then looked at Doug. He nodded.
"I'm so sorry, but that was my friend, Mal. Apparently they're almost done playing croquet, so she'd like me to start heading over."
"Then you shouldn't keep them waiting," Connie told Evie. Evie leaned over and gave Doug a quick kiss on the cheek and then said bye to his parents. She smiled when Dopy smiled at her. So Doug gets that smile from dear old Dad, she realized.
"Evie, Sweetheart," Connie called after her as she started to walk away. Evie turned and waited for the you're not good enough for my son speech. "If I came across as a little critical, I'm sorry. I just like to make sure that my son is dating a nice girl."
Evie nodded and began waking to meet up with her friends. Oh my God, she hates me, Evie thought.
Back at the table, Connie noticed the defeated look on her son's face. "What's wrong, Doug?"
"Well I was hoping that you would like Evie, but -"
"And what makes you think I don't like her?" Connie interrupted him.
"Well, it just didn't seem like you two hit it off," Doug answered her.
"Did you like her, honey?" Connie asked her husband. Dopy nodded with a big smile. "She was as beautiful as you said. She seems every bit as smart as you made her out to be. She's polite, well-spoken – the right amount of nervous for meeting the parents for the first time – all in all, I think that meet went smashingly. I like her for you," Connie explained cheerfully.
Doug breathed a sigh of relief. I can't wait to tell Evie, he thought.
Evie was sitting alone in her dorm room, Mal having gone who knows where to be alone with herself. She was sad and angry over what happened earlier. She was sad because up until the whole Chad incident, Family Day had been going so well. It seemed like King Beast and Queen Belle were really making the effort to try and be accepting. In fact, she and Belle seemed to be getting along. Then Queen Leah had to lose it with Mal; giving Chad a chance to swoop in and give a spectacular show of hatred.
She was angry because everyone seemed to placing the blame on her and her friends. It was as if their mere presence was to blame for causing both royals to lash out. But what really hurt was the fact that some of the people they had started to consider friends had apparently chosen sides. In Jane's case it seemed to be intentional.
But then there was Doug. Evie had thought that at least Doug would try and help her. But he'd let himself get bullied into towing the royal party line by Chad. That actually broke her heart.
She was so upset that she skipped the dinner invitation from Doug's mother just so she wouldn't have to see him. But that had caused him to call and text all night. Now as she laid on her bed, doing her best to focus on the plan that had been finalized for stealing the wand, she heard her phone vibrating again on her bed.
She picked it up and read the message.
Doug: Evie, Im sorry for earlier. I get u dont want to talk to me, but…my mother wants to talk to u. Give her a call please.
Seconds later, before she could toss her phone to the side, it vibrated again. This time the message was a phone number. Evie considered just putting her phone away and trying to sleep, but…a nagging voice told her to make the call.
"Hello," Evie heard on the other end after considering not waiting for the ringing to stop and hanging up.
"Connie? It's Evie, Doug said you wanted to talk to me?" she asked nervously.
"How are you doing, sweetie?"
"Huh?"
"How are you doing?" Connie repeated. "I saw what happened with Chad and Queen Leah. I wanted to see how you were doing right then, but…but you'd run off. And you skipped dinner. So how are you doing? Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"
Not particularly, she thought. Yet despite her reluctance, she began telling Doug's mother about the thoughts going through her head. Before she knew it, she was crying uncontrollably, tears gushing from her eyes, her voice almost too difficult to understand. On her end, Connie was crying as well, not to the same scale as Evie, but enough that Evie felt like someone was not only listening to her, but actually sympathizing with her. It was a catharsis she hadn't ever known before.
This poor girl, thought Connie as she listened to Evie let out the pressures of the day. She remembered Doug telling her that Evie was much smarter than she gave herself credit for, but as she listened, she realized that Evie was also much more emotional than she knew.
"Evie, Sweetie, I want you to know that Chad Charming is the last person you should be listening to, do you understand me?"
Evie nodded. "Uh-huh," she whimpered when she remembered that Connie couldn't see her.
"You are not a cheater, or anything else he says. You, are a smart, caring, beautiful girl, and that's what you should tell yourself whenever Chad, or someone like him, tries to tell you otherwise."
"You don't know that," Evie said.
"Yes I do. You know how?" Connie said emphatically. She continued when Evie didn't respond. "I know because of Doug. I know my son and the type of person he is and the type of people he likes to have around him. If he wants to be with you, then you have to be a good person. And don't let what happened with him after the Chad thing affect the two of you. And I'll talk to him and remind him that he needs to remember what, and who, is more important when it comes to listening to his friends."
"Thank you," Evie said, her voice sounding more normal, though it was obvious that she was still crying.
"And Sweetie, if you need anything, please feel free to call me, okay?"
"Okay," Evie answered her.
"Goodnight, Sweetheart, get some rest."
"Yes, ma'am," Evie said, nodding her head and actually smiling for the first time since what happened with Chad.
The coronation was over. Maleficent had been defeated. Everyone was celebrating and it looked like they would be well into the night. Everyone except Evie. Despite the pleas from her friends to stay, she decided that she'd had enough excitement for one day. She congratulated Ben and wished him luck. She said goodnight to Mal, Jay, and Carlos. And before she left, she found Doug, told him that she forgave him, laid a kiss on him that left him speechless and blushing, and said she'd talk to him the next day on the picnic he was taking her on. When he asked what picnic, she simply smiled and told him to have fun planning.
She had just entered the dorm hall and, before heading upstairs, she leaned against the first floor stair railing and removed her heels. "Much better," she said to herself as she felt the soft carpet against her feet. She made her way down the hallway, taking note of how quiet it actually felt. During the day, it was still quiet, but there was the occasional sound of passing footsteps, or a stray conversation to break up the silence.
But tonight, she was positive she was the only one in any of the rooms. She entered her room and turned on the lamp by her bed since she still wasn't ready to flood the room with light. She threw her bag on the bed and took off her dress. After hanging it up, she changed into a pair of baggy sleep pants and a simple T-shirt. She knew her mother would pitch a fit if she was to see her such an unflattering ensemble, but after the day she'd just had, Evie didn't care. She just wanted to be comfortable, style be damned.
A few minutes later, she made her way onto her bed, wiping off the last of her make-up. Now the day felt truly over and done with to the blue-haired teen. She grabbed her phone, not really expecting any messages since everyone who would contact her was at the coronation with her, and still there now.
She became surprised when she saw she had several messages from of all people, Doug's mother.
Connie: I'm watching the coronation on TV. Are you & your friends okay?
Connie: I'm so glad you're okay.
Connie: Your decision makes me so happy. See, I told you that you were a good person.
Connie: Call me tomorrow, Sweetheart. Bye.
Evie smiled as she read the last text. There was even a small tear in her eye. She considered calling right now, but she didn't know if Connie was asleep yet or not. Deciding that tomorrow was best, despite how much she wanted to talk to Connie, she just plugged in her phone and was about to go to bed when her hand paused at the lamp.
Without a second thought, Evie grabbed her phone and changed the name on her contact list from "Connie" to "Doug's Mom" and then laid her head for some much needed beauty sleep.
