(Mal)
I can't believe I'm doing this.
Mal was definitely regretting everything that had occurred leading to this point of her life, the point where she was getting ready to attend a high school dance with a King. It all sounded ridiculous and amusing if she took the time to think about it, after all, the amusement started with the fact that a King was even attending a school dance in the first place. One would think he had more important things to do for his Kingdom. She despised the idea of a single person making every decision for an entire land, and she definitely possessed a burning hatred for others giving her orders; she never listened to anyone else, no matter how royal.
She sighed, scratching something off the leather covering her arm as she thought about the dance with utter disinterest. He's going to ask me to dance with him, she knew he would, after all, she figured that's where the event's name had come from; I don't dance. Ever. Though she definitely wasn't too caught up on disappointing the King she didn't wish to draw any more attention to herself. It would already be difficult enough attempting to continue her mission with everyone as interested in her as they were now, let alone the attention she would get if she mistreated Auradon's King in public another time. She groaned, I'm going to have to dance, aren't I?
Just as she moved over to drop herself onto her bed a flash of blue in her peripheral vision stole her attention, and as she shifted her gaze to look at the girl she knew she'd find she quickly found that her attention wasn't the only thing that would be stolen in that moment. Her breath hitched in her throat the second she laid eyes on Evie, the elegant dress hugging her body as if it had been made only for her to wear – which she wouldn't be surprised if it had been. The blue was just bright enough to draw people's attention, but also dark enough to stay in line with her usual color. And it complimented the tanned skin revealed by the material. When Mal noticed the skin showing around the girl's waist she found herself having to force a thick lump down her throat.
Every feeling rushing through her body and every thought bombarding her mind both terrified and confused her, and she honestly didn't know what to think in that moment. Is it even fair how abnormally fucking attractive she is? Mal didn't think it was. She had never found herself lured in by anyone before when considering everything about them, and she had certainly never been reeled toward a person simply because of their appearance, but Evie… something was different about her. It was as if she hadn't been capable of putting up a fight when Evie circled a rope around her, as if she had been ecstatic when a knot had been tied into it to ensure she stayed where the girl wanted her to. No, she shook her head, tearing her gaze from the beautiful girl; you don't get attracted to anyone, she's no different. She's just another person in the game of life. She didn't need anyone mentally or physically, and she would never let a princess, of all people, trick her into believing otherwise. I'm only thinking about her because of her beauty, nothing else.
But still, as she scolded herself for even allowing Evie to constantly invade her mind, her gaze flickered back over to the girl as if there was an unseen magnetic pull between them. Fuck, she's… no! A low growl filled her ears as she swirled the inside of her lip between her teeth in frustration. However, despite this frustration and anger, her eyes remained locked on the girl across the room as she studied herself in the mirror, fixing any flaws she saw in her outfit. With the girl distracted, Mal took the time to study her in the same way she was surveying the dress, looking for any visible flaws. Well, there is… no. Actually… no. Her… no. Her jaw clenched as her teeth locked together, frustration boiling through her because the girl seemed to possess all the beauty offered in the land.
Somehow, she knew Evie was going to turn before she did, but she still just barely ripped her gaze from the girl before she felt eyes burning through the skin on the side of her face, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that she had been caught. She felt a heat settling underneath the skin of her cheeks, and she prayed that it was simply discomfort from being watched by the girl; she wasn't stupid, though, she knew it wasn't the reason. She chanced glancing back at the girl through her peripherals, but she only found the anger inside her growing when she noted the smirk tugging the girl's lips, and how it seemed to only make her more attractive.
She snapped. "Something I can help you with?"
"No," Evie answered calmly, moving to the middle of the room to place her hands delicately on the back of one of the chairs. "But it looks like you could use some help."
"What are you talking about?" Mal questioned, making sure to keep her voice hard, void of emotion.
Evie laughed lightly, seeming amused. "Don't tell me you haven't ever been to a dance before," there was a playful hint to her voice as her lips quirked upward even more. "I would be so surprised."
Okay, Mal thought to herself as her eyes narrowed after hearing the thick sarcasm in the girl's voice; you're pushing your limit here, girl. "Would you just tell me what I'm doing wrong."
"The outfit," Evie replied, fingers drumming lightly on the chair before she pushed away from the table, beginning to make her way over to Mal. "You don't wear your everyday attire to a dance."
"Well, I'm not changing, if that's what you're suggesting," Mal stated, scanning Evie's outfit another time now that she was closer. "There's no way I'm wearing anything like what you're wearing."
"You're being too close-minded, Mal," Evie sighed as she reached her bed, sitting down beside her without seeming to think twice about it.
"Hey!" Mal shot to her feet, turning quickly so she was facing the girl. "I didn't say you could do that."
Evie quirked her eyebrow. "I apologize, but it is my room as well," she followed Mal to her feet, cautiously stepping toward her. "I just want to help you."
"I don't need your help," Mal spoke through grit teeth, shoving away the part of her mind that threatened to prove her wrong. I'm getting real tired of this connection speaking to me.
Evie opened her mouth to respond, worry evident in her eyes with perfect clarity, but a sudden knock on the door caused her to bring her lips back together as her gaze flickered toward the door. Mal, however, didn't take her eyes off of Evie. She didn't know if she could. And so, she watched the girl as she made her way over to the door and pulled it open, a smile instantly forming on her lips when she saw whoever stood on the other side of the door. Probably Carlos, Mal thought bitterly, though she wasn't entirely sure why.
"Hey, Evie," Carlos' voice floated through the room to meet Mal's ears, proving her guess correct. "You ready?"
Instead of answering, Evie glanced over her shoulder at Mal, and the latter's spine stiffened at the watchful gaze of the girl. Why are you looking at me? He's the one you're caught up in. It wasn't like she cared, but for some reason she couldn't seem to banish the thought of the two being in love from her mind. As she finally decided to meet the girl's gaze one last time she found something clenching around her chest at what she saw. There was no denying what the look present in Evie's eyes meant, but Mal still found herself searching for an alternative before even thinking about accepting the idea that Evie craved to stay with her instead of head to the dance with Carlos. What goes on inside that head of yours? She wanted to know, and she hated that.
"Go on," Mal spoke without thinking about what she was saying. "Don't leave your little prince waiting."
Something flickered through red-brown eyes, and Mal could tell there was a whole other world of things Evie wanted to say to her, but the blue-haired girl merely shook her head and exited the room, closing the door softly behind her. An unfamiliar feeling washed over her, the majority of it targeting her chest, and she had no idea what any of it meant, but she did know that her spirits lowered with the presence of the feeling; and she soon found herself wishing she could bury herself under the covers of her bed and waste the night away alone. The worst part of it was that she knew the feeling was her own.
What belonged to the connection came next, and it quickly had Mal on the ground, fingernails digging into the carpeting of the floor as the pain molted her chest, scorching it until it felt as though there was nothing left. She dreaded what was coming, well aware that every time they left each other with unresolved anger it worsened. As if summoned by her terror of it, a new intensity of pain tore through every fiber of her body, causing her arms and legs to buckle underneath the weight that now seemed like too much, placing her flat against the floor. Hands clenched, teeth broke skin, eyes shut, and a body curled until the pain subsided, and Mal quickly wrapped her arms around her shaking body, feeling utterly helpless in that moment.
Her breath came through her parted lips heavily, and her eyes burned the second she revealed them to the air in the room again, a single tear slipping from the corner and traveling down her temple to dissolve in her hairline. Once she felt she could move again she dug her fingers into the ground and pulled herself over to her bed, ripping her sheets from the bed carelessly until she found the item she was searching for. Flipping through the pages rapidly she located the spell she had enveloped herself and Evie in, and her heart stopped in her chest when she read the notes at the very bottom.
If the connection is temporarily severed by unresolved anger or frustration more than three times, then the connection will be lost. The fourth break will result in the deepest pain, and will leave no trace of the connection behind.
Mal's lips parted, but no sound came out. She slammed the book shut and curled into herself with a fear she hadn't felt in years. Their first meeting, the infirmary, and just now; they had reached their limit. The next time this happened would be the last, and the most painful by far. From the description, it was a pain no one wanted to feel, a pain that could threaten someone's health, and possibly even their life. And it sickened her that she wasn't only worried about herself, but Evie as well.
There were only two other ways to break the spell, and neither were possible. She wouldn't – she couldn't – fall in love with Evie, and she was nowhere near being strong enough to break the connection magically. It was ridiculous in her opinion, that someone could be strong enough to form the connection, but too weak to break it.
A tapping rang through the room and startled Mal, prompting her to lift her head from the bed and stare at the door. That'll be Ben, she thought, suddenly even more desperate to call everything off. But she knew she couldn't. And so she forced herself to her feet, reaching up to wipe the burning tears from her eyes before making her way to the door slowly, unsure whether or not her legs were currently strong enough to hold her for longer than a minute. She pulled the door open with a deep breath, her fingers gripping the doorknob tight enough to whiten her knuckles.
"Are you ready?" Ben asked, his smile bright even as he took in her attire.
Before he could say anything, Mal told him the truth. "It was short notice; I don't have anything else to wear."
"I think you look beautiful," Ben replied, surprising her completely. He bowed low to her – making her uncomfortable – before extending his arm. "May I?"
For some reason, Mal didn't hesitate before slipping her arm into his, and she only found herself more disappointed in herself when she realized the contact calmed her. It's only because I lost hold of reality back there, she told herself, believing it without further convincing.
The first emotion that tugged at her was disgust, but as she took a moment to properly take in the decorations she found herself snorting with light laughter instead. That got Ben's attention, but the words that came from his mouth weren't the ones she was expecting.
"It's a bit much, isn't it?" Ben questioned, absorbing everything around them as he spoke, arm still warm against Mal's. "The decoration committee never seem to think small for our dances."
"Do I know anyone on the decoration committee?" Mal asked, keeping to herself that she believed it ridiculous to have a committee dedicated to decorating the school for certain occasions.
"Maybe. Lonnie is in charge of it, I'm sure you know her, she's quite talkative," Ben used his free arm to direct her gaze toward the tall girl standing in the corner, the blonde boy Mal had had a run in with the other day by her side.
"Yeah," Mal breathed under her breath, hoping the boy wouldn't wave the couple over. "I'm aware of her."
"Evie helps out occasionally," Ben revealed as they moved further into the overly crowded room. "But she usually focuses more on her studies than anything else."
I'm not surprised, Mal thought, quickly glancing around the room to make sure the blue-haired girl was nowhere near her; she didn't see her. She sighed in relief, the last thing I need is her making my night even more complicated than it already is. And that's all the girl seemed to do, make her life more complicated.
Mal had been so caught up in her thoughts drifting to familiar territory with Evie that she hadn't registered Ben's arm sliding from hers, or the boy stopping directly in front of her. After colliding with him she stepped back a few times, clearing her throat awkwardly and keeping her gaze locked on the ground, her dirty, worn combat boots in the bottom of her vision. When the boy bowed low to her for the second time that day it only managed to make her more uncomfortable than she already was, and when his hand was offered to her she snapped her head up to meet his gaze, studying hazel.
"May I have this dance, my lady?" Ben questioned, joy sparkling in his eyes as he smiled at her.
She was lost for words with the way he had addressed her, and she knew that she more than likely looked like a complete idiot with her mouth open the slightest bit, her eyes staring at the boy bent before her. She didn't understand him. She didn't understand how he could not only be so calm with the way she often treated him, but that he could also see her as anything more than a misbehaved girl who grew up on the streets. My lady? I'm probably the furthest thing from.
But she took his hand without looking anywhere else in the room, hesitantly sliding her fingers over his hand so he could close his fingers around her smaller ones. He stood back up to his full height, and it was the first time she let herself register just how tall he was. His smile never faded as he guided her to the edge of the dance floor, clearly not wanting to be the center of attention by sneaking his way to the middle, and pulled her close to his body. And she let him guide her further, allowing one arm to be persuaded around his neck while the other ended with her hand tangled with his, her feet and body beginning to move clumsily as he eased her through a slow dance.
"Is this your first dance?" Ben asked casually, no sign of judgement in his voice.
"It's my first school, what do you think?" Mal replied, surprising herself with the lack of disgust or venom present in her words; it was just simple sarcasm.
Ben chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling at the action. "You're doing great. Most people trip over their own feet by now."
Something inside Mal warmed at his words, not because she was glad she wasn't doing terrible, but because he felt the need to reassure her that she wasn't embarrassing him. However, she knew she would never allow him to know the feeling he had coaxed from her, so she simply offered him a quiet 'thanks'.
She had no idea how long they danced, the music not registering to her, but when Ben slowed them to stop and gave her hand a little squeeze she found herself releasing a heavy breath of relief, which he seemed to hear.
"Don't like dancing?" Ben asked, beginning to make his way to the refreshment table; she followed.
"No, not really," Mal answered honestly, having figured she wouldn't enjoy the hobby before ever doing it. "It's not really my thing."
"What is your thing?" Ben questioned as he handed her a cup filled with a red liquid she had never seen before. "I don't really know anything about you, and that's why I suggested we attend this dance together, to get to know you better. So tell me something about yourself."
She played it cautious as she took a small sip from the cup; it seems okay. What wasn't okay was that Ben wanted her to tell him something about herself. She didn't like that idea one bit, but still, she searched her brain for something she could tell him without giving too much away. She even considered lying for a moment, but only a brief one.
"My middle name is Bertha," she found herself saying, and she was surprised she even remembered that bit of information; though not nearly as surprised as she was about her mother even taking the time to give her a middle name.
To no surprise, Ben laughed. "Bertha?"
"I know, it's terrible," Mal stated, regretting that she had told him despite the light laugh that managed to escape her lips.
"Mine's Florian," Ben replied without seeming to think about it.
Mal raised her head so she could look at the boy, finding that a small smile curved the corners of her mouth when their gazes met. "Florian? That's pretty bad, too. Very Kingly."
"Well," Ben laughed, his gaze averting to the ground as his cheeks seemed to change colors. "At least it's not as bad as Bertha."
The smile manipulating Mal's mouth only grew after that, and she found herself with a new respect for the boy – though she would never admit it to anyone.
"Would you excuse me for a moment?" Ben asked as he carefully placed his cup back on the table before straightening his overcoat.
Mal nodded, remaining silent as she raised the cup to her lips for a second drink, watching as the boy smiled politely and made his way through the crowd to a different door than the one they had arrived through. She didn't even have time to turn back the way she had been originally facing while conversing with Ben before someone else appeared in her vision, and she could immediately tell it wasn't a friendly approach.
"Now you're working on Ben?"
It was Jay, and he was visibly seething.
"What are you talking about?" Mal questioned, her disposition instantly shifting.
"First Evie, now Ben? Who's next?" Jay pushed on, arms crossed over his chest while his fingers clasped tightly to his shirt.
"Excuse you, but Ben asked me to this dance," Mal explained through grit teeth, suddenly furious with the idea that people thought she was using Ben; well, I am, but they shouldn't know that. "It's not like me to say no to someone so kind and handsome."
Her response – like she knew it would – only made the boy angrier than he had been when he approached, and his hands immediately dropped back to his sides and curled into fists.
"I may not be able to control anything Ben does, but I can still keep my friends safe from you," Jay practically growled, his anger attracting the people nearest them. "I'm going to warn you one last time, then I promise you our next conversation won't be any form of pleasant," there was a small pause before he continued. "Stay away from Evie."
"I think you should talk to her about staying away from me," Mal responded, eyes narrowing at the boy.
Her spine straightened defensively when Jay took a sudden step toward her, but she wasn't prepared for the boy to reach forward and grab hold of her collar.
Jay lowered his voice to a growl. "I don't think you heard me correctly. If I see you with Evie one more time, you'll regret ever coming to Auradon."
Rage flooded through her and she closed her fingers around Jay's wrist, ripping his hand from the collar of her jacket before shoving him away from her. She made to close the gap between them on her own terms, but she stopped herself just as Chad came up behind Jay and grabbed hold of him, effectively stopping the situation from escalating any further than it already had.
(Evie)
Returning from the restroom, Evie found the dance more hushed than it had been before she exited the main room, but before she could scan the room in search of what had occurred the conversation broke out as if it had never halted. When she did manage to survey the room she found nothing unusual; Jay was with Chad and Lonnie, Jane was still hiding in the corner, and Mal was standing alone by the drink station. … alone? Last time she had checked, Mal had been with Ben, the person she had come with. Evie shook her head when she found herself thinking those words with a mind full of bitterness. Locating Carlos, she made her way back over to him quickly, making sure nothing happened to her dress as she weaved through the crowd.
"What was that all about?"
Carlos turned at the sound of her voice, his bright smile greeting her like usual. However, once he registered the look present on her face his smile fell as he glanced over at Jay. "Nothing, Jay just caused a bit of a scene."
Her stomach churned at that. "What did he do?"
Carlos shook his head, but she caught his eyes flickering over the boy again in worry. "He's just being his usual self, nothing too unusual."
Realizing the boy wasn't about to tell her anything further, Evie sighed, letting the topic drop as she joined him in choosing snacks. After only about a minute, a magnetic force urged her gaze toward Mal again, and her heart sank when she found the girl still standing alone. It wasn't the first time that night she had wanted to approach the girl – in fact, it wasn't even the twentieth time – she just couldn't keep herself from watching the purple-haired girl. But still, she remained by Carlos' side, knowing that it would be incredibly disrespectful to leave him, even though they weren't attending as a couple.
She felt a nudge against her ribcage, and she looked over to find herself staring into brown, puppy-dog eyes.
"Just go over to her," Carlos spoke over the music, his gaze flickering in Mal's direction.
Evie glanced over her shoulder at the girl, then back at Carlos, deciding to act as though she had no idea who he was talking about. "I don't…"
"Don't play dumb with me, Evie," Carlos interrupted, a knowing smile quirking his mouth upward. "I know how you feel about her."
"I don't feel anything for her," Evie argued, well aware that her interest in the girl was merely physical. "I just find her beautiful."
"That's feeling something, Evie," Carlos stated as if she should already know that; and she did.
She sighed. "Are you sure it's okay?"
"Are you kidding? This is the first time you've actually shown genuine interest in someone," Carlos answered, appearing happier for her than even she was. "Go get her."
Evie didn't know what to say, so she just smiled, reaching out to pull the small boy into her arms for a tight hug before ruffling his hair and heading toward the girl in question. Though she wondered where Ben had gone she didn't linger on the thought for long, her heart racing with the idea that she'd soon be staring into those mesmerizing green eyes. She stopped her thoughts immediately after that, maybe Carlos was right about me liking her more than I think.
"Hey," Evie greeted as she stopped behind the girl.
Mal started and turned around quickly, her light-green eyes coming to rest on the red-brown of Evie's. Evie's smile widened at the eye-contact, but Mal's face dropped, the sight causing Evie's own smile to fall from her face. However, her attention was quickly stolen by the present look deeper in the green of the girl's eyes, and she realized that the girl wasn't necessarily upset because of her arrival; there was something more to her mood.
"What happened?" Evie found herself questioning before Mal could even verbally acknowledge her appearance.
Before she could tell herself it was a terrible idea, Evie reached up to gently caress Mal's cheek, and she wasn't the least bit surprised when the girl immediately pulled away from her touch. Evie wasn't stupid, she knew the girl hated it when she touched her, but she couldn't seem to stop herself most of the time.
"The enforced distance rule, that's what happened," Mal deadpanned.
It wasn't the answer she wanted, though, she wanted something believable, something that did something other than confuse her further. "What 'distance rule' are you talking about?"
"Ask Jay," Mal motioned her head in the boy's direction.
Evie parted her lips to ask her what Jay had to do with it, but she found her mouth falling closed again when her jaw clenched in frustration, the purple-haired girl having turned her back on her as if she had never been there. Ask Jay. She scanned the crowd and quickly located her friend, forcing herself to shrug off the way Mal had treated her as she pushed through several couples. When she reached him she gripped tightly onto his shoulder and spun him around forcibly, making him meet her narrowed gaze.
"What did you say to Mal?" She knew she shouldn't be this furious with him without hearing his side of the story, but everything he had ever said about Mal flowed through her mind and she knew that she was the victim of whatever had happened.
"Why are you mad at me?" Jay questioned, gaze flickering over Evie's shoulder to where she knew Mal stood nearby watching.
"What did you say to Mal?" Evie repeated in a smaller voice, still leaving enough anger present that he'd know she wasn't pleased with him.
Jay stared deep into her eyes for a moment before he shifted to face her more fully, his face hardening. "I told her that she was on her last warning."
"Her last warning for what?" Evie pushed on, not standing down like most people would with the intense stare he was currently piercing her with.
"Her last warning to stay away from you."
With the final answer, Evie snapped. A sharp pulsing that was impossible to ignore settled deep in her chest as her arm pulled back before bolting forward, her knuckles connecting with Jay's jaw harshly. The force behind her punch sent the boy sprawling into the table behind him, splashing drinks everywhere as it snapped beneath his weight. She approached before he could regain his surroundings, closing her fingers around his shirt as she crouched down to where he lay disoriented and tugged him close to her, their noses brushing together with how close she got to him.
"You don't get to make decisions like that for me."
She stated it with authority just before hands were gripping her shoulders and pulling her away from her friend, and to her feet. It wasn't much longer before Ben was standing between her and Jay as they both made another move toward each other. She could feel the necklace pulsing against her chest as it always did when it amplified her anger, but there was something different about it this time; it wasn't amplifying anything. The fury – every ounce of it – was solely hers, the necklace was instead letting her know just how close she was to losing herself in her own emotions.
"Get as mad as you want, but you know you shouldn't date someone your friends don't trust," Jay said, his hand reaching up to wipe the blood that threatened to drip from the corner of his mouth.
"And what about Audrey, huh?" Evie shouted, disgusted that he would even say such a thing given everything that's happened involving his current relationship. "Carlos doesn't trust her. I certainly don't trust her. What's the rule on that?"
"Evie, that's enough," Ben warned, glancing between the two of them. "Both of you need to leave this dance."
But Evie wasn't hearing him, and she shook off the hand that comfortingly gripped her shoulder seconds afterward. She was still watching Jay, having not finished what she was saying.
"Or does that little rule of yours not apply to you?" She continued despite the several attempts to tear her away. "Do any of your rules for Carlos and I apply to you? Tell me. Because I can't seem to figure out why you think you get to control our lives."
Jay's features changed, and the moment Evie knew she had won she shoved Ben's hand away from her and turned to leave, however, she found herself quickly pinned to the floor by glowing green eyes. Realizing that Mal had heard everything that had been exchanged, Evie pushed through the crowd, hurrying out of the building before her emotions overwhelmed her completely.