Take one step, okay? One step is all I need. Take the step... and fall. You know they all want it. You're not fit to be queen. It'd be better if you were never even born! I've dreamed of this for two fucking years, and now it's ruined! What else should I do? Not exist? Is that what they want?
I...I...I don't...I don't want...t-to...to disappear. I should. It's so fucking obvious. That's what they want, so take the goddamn step and fall! Take the goddamn step and let the water consume you! Let it fill your lungs! They want suffering, because that's what you did to them, right? By being born? By existing. Was that my flaw? Being fucking born?
I didn't ask for this life. I didn't ask to be the king's daughter! Why would I want this? My entire life, I wanted people to care. All I wanted was to help! I wanted them to love me! Even one person would be enough... but I have nobody. I get nobody. There is fucking nothing for me other than pain. Take the step and die. It's what would make everyone happy, right? Me gone? Because nobody would help the Isle! Nobody would fight for them! Nobody would try to help. It's not like I've made much of a difference. I've just hurt the people I've tried to help. It'd be better with me gone.
So fall. Sink deeper and deeper into the water. First your waist, next your shoulders, last your head. Just sink. Bash a damned rock against your ankle to stop you from swimming, for fuck's sake! Drown! Let the water fill your lungs, let the darkness take over, let it all fade, let your body go numb. Stop kicking at the water. Fucking die! This is what they all wanted.
Be the hero! You've always tried to be the hero. Everything is about you, huh? Be the fucking hero and make everyone happy. Free them from the pain you bear. Free them from your issues!
You need to wait it out. It hurts. It- of fucking course it hurts. Wait. It'll be over soon. Everything will be fine. Everyone will be happy. Only a few more seconds…
No... not again. I am so sick of this stupid fucking dream every night. I don't want to die anymore. It was a mistake. It hurt me. Why can't I move on? I-I deserve to hurt, I know I do, but... I can make a difference now, right? I survived. Everyone still hates me, but… so what? I can help them! This time I won't run away. I won't... maybe it'd make them happy; make Crysie happy, but I can't, because then nobody will try to help those kids. I can. That's what today is for, right?
I wipe a few tears from my eyes. It's routine at this point. Wake up breathless, wipe the water from my eyes, then get out of bed. Laying back down adds to the problem. The second I lay down, my mind flashes back to that day. The water would engulf me as I'd hit the mattress. I'd stop breathing entirely. Drowning in nothing, only a memory.
So I hopped out of bed, dragging my legs across the floor while frantically looking around, then stopped breathing. I don't really want Ben to barge in my room at 7AM to try and give me mouth to mouth again. I kinda convinced him afterwards that it was just a heart attack. I wasn't going to tell him the real reason.
I'd prefer not to repeat that, so no lying back down. Ever. Falling asleep is hard enough, anyway. It always has been. That day just made it infinitely worse.
I lean up a bit, planting my feet on the cold floors before making my way to the bathroom to shower. I should look somewhat presentable for my meeting today, right? I mean, I'm convincing him, not the other way around. Might as well look decent.
I twist the shower knob a bit after undressing, settling on a pretty lukewarm temperature. Might as well save the hot water for Crysie when she wakes up. It's called being a good friend.
Three minutes… It's not that hard. Three minutes, that's all. I'll get over it someday, I hope, but for now I'd prefer to not drown in the shower, or at least not feel like I will.
Three minutes… just- "It's what they all wanted! They all wanted me dead! I... I wanted me dead. I should be dead-"
I turn the water off. Two minutes, that's... that's... close enough. It's not worth a panic attack. Just throw on something nice; maybe a jacket in case it gets cold, then simply walk out. It's what? An hour til our meeting? I can definitely make it to the Enchanted Lake in time. I could probably take a nap if I wanted. Not... I mean hypothetically, I.. I have to take pills half the time just to fall asleep, anyway. God forbid I wake up in the middle of the night. Odds are I don't sleep at that point.
It's... I mean, it's fine...it gives me time to think. That's the only reason this meeting is happening. Right? All those nights I couldn't sleep. That I spent planning. This wouldn't happen if I wasn't... I should just go. I have to do this. Can't keep putting it off. I invited him there anyway. It's our spot. When nobody else is around. It's everybody's spot, really. Everyone loves it. I guess drowning sort of ruins that, though. Ruins all water, really.
Stop... just stop making excuses. Don't get in the water, just go. If you blow off Ben, then nothing will ever change.
I walk towards the door, twisting the knob a bit, pausing as it slowly swings open. It's...it's for the best. You never have to go there again. Not without him, at least.
I wonder if he'd be open to a trip tonight? I'll have to go visit after my meeting. He'll need to know about it, anyway.
"I'll be back in a few hours," I say.
Silence. Is she really still asleep? I... yeah, no, that's good. Let her sleep. "Love you Crysie," I whisper, planting a small kiss on her forehead. I grab my bag and swing the door shut behind me. The whispers never stop, but I don't really care at this point. "She doesn't care about us," or, "she's a psycho," "how was she not sent to the Isle already? She almost burned down the school at one point." That one was fun. Besides, I kept it contained, and it was much more Ben's fault than mine. It's not my fault he sucks at science. I just took the fall for it. As usual.
I run down the stairs and out the open doors to the building, taking a turn towards a trail into the forest. The trail is just a simple path or dirt through the woods. There are some markers along the path now, since it's a route most people enjoy going through, and it's the easiest way to get to the enchanted lake. Even Audrey enjoys coming down here, though, and she hates everything.
I mean, it's perfect. Crickets chirp from the endless expanse of trees, an eternal low hum echoing throughout the entire trail. An endless expanse of sky, plenty of beautiful wildlife to look at, wild berries, the rush of… just walk faster. The sooner you get done with this meeting, the sooner you can meet with him.
It's only a twenty-minute walk down the trail, somewhere around two miles. I used to walk this trail every morning freshman year. It was perfect. The sound of the water used to make me so happy... till that day. Two years later...now I can't even handle walking down this trail, but I have to try for Ben at least.
Today is important. My pain doesn't matter. It's nothing. Not when this can start such an important change. All those people. All those kids. They might...no, they will get a chance. Ben won't let me down. He won't let them down. He wouldn't.
The sound of rushing water morphs into the sound of a small waterfall. A small stream carries off this little cliff and into the enchanted lake. It's like drops of rain falling on the surface of water; peaceful and relaxing.
"I know it's hard, and I get why. I... I want you to stop right now, okay. Just stop doing anything. Just sit down and breathe. You can hear it, right? The sound of the waves? It scares you, doesn't it? Is your mind flashing back to what you did? Well, don't let it. If anything related to water makes you scared, makes you terrified, like you're unable to breathe, then you might as well just jump off this boat. It'll feel the same to drown in the middle of the ocean right now, then to sit here and listen to the waves, right? Don't let it! I'm not letting this one thing ruin you, Ashlyn! You made a mistake, move on! Don't let it stop you from living your life!"
Of course, I didn't know what to say. I'm not sure how I would to this day. What do you say to your boyfriend when he tells you to drown yourself to prove a point? That… that sounds awful. I guess it is, but he at least got through to me. It's what I needed to hear. I don't know why I always listened. He told me to just jump off that boat twice. I guess that's what got through to me. Living in the memory of it would feel the same as reliving it. More painful because it was my choice. I got in the water. Hell, I bashed my ankle with a fucking rock just so I couldn't swim up. I should have died. He knew that. It's why he knew I would listen.
"Just listen, okay? Breathe."
We both had snuck out well past midnight. It was only a few weeks after I had tried to kill myself. It started raining while we were out. I got scared, I just... stopped. I couldn't breathe. But he immediately grabbed my shoulders and whispered directly in my ear. Breathe. Repeatedly. And I don't know. I listened. I mean, I actually listened.
The rain was always the easiest example. It was the most common weather for us. I had to live with it, at the very least. So when it started raining, and I started panicking, he simply held my hand and told me to breathe. And when I did, the rain disappeared. I didn't care anymore. When you focus on the sound of the rain and how it feels; it doesn't give you time to be scared. He told me to learn to sense the rhythmic tapping of the rain. How does it feel against your skin? Why does it scare you?
"I don't know."
Harry was the only person I learned to trust after that day. He tried to help, even if he didn't know how. He's been trying to help me with submerging myself in water, even with something as simple as a shower. Or something as extreme as pushing me off a ship. I mean, they tied the ship to the dock or whatever, and he was more than ready to jump in after me. It was a dick move. But it helped. All of it did. Nobody else tried, which is why he's the only one who knows what happened.
But no matter how wonderful he is, he still can't erase trauma. Especially not when I did it to myself. He can try, and he has helped, but that doesn't erase it.
"Jump in."
Such a psycho. Jump in. That was the best advice he could give. Jump into the freezing cold water so that you can relive the moment you almost died to get past it. Brilliant, I say.
And then he pushed me. Dick. I could hardly focus on swimming since I was so scared. I felt like I was drowning even with my head above the water. But admittedly, I think it helped. As rude and fucked up as it was, it helped both of us to see where I was at. We saw results, and he was there to help me out before I could get hurt. Still a work in progress, though. That was last week, for fuck's sake. Pretty sure he might think I hate him. All the more reason to visit after this meeting.
God, what is taking Ben so long? It's been at least half an hour, right? Twenty-minute walk here, and then however long it's been so nice. Maybe another twenty minutes at most, but Ben's usually early, so he should be here by now.
The waters rushing really fast, kinda like... not right now. I just... what if I at least soak my feet in there? That shouldn't be too scary, right?
"Alright, just one step at a time. Left foot first. Slowly. Just sit along the edge if you need to. Just try something Ash."
Left foot first, feel the water against your skin. Don't rush it. Just sit there, feel the water against your skin. Don't panic. I can do this.
...it's cold. Unbelievably cold. Even ice isn't this bad. Why is it so cold?
"Make them happy and drown!"
I..no, I can do this. We were working towards this, right? Just... slow. The water really isn't that bad anymore. I was overreacting.
Okay... right foot next. Just stay calm. Stay calm. It actually feels kinda nice. That's good. That's... I'm happy. I can still be happy. Just relax. There's still... well, however long until Ben shows up. Just relax.
The sound of the water... every once in a while, when it... doesn't scare me to death, it actually sounds nice. The sound of each droplet of water hitting the surface. It's... very relaxing.
I don't get these sorts of moments much anymore. Everything is always about the Isle! About my coronation! About that day! About what I did! About… how I ruined my own life. Any chance to relax a little is nice.
Nice isn't much of a luxury anymore, though, even in moments like these. I've been dreaming of this. And I mean, sure, I've made some mistakes, but... this is my dream. What we're about to do can change everything. I can't let... what I did... keep me from helping them. To hell with me. I need to help them. All of them. None of them have ever deserved it.
"Boo!"
The water engulfed me. It... again. Oh god, it's cold. It's so cold. I can't breathe! Why can't I breathe! It... oh god... oh god, oh god, oh god. My foot hurts. I don't...no, no, it's not...I'm fine. I was on the edge. It's maybe three feet deep right now. That's why... I probably just banged my foot on the ground. It's not broken. I... I didn't break it again. I'm okay. I'm…
I take a deep breath of air as I come back up above the water again, glaring at my dick of a brother. "Jerk," I mumble, causing him to laugh, reaching his hands out towards me to help me out. "That was so uncalled for," I groan, "I don't even have a towel to dry off with."
"You think I'd push you in and not bring a towel?"
"Yes," I say; no hesitation.
He rolls his eyes and hands me a towel, wrapping it around my waist. "And here's a change of clothes should you want them."
"We're in a forest Ben. There's not a changing room anywhere nearby."
He bites his lip a bit. "Oh, yeah, that... that makes sense," he grins a bit, "Please don't hate me."
"I'll think about it."
"Soo, um, what did you want to talk to me about? You said it was important."
"Because I'm not allowed to talk to my little brother?"
He glares at me.
"Fine! Fine, I'll stop messing with you."
"So what did you want to meet with me about? It has to be important if you want to meet all the way out here and not just at home."
"That... or I just didn't want to deal with mom and dad overhearing us."
"So they don't approve," Ben sighs.
"They don't approve of a lot of things. Just... listen? Please? For me?"
"What is it?"
"Do you ever worry about the Isle? You know, like I do."
He nods a bit, tilting his head to the side. Okay, that's good. That's progress, it's something. Not everything, but something. That's enough for now.
"I... so I was thinking, what if... what if we gave them a chance here? I mean, it's not like they did anything wrong, they're just normal kids. It's just... I mean, we'd only need to start with a few. You could even choose. No, you should choose. Mom and dad will shut me down immediately if I choose. They hate me. I just-"
"They do not hate you," Ben interrupts.
"Yes, they do. I just... I'm worried, Benny. What if they're not all safe? I mean, god, what am I even saying. We know they're not safe. We know it's not perfect. They deserve a chance, don't they?"
He's silent for a bit. "O-Of course. Yeah, no, of course they do! What... what were you thinking?"
I take a deep breath. It's all or nothing. "Um, well, we could start with just a few. Maybe three or four? You should choose. Mom and dad will shut me down if they know I have any part in it. But we would just arrange it to bring four kids here to, you know, go to Auradon Prep."
"Auradon Prep is a prestigious school. There's no way they'll let them in."
"I mean, yeah? We both go there though, meaning we'd be there to watch over them if needed. We'd be there to help and all. If we just let them run off, who knows what would happen."
"I, yeah, that... that makes sense. But...is that it? We just bring them here and then move on?"
"Well, I mean, to start, yeah. People need to learn to accept a few before we can bring them all over. I mean, you don't want the barrier up forever, do you? All those kids to be shut off? For no reason. For doing nothing wrong? Neither of us wants that."
I'm so guilt tripping him. Whatever, it's necessary. He needs to agree. No matter what.
"Um... sure. Yeah, let's do it. What do you need from me?"
"Um... everything? I just... we have a chance, Ben. We have such a fair chance, I mean, there's four dorms left open in Auradon Prep and everything. It just works! I just...mom and dad don't listen to me. They'll listen to you. I just... they can't know I have anything to do with this. They'll shut me down. They'll shut us down. Then nothing happens. You need to choose the kids, you need to tell them, you need to bring them over, introduce them. Make them feel welcome. This needs to be you, not me. Please, I'll be there to help afterwards. I'll do anything to help them adjust; to help you, just… afterwards. I just... I need you to do this for me. Mom and dad will say no to me. They might not to you."
Ben... he buries his face into his hand. "You...You want me to...do everything. You want me to lie to them? To everyone?"
"Please Ben. This is our chance. I can't let them ruin it."
Silence.
"Fine."
What? He... he's willing to do it? "Really?"
"Yeah. Yeah, yeah, let's… let's do this. I'll do it. For the Isle."
Evie's POV
"You what?" Carlos yells, pacing back and forth a bit.
"Carlos, it's nothing. My mom just wanted to-"
"You of all people know why we can't trust your mother, Mal. You could've died! For what? Some staff?"
"I didn't have a choice. You know that!" Mal screams, a few tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"Yeah, and C, we're both fine," I speak up, "I know you were worried, and we should've told you, but... we're fine."
"And what about the scepter?" He mutters, stopping a bit to face us.
"I don't know," Mal mutters, "She wanted Evie to touch it so that she would-"
"She wanted to kill me," I interrupt. "Let's not make it sound any better than it was. That thing had just enough magic to put me to sleep forever."
"You're both fine?"
"Yes, I was the one who touched it and-"
"Why?" Carlos mutters. "Mal, you just said that she was trying to kill Evie. Why would you-"
"I don't know, I guess I just thought that since I was her daughter, it might not work on me."
"And if it did?"
"Well obviously it didn't. Why are you so upset? We're fine Carlos!"
"But what if you weren't?" He mutters. "Your mom has been trying to-"
"I know!" She screams. "I know Carlos, and I get you don't trust her, but... we're both fine."
"And how do you tell your mother you don't have it? How do you explain Evie being alive still? Mal, I don't want you to go through that ever again."
"I know," she whispers, not bothering to hide her tears from him this time. Maybe I should just... this all routes back to all those nights they spend locked away after one of Mal's sessions. I don't need to intrude.
I get up and walk out, not glancing back towards them. It's not my place to listen in on their conversation. It's between them.
I might as well just head home. Mother demands I'm back before it gets dark, otherwise she results to force. And after she found out about... I don't need that again. Hopefully, I can just slip inside and she won't know I ever left. I left my window open, right?
I try to ignore the screams and the yelling as I walk down the short alley towards mom's little castle. I wish I could help, not that I'd ever tell anyone that, but the thought of all these people hurting like this doesn't sit well with me. It's that damned king's fault. We could be happy.
I pass the corner, rushing through the driveway hoping to avoid any yelling from Cruella this time. It's not even that she's that scary, she's too drunk most of the time, but her yelling just hurts my ears.
I... really? Mom locked the door? So then does she know I'm gone and is waiting for me upstairs, or does that mean she left? Only one way to find out, I guess. I run towards the back, reaching for the small ledge of the outer wall. Thank god for the little steps Carlos left last summer from trying to sneak into my room, cause it makes getting in much easier compared to climbing onto the roof of Hell Hall, and then reaching towards the ledge.
I reach the top, pulling myself through the open window. Nobody's in here? Good. So then do I...is it worth it to go downstairs? If mom's not home then it is for sure, but if she is then I'm basically enabling her myself.
No, it's not worth it. I'll just stay up here. Can work on my sketchbook till she comes up and demands I do something. That's just how it is.
One day, things will change. For all of us.
Mal's POV
I shuddered. "No! No, no, no, no, no! Mom! Please! Please! Please don't! I don't want to-"
I screamed. It was the only thing I could bring myself to do the entire time. Any words just made it hurt more. She made sure of that.
"I will not let my daughter be defiled by that boy! Love is weakness, Mal! Love! Is! Weakness! It's painful! It's agonizing! You. Cannot. Care. For. Anyone!" She screamed, ripping into my skin. I could only scream louder.
"You are a villain!" She screamed as she cut my face.
And then I cried. I didn't want to, but my body loves to fuck me over like that.
"Don't cry! Crying is weak! My daughter will not cry!"
But... but the barrier prevents magic?
How will she react when I tell her I failed? I can't... I can't go through that again. Carlos helps, but...no, no, not again. What do I do? What do I do?
"Just kill me," I whispered, not bothering to stop the tears from flowing.
Mother laughed, "You're no use to me dead," then the pain got worse.
It always got worse. Every single fucking time I messed up, it would just get worse. Some day she'll just kill me for my failure. Maybe that's today. Who knows? I just... I can't go through that again.
I won't go through that again.
Ashlyn's POV
Today's the day. After all the setup, all the work, now Benny just needs to tell mom and dad. He wants me there still for... moral support, but I won't say anything. That'll just make this worse. I'll just hold his hand and be there. He'll tell them. He'll make the proclamation. He'll make the change for those kids.
He'll be the one who will fulfill my promise. Not me.
Such a bittersweet feeling.
"It's happening today," I whisper. It doesn't feel real. After almost five years... things might change.
"Mom, dad!" Ben calls, waving his hand over so they come towards us. We'd go over to them. Well, no, he would, but we're not allowed to move cause this stupid tailor has to take our measurements for coronation. Why did Ben choose now of all times?
He looks over at me, smiling a bit. I won't ruin that.
I nod, smiling a bit, which mom and dad both noticed.
"Ashlyn and I both have something we wanted to tell you," Ben says.
I elbow him. Probably not smart.
"Er, I mean, I... have something I wanted to tell you."
That's worse. Oh god this isn't going well.
"You do?" Dad asks, walking forward, glaring a bit at me. The feeling's mutual dad.
"I assume your sister put you up to this."
"Uh, no, she-"
"I'm not evil, dad. Stop pretending I am."
He says nothing. This whole not talking thing didn't pan out.
"Just listen to him." Him, not us. This is his plan. I'm just moral support. So fucking bittersweet.
Ben breaks the silence, "I've decided on my first official royal proclamation."
"What is it, honey?" Mom asks, holding dad back by placing her hand on his shoulder. She's the only one who can calm him down.
"Um, well, with a bit of help from Ashlyn on the exact details on the project, I wanted to give four kids from the Isle a chance here in Auradon."
"She told you to do this?" Dad asks.
"I'm not-"
"No," Ben interrupts. "She is just helping me with how to handle some of it. It was my idea."
"This is all your sister has talked about for four years," Dad argues. "Did she put you up to this?"
"She's not wrong, dad. What crime did any of them commit? Being born to the wrong people? Some of them weren't even born when the barrier was created. They grew up in this."
"W-"
"Honey, please. They have a point. Just let him finish," Mom speaks up, once again being the voice of reason.
"Fine."
"It's just... I don't know, every time I look out there I feel like we've abandoned them." Ben explains. "And Ash has had a point this whole time. They did nothing wrong. It's only fair to give them a chance, right?"
"The children of our sworn enemies...living amongst us?" His dad mutters. "No, it would mark the end of Auradon! We can't let a bunch of villains out!"
"We won't," Ben says. "Ash and I both agreed that it's best to have four come. There's four dorms left in Auradon Prep, which Fairy Godmother has left open on our request. That way we can monitor them, and also allow them to continue a proper education here."
"Who are their parents?" Dad mutters.
"Why is that important? They're just kids! We shouldn't judge them over who their parents are! We should give them a chance based on-"
"Captain Hook-"
"Unbelievable," I mutter, walking past mom and dad towards my room. Ben can sell this on his own. He's been getting dad to listen a little. I'd just ruin it, and I won't listen to them decide who comes based on who their parents are.
... Did I just ruin it? No, no, I didn't. It shows too that they didn't even care, cause nobody has ran after me. Whatever. Might as well see what Crysie is doing. I'll probably rant to her about this, since she, unlike someone, actually listens.
And Benny was doing so good, too.
Mal's POV
"There we go. That should help with the bleeding," Evie mutters, wrapping a cloth around my knee. Thankfully, mother was at least generous tonight with her punishment.
"Eve, you're gonna get in trouble if your mom catches you up this late," I say, trying to stand up. "Mmm, nope. Nope. I'll just stay on the floor."
"It's fine, Mal. She's already asleep."
"Still! I don't need her hurting- oh, nope. Not trying that again."
"Yeah, sorry, a bandage doesn't help with the pain, it just stops the bleeding," Evie mutters, tying the cloth tighter around my knee.
"I-It's fine. Now, seriously, I should g-"
"Nope, you can stay here for the night. It's almost morning, anyway."
"Evie... I can't do that. Your mom-"
"Doesn't even have to know. Besides, she leaves every morning to get some more herbs and such for her potions."
"She what-"
"I don't know, honestly. I just know not to drink anything she gives me. Anyway, she leaves at dawn and isn't back til it gets dark, so she shouldn't even notice."
"Evie-"
"Nope. Now, roll over and let me patch up your back."
"What? What do you mean my-"
"Mal, you're my best friend. I know when you're hiding things like this. Besides, you were in too much pain for just your knee to be hurting."
Damn it Eve.
"What the hell happened? These are-"
"Just mother trying to get me to sprout wings... again."
"What? Mal, this is- was this with a knife? I thought you said it wasn't as bad! This is-"
"I'm used to it, Eve. It just hurts."
"What happened?"
I… "I don't know, Eve. I came in, and she... she had the scepter, and she-"
"What? But the scepter was-"
"Stolen. And evidently it was by her. Or someone who gave it to her."
"Does she-"
"Yeah, she knows you're alive still. She just didn't seem to care. Like, she still did this, but this isn't even that bad compared to some of the other shit she's done. I just... Eve, if she didn't care, then what does that sound like to you?"
"I don't know."
"She got the scepter anyway, but she didn't seem like she cared that you're alive still. Even if that was her goal."
"So it wasn't."
"I don't know, I just-"
"There, all patched up."
"Thanks Eve."
"Mhm, now you can take my bed. I'm more than fine with taking the floor. Just try not to sleep on your back, well, for pretty obvious reasons."
"I'll just take the floor. You're letting me stay here, so I won't take your bed.."
"Yes, you are. You are the one who is hurt. I'm not."
"I'll live. Really, Evie, it's fine."
She goes silent. "No, get in the bed."
I can't win this argument, can I? "Fine."
Evie grabs my hand, pulling me up to my feet and helping me onto the bed.
"Thanks."
"Mhm. Goodnight M."
I go silent. This isn't f- "Good night."
Ashlyn's POV
"I don't know, it's just not fair! I mean, we want things to change, but like, what's the point if the deciding factor on who comes or not is who their parents are?"
"Then talk to him, sweetheart. I'm sure he understands. From what I've heard, Ben just is a bit more of a people-pleaser than you. He saw the opportunity for his dad to listen, so he took it."
"Yeah, maybe that's why dad actually listens."
"You're very determined to do things one way, that's for sure, and I understand why. It's never been fair for Auradon to keep those kids imprisoned, but that's going to change, isn't it? That's what Ben called to tell you."
"Along with asking where I was seven-hundred times since I didn't exactly tell him I was leaving for a bit."
She shakes her head, "Why not?"
I sigh, "I don't know. I guess I was mad? I mean, this has been my dream. I promised I would be the one to do this, and now he is. And I get that was my plan, but...it just hurts. He's the one making the change I promised to make, and he's doing it by bending to what his dad wants."
Mom wraps her arm around me. "I think you have too little trust in your brother. He wants to help, just as you do. Just talk to him."
"Ben doesn't even know why I care. He doesn't know why I started fighting so hard for it, or why dad hates me. He doesn't know any of it. How can I even explain when I've been lying to him the whole time?"
"That's for you to find out, honey. Just tell your brother you want to talk, and talk. If he disagrees, then he disagrees. You can't change him."
"I wish I c-" I... "No, no, I don't. He is... oh god."
"I know this is hard for you Ashlyn. You made a lot of promises you would change things, and you are. You both are."
"He made the proclamation, he chose the people, he-"
"You made it happen."
…
"You and your brother both are going to do amazing things to help the Isle."
"I didn't ask my dad about him. I was going to. I promise. I was going to get on my hands and knees and beg him to bring him back, but I didn't. I left. I left because I was mad that Ben was simply listing names. I ruined it."
"No, you didn't. And I have told you countless times that this isn't your responsibility. Jack will be fine."
"He's on the Isle! With an entire island of villains who probably hate him! How can you say he's-"
"Because I trust my husband."
It goes silent. I messed up. I left instead of staying and trying to free an innocent man. Crysie's dad is there because of me! And I've done nothing.
I'm just a failure. Ben even did better than me in a month than I did in four years. I just screw up everything.
Evie's POV
"Mal!" Carlos screams, running towards us, holding...a newspaper? Is that what has him so excited?
"What's up, C?" I ask, walking up to him.
He unrolls the newspaper, "Look at this Eve."
"Prince Benjamin invites you, along with three others, to the next academic year at Auradon Prep, starting this fall on September 4th. "
"No way!" I scream, wrapping my arms around him.
"Who are the other three?" Mal asks, walking up to us to give him a hug.
"It's all of us," he mutters, "Or at least that's what the invite says. It says at the bottom,"
Other recipients of this invitation are Mallory; daughter of Maleficent, Evelyn; daughter of the Evil Queen, and Jaiden; son of Jafar.
"Why would they even add that? This has to be some kind of trick," Mal argues, ripping the newspaper out of my hands.
"Maybe in case one got lost or something?" Carlos suggests.
"And it was all of us? Not a single one left out?"
"I mean, I know it sounds like a trick, but Mal, this could be our chance to get away from our parents and have normal lives."
"Until we all die by being driven off a bridge," she mutters, leaning against the wall. "This has to be a trap. No way it's not. I don't know who this Prince Benjamin dude is, but I don't trust him."
"Mal, this could be-"
"And how do we know this is for all of us? I mean, we got a single invite, not one for each of us. I don't trust it."
"Guys! You will not believe what I just f-"
Well, that was perfect timing!
"Is it an invitation to a place called Auradon Prep by Prince Benjamin?" Carlos asks, waving the newspaper.
Jay nods, "Yeah, it is. And it has all of our names on it."
"So there's over one," I say, turning towards Mal. "I know it's not smart, but I trust it."
"I don't! I'm not gonna just-"
"Mal, I know why you don't want to do this, but this might be the only chance we get. And even if it's not real, it'd be worse to never find out if it was real," Carlos says, grabbing her hand.
He whispers something in her ear.
"Fine, but we can't let my mom find out. Otherwise…" She trails off.
"For three weeks? No way we can go that long without her finding out!" Jay complains.
"Yeah, and if this is real, then Mal and I haven't gotten our invite, so either it's not here yet, or our parents have it. EIther way-"
"If my mom finds out, it's over for us. If we want to do this, then she can't know. Deal?"
"Deal!" we all say.
"Good. So for starters, Carlos, hide your invite somewhere your mother won't find it. Your lab would be best. Assuming our parents don't already have our invites, I'll bring them all to Carlos. Then we sneak out on September 3rd with the invites and meet whoever will get us out in the morning."
"And if our parents have our invites?"
"Then we're all dead."
Ashlyn's POV
"Hey Ben?" I call, pushing the door to his room open.
He perks up a bit, jumping off his bed and walking up to me. "Look, I know that you're upset. I told dad who their parents were, I just-"
"I get it Ben. That's the point we're at right now. I assume they said no once you told them?"
"Yeah, except they didn't say no to the idea."
They what? "Hmm?"
"Dad said he didn't want you to have a part in it, because uh-"
"He doesn't trust me."
"Yeah...so I had to choose four new people."
"And did you tell him who?"
"No, not yet. I wanted your input first."
That… that goes against dad's whole point. "No, dad wanted you to do this, not me. If you ask for my input, it'll just become my project again. Dad will tear that down. I can't have a part in it, Ben. That's what he wants. You need to do this without me. I will help you figure things out when they get here, but I can't do anything right now."
"Okay."
"I'll be in my room if you need me."
With that, I left, not giving him time to say anything. This isn't how today was supposed to go. Ben was supposed to convince dad on his own and then those exact four would come. He would come. I'd get the people I wanted! But... yeah, I guess this is better. It sucks, but it's better than nothing. I can at least try to trust Benny's judgement.
Three weeks. If this goes right, then in three weeks we'll bring the first four over. Whoever they are. And that's the day that things might finally change. I can only wait, I guess. And watch from the sidelines. Ben doesn't need me.
Whatever.
Just three more weeks...