Chapter 3
No one had mentioned the crazy old man who lived a few blocks from the school who made it his personal duty to get all of Auradon up bright and early. Admiral Boom they called him. He lived on Cherry Tree Lane and still had his old navy cannon strapped to his roof. At eight o'clock sharp he lit that thing off shaking all his neighbors' homes and the school. Only a loud 'posts everyone!' shout from one of the students alerted them of the time. For Drac and the others they had no idea what it meant, and growing up on the Isle slept right through the shouts and rushing outside their doors.
Once the boom went off and the room shook slightly Carlos shrieked as he fell out of bed. Jay sat up surprised and asked if Uma and Harry Hook were attacking. Diaval cawed but kept his feet clenched to the headboard which made his lower half sway as the rocking stopped. Drac rolled over burying his head under his pillow hoping that would make the noise go away so he could go back to sleep. But shortly after things calmed down the clock tower went off, and it just kept bong, bong, bonging. Between it and Diaval cawing at the bell it didn't take long before Drac gave up on getting more sleep and got up to get ready for class.
He combed his green hair and put some gel in it, though that didn't keep a few strands from falling across his forehead. He put on a pair of black jeans with tears that showed bright lime green underneath before putting on a dark purple and green acid washed long sleeved shirt before throwing on his boots and plum leather gloves. He opened the window so Diaval could get in and out when he wanted before Drac met the others in the hall. As they headed to class he could tell Mal was still angry about last night.
"I can't believe we almost had it." She said.
"Should we try again tonight?" Jay asked eager to prove he could steal the thing if given one more chance.
"No that'd be too obvious." Mal said.
"Yeah." Drac agreed shoving his hands in his pockets again, "We almost got caught once, even if we got away with or without the thing it wouldn't take long before someone would figure out, 'hey there's suddenly been a lot of break ins in a land of all heroes, gee wonder who's doing it? Oh yeah – those villain kids!'"
Jay rolled his eyes and shook his head but said nothing. He knew Drac had a point. They were lucky they hadn't already been tossed back onto the Isle. Where they'd no doubt face the wrath of their parents for blundering everything up so quickly.
"Good morning!" Fairy Godmother welcomed as she walked into the classroom after they'd all taken a seat. She passed their desks and approached the blackboard, "Now today I've prepared some scenarios, let's get started shall we?" she said with a bright smile. Why was everything in Auradon so bright? It made his eyes hurt.
Drac started to zone out as soon as Fairy Godmother read off her scenarios. He noticed Mal had opened up her notebook and started sketching the wand. It made him miss their collection of spray cans at home and wondered what he'd have to do to get his hands on a couple here.
"If you see someone being bullied do you, A: join in? B: get an adult? C: walk away? Or D: laugh?"
Jay looked confused. Carlos looked nervous. And Evie was busy twirling her hair. After a beat of silence Mal looked up, saw her crew and rolled her eyes. Lazily she raised her hand in the air.
"Mal." Fairy Godmother called on her with a bigger smile.
"B: get an adult."
"Very good. Number two. You come across a lost wallet while walking, do you, A: bring it to the lost and found? B: spend the money? C: turn it in but take a twenty? Or D: leave it?"
Drac looked down at the desk and started scratching his nail over it trying to carve 'Long Live Evil'. Carlos raised his hand and Fairy Godmother called on him.
"Turn it in but take a twenty?" he asked. "I mean, there is usually a reward for that of stuff right?"
Fairy Godmother shifted her weight back and forth, "Sometimes. But is there maybe one more. . . better solution?"
Mal lifted her hand again, "A: bring it to lost and found. Without taking any money out."
"Wonderful." Fairy Godmother applauded before moving on. "If someone hands you a crying baby, do you, A: curse it? B: lock it in a tower? C: give it a bottle? Or D: carve out its heart?"
Evie raised her hand eagerly and Fairy Godmother called on her.
"Evie."
"What was the second one?"
"Oh, okay." Fairy Godmother said not wanting to flat out call Evie's answer wrong. When no one else raised their hand Fairy Godmother called on Mal.
"Mal?"
She glanced up looking bored. "C: give it a bottle."
"Correct, again." Fairy Godmother said smiling.
"You are on fire girl." Carlos commented.
"Just pick the one that doesn't sound like any fun." Mal shrugged going back to her drawing.
"Oh, that makes so much sense." Evie said. Then Drac heard a small shriek and turned to see a girl entering the classroom. She looked scared out of her mind as she approached Fairy Godmother. She quickly walked past them with wide eyes that never dared to look up.
"Hello dear one." Fairy Godmother greeted her.
"Hi. You need to sign off on early dismissal for the coronation." She said handing Fairy Godmother a clipboard.
"Everyone here remembers my daughter, Jane?"
"Mom, no!" Jane whispered horrified that they now knew her name.
"It's okay. Jane this is everyone." She introduced handing the clipboard back.
"Hi." Jane said still obviously terrified, even more so when none of them said hi back, "That's okay, don't mind me, as you were." She squealed again as she walked by them.
"Let's continue." Fairy Godmother said calling attention to the 'lesson' again.
"You find a vial of poison, do you, A: put it in the king's wine? B: paint it on an apple? Or C: turn it over to the proper authorities?"
This time Jay, Carlos and Evie all raised their hands wanting to answer the question. To better his chances Jay pulled Carlos's hand out of the air.
"Jay." Fairy Godmother called him.
"C: you turn it over to the proper authorities."
"I was gonna say that!" Carlos protested.
"But I said it first!"
The ensuing fight made Fairy Godmother tap on her podium to re-gain their attention, "Boys! I am going to encourage you to use that energy on the tourney field."
"Oh, no, that's okay. Whatever that is, we'll pass." Carlos said as Jay got off of him. Drac rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, shrinking in his seat hoping he wouldn't get roped into Tourney with the other boys. Whatever that was.
- - LONG LIVE EVIL - -
After Remedial Goodness 101 while Jay and Carlos went down to the Tourney field like Fairy Godmother had suggested Drac went to explore the rest of the school. Most of the students were having a free period while the boys were at tourney practice and the girls were at cheer. Of course there were the students like Doug and Jane who hadn't made it into the 'it' crew and looked like they opted to mostly study at the picnic tables under the shade of the trees around the school. It was perfect for Drac since it left the school pretty much empty as he looked around sticking his nose where it probably shouldn't be.
He found several empty classrooms and nothing too special. The bio room had tables lined with beakers and Bunsen burners. History of Woodsmen and Pirates had maps on the walls of oceans and forests dotted with the trade routes that had been used years ago. When he found the art room he was able to steal some paint for Mal, but it was the music room that really caught his eye. He walked inside finding instruments of all kinds left out around the room. Why lock them up, who would steal them? He thought knowing no Auradon kid would sink that low. He looked around the room seeing if there was anything more interesting than sheet music lying around when he came to a keyboard set up by the far wall. He never learned how to play, on the Isle if a skill didn't have something to do with survival you didn't bother to learn it. He knew one girl on the Isle who knew how to play, her father had a similar instrument in their home but Drac had never asked her to teach him.
He let his finger touch one key and listened to the note it played echo through the empty room. He hit a few more messing around and listening to the different sounds they made before he began hitting them in a tune that popped into his head. He started humming and soon enough the humming turned into actual lyrics.
"Everybody see my sunny, everybody see my shine but they don't know my story, they don't know what's on my mind. I carry on like a prince man, but man I've got 'em fooled, cuz underneath my business I am cold, I'm hard, I'm cruel. Never gonna put a spell on me, never ever gonna bring me back. Never gonna make me be something I'm not because I'm evil. Tell the people, I'm evil. Open your eyes I'm all a disguise.
Everybody in my circle, think I'm gonna be their friend. But I've got bad intentions and I'm gonna have 'em again. So why should I stop my dissin? Or soften up my heart? Tell me what good is living if you can't be who you are? Never gonna put a spell on me, never ever gonna bring me back. Never gonna make me be something I'm not because I'm evil. Tell the people, I'm evil. Open your eyes I'm all a disguise.
I'm evil, tell the people, oh, I'm evil. Open your eyes I'm all a disguise. I'm gonna find some trouble, trouble, I'm gonna make some trouble. I'm gonna find some trouble.
I'm gonna find some trouble, trouble, I'm gonna make some trouble. I'm gonna find some trouble.
Never gonna put a spell on me, never ever gonna bring me back, never gonna make me be something I'm not, because I'm evil, tell the people aye, I'm evil. Open your eyes I'm all a disguise. I'm evil tell the people, hey, I'm evil. So evil. Open your eyes I'm all a disguise.
I'm gonna find some trouble, trouble, I'm gonna make some trouble. I'm gonna find some trouble. Find that trouble! Whoo! I'm gonna find some trouble, trouble, I'm gonna make some trouble. Ohhhh, noooo."
He smirked down at the keyboard when he'd finished jamming and thought he could really get used to this thing. He ran his fingers along the keys again, but not hard enough to make any sound. He wished he knew how to play for real, not just messing around. Then he snapped out of it and remembered he wouldn't be in Auradon long enough for all that. He was here for one thing, and that wasn't the keyboard in front of him.
- - LONG LIVE EVIL - -
After he'd checked out the school top to bottom he met Evie and his sister at Mal's locker and gave her the paint he'd nabbed. She smirked and said something about decorating her locker with it as they shared an evil grin. It wasn't long until Audrey, Chad Charming and Ben came around the corner and started whispering about them. It was obvious from the repetitive glances their way.
"Bye Mal." Evie said after looking longingly at Chad and she left for her next class.
"Those kids are trouble." He heard Charming's boy say and was pretty sure the guy wasn't trying to keep his voice down.
"Come on, Chad. Give them a chance." Ben defended them.
"No offense, Bennybear, you're just too trusting." Audrey said taking Ben's hands, "Look I know your mom fell in love with a big nasty beast who turned out to be a prince. But with my mom, the evil fairy was just the evil fairy – those kids' mother." She said nodding at them which Mal and Drac didn't miss. Mal scoffed and turned to start painting her locker door as Drac leaned against the one next to hers.
"I think you're wrong about them." Ben said and it was Drac's turn to scoff. "I'll see you later."
Mal had just finished her mural, it was one she'd done a thousand times before on the Isle, the one of their mother's silhouette reading Long Live Evil! with her surrounded in green and purple flames. She looked at it proudly before the prince walked over to them and got their attention.
"Hey." He greeted with a warm smile.
"Hey."
"How was your first day?"
"Super." Mal replied dully.
"Yeah, you guys actually show up for class on time here." Drac added and Ben turned to him.
"Is school a lot different on the Isle?"
"When you choose to go." Drac replied, "Dragon Hall's a little. . . wilder than this place. And Dr. Facilier doesn't like it unless his students are at least fifteen minutes late."
Ben nodded with a smile like he was trying to picture it, then he turned to the mural Mal had made.
"You should really think about taking this talent off the locker and into art class. I could, uh, sign you up." He said seeming shy when he brought up the fact that being heir to the throne he had the pull to change their schedules. Just then Jane, the Fairy Godmother's daughter, walked by and Drac watched Mal turn her head to watch the girl pass. The siblings shared a brief look before she turned back to Ben.
"Way to take all the fun out of it." Mal said and instead of being scared or looking horrified Ben only gave a small smile like he was amused by her response, like it was something fresh and new. Then they left the soon to be king and followed Jane. She went into the girl's bathroom and Drac knew Mal would have to take this one on her own. He nudged her with his shoulder and nodded down the hall where his next class was. They said a short good bye and wished each other rotten luck before he left Mal to go to his next class which was Safety Rules for the Internet with Carlos. With how much Carlos loved toying with technology on the Isle Drac knew it might be a class he actually paid attention to and did well in. Unlike their earlier Goodness 101 class.
For the next forty-five minutes Carlos stared at the teacher who was lecturing in the front of the room with a look of amazement on his face. Drac nudged his shoulder to get him to snap out of it before leaning in and whispered.
"Think any of this stuff could help us make that video game even better?" he asked and Carlos face lit up in a smile no doubt thinking about all the hacks he could install now that they were in a place with a descent wifi connection.