Level-Headed

(Saturday Night, July 21st)

"All I have is a backpack," Carlos comments. "You don't need to help me unpack."

"Even I had more than a backpack worth of items when I was on the street," Aladdin frowns. "If you're missing anything important, I'd like to help."

"I have clothes. I have a toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant," he lists. "What else do I really need?"

"Shampoo," Aziz answers.

Carlos silences, and Aladdin nods to the bag, "Come on. Let's see what you have."

Carlos sighs, "Okay." before he unzips the bag.

"Lay it on the bed," he instructs.

Carlos drops the red, black, and white leather-fur jacket, before he opens the bag and pulls out his other clothes. There's four t-shirts, a long-sleeved red shirt with thumb holes, two leather capris, three different colored jeans, and a black and silver vest. Aziz picks up one of the two t-shirts of the weird thin and stretchy material, "What is this? Some kind of spandex?"

"Eh," Carlos thinks. "I don't remember. I got that a long time ago."

"Not very dessert appropriate," Aladdin points out. "We might have to go shopping."

"Shopping?" Carlos asks.

Aladdin looks into the bag, pulling out the necessities previously mentioned, before his eyebrows raise, and he lifts the red lighter up to him, "You smoke?"

Carlos eyes from the lighter to him, "No."

When Carlos fails to explain, Aziz informs, "It's a toy."

"A toy," he repeats. "You mean, like a…" They keep quiet, and Aladdin thinks, "Okay. This is what we're going to do." He faces Carlos, "If you want it, you have to ask for it."

"What?" his jaw drops, and Aziz snickers.

Carlos glances at Aziz before furrowing his eyebrows at Aladdin, "What's next? You going to ask to watch?" He doesn't say anything, and Carlos's eyes widen, "Oh. Hell, no."

He questions, "Do you strangle yourself?"

"No."

"You're not just saying that?" he concerns.

"It turns out I like to breathe," Carlos irritably answers.

"Then supervision shouldn't be necessary," Aladdin supplies, before he holds up the lighter again. "But I'm keeping this."

He lets out a breath, "Why can't I keep it?"

"If you're hurting yourself, I need to know how often it's happening."

"I'm not self-harming," Carlos's voice raises. "I'm just—" He sighs, tearing up, "It feels good. Why does that have to be a bad thing?"

Aladdin calmly answers, "It's not bad. It's just adult. You've had to grow up early—and it's not your fault—but you're not ready to be doing the things you've been doing." His eyes shift, "Not without guidance." The tears fall to Carlos's face, and he quickly wipes them away. Aladdin places a hand onto his shoulder, "You're still injured. You probably won't even feel like having the lighter, but when you do feel like you need it, I will have it for you. Okay?"

Carlos nods, "Okay."

"You must be exhausted," he notices. "I'll cook dinner, and after you can sleep."

Carlos nods again, "Alright."

Evie watches Jay snack on the cookies with a book in his hands, "You're reading?"

"Yeah," Jay smiles. "Adam hooked me up with this sweet one on Pre-Auradon history. There's all this stuff about like broken promises, war, and the death penalty."

"Of course," Evie sighs, leaning on the counter. "The death penalty."

"And there's so many different stories," he continues. "The royal families told their point of views, and they put every single side in here."

"Is any part of it true?" she speculates.

He furrows his brows, "It's what they thought. It's what made them do the things they did. It doesn't matter if it was true or not."

Evie takes out the witch's glass, "Mirror, mirror, proud and fair, what thinks you this affair?"

The mirror writes, "I think you have an extra syllable."

"I tried," she complains. "Just tell him it's stupid."

"It's not stupid," he writes back.

"But it's all lies," she disproves.

"No, it's not," he counters. "It's all true."

"How can it all be true if it's full of opinions?"

He takes a minute, "You should steal one of his cookies."

Evie rolls her eyes, puts the mirror back into her pocket, and Jay questions, "S'up?"

She grins, shaking her head, "Nothing."

"Eh. Excuse me," a voice comes from the archway.

Jay sees the girl with long, blond hair, "Ruby."

She steps forward, "I heard what happened."

Evie steps aside, "I'll give you some privacy." before Ruby steps further into the kitchen and Evie exits into the hall.

Ruby sits across from Jay, "So, you tried to kill the king?"

He frowns, shutting the book, "I had my reasons."

"He hurt Mal. And Carlos." She reaches for his hand, "Jay. I believe you."

"You do?" he doubts.

"I'm Audrey's best friend," she informs. "He hurt her too. I saw him threaten her."

Jay looks from their hands to her, "I don't get what you're trying to do here."

She glances down before meeting his dark eyes, "I'm trying to get you to stay here in Auradon with me. If you try to kill the king again, that's treason. You will get sent back."

"Don't worry." He offers an annoyed look, "I already told everyone I wouldn't kill Ben, so long as he doesn't mess up."

"You really think he won't?" she doubts. "He's a literal beast. He can growl."

Jay frowns at her, "I think his parents want to keep him alive." before he picks up another cookie. "They'll make him behave. The next time Ben messes up, I'm sure his father will beat him for it."

Ruby faces him, "You think that maybe that kind of thing is why Ben's so messed up?"

He widens his eyes, "You think that maybe I don't care?"

She takes his hand tighter, "Jay. Just tell me you will try your best not to kill Ben. Please. For me?"

"No offense," Jay's eyes widen, "but if anyone is going to keep me here, it's Mal."

Ruby lets go of him and huffs, "Why her? Why can't you stay for me?"

He gives a look, "I knew her for years, Ruby. Mal kept me alive on the Isle. Without her, my father would have killed me a long time ago. I'm sorry, but she's a lot more important to me than some girl I just met."

"If she's so important to you," Ruby shouts, "then why don't you make her your girlfriend?"

"Because, she's my sister," he yells back, and her expression falls. "God. You know, I really prefer my blonds to be smart. I was told you were supposed to be."

"I'm sorry." She shakes her head, "I didn't know."

"We don't look alike," Jay calms. "We're not blood-related, so we don't tell people that we're siblings. But our parents did hook up, and we did grow up together."

She nods, "I understand."

Jay glances down, "Mal's the reason why I've never killed anyone." before he meets her blue eyes. "She keeps me level-headed. I don't know what I would do without her."

"If she's not around, you could come to me," she suggests.

He eyes over her, "How are you going to help me?"

"Well," she thinks, "how does Mal do it?"

"She reasons me out of it."

Ruby smiles, "I think I can do that."

His frown deepens, "Uh, and Ruby. Even the people I care about, I get the feeling that what makes me to care about them might be different than other people."

She takes his hand again, "I know. And I'm okay with it."

"Wait." He hesitates, "You knew?"

"You told me you loved me on our first date," she cringes.

"I thought I was supposed to."

She shakes her head, "No." as her voice quiets. "But pulling out my chair, giving me chocolate, and kissing me goodnight, I can tell you're trying. And that's more than some guys are willing to do."

"Ruby." He reminds himself, "I do like you."

She leans on the counter, "What do you like about me?"

He cracks a smile, "You're still willing to be with me?"

She laughs, "What else?"

"I like smart blonds," he informs.

"So, I'm smart now?" Ruby inquires.

He grins, "If you kiss me, you'll be extra smart."

She leans forward, they kiss, and she whispers, "If you're smart, you'll tell me which girl you've been cheating on me with."

"Which girl?" he questions.

"Tell me now," she says, "and no one gets hurt."

He laughs, "What makes you think I've been with another girl?"

"You haven't mentioned sex in weeks." She insists, "So, who is it?"

"Ruby," he takes her other hand, "you're the only girl I've been with since I got here."

She frowns, "No, I'm not."

He widens his eyes, "You are."

She looks over him, "I'm going to feel really stupid if I'm not."

"I promise you are." Jay moves in to kiss her, "But whenever you're ready for sex, I'm totally down for it."

She playfully pushes him, "I told you. A year. I have to date you for a year, first."