Here is the next chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants.
Ben recited the same long drawn out speech from before, "Auradon Prep, originally built over three hundred years ago and converted into a high school when my father became king."
They had just began the tour and the original four was already bored. However, they tried to keep interested, which was easy to do because of Gil. He was amazed by everything he saw. He would wave at random people that would only run away from him. They all knew who he was, but that didn't seem to falter his cheery attitude.
They walked to the statue of the Human Beast that was close to the main entrance of the school. Ben momentarily stopped in front of the sculpture and clapped his hands twice. Just like before the figure of a strong king turned into a monstrous beast.
The three pirates jumped back at the sudden transformation. The others noticed their reaction, even Audrey who was trying to hide her laugh. Ben glared at the princess causing her to quickly calm herself.
The prince turned his attention back to the pirates and kindly reassured, "It's okay. My father wanted his statue to morph from beast to man to remind us that anything is possible."
Mal admired the object unlike before. Since she had some conversations with Beast, she knew exactly how much the king believed in possibilities. At one time, he even mentioned that he wished he could be a beast again from time to time. Still, she couldn't help asking, "Does he shed much?"
A smile appeared on the prince's face, as though he remembered an inside joke. "Yeah," he agreed with a laugh in his tone, "Mom won't let him on the couch."
Mal didn't give him the same 'are you joking' look like before. Instead she had a hopeful stare to which he gave her a kind smile. Audrey briskly walked ahead of the group making the two stop their goggling. As the began to walk again, Mal turned her head to her three friends and mouthed, 'Do you think?'
They shrugged their shoulders. As Ben had proclaimed earlier, anything is possible in Auradon.
They walked into the main building of the enormous school. Audrey had the lame excuse that she couldn't finish the tour because she had cheer practice. However, the original four knew better. Last time, she stayed until they left for their dorm rooms to make sure neither girls got close to her at that time boyfriend.
After the spoiled princess left, Uma finally spoke up, quite rudely, "So when can I go to the ocean?"
"Uma. . ." Evie hissed in warning and sympathy, braking her ditsy act. "You know you can't."
"Why not?" Uma challenged the so-called princess. "I am a pirate and a sea witch. It would be cruel to not let me go."
"Actually," Ben began to prevent a dispute among the two villain groups, "I've already thought that out. You see, on some days the seven of you don't have any classes in the afternoon. You can use that time for whatever you want. The only condition is you have to tell someone where you're going, whether it's each other, me, Fairy Godmother, or even another student. Of course, there will be a tracker on your phones that each of you and I can see; no one else. It's just a precaution in case someone needs to find you."
That surprised them especially the original four, but Ben quickly explained, "I had cell phones sent to your rooms to make you feel more welcomed here in Auradon. You can decorate the case any way you want. Just try not to put anything too vulgar on it. I don't want any of you getting in trouble because of your phones."
Ben noticed a boy in a band outfit carrying a clipboard walking down the stairs. "Doug!" Ben shouted as he walked forward, not removing his arm that was still intertwined with Mal's. "Doug, come down."
Doug quickly walked down the stairs and stood next to the prince. "This is Doug," Ben announced, though the seven already knew his name. "He's going to help you with your class schedules and we will show you the rest of the dorms."
The original four shared a quick curious look. Now they knew something was up. Last time, Ben didn't go with them to the dorms. He had left to do his 'princely' duties.
Ben pretended not to notice their looks as he suggested to the 'new' person, "Why don't you introduce yourself?"
"Well, I'm Dopey's son," the band member began before he started to list off on his fingers, "as in Dopey, Doc, Bashful, Happy, Grumpy, Sleepy, and-" He abruptly stopped when he finally looked at Evie, who gave him a flirty smile. "Heigh-ho. . ."
"Evie," she introduced as did her 'walk' to him, her smile not once faltering. "Evil Queen's daughter."
Doug shook himself out of his daze like last time. It felt good to Evie that she still had the same effect on her future boyfriend. To be technical, this was the first time that they met. "Okay. So about your classes, I, uh, put in the requirements already-History of woodsmen and pirates, safety rules of the internet, and, uh," he let out an uneasy cough, "Remedial Goodness 101."
Harry scoffed at the name. "A brand new class for us villain children; who would have thought?"
"It was the only way my parents and Fairy Godmother would agree to have you come here," Ben insisted reasonably; another thing that he didn't do last time. "It's the same length as any class, and there are certain days that you don't have it."
Mal decided to interrogate the prince once again, "Why? Shouldn't you want us to learn everything about being a goody-too-shoes in the quickest time possible?"
Ben shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Something just told me that you might need a break every once in a while."
As he made that statement, Mal knew something was definitely going on now. She had told Ben a month after the coronation that she wish the four of them could take a break from Remedial Goodness every now and then because it seemed repetitive. They learn the same thing for a week straight, then on the last day they get a packet full of questions they had answered in class.
"Well, we still have ourselves a little problem," Harry muttered barely loud enough for the others to hear.
"I can't read or write." Gil blurted out, luckily after the other students in the room were out of range. "I never learned when I was a kid."
"Why not?" Doug questioned causing the other villain children to get a little antsy.
"He couldn't afford Serpent Prep," Mal answered for him causing Uma and Harry to glare at her. "And the only other school was on the other side of the Isle. Gil would have to wake up at an extremely early hour to make it for first hour."
"I can tutor you," Ben suggested helpfully, making Gil perk up at the idea. "On the afternoons that you have no classes, I can help you with your reading and writing. We'll start with the basics and go from there. In meantime, you have either an Isle children or myself in your classes to help you; we can read you the questions, you answer, and we'll write your answer down until you're able to. I'll inform your teachers-"
"No." Gil interrupted earnestly. "I don't want them to know. The teachers will baby me and the students will say that the 'villain children' are getting all the special treatment. If that were to happen, we would never be accepted."
"Then we will start your tutoring tomorrow," Ben insisted with a smile before he turned to the band member. "Doug, will you lead the way to the dorm rooms?"
Doug led the group to the girls' dorm first because it was closest. Knowing the room was at the same exact place at before, Mal and Evie didn't hide their relief. When Doug opened the door for them, they noticed the room was almost the same too. Someone moved an extra bed in there for Uma.
Uma and Evie walked in first and then the boys. Meanwhile, Mal attempted to move away from Ben because her arm was still interlocked with his. When she finally removed her arm, Ben quickly grabbed her hand and squeezed it so hard it would be impossible for her to let go. She glanced at their hands, then at his face, and couldn't help her eyes from going wide. In his eyes, Mal could see hope, desperation, and the look he didn't give her until he fell in-
"I need to talk to them for a moment alone," Ben informed Doug a little too quickly. "Head over to the boys dorm. We'll meet you there."
The 'prince' didn't wait for an answer. He practically dragged Mal into the dorm room and abruptly closed the door in Doug's face. The next moment he embraced Mal in a tight hug that she immediately returned. "I can't believe you're finally here," he muttered as he kissed the top of his beloved's head. "I've missed you so much."
"How did you get in this time?" Carlos questioned, trying to be the genius he was known for on the Isle. "Did you get here the same time as us?"
"I don't know, but I've been here for over a month," Ben answered as he finally loosened his grip on Mal, but kept one arm around her waist. "I appeared after my first meeting with the council. Within ten minutes of being here, I dumped Audrey; it might have changed a few things and I honestly didn't care. I've been planning your arrival since then. I've tried to figure out who does remember you and no one else does. I knew Dude did because he was whining by your dorm room waiting for you."
"Why bring the pirates with us?" Jay asked with an undertone of hatred. "You knew they were no good."
"I invited them to help my proclamation progress faster," Ben tried to reason the easily angered thief. "It took six months before another villain child was invited to Auradon. I thought if I started with a larger group, we'd get more children here quicker."
Mal couldn't help wondering, "What do we do about us being a couple, not in this time yet?"
"You could go on a date tonight," Evie suggested helpfully as she started to take off all of her unpleasant Isle jewelry, which was an abnormally large amount. "Just a small dinner date to say you're together. It's a simple plan that can fool anyone because you two are already absolutely in love with one another."
"I'm fine with that," Ben agreed. He kissed Mal's forehead once again. "Dinner at Tiana's Diner at seven?"
Mal smiled with a nod of her head. "Seven works for me."
The five of them were about to leave, but they finally realized the three pirates hadn't said a word. Turns out, they had fallen asleep on Uma's bed as soon as they entered the room. They seem so at peace that none of the five wanted to wake them. "They can stay here for the night," Ben recommended to Mal and Evie. "You two can stay in Harry and Gil's room just for today. I'll make sure to tell Fairy Godmother so none of you can get in trouble."
They finally left the room to not raise any suspicions with Doug and to not keep him waiting. However, Mal paused to take off her dreadful jacket; it caused so many problems for her that she didn't want happening again. She quietly closed the door behind her before entwining her arm with Ben's again.
It may be foolish, but they had hope that things would be better this time; that they would all be accepted with no problems-
Although they knew it would be near impossible.
Review for a new chapter next week.