Later on in the morning, which felt like months later, Mal had been alone at her locker after Evie left for her first class alone of the day. The young fairy tried her best to keep to herself, so she could see how the campus looked so different from when Sora walked through it.
However, with all the strange looks given toward her, Mal forced herself to keep her gaze lowered.
To be completely fair, Mal still wore the future king's letterman jacket. Admittedly, she had been reluctant to take it off due to it being so comfortable on her. Instead of parting with the jacket, she decided to wear it with her outfit of the day, knowing there would be some sort of repercussions for it.
As the transfer student placed her books in her locker and collected the supplies for her next class, a trio of Auradon students casually watched her from a prince's locker down the way.
"She and her friends are nothing but trouble," Chad Charming, the son of Queen Cinderella and King Charming, warned, glaring at the fairy from afar. "I still can't believe you would allow them to attend Auradon Prep. Are you trying to put everyone's light in danger?"
"I'm trying to give their light a chance to grow," Ben claimed as he searched for something in his own locker. "I can already see a difference in them."
"Well I can't see why you would give her your letterman jacket," Audrey spat, who was still sour about their 'sudden' breakup the night before. "Why did you give it to her? You never let me wear it. It looks like you broke up with me so you could go out with her instead. "
"I've already told you the reason," Ben insisted stubbornly. "I ran into her on my walk early this morning and she was cold. We talked for a few minutes before I had to leave. I told her she could wear it while she finished her walk. She offered to give it back later, but I told her she could keep it because it made her look even more beautiful than she already was."
Slightly fuming at hearing the prince compliment someone else, Audrey persisted, "You told me a while ago I couldn't wear it because your mother didn't want you to give it to me, yet you give it to the child of the villain that stole her heart? How does that make sense?"
"My mother doesn't hold grudges against people who were not responsible for her past troubles." Pausing to carefully grab a medium-sized box from his locker before closing it, Ben turned to look at Audrey. "You, on the other hand . . . Mom just doesn't like you."
Brushing past the jaw-dropped princess, Ben walked toward the dozing-off fairy. Once the king-to-be was a suitable distance away, Chad mumbled to Audrey, "Something needs to be done about those . . . VKs. If we don't—"
"They'll end up ruling the school," Audrey easily agreed. "Or even the entire kingdom. We need to do something before their darkness completely ruins our light."
If only they knew . . .
That the Isle children were not responsible for the growing darkness.
Closing her locker, Mal slightly flinched when she noticed Ben leaning against the locker next to hers. Just how long had he been there?
"Hey," Ben greeted with a soft, kind smile. "How is your first day so far?"
"Super," Mal answered sarcastically. "Everyone is just loving the fact that I'm wearing your jacket. They can't keep their eyes off me!"
Someone's cranky, Sora commented teasingly. Maybe if you had gone to bed earlier last night, you wouldn't have been so tired this morning when we went for our joy-walk.
I fell asleep as soon as we were lead to our dorm room, Mal reminded bitterly. Maybe if I hadn't, I could have been there to convince Evie, Jay, and Carlos not to go after Fairy Godmother's wand last night.
"—didn't think it would be an issue," Ben claimed honestly, the fairy having only focused enough to catch part of what he said. "They'll start looking at you for a different reason now." He held up a plain white box that the fairy hadn't noticed earlier. "For you."
Raising a curious eyebrow, Mal cautiously accepted the gift as she slowly opened the box, wondering if it would be some sort of trick. Once the lid was off, the fairy couldn't help her gasp as she quickly gazed up at the prince. "Ben, I can't accept this," she claimed, holding the box back out for him to take. "I appreciate the gesture. I really do. But this would give everyone the wrong idea about us."
"I don't care," he stubbornly insisted. "Everyone needs to know . . ."
Trailing off for a few moments, Ben gingerly pulled the item out of the box, revealing the simple silver leaf-designed tiara that had been hiding inside. Placing the specially made tiara on top of the fairy's head, silently amused of how well it paired with her purple hair, Ben smiled warmly at the girl, who blushed slightly at his overwhelming attention on her.
"You are the Princess of the Underworld," Ben finished determinedly. "And no one can take that from you."
Well! Sora exclaimed at the proclamation. Looks like I really don't have to do anything to get you two together.
Later at the end of the school day, Mal was furiously drawing in her sketchbook, both to prove a point and to rid herself of her pent-up frustration.
After Ben had gifted her the tiara, the fairy had a much chipper attitude that Sora immediately teased her about. Mal ignored the pestering while smiling kindly at those who walked past her, though some still scurried away from her in fear. Thanks to her upbeatness, Mal managed to become easy friends with a couple Auradon girls, Jane—Fairy Godmother's daughter—and Lonnie. Sora had a one-man celebration party in Mal's mind, cheering and congratulating himself when he learned his meddling was responsible for the teenager's existence. Mal chided him multiple times to quiet down since he was causing her a headache.
But her headache only grew worse once she attended her new 'World History' class—
Which was nothing more than a joke.
While Mal was nearly finished with her drawing, her three Isle friends were in the dorm room with her to keep her company, so she didn't brood alone. Evie was working hard on copying two sets of homework answers from her magic mirror. Carlos and Jay busied themselves by playing with Carlos's new companion, Dude the campus mutt. Jay was more than careful to make sure no golden dog hair found itself on his new jersey.
In the midst of their activity, there was a knock on the door.
Huffing in aggravation, Mal reluctantly climbed off her bed, but she kept her sketchbook in her hand as she finished shading the last part of her drawing. Once she was satisfied with the end results, Mal finally opened the door.
Revealing a worried-eyed Ben in the hallway.
"I heard about what happened in your class," Ben informed, getting right down to business. "Flora had no right to punish you simply because you stated what you know."
"And I know I am right!" Mal angrily insisted. "In that final battle, Sora gave up before it started and had used the Power of Waking to return his friends' hearts and turn back time before the fight started. How else would I know about The Final World? Knotgrass and all the adults are just scared—"
"That everyone will start to think that their 'hero' isn't so heroic," Ben finished in agreement. "And that single defeat will continuously replay in their minds until worry fills their heart and becomes replaced with darkness? I know. It's the reason why Dad told me not to tell anyone else about it when I was told the events as a kid. How do you know about it?"
"Dad's world was the first one Sora went to when using the Power of Waking," Mal informed with an irritated eyeroll, but it was not toward the prince. "And Mom followed Sora to every world he went to in search of a black box, which she never found because it had not existed yet."
Really? Sora wondered in disbelief. I didn't know she still followed us after we met in the first world. I guess I never noticed. She would be really good at hide and seek.
Don't try to cheer me up, Mal scolded. I'm still frustrated with this whole situation. I shouldn't have had to spend two hours after school writing on the chalkboard that I won't talk back to her, because I sure as hell will! I only did it so I didn't cause a bigger scene for the others.
"—shouldn't have to spend two hours writing sentences on the chalkboards while she watched you," Ben claimed when Mal focused back on him. "As a teacher, Flora should have de-escalated the situation and talked with you after class, not berate you in front of the other students. If you want, I can see if I can get you transferred from that class to something else."
"Then she'll go boasting to everyone that she won." Mal shook her head in determination. "I refuse to let Knotgrass think that she got the best of me when she hasn't."
"It's either you transfer to another class, or the school let's her go," Ben informed, surprising the fairy with the information. "I talked with Fairy Godmother and my parents before I came here. They agree that you shouldn't have to continue being taught by someone who has been hostile toward you from the moment you walked into the classroom. In all honesty, the three have been discussing letting Flora go for a while now for her favoritism toward one particular student. I'm sure you can guess which one."
Exhaling to rid herself of what remaining anger she had, Mal relented, "I can't let them fire her because of me, so I guess I'll transfer out. Can I make a request?"
"Of course!" Ben agreed with a soft smile to appease her. "As long as it is within reason."
"I want to get back at Knotgrass for making it look like I didn't know what I was talking about." Mal flipped her drawing around so the prince could see her sketch. "Can I have your permission to draw this on her chalkboards? I know it would probably be petty of me to do so, but—"
"That is incredible!" Ben complimented, holding the sketchbook by the side so he could study the drawing even closer. "You really drew this? How long did it take you? A few hours?"
"About twenty minutes," Mal corrected with a careless shrug. "I inherited my short temper from Dad. As a kid, he would have me draw in a sketchbook so I could get rid of my anger without resorting to hitting or yelling at anyone. This is my third one."
Nice lie, Sora complimented. That is much more believable than you drawing pieces of dreams that revolve around my past.
Hush!
"You are an amazing artist," Ben praised, letting go of the book. "It would be a shame if no one else could see it. I'll have you transferred to an art class, so your talent doesn't go to waste. Or, I can talk to Fairy Godmother about you painting murals around the school with pieces like this, from the Keyblade Warriors' adventures. What do you think?"
"So an excuse to graffiti the school?" Mal reiterated sarcastically, closing her sketchbook shut. "That sounds better than wasting away in Knotgrass's class."
"Perfect!" Ben cheered. "I'll make the arrangements. Let's go."
"To . . . ?"
"Flora's classroom," Ben clarified. "You're less likely to be reprimanded later if I were with you while you created your masterpiece. We can show Fairy Godmother when you're done, and it will give me a chance to get to know the four of you more." He peeked around the fairy to look inside the dorm room at the three other occupants. "If that will work for the rest of you."
"We have some school-work we need to finish," Evie fibbed with a sugar sweet smile, though it looked more manipulative in Mal's eyes. "You two have fun. Mal will let us know how it went later."
Although the prince was somewhat satisfied with the answer, the fairy knew better as the two of them started walking through the halls as the door closed behind them.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Sora wondered.
Of course I do, Mal insisted. They're using me as a distraction so they can plot to steal the wand without Ben knowing.