Back in their dorm room, Evie was going through her closet and drawers, organizing her desk, pretty much doing any sort of cleaning or organizing she could physically while trying to do the same to all the thoughts she was having. By the time Mal entered the room with a dramatic flourish through the door and a huge huff, Evie had reorganized the entire room and dusted. Twice.

Evie watched Mal walk in and felt her face and chest flush red with what she was assuming to be anger and jealousy. She bit her tongue though and waited while Mal took a moment for herself to change into something more comfortable, this time in the form of black leggings and a purple tee shirt. She kicked off the purple heels she had worn and settled onto her bed.

"You know what, E? Royalty is turning out to be a royal pain in the ass," she joked dryly.

Evie played along, scrolling through her phone while replying. "I'm guessing it wasn't your cup of tea?"

She was met with a projectile pillow being launched at her from across the room. "Ha ha, nice pun," Mal bantered back, eyes narrowed at her friend. She was about to launch into a play by play of her day when she noticed that Evie seemed rigid, jaw tense, and eyes glued to her phone. She felt a pit in her stomach realizing that Evie hadn't forgotten her promise she made to talk later.

"Hey, E, what's wrong?" Mal sat up on her bed and braced herself.

Finally setting her phone down, Evie looked at her friend. Mal could see that she had been crying because she had on no eye makeup, and she only removed it that early in the evening if she had something she was upset about.

Looking at her friend now, Mal thought she looked rather small, sitting underneath the canopy of her bed and reminding her of when they used to make forts out of tattered cloth they stole in their hangout on the Isle.

"A lot of things actually," Evie said after a long pause, brown eyes dropping once more to look at her hands in her lap. "I broke up with Doug. It was fine, that's not what I'm upset about. But I do have something to tell you."

She has to know.

"Mal, I think I have feelings-"

Here it comes

"…for Ben."

Wait what the fuck?

"Wait hold on, I'm sorry but I think maybe I didn't hear that right," Mal was flustered, her words coming out fast. "What did you just say?"

Evie inched to the edge of her bed to face her furious friend, guilt written in every feature on her face as she continued pleading her case, "I don't know when it happened, I just see you guys and I can feel myself getting so jealous-"

"You're really telling me that you have feelings for Ben right now."

"-but I didn't mean for this to happen you have to believe me!"

Now Mal was back on her feet, emotions welling up inside of her. Her hands were balled into fists as her nails dug into the skin of her palms. This was not the conversation she was prepared to have, and after everything that had happened this felt like the last straw. She began pacing as Evie continued, now with tears in her eyes.

"Mal how could I not? I mean he's everything I've ever dreamed of since I was a kid and then when we were on the Isle—"

Mal stopped pacing and stood to face her friend now, eyes flaring a dangerous green. "What about the Isle Evie? Hm?" she asked bitingly.

Evie looked at her friend for a moment with fear. Those eyes have never been aimed at her before and it hurt like she was struck with a poison arrow. She was not afraid of much, but this was new. Still she bit back the rising tide of fear in her and looked Mal in the eyes, regardless of if her voice wavered.

"There was…chemistry. I don't know how to explain it Mal but it was there. We were looking for you, but there was flirting and—"

"You mean you were flirting."

"Sure, Mal, whatever makes you feel better. But my point is there was something and I cannot deny that. Ask him too, go ahead, I'm sure he knows what I'm talking about."

Now that things were starting to make sense, Mal began to fire words back at Evie.

"You couldn't just be happy for me, of course!" she scoffed.

"I wanted to be, Mal! You're my best friend of course I want to be happy for you but I—I don't know this just happened and I didn't want it to! I don't want to feel like this!"

That only added more ammunition to Mal's words as she continued, her voice booming with force and getting louder as she went on.

"Of course it 'just happened,' but this isn't some fairytale case of star-crossed lovers, E. But of course I don't know what I expected from you!"

"Mal, please!"

"All you've ever wanted was a perfect prince and your 'happily ever after.' And since you couldn't have one of your own you were going to steal mine for yourself!"

"That's not it at all, just please listen to me!"

"I should have expected this. You can barely contain yourself around princes. What made me think you could resist a king?"

"M, you're my best friend, I couldn't just keep this from you!"

Mal was no longer shocked or even hurt, but she was angry. And in the moment she did what she knew how to do best, and that was to strike a blow so low she was sure to come out on top.

"I should have known better. You're just like your mother!"

The words hung in the space between them, seeming to fill up the entire room with their weight. They both fell silent, holding their breath for a moment as the realization hit the both of them.

Mal was the first to realize what she had done, the realization coming only a moment too late as the words fell off her tongue drenched in venom.

Shit, no no no I take it back that's not what I meant

Her eyes grew wide as she reached toward her friend almost as if she could catch the words before they travelled any further, but by that time it had finally registered with Evie who motioned to keep away.

Now Evie rose to her feet, standing a few inches taller than her counterpart. Her heart felt like it had been pierced and was bleeding after having the arrow being loosed from the mouth of the one person she trusted most. She had tears in her eyes, and her voice faltered as she spoke, but she did not break eye contact.

"At least I don't keep secrets from my best friend." When she received nothing in response but a blank and regretful stare, she grew angry. "I came clean. I owned up to this because you're my best friend and I didn't want to keep something from you. But I had to find out from Doug of all people that we kissed. Do you realize how humiliating that is?"

Mal couldn't reply. She was frozen and wavering back and forth between anger and her guilt, but she finally quietly managed, "I should have told you. I'm sorry."

As Mal's anger quickly died to embers, Evie's was slowly growing. She took a step forward towards her friend, and though her eyes had no otherworldly glow Mal was sure that this was what people meant when they said if looks could kill. Mal could count on one hand how many times she cried in front of another person, but after this moment she could no longer say that was true.

"I trusted you to be my best friend. I was ready to stay on the Isle with you! And you were ready to keep this from me for…how long? Were you just hoping I would never bring it up?" Her voice echoed deep throughout the room, but she paused suddenly feeling self-conscious and very small. She dropped her eyes to the floor as she continued quietly, "Mal, why? Why did I do that? And did anything else happen?"

"Oh, Evie no I swear nothing else happened. After Ben saw us I-"

"Wait Ben saw us?"

"Yeah but he's not upset, he—well, it doesn't really matter what he said because it's irrelevant. But after that I took us home. You got on the back of my mo-ped and I took us back to the room. You were…well, flirty but I just ignored it and got you to go to bed."

Evie slumped back down on her bed with her head in her hands. Mal did similarly on her own bed. Both girls sighed in unison and took a moment for themselves. Both were hurting, and both carried guilt, but more than anything they were conflicted. The only person they wanted to talk to about the hurt in their hearts was each other, but now they were the source of the pain.

Mal was chewing on her bottom lip, thinking about soft and alcohol laden pink lips from last night. But as she rubbed her hands she thought of the strong and sturdy hands of a royal, holding her own hands in their protection. She stole a glance at the blue haired mess on the opposite bed, ready to break the silence and ask for forgiveness and put it past them; she didn't want to be without Evie throughout this.

Before she could say anything, Evie spoke up. "Mal I think I just. Need some space from all of this," she said, and then more quietly, "From you. From us."

Mal hid the surprise and panic in her and replied, "I was going to say the same thing. I think we just need some space for a little. I'll um. I'll stay at Lonnie's place for a few nights."

"No, Mal, you don't have to leave, I can leave," Evie began to protest, but Mal shook her head.

"No really," she insisted, a forced smile plastered on her face. "I don't mind, it'll be fine."

Mal was already in the process of packing a few things into a bag, trying to grab what she thought she would need but tears were blurring her vision and she mostly was just hoping she could put together a semi decent outfit out of what she was blindly grabbing.

I've ruined everything, I was way too hard on her she didn't deserve that. I'm a terrible friend

"Mal? I- I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Me too, princess. Me too," she replied with a melancholy smile. As she reached the door she turned to look over her shoulder at her friend. "Evil dreams, E. I'll see you around."

As the door clicked shut, Evie curled up on her side and tried to ignore the urge building in the back of her mind. But the feeling continued to hound her until she obliged, walking almost out of her own free will to the bathroom where she stared into the bowl of the toilet and forced herself to heave. When the feeling subsided she stared herself in the mirror as she allowed the cold water to run over her hands. She rinsed her face and savored the coldness on her skin.

Evie entered the bedroom once more and laid down to sleep, but the room felt colder somehow without another body to share the space. She brushed the thought away and pulled her covers tighter around herself. But sleep did not come.

She was trying to rationalize her actions, why she kissed Mal. But thinking about it somehow made it more frustrating and confusing. She could feel herself getting worked up as tears welled in her eyes. After tossing for a few hours and repeatedly checking her phone for…well. She wasn't quite sure why she was waiting for a text from Mal but she still checked every few minutes.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore and turned her phone off. She reached into a box under her bed and pulled out some small vials of potions, hidden in a spare sock. She took a small sip of one labeled 'Sleep' and soon after found herself yawning herself into a steady slumber.

Mal took a shaky breath on the other side of the door and walked for her friend's room. She knew Jordan's half of the room was essentially a free space for anyone who needed a bed since she spent most of the time in her lamp, and Lonnie wouldn't ask too many questions if she asked to stay for a few days.

Lonnie answered her door a few moments after Mal's knocking and found a teary-eyed Mal standing in her doorway. She let her in without hesitation, helping grab her bags from her. Mal sat on the vacant bed, and Lonnie brought her a glass of water which she took gratefully.

"You don't have to talk about it unless you want to," she promised. "Stay as long as you need to."

"Thanks. I just need to stay here a few days."

I hope

Lonnie left her to herself after that, something she was incredibly thankful for. Mal remained awake most of that night, thinking about Ben. And Evie. And Ben and Evie. And Uma. And Ben and Uma. And Ben and herself. She kicked herself for not speaking up sooner, or asking to stay and talk things out. She checked her phone numerous times for a message from Evie asking her to come back, but she gave up waiting and forced herself to try and sleep.

But that night she dreamed of swaying hips, ruby red lips, and blue hair.