Here we are folks! The next chapter of the story!
Just a warning, if I don't get more reviews, I'll go back to posting every other week. Reviews help to make updates come quicker because they encourage me to write more. That's how I got ahead a couple weeks ago, but I'm slowly starting to get behind again.
Keep that in mind and enjoy the chapter.
Before long, Jay, Evie, Ben, and Carlos arrived at the foot of the bridge hideout—also known as Ben's house—where they knew they would find Mal. Ben just happened to notice her brand new scooter lying on its side under the stairs. He inspected its beat-up, graffitied varnish in surprise and guilt. He had never imagined his gift would take her back to the Isle without him.
Meanwhile, Jay grabbed a rock and lobbed it at the sign. He and the others expected for the gate to glide up, but it didn't move an inch. Jay tried throwing a heavier rock harder at the sign. Nothing happened.
"She's locked us out." Ben determined with an impressed shake of his head. "She knew we were coming."
Moving to the side, he climbed the barricade that fenced in the stairs. Once he reached the top, he peered up into the darkness of the rest of the staircase that wound its way to the top. He looked over the edge to his friends.
"Wish me luck!" Ben shouted down, but instead of waiting on a response walked to his home.
"Good luck," Evie called quietly, though it was very meek and not as hopeful as she wanted it.
Watching him vanish, Jay, Evie, and Carlos leaned sat, prepared to wait however long for their king to knock some sense into their queen.
-0-0-0-
Inside the shoddy tower, Ben climbed the familiar passage way toward the sound of hissing spray paint.
He stopped on the platform, smiling faintly at the grimy, dank vibe. Ben's house hasn't changed a bit. He followed the noise down a flight of steps into his house, their hideout.
Ben gazed at the graffitied walls fondly. In the old days, he would watch Mal for hours on end as she used her artistic talents. Ben used to tease her about how she was doing exactly what Queen Rapunzel did when she was unknowingly imprisoned by Mother Gothel. Mal got all embarrassed and didn't paint on the walls for a good twenty-four hours. She finally caved after she admitted that Rapunzel's story was her favorite out of everybody's in Auradon and the Isle.
There were some portraits of him, Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos. There was one picture of Uma, but Mal had sprayed a giant red 'X' over it long ago. That was the day that Mal felt sympathetic for Uma—back when he and Mal first started dating—but then she remembered the scheme Uma pulled and took her anger out on the painting.
Ben continued to make his way further into the room, but suddenly stopped short.
There she was, his Mal, dressed in her punk Isle clothing and her hair dyed a lighter shade of purple.
She stood on an old trunk facing a portion of the ginormous wall. She worked furiously on a self-portrait of the wild purple-haired Isle version of herself tearing her way out of the ice-blond Auradon princess version of her.
Despite the negative emotions and statement behind the painting, Ben couldn't help thinking about how magnificent it was.
Ben quietly approached Mal, trying his best not to frighten her. "At least I don't see a picture of me with horns and a picture," he joked. "Then again, it would be bad if you painted something like that in my own house."
Mal whirled around, probably giving herself whiplash. Ben's breath caught in his throat. Mal looked so much more beautiful than he could ever imagine.
"Ben," she whispered in surprise, though if it was on purpose, Ben couldn't tell.
He took another step toward her, but Mal held out her hand, motioning for him to stop.
Ben obediently halted in place. "Mal, I'm so sorry about our fight," he apologized. "It was all my fault. I should have been more considerate to you." He held out his beast-head ring. "Please, come back to Auradon with me."
Mal hopped down off the trunk, hanging her head solemnly. She tossed the spray paint can into a rusty shopping cart with a clatter. "Ben," she began softly as she stopped in front of Ben, leaving some space between them. "I need a break from Auradon. It's changed me too much. I don't even know who I am anymore."
"I understand," Ben promised. "You feel as though everything has change too quickly and you want it to slow down; to catch your breath."
Mal's eyes widened. She was probably surprised by how true his statement was. "Right . . ."
"So, let me stay with you," Ben urged. "You'll be safer if I'm with you."
"Ben you can't," Mal denied half-heartedly. "You're the King of Auradon too. The people will wonder where you are. You can't drop everything for me."
"What about the Cotillion?"
Mal sighed. Apparently the last thing she wanted to talk about was Cotillion. "Can you post-pone it for a couple weeks?" She requested. "Just until I feel like myself again?"
Ben hesitated. Has she not remembered yet? "Mal, do you really not realize what tomorrow is?" He interrogated. "I get that you've been busy and overwhelmed with everything in Auradon, but surely since you're on the Isle you remember."
Mal tilted her head curiously. "Remember what?" Mal wondered. "Tomorrow is only the Cotillion."
Ben froze.
She really didn't remember their eleven-year anniversary.
He sighed in defeat. "Maybe you're right," he admitted in dismay. "Maybe a few days here will help you remember what you forgot." Ben sighed one last time. "I'm going to walk around the Isle for a bit. When you decide when you want to go back to Auradon, come find me. I won't be leaving for a couple hours."
Ben hung his head and slowly walked out of the room until he was out of sight.
Suddenly, Mal felt as shaken as her spray paint can.
She tried her hardest not to cry. Or to panic.
-0-0-0-
Outside their hideout, Carlos, Jay, and Evie stirred as they heard Ben heading down the enormous stairs.
The gate slid up, allowing Ben enough time to walk out before the gate started closing behind him. "She's not coming back today," he announced sadly. "She needs some time alone; away from Auradon."
Ben walked past his shocked friends and down the abandoned alleyway to clear his head.
Evie's mouth was agape. "What?" she exclaimed. "There's no way."
Carlos and Jay exchanged alarmed looks. Mal has a hard head, so if Ben couldn't change her mind, no one could.
"I'll take to her," Evie insisted, though she already knew it would be useless. She rushed to the gate, but it slammed shut in front of her. She was a moment too late. She hurried to the call horn instead and spoke into it.
"M? Mal?" She paused just in case Mal would say something. "C'mon M, just let us up. We want to talk. We need to talk."
Inside the hideout, Mal pulled a giant lever to lock the gate, just like she did before. Her voice sounded through the horn. "Go away, E!"
Evie, Jay, and Carlos looked at each other, at a loss. They weren't sure what they were going to do now.
Jay rested a hand on Evie's shoulder in encouragement. "Let's give her a couple of hours to cool off," he suggested. "We can go visit our parents while we wait."
Evie shook her head in denial. "There's no way I'd want my mother to know I'm here."
Carlos gazed down the alley, which fluttered with torn rags, when noticed something. "Guys!" he shouted.
Jay and Evie gathered beside him. "What?" Evie wondered.
Carlos strained his neck to look farther down the dark path. After a few moments, he asked urgently, "Where's Ben?"
Evie peered down the dim alley. "Ben?" she called out. There was no answer so she called again, "Ben?"
Suddenly a dark silhouette strolled them. The person—most likely male—had his hands in his coat pocket with his head hunkered down.
The trio sighed in relief, thinking it was their king.
"Ben!" Evie shouted in alarm. "Don't scare us like that!"
The figure stepped closer into the light, but it wasn't Ben. This man's hair was cut slightly shorter than Ben's and was much darker, but it was just as wild. The man's coat reached well past his knees with the color being a deep red.
"Don't scare you?" Harry Hook cooed almost psychotically. He grinned deviously. "But that's my specialty."
Evie glared at him. "Harry," she almost whispered.
She and Harry didn't have a good relationship, which could be said was the same for any of her friends. Evie went exploring on the other side of the Isle a week after becoming friends with Mal. Harry basically captured her and would have tortured her if Uma hadn't intervened at the right moment. Uma's crew sent Mal and Ben a ransom. Evie's safety costed the best food, any and all the money found on the shipments for two weeks, and first dibs on the shipment with goods and items.
Jay stalked toward him. "What did you do with Ben!" he demanded.
"Hmmm?" Harry pretended to act clueless before his eyes lit up. "Oh! We nicked him." He motioned to the dark alley. "Yeah, and if you ever want to see him again, have Mal"—he pointed to the hideout— "come to the chip shop tonight." He gestured to the trio with his hook. "Alone. Uma wants a little visit."
Harry smiled viciously, loving the looks of worry they each had. He landed his sights on Jay. "Aww, Jay." Harry pouted before his expression turned evil. "Seems like you've lost your touch!"
Jay lunged at him, and probably would have beaten him half to death if Evie hadn't held him back.
Harry laughed, though he had his arms up in defense. He looked at Carlos, who stared at him like he was insane. "Arf!" Harry barked, trying to scare Carlos. Everyone knew about his fear of dogs. Carlos simply stared at him some more.
Harry grinned and strolled down the alley, whistling as he went.
Jay shook his head in anger before he started to climb up the side of the wall, Evie and Carlos soon following his lead.
-0-0-0-
Inside their hideout, Mal had just been told what transpired moments before. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was agape by shock. No, she told herself. This cannot be happening. Can this get any worse?
Of course, it became worse when she felt the signs of a panic attack coming along. Her hands grew numb, her heartbeat quickened, her breathing became erratic, and she started shivering uncontrollably.
"Carlos," Mal gasped urgently, leaning on the wall to keep her balance. Her vision was getting dizzier by the second and she felt as though she could collapse at any moment.
Carlos rushed to her side while Evie and Jay were left to be shocked and angered at the scene. Carlos placed an arm around her waist to keep her steady and muttered encouraging words in her ears. After a short bit of that not working, he started humming the song inspired by his mother. That seemed to calm Mal down enough for her to start breathing properly again.
"What was that?" Jay answered rhetorically. "I thought you stopped having them."
"She never did," Carlos answered for her. "I only found out yesterday when she barged into our room. Trust me, it can get worse. Be glad we're on the Isle where she can't use magic."
Mal shoved him away only to glare at her three friends. "If you guys never had brought Ben back, this never would have happened!" She scolded angrily, half referring to her panic attack. "What were you thinking?"
"M, he was going to come with or without us." Evie insisted, trying to defend herself and the boys. "It took some convincing before he finally agreed to have us go. We wanted to protect him."
"Yeah, which we blew," Carlos added as he threw his arms up in defeat.
"Okay," Jay snapped to stop the arguing. He turned his attention to Mal and asked, "So, what are we going to do?"
"We aren't doing anything," Mal insisted, stepping down in front of her friends. "This is between Uma and me. She's a punk and now I have to go get him."
She grabbed her leather-studded backpack from the dusty old couch. She could practically feel the weight of her spell book inside. Wish I could use it here to get us out of this mess, she thought disdainfully. Dumb Auradon rules strike again.
"Wait Mal." Carlos stepped in front of her before she could leave. "If you go by yourself, you'll have to go through Harry Hook and his wharf rats, and probably Gil too."
"Exactly," Jay agreed. "You need us, M, especially after that panic attack."
Mal shook her head defiantly. "Uma said to come alone."
Evie placed her hands on her hips as she prepared to argue. "Mal, come on."
"She said to come alone," Carlos repeated, finally seeing Mal's side of things. Carlos shrugged. "I'm not going anywhere."
Jay sighed in defeat. "We'll be here when you get back," he promised. "In the meantime, try to keep your panic attacks hidden and under control."
Mal laughed at the irony. "What do you think I've been doing for the past six months?"
Cliffhanger! The next chapter is my favorite so far.