"Resolve"
by
Christy Snell
Damn that Mal! The faster Harry Hook walked, the madder he became. What the hell was Mal doing back here? She was supposed to be in Auradon, playing Barbie to Ben's Ken. Instead there she was standing in Lady Tremaine's Curl Up and Dye. Harry's confrontation with Mal there had been a most unwelcome interruption in his daily routine of stealing money from the local businesses. Harry's last stop was usually the salon that Dizzy, Lady Tremaine's granddaughter, ran. Dizzy had a sweet, optimistic demeanor that set her apart from the rest of the kids on the Isle. Shockingly, there was no meanness in the girl. For that reason, Harry always entered Dizzy's salon secure in the knowledge that no threats would be necessary with Dizzy. He would request the money, she would turn it over, he would thank her, and then he would leave. Simple. So much so that he was on autopilot that day and failed to even notice who Dizzy's client was until she spoke. "Still running errands for Uma, or do you actually get to keep what you steal?"
Harry hadn't seen his ex-girlfriend Mal in months, and despite being in love with Uma, there was a part of him that was still attracted to her. It was obvious that Dizzy had made her over, and he grudgingly acknowledged to himself that the look suited her. The last time he had seen her on TV, she had looked like a plastic Auradon princess: bland and blond with a boring goody-two-shoes persona to match. Not now, though. Standing there in one of her signature leather outfits with a glorious mane of purple hair, Mal looked like herself again. Whatever. Harry needed to remind her who she was playing with.
"Well, well, well," Harry crooned in his sexy Scottish brogue. "What a nice surprise." "Hi, Harry," Mal responded. "Just wait until Uma hears you're back," Harry continued. "She's never gonna give you back your old territory," he warned. "Oh well, that's OK, because I will be taking it," Mal coolly replied. Harry chuckled in amusement and disbelief. Maybe the princess hadn't completely lost her edge after all. Harry had to admit that he found that a little hot. In an attempt to get a reaction out of Mal (and as an excuse to touch her, let's be honest), he stroked Mal's hair with his hook and softly murmured to her, "I could hurt you." "Not without Uma's permission, I bet," Mal answered him in a bored tone. To add insult to injury, she had the nerve to grab his hand and stick her gum onto the end of his hook.
Wow. Harry was the tiniest bit impressed and embarrassed at the same time. He tried to laugh it off, but what could he say? Mal's words were true and they all knew it. In a deliberate air of nonchalance, Harry ate the gum and headed to the door. As he left, he made sure to sweep a few things in the shop onto the floor and then give an ironic bow to Mal. His actions were designed to save face with Dizzy, allow him to vent his anger a little, and still give Mal the impression that she no longer had the power to get to him. Now hurriedly going back to Uma with his spoils, Mal's words wouldn't stop ringing in his ears.
OK, so yes, Uma told him what to do, but she was the captain. That was just how things worked. Underneath Uma's bluster, Uma cared just as much for him as he did for her, right? He was more than just a mindless minion to Uma, wasn't he? Suddenly he wasn't so sure. While it was true that Uma depended on him, what proof did he have that Uma truly cared for him? What exactly did he have to show for his single-minded devotion to Uma? She bestowed a few tokens of physical affection on him now and then, but that was it. Harry longed for so much more, and sometimes in unguarded moments, he thought that maybe Uma did too. Wait a minute: Mal was a traitor, the enemy. Was he seriously considering anything that little diva said? Mal had always been the master at head games and she obviously hadn't forgotten a single trick. She was just trying to put a wedge between him and Uma. In her own way, Uma looked out for Harry, Gil, and the rest of the crew to the best of her ability. Her behavior was a direct product of their environment and her proximity to that awful mother of hers. Despite reassuring himself, Harry still couldn't quite shake off the doubts that Mal had sent swirling around his head.
Wham! Still irritable, Harry ran straight into someone. "Ow, Harry!" Gil whined. "Gil, not now, OK? I'm not in the mood for your stupidity!" Harry snapped. "What did I do? I was just on my way to tell Uma that King Ben, Carlos, and Evie are here," Gil explained. This gave Harry pause. "Wait, what? The King is here? That fool must have come to get Mal back. Oh, Uma's gonna love this!" Harry exclaimed. Those Auradon preppies' decision to come back to the Isle might just be the chance that Uma had been waiting for. Once Harry took this information to Uma, she would come up with a plan to get everybody stuck on the Isle into Auradon. Maybe then things would change. He and Uma would still be evil, of course, but maybe he and Uma's relationship wouldn't be so consumed with survival. If Harry and Uma had time to spend together to just be, maybe they would finally be free to explore this whatever-it-was between them. At that moment, Harry strengthened his resolve. Whatever Uma asked of him, he would do it. Whatever she needed from him, it was hers for the taking. Always. Uma was his captain and he was her first mate. Mal was nobody now. Why had he let Mal get to him in the first place? She was still hot, but so what? Underneath her change in appearance and her show of bravado, Mal was now just another spoiled Auradon doll who had probably only run back to the Isle to teach Ben a lesson. Obviously she and Ben were still a thing, or he wouldn't have followed her here. It was time to teach those Boradon brats a lesson and show them who the new queen of the Isle was: Harry's beloved Uma. With his mind made up, Harry's course was clear again and he was able to shrug off Mal's stupid comment. Once more full of confidence and good humor, Harry lightly punched Gil in the shoulder and grinned maniacally. "Come on, Gil, let's give Uma the good news."