Chapter 24 Home Again
To Hadley's surprise, her and her dad that's right her dad was getting along. To be honest the beginning was awkward. Hades was guilty for abandoning his kids when they needed him the most. Hadley had a hard time trusting him. It took time but eventually they both learned to start to trust each other. It obviously wasn't easy but both parties were actually trying. Hadley was finally learning how to not set her hair on fire with the help of meditation and the lessons her dad was showing her.
It may seem that everything was going on amazing in Hadley's life, but it wasn't. yes, she was having a positive relationship with her dad, but the boat was pure chaos, Harry is going to give himself an ulcer and she missed her sister, her friends, Uma and PJ. Hadley found herself walking through the alleyways towards her loft. Maybe some R&R with a good book would fix her mood, she was absolutely exhausted from her magic lesson and needed to recharge. She found one of her old favorites and curled up by the window with her blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
Meanwhile, Ben and Jay walked through the alleys in search of their friend. "She can't be that hard to find" "you would be surprised; the Isle is bigger than you think, there are a lot of places to hide. This time stay close, we don't need a repeat of last time" After looking in her usual hangouts not including the docks they did not need to run into Harry Hook, the two made their way to the loft for a break and decided to formulate a new plan to find their friend. Finally, they reached the loft to find Hadley reading her book in the far corner of the room. "Jay? Ben? what are you doing here?" Hadley dropped the book and ran up and embraced her friends. "we're bringing you home" "why?" "because you belong in Auradon" Hadley looked toward the ground "I can't" "yes you can" "I can't leave my friends. I will not abandon them again" "this time you can talk to them" "With Uma gone I can't leave them it's not right. You don't get it" Ben stepped forward "then go talk to them and see what they say" Hadley started laughing "this is the isle not Auradon" "and conversations don't work?" "not like on the mainland" "Hadley please Mal needs you" "and the Isle needs me". Hadley grabbed her blanket and book and sat back in her spot.
Jay and Ben looked towards each other. They did not come all this way to leave their friend behind "then we will stay with you" Hadley snorted "yeah okay". "you're telling me you don't miss us or Mal or PJ" "of course I miss you guys are you insane you think this is easy being here?! Don't start that bullshit with me to guilt trip me into coming back with you" Ben and Jay were silent and staring at the bright blue flames on top of their fiends head "uhh when did you start doing that?" Hadley got up with a huff and stormed out of the room with a slammed door. She took a deep breath before heading down the stairs.
She walked absent mindedly until she found herself at her dad's layer standing in front of him. "you look like hell" "screw you" Hades raised his hands in defense "you have no idea what I've been through tonight" "whatever it is control yourself" "I can't. everyone seems to need something from or need me and I can't' please everyone I can't do this anymore" "Hadley Relax" "easy for you to say you are isolated from everyone and everything" "not you" Hadley rolled her eyes "just relax and explain before you explode" "that can happen?!" "no. maybe probably not just relax" "the first time I went to Auradon I never told my friends I was going or that I was forced to go so naturally my friends hated but I came back and now Jay and Ben have come to bring me back to Auradon and I can't just abandon the Isle again especially with Uma gone. What do I do?" "It's not up to you to please everyone and make everyone happy" "but they are all my friends I don't want to disappoint everyone" "At the end of the day you can't please everyone and you gotta do what you gotta do. If they are your true friends, they would understand"
Hadley didn't want to agree but he had a point. "go to Auradon" "what?" "go. You know first-hand the living conditions here are unlivable. Go back to Auradon and find a way to get everyone from the Isle to Auradon or make things better here. You have the power and the connection" "what if I can't" "you are my daughter I know you can" "that makes one of us" "look tell your crew and go back to your sister you too need each other" Hadley smiled and rolled her eyes "you're just dying to get rid of me again" "if you love something set it free" Hadley then did something neither one of them expected. She hugged Hades. "hate you" Hades gave a small smile "hate you too".
Hadley made her way over to the dock feeling like she was going to throw up from the anxiety and guilt. She paused and looked at Uma's ship. It felt like a century before she walked up the ramp abroad the ship. It was a quieter night, most of the crew was dicking around at Ursula's Fish and Chips. Harry and Gill were in an intense game of checkers on the aft deck. Here goes nothing. "Guys" neither boy looked up "GUYS" the boys jumped and looked up to the blue haired girl in shock "I need to talk" "so talk, Love" Hadley took a deep breath "how would feel about me leaving" "leave you just got here" Hadley gave a small smile towards Gill "what if I had the chance to go back to Auradon to advocate for us for our people and to get them off the Isle?" "I would say that you are mad" "but I have that chance now" "to what leave again. Really Hadley?" "if you think it's a bad idea then I won't go. I think our people deserve every fighting chance we have" Harry rolled his eyes "leave, love, it's what you're good at" "Harry.." "go" "I will get you off this Island I swear on my life" "I order you to get off of this boat" "Harry" "GO". Like a wounded dog Hadley started to walk towards the ramp "traitor". Hadley felt her heart shatter as she walked towards the loft. She found Jay and Ben on the metal staircase leading up to the hidden loft. "Let's go" and without another word they made their way towards the limo. Jay knew this girl long enough to know not to ask and do what she says.
The limo pulled up in front of Auradon Prep and Hadley's mood altered grew excited to see her sister and friends. Even being gone a little bit from Auradon, Hadley forgot how fresh the air was and how bright the sun was. "Hads!" "Mal!" The sisters sprinted to each other and embraced each other in a bone crushing hug that lasted awhile. The two released each other and Mal reached for the end of Hadley's ponytail "digging the hair. Did Dizzy do it?" "yeah I just needed a change". Hadley felt guilty not telling Mal about Hades but that's going to be a conversation for another time. "Come on we better talk to Fairy godmother about a class schedule" "you know I haven't missed the whole school thing" "yeah well this year we can pick our classes and we get more free time" "still gonna suck" "yeah well we'll struggle together"
Hadley found PJ in the quad at our tree. Absence mindedly strumming his guitar. "surprise" PJ looked up and locked eyes with the one person he thought he would never see again "Hadley?" "Hi" "what how?" "I'm sorry" "you're sorry? That's it? That's all you can say? You're sorry for leaving and not saying goodbye you were right behind me what happened?" "I couldn't leave. I couldn't abandon my friends again" "but you did do that you abandoned me, Evie, Carlos, Jay, Ben and your sister" "you don't get it" "I would have understood if you would have said something. Why can't you trust me?" "PJ.." With that he got up and grabbed his guitar. "Please just here me out". PJ shook his head and began to walk away. "I can explain everything just don't leave" "do you feel that that pit in your heart? That's what you put me through. You put me through hell Hadley do you get that? You can't just come back here and act like everything is okay". Hadley stayed silent "look I can forgive you, but you still need to gain my trust back" "ok" and with that PJ headed back to his dorm and Hadley sat in their spot crying silent tears. She knew she fucked up. Part of her was hoping PJ could forgive and forget but she knew she needed to prove herself to everyone.
