Do What I Say

(Monday Morning, August 12th)

"You're getting him a ham," Aziz disbelieves.

"I'm just trying to make things easier for him," his father reasons. "He's been very well behaved. I want to reward that."

"Well behaved?" Aziz points out, "He's been ungrateful and uncompliant."

"He's been hungry," Aladdin corrects, as he places more jellied toast onto his plate. "You would be surprised of the things I've done to get a meal. Carlos is a survivalist from the Isle of the Lost, raised to believe cats are fair game."

"So, you're rewarding him for not eating our pets?" Aziz concludes.

"He's been here for three weeks," Aladdin reminds him. "We're lucky he hasn't."

"He's not as hungry as you think," Aziz crosses his arms. "Carlos has been eating everything, especially the chocolate. And you just got him a ton of lunchmeat. There's a week until the school opens. He doesn't need an entire ham."

Aladdin glances at Jasmine before facing Aziz, "I think Carlos might have a certain medical problem. I want you to take it easier on him."

"A medical problem?"

"He eats all this high calorie food," Aladdin mentions, "and he's not gaining any weight, he's craving meat, and his mood is getting worse."

"He can't stop thinking about food," Jasmine adds.

"Which means he is hungry," Aladdin disproves. "His brain fog is proof of that."

Aziz eyes between them, "What are you saying? You think he's sick?"

His father sighs, "I think he has the virus."

"The virus?" Aziz's eyes widen. "As in…"

"There's no way to know for sure without getting him tested," he backtracks, "and Carlos doesn't want to see a doctor."

"Then make him," Aziz requests. "If we have a vampire or something staying with us, we need to know."

"We wouldn't," his father dismisses. "I looked it up. Testing for a retrovirus can be time-consuming. He'd be gone by the time we got the results back."

"So, what do we do?" Aziz asks.

"Make him comfortable," his father instructs. "And stop telling him you're morally superior for restricting your meat intake."

"I never said that."

"If Carlos really has the virus," he reminds him, "then he's morally superior for keeping to an animal diet. Stop making him feel guilty for it."

"If he's survived this long, then he can take it," Aziz asserts.

"It takes a month for the average person to starve to death," his mother frowns.

"And if there's food around," Aladdin informs, "most people will eat before then."

"So, the cats?" Aziz concerns.

"Or us," he reminds him.

"But it will be a month next week," Aziz recalls.

"Close. Yes," his father confirms.

"Then he can't stay here," he concludes.

"I told him if he needed to go back to Auradon, I could take him," his father informs, "but he said he can handle another week."

Aziz takes a moment, "Maybe it's not as bad as you think."

"He said he's so hungry, he wants to die," his father counters.

Aziz stares at him, "Then why is he staying here? Carlos isn't stupid. He's really into science. He probably knows what this is."

"Maybe he doesn't want to admit it to himself," his mother suggests.

Aladdin faces Aziz, "Honestly. I think he's afraid of disappointing us."

"So, how do we get him to leave?" he questions.

"I mean, you could try talking to him." He sets a small item onto the table, "But keep this on you, please."

Aziz takes it, "Is this pepper spray?"

"Don't get too close to him right now," his father recommends. "Hunger can do a number to your head. If he is infected, it might not matter that you're his friend."

"Carlos wouldn't want to hurt me," Aziz disagrees.

"Of course, not," his father agrees. "And if he does hurt you, I'm sure he will regret it."

"We just want you to be safe," his mother explains. "Just in case."

"Yeah." Aziz stares at the spray, "I understand."

"Carlos?" Aziz smiles, "Hey. How did you sleep?"

"Not awesome." Carlos glances from his assigned room to Aziz, "What? Were you just standing out here all day, waiting for me?"

"I want to apologize for yesterday," he admits.

Carlos shakes his head, before he walks past him, "What's for breakfast?"

He follows him down the stairs, "My dad got you that ham."

"Good," Carlos sighs. "I'll try to not eat it all in one day."

"Or," Aziz suggests, "if you do eat it all today, you could go back to Auradon."

He turns around, "What?"

"It's been hard for you here," Aziz acknowledges. "I don't want you to suffer."

"You're not making any sense." Carlos turns back around and heads into the kitchen. He opens the fridge, "Where is it?"

"Pork?" Aziz thinks, "It's probably wrapped in tinfoil inside a Ziplock bag to avoid contamination."

"Contamination?" Carlos finds it and takes it out, before he opens it up and sniffs, "It smells like it's cooked."

"We're technically not supposed to touch pork," Aziz explains. "My dad probably put it in the fridge like that so that Mom wouldn't be afraid to eat the other foods."

"I'm allowed to use a knife and plate, right?" Carlos inquires, "Or does pork just never wash off?"

"You'll need to wash them yourself," Aziz compromises.

"That's right," Carlos recalls, before he finds the large knife. "You're not eating pepperoni anymore."

"I need to stay pure," Aziz confirms. "The purer I am, the closer I am to God, and the better God can help me." He watches Carlos slice the ham, "Anyway. I think it would be a good idea for you to go home."

Carlos takes a bite of the ham, "Why do you want me to go so bad?" before Aziz's eyes lower. "Is it because you like me?"

"I can see this whole vegetarian thing isn't working for you," Aziz bypasses. "It's almost been a month. If you're missing something in your diet, I don't want you to get hurt."

Carlos stares at him, "I don't get it. You were just telling me how sucky of a person I was yesterday for—"'

"I know," Aziz interrupts. "I'm sorry. You are moral, considering how you were raised."

"What kind of apology is that?" Carlos emphasizes, "How I was raised?"

"I'm just saying," Aziz excuses, "if eating meat keeps you from looking at my cats like your next dinner, then I'm okay with that."

Carlos shouts, "Get out."

Aziz gapes, "This is my palace."

Carlos strides towards him, "I said 'get out'!"

There's loud footsteps, before Aladdin comes into the kitchen, "Carlos." He eyes from him to Aziz, "What's going on here?"

"We're just talking," Aziz simplifies, and Carlos glares at him.

"Carlos?" Aladdin inquires.

He continues to pierce his eyes at Aziz, "Me? I just woke up. I'm trying to eat."

Aladdin notices the ham on the counter, "Aziz. Come with me."

After they leave the kitchen, Aziz reminds him, "You told me to talk to him."

He turns towards him, "You couldn't wait until after he ate?"

"It's important that he leaves," Aziz insists.

"I know," his father breathes, "but he could have killed you."

"I have the spray," Aziz reassures.

"And you didn't use it," his father's voice raises. Aziz falters, and he shakes his head, "Go to your room."

"He's not that dangerous," Aziz denies.

"Even your own mother wouldn't lock herself in the dungeon with her pet tiger if he weren't fed," his father disproves. "If Carlos has the virus, humans are his natural prey."

"I don't believe it," he dismisses. "Carlos would never want to hurt anyone."

"Go to your room," his father repeats. "Stay there until lunch."

When Carlos sits down, Aziz notices him makes a face, "Something wrong?"

"Just the smell," Carlos diminishes.

"I thought you'd be grabbing something from the kitchen, "Aladdin comments.

"Yeah," Carlos eyes over the table. "I'd like to make the meat last four days. I can't have any more right now." He points, "Is that peanut butter and jelly?"

"That? It is," he confirms.

"Awesome," Carlos takes two of the sandwiches. "How many?"

"Just make sure to leave four," Aladdin answers. "Take two at a time."

Aisha reaches for the plate, "I'm having one."

Aziz catches Carlos eye her wrist, "That's my little sister."

"And?" Carlos faces him. "Wait. You think I'm going to eat her, now?"

"You were looking at her wrist," he accuses.

Carlos gapes, "I zoned out. What? You never get tired?" Aziz fails to respond, and Carlos questions, "Do you make it a habit of making friends with cannibals or do you just think I'm one because I'm from the Isle?"

"Your friends eat people," Aziz asserts.

"Not really," Carlos defends. "I have a couple friends who are carnivores. Is that a problem for you?"

"Of course, not," Aziz sighs.

"Then what?" Carlos presses.

"You were right earlier," Aziz faces him, and Carlos's expression softens. "I don't want to be around you, until you get a girlfriend."

Carlos whispers, "What's that supposed to solve?"

"I need to know you only think of me as a friend," Aziz explains.

"If I dated a girl for you," Carlos comments, "all that would prove is that I care about you." He looks from Aziz to Aladdin to the sandwiches, "I'm going back to sleep." He stands from his seat, "Save me some."

After Carlos goes back up the stairs, Aziz's father gives him a look, "Is that the kind of talk I interrupted earlier?"

Aziz's eyes lower, "Not entirely like that."

His father pinches the bridge of his nose, "Help me understand why you felt the need to interrogate your friend."

"Actually," Aziz reassures, "all I said earlier was that if eating meat kept him from eyeing our cats, then I was fine with it."

"So, he's a savage, now?"

"I never said that," Aziz denies.

"If you treat an animal like a savage," his mother informs, "that's what they become."

"So," Aziz analyzes, "I shouldn't have told him that?"

"Or the other dozen things. I just… don't even know where to start." He looks at his wife, "Jasmine. Can you handle this?"

She faces Aziz, "It's unlikely that Carlos chose to get infected. Identifying him as his disease is highly insensitive, and even though it's great that he's been able to fight his instincts for those he cares about, he probably doesn't want to brag about not eating anyone or their pets when most people wouldn't even want to."

"Right." Aziz considers, "I guess I can see how someone would see that as being called a savage. I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me that." She suggests, "Tell him that."

"After he wakes up," Aziz's father reminds him. He nods, and Aladdin asks, "And what's up with you not wanting him around without a girlfriend?"

"I think I already explained that," Aziz counters.

"If Carlos wants to break the law, that's his choice," Jasmine mentions. "His life decisions shouldn't have any impact on you."

"Maybe 'choice' isn't the right word," Aladdin comments.

"God doesn't make mistakes," she asserts. "He gave freewill. Carlos chose that lifestyle."

Aladdin silences, before he suggests, "How about I talk to him outside. Aisha's too young to hear about this stuff."

"Sounds good," she agrees.

He stands and nods Aziz over to the patio, "Come on."

When his father starts to walk away, Aziz follows him past the dense curtains and onto the stone porch, "So, um."

He crosses his arms, as he leans on the railing, "Come over here." Aziz walks over, and his father mentions, "You see a lot of things on the street. You hear a lot of stories." He pauses, "And I'm not convinced Carlos's sexual habits are entirely a choice."

"You don't?"

He shakes his head, "No. I believe that someone's environment can encourage them to act a certain way, but they need the natural attraction to make that work. Maybe Carlos can find a friend who's a girl who he can make a life with… or, maybe, he can't." He faces him, "Either way, he can't make you do something you don't want to do. Homosexuality is not contagious." He brings a hand to his chest, "I knew plenty of people on the streets who got kicked out of their homes for that kind of behavior, and being around them never changed the way I felt about girls. If you're worried that his sexuality will somehow rub off on you, you don't need to."

Aziz hesitates, "I know it's not contagious."

"Then what is it?"

He places an arm on the railing and stares out at the courtyard, "I just think things would be easier if I didn't know it was a choice, if I never knew there's people who think that way."

"It's called ignorance." His father points out, "There would still be people like that out there. As a political figure, it's better that you know the truth."

"Dad," Aziz starts. "You know I've never had a crush before."

"I know," he acknowledges.

"But I care about Carlos more than anyone I've known," he admits, "and if he has a crush on me, what's stopping me from seeing where it goes?"

His father takes a minute, "Aziz. Homosexuality is against the law."

"And God's law. I know." He continues, "And I want to be good, but—"

"This isn't about being good," his father turns towards him. "God told us how to live our lives thousands of years ago. Now we have too many people and not enough resources to go around. Who's to say multiplying is the best thing for humans now." He asserts, "What I'm worried about is your safety. No one in this kingdom will want what they perceive as an unholy ruler—not to mention the extremists."

"I'm just telling you this," Aziz whispers, "so that I have someone to hold me accountable." His father settles, and he continues, "You're probably going to have to choose my wife for me. You know, when I take the throne at twenty-one."

"You've never thought about girls?" he doubts. "Not once?"

"I tried to a few times," Aziz shakes his head, "but nothing… natural."

"So, back when you were starving yourself to keep yourself from thinking about sex," he recalls, "what were you thinking about?"

Aziz stares at the ground, "Not girls."

"But you said you've never had a crush on anyone," his father ponders.

He faces him, "I don't know what a crush is supposed to feel like."

"Do you think about kissing him?" he inquires.

"I did kiss him." He shakes his head, "I don't know if I did it because I liked him or because I needed to see and I knew he wouldn't mind."

"See what?"

"If I'd like it or… I don't know," he falters.

He takes a moment, "Can you imagine your life without him in it?"

"Of course, not," Aziz dismisses. "He's like my only real friend." His father fails to speak, and he questions, "Are you going to tell Mom about this?"

"No," he frowns. "I don't want her to know until you're sure." He looks at him, "If this gets any worse, tell me."

"Okay."

"And this goes without saying," his father instructs, "but don't—"

"Get caught," he finishes.

"No. Any crime done on a regular basis is going to get you caught." He widens his eyes at him, "Don't kiss Carlos again. If you do, I'm going to have to talk your mother into letting Aisha take the throne. I won't let you end up dead."

"Agrabah is going to wonder why the male heir isn't inheriting the crown," Aziz gapes. "They might kill me, anyway." His father sighs and faces out towards the garden. "Dad?"

"Go," he softly speaks, "and do what I say."