SUMMARY: Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Freddie, Uma, Harry, and Gil are sent to detention as punishment for their recent misdeeds. When they're supposed to be thinking about their wrongdoings, they spend their time getting on each other's nerves. Will they learn to get along or will the classroom be turned into a battlefield?
Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.
I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: DragonEmperor999, Mustang52, xez2003, ceara1888, BevieAndHevie4Life, Quartz Rider, josephinea, Guest, Avery, CarvieCamfia
To Avery: About Gil, yes, Harry and Uma do genuinely care for him. It's just not easy trying to tolerate his stupidity, but they treat him like a brother. As for the secondary charactetrs, I try my best to include them whenever I can, but it's not easy when I'm trying to focus on the main plots.
To CarvieCamfia: If you don't like Bevie, that's okay with me. But like I said before, I'm catering to all fans.
In the classroom where Remedial Goodness 101 takes place, there sat Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Freddie, Uma, Harry, and Gil. Written on the chalkboard is the word "Detention," meaning that the reason for the VKs' presence in the classroom is punishment.
"So... anybody care to share why they're here?" Jay asked, feeling bored waiting for Fairy God Mother.
"I broke the art teacher's vase," said Gil.
"I messed with Lonnie's presentation at music class," said Freddie.
"Pin's test paper is ripped to shreds by moi," said Harry, holding up his hook.
"I punched Chad in the face," said Evie. "Let's just say he said very unpleasant things about my dress."
"I threw a waterball at Audrey during class," said Uma. "She thought she could get away with insulting me."
"I cursed at Doug," said Carlos. "Don't ask me what I said."
"I stole Aziz's wallet," said Jay. "He owed me money."
Mal chuckled in response, amused by her fellow VKs' bad actions.
"And what about you, Mal? What did you do?" asked Jay.
"I punched Chad in the face," Mal answered.
"Which came two seconds after Fairy God Mother gave me detention, which came ten seconds after I punched Chad," Evie added.
"Wait, so you got detention on purpose?" Jay questioned Mal.
Mal nodded.
"Why?" Uma asked.
"Homework's a bore, so I wanted to do something fun," said Mal.
"And detention's fun?" asked Gil.
"Give it fifteen to thirty minutes. You'll see," said Mal.
Fairy God Mother enters the room with papers in her hand. She gives one to each VK before stepping in front of the board. She picks up a small plastic box and walks towards the desks.
"No phones allowed during detention," she said.
After all the VKs had surrendered their phones and placed them in the box, Fairy God Mother picks up her stick and points at the word "Detention" on the board.
"Now, who can tell me what detention means?" asked Fairy God Mother.
"It's where the naughty spend hours in a classroom thinking about the misdeeds that got them there in the first place, and try to come out a better person," Mal said bluntly.
"Well, I... okay," Fairy God Mother replied, surprised by Mal's nonchalant response.
"Are we having a test or some sort?" Evie asked, looking down at the blank piece of paper in front of her.
"No, you're going to be writing apology letters," said Fairy God Mother.
"What?!" Everyone, except Mal, reacted with shock.
"You need to apologize to the people you wronged," said Fairy God Mother. "And since I know being sincere is difficult for you, I thought maybe you should exercise your sincerity here. The apology letters are just for me, but it is to see if you can be sincere with your apologies. Trust me when I say, I know the difference between a sincere apology and an effort to fool me into thinking you're being sincere. So, I suggest you to express your true feelings on the paper if you are planning to apologize to the person you wronged. It must come from your heart, not your mind."
"And what happens if we don't want to write an apology?" asked Uma.
"Then you get extra detention," Fairy God Mother. "Now, I'm gonna go and attend to my duties. I'll be back in three hours. You better be finished by the time I get back."
Fairy God Mother leaves the classroom. The VKs are left staring at their papers, wondering what to do next.
"Still think this is fun, Mal?" Evie asked.
"Oh, it will be," said Mal.
Twenty-three minutes later...
The classroom was in a frenzy. Jay and Gil were exchanging harsh words and punches. Uma and Freddie are threatening each other with magic. Evie was harassing Harry with her make-up. Carlos sat on his chair, burying his face in his crossed arms, clearly irritated by the fighting. Mal, on the other hand, was drinking strawberry cider and filming the whole thing.
"What can I say? We VKs always have a reason to fight, no matter how ridiculous," she narrated. "Except for Snowball over there. Poor guy. He doesn't know this but I saw what he did to Doug. Might I say he said some colorful words to Dopey Jr. And AKs think I'm a foul mouth."
While Mal enjoys herself, the rest continue to fight.
"Touch me again and you're gonna get a broken jaw," Jay threatened Gil.
"Hey, all I said is that your apology sounded rude, which is what Fairy God Mother told us not to be," said Gil.
"And yours is any better? You're taking honesty to a ridiculous new level," Jay said, shoving Gil. "Just when I thought you couldn't get any stupider."
Angered by the insult, Gil punches Jay, who punches him back.
Uma's necklace was beginning to shine as Freddie's hands twinkled with dark sparkles, meaning that the yelling between them is about to replaced with magic.
"... you stuck up, dirt-diving..."
"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Uma interrupted.
"Fine," said Freddie, putting both hands in the air. "How about we try it this way?"
Freddie snaps her fingers and, suddenly, Uma's ties come down and her hair drags her down to the floor, all because her hair is spelled on. Freddie laughs. Uma retaliates by magically pushing Freddie back, sending her crashing towards a desk.
Evie had just finished messing with Harry's face.
"There you go, Harry. Now you can join the circus," Evie mocked, showing Harry what he looks like through her Magic Mirror.
"You witch!" Harry insulted as he looked in horror at his appearance in the mirror.
He looked like a clown.
Mal was laughing, enjoying herself. This was the reason why she randomly punched Chad in the face. With her friends and enemies gathered in one room, chaos was bound to occur, and she wanted to be present to witness it. However, there was one sight that was dampening her joy. Carlos. He looks like he was about to burst. Deciding that enough is enough, Mal stands up and attempts to stop all the fighting.
She grabs the teacher's pointer and throws it out the window like a spear. As soon as the sound of glass shattering was heard, everyone stopped fighting.
"Okay, now that I have your full attention, I'd like to ask all of you to, how do I put this delicately... Knock it off!" Mal shouted.
No one spoke a word or did anything, afraid of evoking Mal's wrath.
"Good," said Mal.
Carlos lifts his head from the table and removes his hands from his ears as soon the room was quiet.
"Now, for Snowball's sake, just finish your apology letters," said Mal.
"I thought you were having fun watching us," said Uma.
"True, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna choose entertainment over Carlos' well-being," said Mal.
"Awww, does the little puppy need Mal to change his diapers too?" Harry teased.
Carlos' nerves tensed.
"The boy's big enough to take care of his own, unless, of course, Mal here is his personal babysitter," Uma teased.
Carlos' fingers curled into fists as his nerves tensed further.
"Ooh! Ooh! I've got something good," Gil said as he spoke to Carlos' ear. "Does baby Carlos need Mal to fetch his sucky thing?"
Evie replies. "Uh, Gil, it's actually called..."
Evie was cut off when, unexpectedly, Carlos grabs Gil by the collar and pushes him towards a wall. This sudden action surprised everyone.
"Pacifier," Evie finished as she put on a shocked expression on her face.
"Just shut up, Gil!" Carlos growled.
"Whoa, easy. I was just messin' with you," Gil said nervously.
Carlos slams Gil to the wall again in anger.
"And I thought that was your thing," Jay said to Mal.
Mal puts a hand on Jay's chest, which caused Jay to feel nervous and scared instantly. Having made her point clear, Mal moves on to more important matters.
"Carlos!" She called.
Mal puts her hand on Carlos' shoulder and looks at him in the eye. Carlos was still breathing in and out heavily due to his anger, but at first sight of Mal's emerald green eyes, he started to calm down. He slowly lets go of Gil as he controlled his breathing. Gil sneaks away while the two friends stare at one another.
"You always pull me out of my rage. I guess it's time I did the same for you," Mal said with a smile.
Carlos' lips curved into a small smile.
"Well, that's cute. The dragon soothes the puppy instead of eating him,"
"Well, I am in the mood for calamari right now," Mal joked. "Come to think of it, I've been aching to transform since we last fought."
Mal and Uma were about to go at each other, until Carlos stepped in the middle, literally.
"Okay, there's no need for two out-of-control rage machines in here... well, three if you count Uma," said Carlos. "We're here to think about our wrongdoings, not fight amongst ourselves. Isn't that what you were trying to tell us earlier?"
"You're right. How silly of me," Mal said, trying to diminish her anger with sweetness.
"I can never understand you these days, Mal," said Jay, still confused by how post-death Mal behaves.
"And none of you ever will," Mal said with that signature smirk of hers.
And so, the VKs started writing their apology letters. Mal, however, was doing something else. She was doodling on her paper, sketching random stuff like her symbol, Long Live Evil in stylish letters, and an insulting drawing of Uma. Evie was not pleased, but she left Mal alone, remembering that each of the students have to write their apology letters on their own.
"E, don't judge me," said Mal, having noticed Evie glancing at her paper.
"I'm trying not to," said Evie.
"Fairy God Mother said we have to write what we feel. Well, I'm writing what I feel right now," said Mal.
"But it's not an apology," said Evie.
"Hey, Chad deserved it and you know it," said Mal. "Believe it or not, I was actually gonna punch him again when Fairy God Mother got to you two first. I was gonna do it either way. No one messes with my girl."
"Awww," Evie reacted, touched.
"Ugh! Just hug already, you two," said Uma in disgust, rolling her eyes.
"We're not quite there yet, Uma," said Evie.
"Really? Because lately, you two have been acting like BFFs," said Jay. "I thought you'd be past the hugging phase already."
"Or does the princess still despise you, Mal?" Harry guessed. "I can't blame her if she does. You have a way of getting under the nerves of everyone around you."
"Watch your tongue, Harry," Evie warned him. "You don't want me to mess up that pretty face again, do you?"
"Here we go again," Mal mumbled.
"You get anywhere near Harry and I'll make you see what it's like to have your hair smelling terrible 24/7," Uma threatened Evie.
"For once, can't you all shut up?" Mal mumbled again.
Gil started teasing his "Uma and Harry sitting in a tree K.I.S.S.I..."
Harry interrupts Gil by smacking him off his chair.
"N.G.," Freddie finished the song for Gil.
"You want to start again, Freddie?" Uma threatened, glaring at her seatmate.
"Oh, bring it on, sea witch," Freddie replied.
Mal retreats into her cider-filled thermos while the rest of them argue. While the fighting entertains her, it annoys her that they've returned to the fighting after just fifteen minutes of silence.
"Can we just finish our apology letters and be done with it?" Carlos asked everyone, exasperated by the arguing.
"Or what? You'll go all feral dog on us?" Uma questioned him mockingly.
"I am simply asking you to finish your apology letter," said Carlos.
"I'm already finished," said Uma, slamming her pencil to the table.
"So have I," said Harry.
"Me too," Gil said as he sat back down on his chair.
"Me three," said Freddie.
"Me four," said Jay.
"Me five," said Evie.
"I was finished five minutes ago," said Carlos.
"Now what?" asked Uma. "We still have one and a half hours in this lousy room. Did Fairy God Mother really expect us to take three hours to write an apology?"
"I think Fairy God Mother expected us to use detention as the opportunity to work out our feelings," said Evie.
"Already doing that," said Mal, taking another sip of her cider.
"Must you indulge yourself in such unhealthy actions to deal with your emotions?" Evie questioned Mal.
"Be glad I'm staying away from the adult version," said Mal.
Mal kept on drinking until the thermos was empty. She pouted as she stared at the empty drinking container.
"Well, no problem," Mal said as she nonchalantly threw away the thermos. "I got more in my room."
Mal stands up, but Evie quickly grabs her arm before she could walk out.
"Fairy God Mother will be furious if she finds out you snuck out of detention," said Evie.
"Then she should've locked the door from the outside," said Mal. "Anybody wanna accompany me?"
"If it means more detention... pass!" Uma replied.
"I'll go," Jay volunteered. "I'm aching for some sneaking around anyway."
"Then let's go, Street Snake," said Mal.
Mal and Jay left the classroom and sneaked through the hallways, trying to avoid being caught by anyone. Using bushy plants as hiding spots, they managed to sneak their way to the staircase leading to their dorms. Just as they were about to get out of from behind the plants, they heard voices coming their way. They came from Ben, who was accompanied by Eleanor.
"... if I compromise, the Dwarfs will be angered by my final statement," said Ben.
"My mother always said compromise can be the best course of action for many situations," said Eleanor.
"Based on everything you've told me about your mother, she sounds like someone who dedicated her life to correcting the wrong," said Ben.
"You can say it was her official job," said Eleanor.
When Ben and Eleanor were finally out of sight, Mal and Jay proceed to the stairs. However, as soon as they made it to the top, they were made. Lonnie was there.
"Um, hey, guys," she greeted them.
"Hey, baby," Jay greeted her flirtatiously, attempting to get out of this predicament.
"Aren't you supposed to be in detention?" Lonnie asked, refusing to succumb to Jay's charms.
"Yeah, we are," said Mal. "And we're gonna head back there in a minute. We just need to get something."
"I should report you to Fairy God Mother," said Lonnie.
Lonnie was about to walk down the stairs, until she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Turning her head slightly around, she sees Mal with a threatening look on her face.
"Lonnie, if you turn us in, I swear to Mom, I will..."
"Whoa, Queen Evil. There's no need to threaten my girlfrie... I mean, friend," said Jay, stopping Mal from finishing her threat.
Lonnie giggled silently, knowing what Jay was thinking.
"Let me handle this," Jay said to Mal.
Jay turns to Lonnie and tries to persuade her to let them go.
"Look, Lonnie, I know we're not supposed to break the rules, but it's our nature," he said. "Besides, we're not doing anything wrong, well, other than sneaking out of detention. We're just going to get a little something that will help us and our fellow villain kids... bond..."
Lonnie raised an eyebrow, not believing him.
"If you promise not to tell on us, you get to pick what we do for our next date," Jay proposed, talking quickly.
"Deal," said Lonnie.
"Good," said Mal. "Now scram, Lonnie."
Lonnie quickly kisses Jay on the cheek before walking away. She turns around one more time just to wink, telling them that she's keeping her promise.
"I think we're rubbing off on her," said Mal.
"Wanting to be on the R.O.A.R. team despite being a girl, definitely," Jay agreed. "I think we're gettin' somewhere."
"Okay, how about we get our drinks instead of talking about mushy stuff?" Mal replied, seeking to escape the conversation about love.
Mal and Jay returned to the classroom with a bottle of strawberry cider and shot glasses. Everyone grabs one as Mal uses Harry's hook to open the bottle. She begins pouring everyone and herself a glass. The shots keep on coming, and pretty soon everyone started to feel the effects. The VKs started smiling and laughing for no reason as they cheered randomly and acted friendly around each other. It felt like a shindig back on the Isle of the Lost.
"Now it's a party!" Mal exclaimed as she chugged down another glassful of cider.
"Hey, princess. Another round over here," Uma called.
Mal pours Uma another glass. The young sea witch wasted no time gulping down every drop.
"Woo!" Uma cheered, feeling excited.
"You said it, roomie," said Freddie, leaning on her roommate's shoulder.
"Awww, that's cute. You two are like sister," said Evie.
"We're not sisters!" Uma and Freddie replied simultaneously.
"Jinx! You owe me a root beer!"
"Jinx! You owe me another one!"
Uma and Freddie started giggling, amused by their banter.
"Oh, this feels like the nights at The Lost Revenge," Harry reminisced as he put his arm around Gil, feeling energized by the sweet and sour liquid.
"I remember. Gil was so lightheaded, he fell overboard," Uma laughed at the memory.
"I'd pay money to see that again," said Jay.
"Well, choo bad we're not on a prilate shibz," said Gil, sounding wobbly. "I miss sailing."
"You and me both, pal," said Harry.
Evie had just drank another glass of cider and winced a bit from the bitterness, but immediately smiled after the drink kicked in.
"I never thought I'd enjoy this," said Evie.
"Told you it'd be fun," said Mal.
Mal pours another glass for Evie. The two clink their glasses before drinking at the same time.
"Hey, Carlos!" Mal called. "Are you sure you don't want any?"
The only person who was not drinking was Carlos. While everyone was busy getting intoxicated, he was writing down chemical equations on the chalkboard.
"No, thank you," he said. "Besides, that stuff isn't healthy for your brain."
"Oh, c'mon, Snowball. Don't be such a buzzkill," said Mal.
Mal walks towards Carlos with a shot glass full of cider for him. Carlos stepped back, but she stepped forward.
"Mal, please, just no," Carlos pleaded.
"Well, maybe you'd prefer a different kind of pleasure," Mal said flirtatiously.
Wearing a lustful look on her face, Mal takes another step forward and leans closer towards Carlos. Her lips inch closer to his, only for Carlos to lean backwards, feeling uncomfortable by the closeness. Mal aimlessly leans forward while Carlos keeps leaning back, only for the two to end up falling down.
"Ouch," Jay reacted.
Mal had landed right on top of Carlos, looking at him face-to-face. Carlos was blushing, still feeling uncomfortable about the closeness, while Mal was giggling, overjoyed by the closeness.
"Puppy love. Cute," Uma reacted.
"That would be weird," said Jay. "They're basically siblings."
Evie walks towards her way towards Mal and Carlos, almost losing balance on the way, and helps Mal off of Carlos.
"E, you're ruining my fun," Mal pouted.
"Well, I have to agree with Jay. It would be really, really weird if this escalated," said Evie.
"Well, maybe next time," Mal said, winking at Carlos.
Carlos shakes his head, hoping he was dreaming. He wasn't. Mal was still looking at him with the same lust gleaming in her eyes. Evie quickly pulls Mal away from Carlos.
"You can still change your mind about the drink," said Mal, holding up a glass.
Carlos remains silent as he turns around to continue solving his equations.
One hour later, the VKs were all passed out from the drinking and partying. The chairs and desks were scattered all over the classroom.
Jay was lying down on top of his desk. Mal and Evie passed out on their seats, unknowingly leaning on each other. Uma, Freddie, Harry, and Gil were lying on the floor. Gil had a chair covering his face like the roof of a house. Carlos, meanwhile, has covered every square inch of all three chalkboards with chemical equations, all which are solved.
After wiping his hands (and gloves) clean, he started cleaning the classroom, all the while making sure he doesn't wake up his sleeping classmates.
He readjusts the chairs and desk, but he left Mal and Evie alone. He picks up Harry's hook and puts it back on Harry's hand. He finds Mal's jacket lying on the floor and puts around Mal like a blanket. As he did, he found himself staring at his purple-haired "friend." He didn't know why. He just did. He moves a few strands of her hair off her face as he smiles.
As he stares, he thinks about how his feelings for Mal have changed lately. She's so desperate to get close to him, yet he still distances himself from her. The way she acts around him, she seemed like an entirely different person. Since her "death," she's been colder than usual, unusually impassive, and gleefully malevolent like the old days. But around him, she's vulnerable, expressive, and strangely affectionate.
Even if she was feeling tipsy from the cider, she had tried to kiss him. Why? Is it the cider, or was it something more?
After gently rubbing her soft purple locks, he returns to his seat. As soon as he turned around, Mal opened her eyes. She couldn't help but blush when she felt him put her jacket around her and when he ran his hand through her hair. The smirk on her face is a sign that she liked it. She then closes her eyes, not wanting the white-haired tech prodigy to know she was awake.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ WAYS TO BE WICKED ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Soon enough, everyone started waking up, only with headaches. Jay fell off the desk when rolled over. Harry impulsively punches Gil in the face when he tried to wake him up. Uma and Freddie accidentally bumped heads when they woke up at the same time. Evie wakes up, but Mal ends up falling onto her lap when she raised her head. After feelings the bump, Mal wakes up.
"Rise and shine," Carlos joked.
"What? Is it morning?" asked Uma, sounding grumpy.
"No, we still have seventy-five minutes until the end of detention," said Carlos.
"Oh, my head hurts," said Jay, holding his aching head. "And it's not just because I fell."
"Welcome to my world," said Mal.
"How do you deal with this all the time?" Evie asked.
"Trust me. The more you do it, the easier it gets," said Mal.
"I've had worse headaches back on the Isle," said Harry.
"Yeah, well my head hurts inside and out," Freddie complained.
"Feeling's mutual," said Uma. "I can't believe I was nice to you."
"Feeling's mutual," Freddie replied.
"But that's a good thing," said Evie. "You're roommates. Even if you two will always hate each other, the least you can do is try to get alone."
"Evie's right," Carlos agreed. "Detention is more than just punishment for our bad deeds. It's an opportunity for us to reflect on ourselves and our past mistakes, and try to be better, like Mal said."
"So, what? You want us to talk about our feelings?" asked Uma.
"It's the least we can do," said Carlos.
"Ooh! I have an idea," said Gil, raising his hand. "There's this game I heard that helps people get close. Two truths and a lie."
"I've heard of that game. Never tried it, though," said Mal.
"Well, let's try it now. I'll go first," said Gil. "Number one, my name is Gil. Number two, my father is Gaston. And number three, I'm stupid."
"Gee, I wonder which is the lie," Freddie said sarcastically.
"If the game was three truths and zero lies, then you followed the rules to the letter, mate," Harry said to Gil.
"Hey!" Gil reacted, offended. "Never mind. Who wants to go next?"
Evie raises her hand. "Okay, so, um... One, I love video games. Two, I dyed my hair red once. And three, I had my first kiss on the Isle."
"Pfft! Yeah, right," Jay scoffed.
Evie rolls her eyes at Jay's response.
"Okay, I'll take a crack at this," said Freddie. "One, I enjoy making clay figurines. Two, CJ and I stole my dad's hat and he couldn't find it for six months. Three, I love Tourney."
"This is stupid," said Uma.
"But it's fun," said Gil. "Harry, your turn."
"A'right," said Harry. "One, I once threw a pirate party at the Jolly Rogers while my father slept. Two, the scar on my back was from Harriet. Three, I kissed Uma."
"Okay, now that is a lie," Uma said, blushing due to embarrassment.
"C'mon, Uma. Give it a go," said Gil.
"One, I hate being here. Two, I hate being roomies with Freddie. Three, I want to be good," Uma said quickly, expressing how much she detests this game.
"Awww, I'm offended," said Freddie sarcastically.
"Okay, Jay, your turn," said Gil.
"Enough already!" Uma yelled.
Ignoring Uma, Jay takes his turn. "One, I did a double back-flip off a roof. Two, I dated Harriet Hook when I was 14. Three, I beat Fairy Fantasy XIV in one night."
"I'm sensing a pattern here," Mal mumbled.
Uma buries her head in her hands, unable to tolerate the continuing of the game.
"I think we should play a new game," Carlos suggested, afraid of pushing Uma further.
"No more games!" Uma yelled.
"What is it with you, Shrimpy?" Mal questioned her. "We're stuck here until 7. You might as well make use of the time."
"I'd rather be taking over this kingdom than bond," said Uma.
"Oh, and what is your master plan this time, Uma? Are you gonna destroy the castle with your tentacles? Are you gonna sink all of Auradon into the ocean?" Mal asked sarcastically.
"If I did have a plan, I wouldn't tell you," said Uma.
"Would you tell me?" asked Gil.
Harry smacked Gil behind his head. Gil was confused as to why, while Harry is simply telling him to shut up.
"Look, I know Gil can be really annoying with his... how should I say... less than average brain capacity, but do you have to be so rude to him all the time?" asked Evie.
"I'm being affectionate, not rude," said Harry.
"Even by Isle of the Lost standards, it's still rude," said Evie.
"Evie, having Gil in your life is like having an annoying little brother you have a hard time relying on," said Uma.
"Uh..." Gil didn't whether to feel confused or offended.
"But Harry and I still treat him as our brother," said Uma. "Not Ginny, though."
"I think she's just playing hard to get," said Gil, staring at his own muscles.
Everyone groaned.
"But that's a good thing, Uma," said Evie. "You're not all bad. You have compassion."
"I am destined to lead the villain kids. I consider their needs as well as my own," said Uma.
"Well, you don't lead them. I do," said Mal.
Uma growled, trying to resist the urge to start a fight.
"At least I'm doing what's right and reasonable," said Mal. "All you do is shout, We ride with the tide!"
Evie, Jay, Carlos, Freddie, and Gil all laughed at Mal's impression of Uma. Uma and Harry were, on the other hand, unamused.
"If I had a coin for every time you insult me..." Uma muttered.
"You'd be as rich as the Sultan of Agrabah," Mal finished the sentence for her. "Look, Shrim... Uma, I get that chances you will turn over a new leaf are slim to none, but even if, would it kill you to show some maturity?"
"Says the girl who betrayed her friends and became evil and tried to kill them all," Uma retorted.
"You have no goddamn idea what my intentions were, Uma," Mal snarled.
"What? Were you just gonna scare them to death?" Uma mocked.
Mal's eyes were starting to glow, meaning she was losing her temper. Uma's smirk means she was counting on it. Just when it seemed like a fight was about to go down, Carlos grabs hold of Mal's hand. All of a sudden, Mal's eyes stopped glowing as she calmed down.
"Saved by the dragon shepherd," Jay commented.
"Is that my new nickname?" Carlos asked sarcastically.
"Well, who else can keep Mal in line?" Jay pointed out.
"No one keeps me in line," Mal said as frees her hand from Carlos'. "My will is my own."
"Nothing wrong with friends want to be there for you," said Carlos.
"So, you're saying we're friends again?" Mal asked, twitching her eyebrow and smirking at Carlos.
Carlos blushed, but remained silent.
"Since there's gonna be no fight, let's continue," said Evie. "Harry, would you like share something with us?"
Harry lowers his head as he ponders over his next words.
"When CJ was three, she would have nightmares of crocodiles every night. I offered to let her sleep in my room so she wouldn't be alone," he said. "That was the first of few times she and I looked after one another. Then the war started and I got closer to her. I was proud to be her brother. I was proud to have her as my sister. When she died, my heart ached, like it was breaking. It is a feeling that haunts me every night."
"Harry, I did what I had to do," Mal said, trying to justify the reasons behind her hand in CJ's death.
"That does not change the fact that you left her to die," Harry said with slight anger.
"I am sorry, Harry," Mal apologized. "I may be proud of what I have done, but a part of me feels the guilt of depriving someone of a loved one."
"Lie," Harry growled.
"No, it's the truth," Mal said honestly. "Harry, when CJ was patching up the wound I gave you, I saw how close you two were. No siblings on the Isle has ever treated each other with such compassion."
"And yet, you still killed her," Harry reminded.
"Yes, I did," said Mal. "But I knew when I did it that I was gonna feel guilt and regret. I did what I had to do. End of story."
Uma puts a hand on Harry's shoulder in a comforting manner. She wanted to remind him that he can always turn to her when he's feeling down.
"What about you Freddie?" asked Evie.
"Before Auradon, I only had CJ to hang out with," said Freddie. "Sure, she was bossy and egotistical, but she respected me and I respected her. Then I came here to Auradon and realized that the people here actually make friends out of compassion and loyalty instead of respect. I abandoned her and I didn't feel an ounce of guilt about it. I thought that without CJ in my life, I could be free with the people who actually care about me. Then she... and I felt..."
"It's okay to miss her, CJ," said Evie.
"I mean, clearly you must've missed the good ol' days with her," said Jay.
"I hate it that I do," said Freddie. "But... even now I still wish I could've... saved her, believe it or not. I know she had a few loose screws, but..." She stopped, not wishing to talk any further.
Evie holds Freddie's hand in a comforting manner, telling her that it's okay to express her feelings.
"Jay?" Mal called. "Any feelings you want to share?"
"Well, apart from Lonnie, I don't really know what else is there to share," said Jay. "I mean, I'm happy here. Great school. Great friends. Great teams I'm honored to be part of. A not-yet girlfriend who, I hope, will be my girlfriend one day. Maybe I do still steal..." Jay laughed a little, amused by the play-on-words. "But I only do it for sport. I can't break the habit, but I still do it because it's fun. Living in Auradon has really messed with me... but in a good way. And I'm proud of it. Do I miss the good ol' days? Maybe. But I'm happy here."
"See, Jay? Doesn't it feel good to get it off your chest?" Evie asked.
"I guess so," Jay admitted.
"Doug and I are on break," Evie said, taking her turn to express her thoughts. "Those incriminating photos on Friday the 13th have him thinking that I'm not being faithful to him. He's wrong, but... in the fourteen days we've been keeping our distance, I've had a lot of time think. Maybe my heart is telling me that there's something else I need, and I can't find it with Doug. Maybe now is the time I use this break as an opportunity to find out what I really want."
"Touching," Freddie commented.
"Carlos?" Evie called.
Carlos shakes his head to say no. He didn't want to share anything because he didn't want to. Being the understanding person she is, Evie agrees to leave him alone.
"I'm getting a tingly feeling in my chest," said Gil. "What is it?"
"It's called connection," said Evie.
"Meaning?" asked Gil.
"I mean, look at us. Eight villain kids talking about their feelings," said Mal. "I guess it's helping us feel connected, and not just because we were born in the same place. It's because we're beginning to understand each other and all that. I guess we don't really know each other as well as we thought. We know each other's names, personalities, and special skills, but we never really knew how we think and how we feel."
"Look at you, talking about feelings and understanding," said Evie, impressed by Mal's insinuation.
"Well, like I said before, death has changed by view on life," Mal reminded her.
"Are we just gonna talk about your death like it's no big deal?" asked Freddie.
"Well, I'm alive, aren't I? So, yeah," Mal replied.
"What does it feel like? Dying, I mean," Uma asked.
"That's a pretty sensitive question," said Evie.
"One that I'll answer anyway," said Mal. "Dying is, well... it feels the same as being taken away from everyone and everything you've ever known and love, only with the knowledge that it's permanent. It strikes fear into your heart, knowing that there's nothing you can do to save yourself, knowing that you're about to go somewhere where your loved ones can't follow you."
"So, you were pretty scared that day?" asked Uma.
"Uma, fear of death is the one thing we can never deny," said Mal. "Fearing death makes us stronger. When I fought CJ on the Sea of Storms, even if she couldn't see it on my face, I was afraid. I was facing a tough opponent on an old ship, which was heading into a maelstrom. I was terrified. But that's okay. It was because of that fear that helped me keep my feet on the ground."
"Was she?" asked Harry. "CJ. Was she terrified?"
"Harry, you betrayed her, made her think you cared more about Uma than her. She was too angry to be scared," said Mal.
Harry could feel the guilt in him grow. He had always wondered if CJ would have lived if he didn't betray her. The thought haunts him every night. Uma had to get closer, even if it seemed too mushy. She puts one arm around Harry and leans on his shoulder in an effort to comfort him more. Harry holds her hand, meaning he appreciates this gesture.
Silence filled the room, for reasons no one could know. Everyone just exchanged looks without saying a word.
Suddenly, Jay started chuckling for no reason. Evie then started giggling, followed by Mal and Freddie. Harry and Gil looked at one another before joining in on the meaningless laughing. Uma tried to hold it in, but she couldn't keep quiet any longer and started laughing. Carlos soon joined in on the laughter. Nobody knew why this was happening, but they didn't care. They just laughed and laughed and never stopped.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ WAYS TO BE WICKED ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
As soon as the laughter stopped, everyone was in a better mood. Evie, Freddie, and Uma are chatting like girls who are best friends. Jay, Harry, and Gil are using pointer sticks as swords to spar. Mal was looking out the window, thinking about how detention has, sort of, strengthened the relationship between all the VKs present in the room.
It seems like yesterday they, except for Freddie, were fighting on The Lost Revenge. Oh, how times have changed. Well, maybe their relationship hasn't changed much, but it's a progress.
"I know how you feel."
Mal turns around and sees Carlos approaching her. He stands next to her to stare at the beautiful evening sky.
"Who would've thought detention could be such a huge bonding exercise?" He said.
"Except you didn't share your feelings," said Mal. "Don't worry. I know why."
"Well, I'm willing to share them with you," said Carlos.
"I'm listening," said Mal.
"You're changing me," said Carlos. "You're doing more than just helping me rebuild my courage, repair my sanity, and fix my relationships with everyone. You're helping me see the world in a new, different way."
"And that's a good thing?" Mal asked.
"It is," said Carlos. "Beneath the sunshine and rainbows, the world can be cruel, but we shouldn't let that cruelty sink us into the darkness. We have to embrace both sides of the world, much like you embrace both sides of the coin. Good and bad."
"Well, I guess we can chalk this up as another benefit of death," said Mal.
"How can you be so casual saying that?" asked Carlos.
"Uh, standing right here in front of you," Mal replied.
The two teenagers casually laugh. Once again, they didn't care if it was for no reason.
"I never thought I'd say this, but... I'm glad you're back," said Carlos.
"You're glad to have the one who caused your trauma back in your life?" Mal questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't care," said Carlos. "Maybe I needed this. After the war, I think we all need to be reborn."
Mal smiles, happy to hear him say these words. He's growing, and that's a good thing. Better than a working progress, she thought. Carlos had to smile back, because the way she was staring at him was making him feel strange. The good kind of strange, though. She was still concerned by his sudden short temper and violent tendencies, but she brushed these thoughts aside and focused on enjoying this moment.
"Two truths, one lie," said Mal, deciding it was her turn. "One, I tried on Evie's version of Snow White's dress and talked to animals all day long. Two, I taught a little girl how to manipulate her parents into raising her allowance. Three..." Mal leans forward and stares at Carlos amorously. "I had my first crush on the Isle."
Carlos leans back a little, feeling both uneasy and befuddled. Mal's smile remained, meaning she was enjoying his response.
"Your turn," she said.
"Okay, um..." Carlos stops to think. "One, I love to sew, make clothes and stuff. Two, the first time I had too much cider, I jumped off a roof and fell into a tub full of mashed apples. Three... I once helped Jay booby-trap your room."
Mal raised an eyebrow in response. She remembered a prank that Jay pulled on her two years ago, one involving a catapult and a rotten apple pie. She doesn't know whether or not Carlos was telling the truth. On one hand, the strings and pulleys that were set to activate the catapult were too convoluted for Jay to put up. On the other, Carlos would never help Jay, even if he threatened him because of the scar she marked on his shoulder.
The best thing she can do is pretend that she's hiding her rage behind a smile.
The clock strikes 7, which means detention is over. The VKs immediately leave the classroom, still smiling and laughing. Evie and Freddie share a hug. Jay and Gil try their new secret handshake. Uma and Harry hold on to each other as they stare at one another's eyes.
Carlos kisses Mal on the cheek, which shocks the purple-haired sorceress. This was the first time he made the first move. Could Mal's pursuit of his heart be closing to a successful end? The smile on his face and the sparkle in his eye are giving her a positive answer to that question.
The VKs then walk off in pairs, according to who their roommates with, still wearing big smiles on their faces. Detention has surely lifted their spirits, in a way.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ WAYS TO BE WICKED ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
A few minutes later, Fair God Mother enters the classroom to see that not only is the classroom surprisingly clean but also that no one is present. She takes a look at the apology letters that the villain kids have written. More or less, she was impressed... by their sincerity. Evie and Carlos' apologies seemed the nicest out of all. Jay, Freddie, Uma, and Harry wrote down sarcastic apologies and sincere insults, although she still appreciated that they chose not to lie. Gil's apology, however, sounded like nonsense, as he talked about whales and turtles and trees for some reason.
She found another letter. It was a latter for her.
"Dear Fairy God Mother,
We want to say thank you for giving us this opportunity. We thought detention was gonna be a nightmare, but it turned out to be pretty fun. Sure, we started off annoying each other to the point where it almost got physical. Fortunately, after a relaxing drink, we started to see why you sent us here. You wanted us to help each other, and we did. Well, in a way. We can't promise you that we'll be better in the future. The least we can do is try to learn from this experience.
Sincerely,
An artist. A fashion designer. A thief. A puppy lover. A voodoo magician. A sea witch. A pirate. A muscle head."
Okay, so this chapter didn't close with Mal writing in her diary, but the letter was written with words from her thoughts. So, in a way, it still ends the same way as every chapter in this story. And in case you notice a similarity, this chapter was inspired by an episode of a teen sitcom. It was so good that I had to try it out.
What do you think?