Author's note: Hey guys ! Welcome back ! We are still the night of the coronation ball but the festivities are over for some of our characters. Especially for Uma... who we left in a bad situation.

But why did Audrey leave the ball so soon ?

Enjoy !

Chapter 16 - A tendency to ruin things

At first, Audrey's plan was a success. She was dancing with Ben, having the time of her life. The boy had dismissed Evie and her concerns. He was convinced that Mal had abandoned him. And he was grateful to have her with him. He smiled to her jokes, he let her hold his arm - he even complimented her on her dress.

But as songs and hours were passing by, he was becoming colder and closed off. His smile disappeared, he stopped talking and often forgot to listen to her, lost in his thoughts. At some point, he stepped away from her, refusing another dance, and claimed he needed space. Audrey's smile stiffened.

"Space ?" she said in high pitched voice "From what ? We're having fun."

Ben sighed and gave her a sad look.

"To be honest, I thought tonight would be more fun…"

"What do you mean ?" she said harshly

"You know what I mean."

This time, the girl's smile totally disappeared. She was having fun. In fact, she hadn't had this much fun in a very long time. And naively, she had thought that Ben was feeling the same way. They had spend the night dancing, reminiscing their childhood memories, laughing with each other. And he thought that wasn't fun enough ? She wasn't fun enough ?

"I'm gonna go get some fresh air" he said.

But Audrey was not finished.

"What ?" she scoffed "You're gonna go look for Mal ? You know what? You're pathetic Ben."

"Sorry ?" he said, like he had misheard her

And once again, she did not bite her tongue.

"Pathetic" she repeated "Mal left you, on the day of your coronation and you're gonna go look for her ? When are you going to stop acting like her little dog ?!"

Ben looked surprise for a second, before he frowned and answered with the same tone:

"And when are you going to stop being such a bitch !"

He regretted his words as soon as he said them. His eyes opened wipe like even he was surprised of what just came out of his mouth. Audrey's face turned red and tears floated her eyes. But she did not cry. She would not give him that satisfaction. Around them, people started whispering. Ben blushed. He opened his lips to apologize but already Audrey was shouting - drawing even more attention to them:

"I'm the bitch ? Right ! Because I'm the one who says I need "space" when you're just trying to dance with me, cheer me up and be there for me and…"

"And it was fun!" he interrupted her "For ten minutes ! But now I want to be alone. Can I please have that ? Why do you always have to want too much?"

His words hit her like an uppercut. It was not the first time he made her such a reproach. Already, she remembering the time - right before he left her for Mal - when they used to argue every single day, remembering all the hurtful things they had screamed at each other's faces. A time she was trying her best to forget. Tears she was trying to hold back rolled down on her cheeks, and she knew she had lost the argument. There was nothing she could answer to that. So, she turned away and left in direction of her room; crying. In her head, she was cursing Ben for being so mean to her; but she also cursing herself, for the tendency she had of always ruining things right when they started going good.

That's why, when Audrey returned to her room and saw a black girl with blue box braids going through her stuff - she was not in the mood to be nice.

"You bitch" she said while she shut the door behind her "What are you doing here?"

But when the girl turned around, Audrey recognized her instantly. Uma. Daughter of Ursula. Criminal on the loose for eight months. Ex-leader of the biggest gang of the Isle of the Lost. Sorceress and dangerous sword fighter. But most importantly, a girl that Audrey cordially hated for how she had tried to use Ben and take advantage of him.

They both stared at each other - equally surprised to found themselves face to face. But then, Uma caught Audrey glancing over at the dying rose under its glass protection, and said:

"So it was you… You're the one who cursed the Beast. Who would have thought a perfect girl little like you would turn out to be a villain?"

"I'm not a villain !" hissed Audrey

Uma smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah right. So tell me, why'd you do it ?"

"It was an accident."

"What you did to Mal was also an accident?"

Audrey's heart missed a beat. Her palms were getting sweaty, panic was slowly reaching her. She was cornered. If people found out she had the rose and the spellbook, it would the end for her. Everyone would think she had cursed the King on purpose. Ben would hate her.

"I don't know you what you're talking about."

Audrey's voice had came out weak and shaky. Uma laughed, amused. It was so obvious that the other girl was scared of her. This would be too easy. But Audrey yelled:

"Don't move ! Don't fucking move or I'll call the guards and you'll be sent right back to your dirty Island."

Uma frowned. If she was intimidating with her psychotic laughs and her "quirky" maniers - when she stopped smiling, she was simply terrifying. But Audrey did not flinch.

"Right, call the guards. So they can see for themselves that you have been hiding the rose in your room all this time."

Audrey stiffened. And so Uma smiled again.

"Actually, you'll even do me a favor" she added "Cause that's why I'm here. I'm gonna tell everybody what you've been doing."

"They'll never believe you" hissed Audrey "You're a VK."

Uma nodded, as if Audrey had just said something really smart.

"Right, I'm VK... Just like the future queen. I'm sure that if I bring him the person who almost killed his father, Ben is going to forgive me like he forgave Mal and the others. He'll even give a medal or something."

The black girl marked a pause before continuing.

"But you… He'll never forgive you. You stabbed him in the back. If Ben hears what you've done, he will hate you. Forever."

Audrey was shaking. Uma knew exactly what to say to scare her. She was petrified, convinced it was end for her. Soon, everyone would know what she had done. She would be banished, dishonored. Ben would hate her. Audrey's heart was aching, and her left hand was itching. But Uma was still talking.

"People will see you for the villain you are. You'll be locked up in the Isle of the Lost; and I will be free."

"No" Audrey thought to herself.

She would not let that happen. She would do what she had to do. She didn't have any choice. She could not turn back time, so she had to cover up her actions. She would do what was necessary so that Ben would never see her like that. Uma was not going to tell anybody what she discovered because she would not even get the opportunity to do so.

Slowly, passing a hand behind her back, Audrey turned the key two times in the door's lock. And then - with dark and breathy voice that did not even sound like hers - she said:

"Fine. You want to me to be a villain ? Then, I'll be a villain."