Chapter 11:
*Halina's POV*
After learning Mal has a date with Prince ben at the same time as my date with Thomas Rolfe, the whole dorm turns into one big beauty emergency. Mal surprisingly suggests I should wear my latest project.
The dark gray dress is slim fitted greek dress, showing off my curves with a black sash around my waist. Since the straps are showing my skin more than Mal's, Evie quickly makes a black sheer cover up that I can place on my shoulders on hold it by the elbows.
Prince Ben will be picking Mal before Thomas Rolfe comes. Evie going to do her makeup first. Honestly, she looks amazing with her purple dress and her style.
"Okay, easy on the blush," Mal says with a chuckle, stopping her. "I don't wanna scare him away. Not that I could."
"Please, my mom taught me how to apply makeup before I can talk," Evie says with a smile, applying the blush. "Always use upward strokes."
"Aphrodite taught me how to apply makeup before Megara came," I admitted, placing on my sandals.
"My mom wasn't big on makeup tips," Mal admitted. Evie put some lipstick on her. "I never had sisters."
"Well you now do," I said. "We're going to get all the family we can get if we don't pull this off."
"My mother's not a barrel of fun if she doesn't get her way," Evie reminded. "Ask Snow White."
"Are you afraid of her?" Mal asked.
"Sometimes," she says. "Are you afraid of your mom?"
"I just want her to be proud of me," Mal answers. "She gets angrily when I disappoint her….and yea she's my mom so I know that she loves me….in her own way."
I take her left hand while Evie took her right hand. We smiled to her and take her to the mirror.
With one look in the mirror, Mal giggles a little.
"We know," Evie smiles, coming over to her right.
"I look…."
"Say it," I smiled, coming over to her left.
"Not hideous."
"Not even close," Evie and I said.
Mal giggles more. We let her enjoy herself in the mirror.
Then a knock appears at the door. Mal opens the door and Prince Ben is on the other side, holding two helmets. He's stunned to see Mal.
"For the first time I understand the difference between pretty and beautiful," he smiles. Mal chuckles. "I hope you like bikes," he offers one of them to her.
She takes it and leaves with him. The look on her face screams, 'help me!'
I chuckled, closing the door with a smile.
"Now time for you," my BFFFL smiles big to me.
"Oh boy," I jokily get freaked out.
My makeup is simple like cat's eye black eyeliner with mascara. No lipstick this time because I want to go natural on my lips on this date. She brushes my long hair before putting it back into my usual high ponytail with my skull hairband. My usual jewelry are in their usual areas, but I decided to leave the potion bottle with Evie, knowing that I can trust her.
"You are the most beautiful goddess I ever seen," Evie smiles.
"And you are the Fairest of Them All," I smiled.
"Thomas will love it!"
"Umm Evie?"
"Yes Halina?"
"What if he won't like me after we get Fairy Godmother's wand?" I asked, really scared at the thought.
She looks at me, realizing our true reason here, but then she holds my hand. "If still likes you even when we do rule the world," she smiles, "then he's the one for you."
"I sure hope so," I smiled back.
I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and walk over to the door. On the other side of the door stands Thomas Rolfe, but he changed his wardrobe. His long, dark hair isn't in his usual low ponytail. Now it's out that falls down to his waist. Instead of his English attire, he's wearing his native american clothing of a long sleeved white shirt and light tanned pants. Matching shoes. Also there's a red headband around his head with two feathers behind his head.
Our eyes meet at our new appearance for the date.
"You're beautiful," he breathes with a smile.
"Thank you," I blushed, smiling softly. "You're handsome."
"Ready to go?" he asked, offering his arm.
"Yes I am," I accepted his arm.
I give Evie a silent squeally smile before completely leaving.
Thomas leads me outside where we were greeted by an old english carriage ride with two black horses. The driver is dressed in old english clothing similar to Thomas's english clothing. I am surprised to this because I always wanted to ride in one.
I give the smiling young Rolfe a smile of my own.
"My lady," he smiles more, opening the door.
I step in and sit on the right side. He joins me with me inside, but the left side.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"We are going to a very special place," Thomas answers with a smile.
"How far is it?"
"You and I will be on this ride for thirty minutes to the next surprise."
"Next surprise?"
"This carriage ride was your first surprise."
I blushed a little. My blush grew more when he holds my hands lovely. Our smiles meet.
Thirty minutes later. Thomas helps me out of the carriage and immediately I see a black gondola, similar to the ones on the River Styx back at my true home.
A gasp appears out of my mouth as the corners of my lips curl up in a huge smile.
"Every Goddess of the Underworld deserves a boat ride on a river," Thomas explains with a smile.
"Oh my gods Thomas."
"Come with me Halina."
He helps me into the boat with me in the front and he begins to row the boat. The more we went through the nature, the more the trees become thicker. It makes a gentle atmosphere of darkness. Something burst inside like I wanna sing.
"If there's one God you don't want to get steamed up. It's Hades, cause he had an evil plan," I chuckled, singing. "He ran the Underworld, but thought the dead were dull and uncouth. He was as mean as he was ruthless and that's the gospel truth. He had a plan to shake things up and that's the gospel truth."
"You have a beautiful voice Halina," Thomas says with a smile.
"Thank you," I blushed.
"You're very welcome."
Soon I see a large tree with large branches coming down in leaves and vines. Thomas takes us through the branches and vines and soon we got into the center. The river goes to the main part of the tree. He goes up first and motions me to go up a small platform looking up to the bark of the tree. Everywhere looks so beautiful in this semi large space.
"Do you like it?" Thomas asked smiling.
"I love it! It's so beautiful!" I smiled back.
On the platform has a black and white picnic basket. The platform is big enough for us to lay down.
"So tell me about yourself," he says once we got everything ready for this picnic.
We already ate most of the food already.
"Like what?"
"Anything," he chuckles.
"What about you tell me about yourself and I think I can manage," I smirked.
He smirks back. "Well I'm eighteen years old. I graduated from Auradon Prep last year, but Fairy Godmother likes my performance in History so she gave me a job as a student history teacher kind of like a teacher's aid. I follow the traditions of both sides of my families. Like I love nature, animals, I go to where the wind takes me, also I enjoy things my father taught me. Sword fighting, dancing, things like that."
"Okay umm I'm sixteen years old. Megara used to babysit me when I was younger. The Fates homeschooled me until I became a freshman for Dragon Hall. Daddy has the Titans as my godparents even though Uncle Pain and Uncle Panic wants to be my godfathers. I can see and hear dead people, and sense people's energies."
"I can sense dead people too," he mentions surprised.
"Really?" I am surprised as well.
"Yea, my people on my mother's side are very spiritual. We can sense the spiritual world of the Earth and people."
That makes me stunned a little. "So you can sense my energy?" I asked.
"Yea I do…..an old source of dark energy surrounds you deep inside from the island, but yet, you are light."
"L-Light?"
"Whatever the real reason you came here is, it will not worry me," he says, gently stroking his knuckles on my cheek.
"Even though it will….it will…." I couldn't say it, as I turn away.
"Halina," he speaks softly, making me turn to him again. "Look I can also sense the future as well. It's positive trust me."
Looking into his eyes, I can tell that he's telling the truth, but I'm still scared.
"Do you like nature and animals?" he asked.
"Oh yes ever since I was a little girl," I smiled. "I used to play with the spirits of the dead animals that comes to the Underworld."
"Meeko and Percy were my best friends when I was a young boy," he smiles.
"Really?"
"Yes."
As time goes by, the more my feelings grew for him. He treated me like a true goddess and makes me feel beautiful. No one has ever did that before.
Soon it is time to return to Auradon Prep. Once we return to the main campus, Thomas takes a white lily from the ground and offers it to me.
"You're my little lily Halina," he whispers in the darkness. "Also, these are for you," he takes the two feathers from his headband and place it in my headband. "The Swallow feather symbolizes peace and love while the Wern feather symbolizes protection," he explains.
"Peace, love, and protection?"
"There's peace between us while we feel love for each other. Even when I am not around, I can still protect you," Thomas smiles down to me.
I smiled to him, giving him a hug. His fingers pulls me up by the chin so I can meet his eyes. Slowly our faces lean into each other. Before we both can know it, our lips meet! My first kiss and it feels like fireworks everywhere while sparks are flying. We stay like this for a short while before pulling away.
"You're my goddess now and I'm your prince charming okay?" he whispers in my ear.
"Yes Thomas," I whispered back in his ear.
Then I feel him giving me a kiss on the cheek, making my blush grow more. Soon he leaves me in the darkness of nature to enjoy it.
The lily that he gave me smells so nice and my cheek and lips feel cool against the gentle of breeze. A warmth bursts inside like a flame, something I never experienced before. Moonlight from the full moon shine down on me.
I feel the corners of my lips curl up into a soft grin. I can imagine the new feathers in my ponytail and I think it's really pretty. Happiness fill up my body. Almost like….almost like….
My eyes widen, realizing what I am doing. "What's the matter with me?" I asked with a sigh. "You think a girl could learn." I begin walking across the campus towards my shared dorm with Evie and Mal. "If there's a prize for rotten judgment, I guess I've already won that. No man is worth the aggravation." I threw the lily behind me, "That's ancient history - been there done that!"
"Who'd ya think you're kiddin'?" three male spirits appear before me dressed as Gods singing with smiles. "He's the Earth and heaven to you, try to keep it hidden." I sighed, sitting on the grassy grounds. "Honey, we can see right through you." They surround me. "Girl, ya can't conceal it. We know how ya feel and who you're thinking of," one of them gently stroke one of the feathers.
"No chance! No way!" I push them away and walking off. "I won't say it, no, no."
"You swoon, you sigh," they encouraged me while following me. "Why deny it? Uh-oh."
"It's too cliche, I won't say I'm in love." My back leans against a tree and my eyes look up to the stars. "I thought my heart had learned its lesson. It feels so good when you start out," a smile curl up on my lips, then frown while looking down on the ground. "My head is screaming 'Get a grip, girl!'" I have my hands on my head, trying to shake the thoughts out. The god like spirits are mocking my actions with teasingly smiles. I turn my head ot them to glare deadly at them. "Unless you're dying to cry your heart out. Oh!"
"You keep on denying," I walk sadly towards the dorms, "who you are and how you're feeling." They keep on concurring or comforting by gently rubbing my shoulders or arms.
"Goddess, we're not buying," they sing when I speed up my walking. "We saw you hit the ceiling. Face it like a grown-up, when ya gonna own up that ya got, got, got it bad?"
"No chance! No way!" I got frustrated, pushing them away. "I won't say it, no, no!" I begin to run away.
"Give up, give in," one of them appears in front of me.
"Check the grin," another one shows me my reflection in a ghostly mirror.
"You're in love," the last one finishes.
"This scene won't play," I argued with them. "I won't say I'm in love!"
"You're doin' flips, read our lips," they appear again in front of me. "You're in love!" They grinned, making hearts everywhere.
"You're way off base!" I argued, making the hearts disappear. "I won't say it! Get off my case, I won't say it!" I sigh, sitting down on the grassy ground.
"Little goddess, don't be proud," they sing softly, floating towards me to join me on the ground. "It's ok you're in love….." the one who has the lily gives it back to me.
"Oh," I sing softly, smiling and holding the lily. "At least out loud," the image of Thomas Rolfe appears in my head. "I won't say I'm in love….." I slowly lay down on my back still smiling and thinking of him.
"Shalalalala," they sigh dreamily, laying down with me.
