Hey Lovies!!
Here is the next chapter of Connections! I hope you guys like it and please let me know what you think! Different Tale is next!
ENJOY!
On Monday, Ben woke up early to help Evie, Mal, Jay, and Carlos get all of their things ready to go back to school. They had to leave a little bit early so they weren't late for class. Ben walked over to Mal's room and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He slowly opened the door in case she was listening to her music or if she was in the bathroom, but her room was empty.
"Mal?" He called as he walked in. "Are you here?" He asked, but there was still no answer.
He saw that her bag was not in the room and her phone was gone too, so he assumed she was downstairs. He was about to leave her room, but saw that the doors to her balcony were wide open. He walked over to the balcony and saw a glowing light. He walked outside and saw Mal playing with fire balls in her hands and it looked like she was trying to juggle them. He managed to take a picture of her, before she saw he was there.
"You could have been hurt, if I didn't see you were standing there," she said as she took her headphones out and put them in her pocket.
"I'm fine," he said. "What were you doing?" He asked.
"I was just channeling my magic," she told him as she formed a purple flame in her hands. "I try to do something small each morning, so I don't have an overload," she said.
"Have you had any since you've been here?" He asked as he leaned on the balcony ledge.
"One," she said as she put the flame out. "The day after we got here."
"Are you okay?"
"I wasn't, but FG helped me," she said. "I woke up and I was sweating a lot. Evie said I was hot to the touch and she called FG, who rushed into my room."
Ben wondered why he didn't know about it. He and Mal felt almost everything the other felt and he was wondering if their connection was fading.
"She said that you won't be able to feel my magic," she said, breaking Ben out of his thoughts. "I asked if you would be able to feel it, and FG went to check on you and saw that you were still asleep. We kinda figured out, after talking about it and explaining our whole situation, that you feel my passion and can feel my emotions," she said, making him intrigued by her words. "I could tell that you were starting to get worried that our connection was fading."
He chuckled and shook his head. "Glad to hear that it's not," he said. "So, you do a little bit of magic everyday so you don't have the chance to have another overload?"
"Yep, makes things a little bit easier," she said as she went to grab her bag from the chair outside. "Now, let's go and wake up the rest of my siblings."
After having an early breakfast with Ben's parents, they rode back to school and rushed to their dorms to get their school stuff. Mal and Evie rushed out of their room and almost bumped into Ben on their way out.
"Woah," he said as he stopped. "We have time. There is no need to speed."
"I am rushing to meet Doug before Chemistry," Evie said.
"And I am rushing to beat you to class, because if we are seen walking to class together, a certain princess will think I spelled you," she said as she wiggled her fingers at him.
"There is no harm in wanting to walk to class with my friend," he said as he shoved his hand in his pocket.
"Well, I would agree with you, if I wasn't your girlfriend," she said. "Plus, when a certain prince and princess won't leave us alone, it would probably be better if I went to class early."
"Okay," he said with a smile. "Plus, I only wanted to hear you say I was your boyfriend."
He leaned down and gave her a small kiss, before he walked off toward the stairs. Mal and Evie laughed, before they followed and were ready for their long day of school. They walked to class and Mal sat in her seat that was diagonally in front of Ben's seat. She started to bounce her leg up and down, and was starting to get worried about her presentation.
"Up next, Mal," FG said, making Mal snap her head up. "You're next, dear," she said.
Mal took a deep breath, before she got up and walked to the podium.
"What makes a hero different than a villain?" She asked. "That is the constant question. Well, to start, what makes a hero? The definition of a hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. And to say what makes a villain…" she said, but paused. "By definition, a villain is the person or thing responsible for specified trouble, harm, or damage," she explained. "That is what we are told and taught, but who are we to say what qualifies as evil or good? As many of you know, I am from the Isle," she said, but someone scoffed, and she didn't have to look to know it was Audrey. "I grew up around what we are taught, 'villains' are. I know what true villainy is," she said. "I know what the difference is between good and bad. Here, in Auradon, princes and princesses are praised for their valiance, which is great because they deserve it. But on the Isle, there is good and there is bad. The people of the Isle are treated with the respect they deserve," she said. "We are taught what is good and bad, and I bring this up again, because the tales of the villains and heroes are our past. They were things that happened long before we were born, and we all understand that it is our history," she said as she went on. "But that's it. It's history. It's in the past. There are people on the Isle that are very good people, and I have met people in Auradon that are very rude. Would that make the people from the Isle heros? Would that make the Auradonians villains? No," she said. "We cannot judge a person by a mistake they made, or determine a person's intentions before we get to know them. We cannot go around pointing the finger at someone we don't know and determine them evil. People make mistakes, and some people want to put their mistakes behind them so that they can move on and live happy lives. Everyone is capable of good and bad, and it does not matter what side of the barrier you are on. I grew up on the Isle and I was raised by the best people. I know right from wrong, but I am categorized as a villain. I know what people think of me, but that does not matter, because I know who I am and that is all that should matter."
FG clapped as she walked up to Mal. "That was beautiful," she said. "A."
Mal smiled, before she went back to sit in her seat. She passed Audrey and saw the long eye roll, making her shake her head.
"You did amazing," Ben said through their link.
"Thank you," she said back as she sat back in her seat.
"Want to go on a date with me?" He asked.
She tried to hide her laugh, making him smile. "Sure."
"That was some paper," Audrey said as she walked up to Mal in the quad.
"Thanks?" Mal questioned, but kept her eyes on her sketchbook.
"I wasn't saying it was good," she commented as she rolled her eyes.
"What's going on?" Mal heard Ben ask.
"Nothing," Mal said.
"I came to say that it was stupid."
"And what was stupid about what I said, Audrey?" Mal asked as she finally looked up at the princess.
"That we are all capable of good and bad," she said with a scoff. "The royals of Auradon are nothing but good people, but you are from trash. You are a villain and you are nothing but an evil witch."
"So bullying someone who has done nothing to you is being a good person?" Mal asked as she stood up.
"I'm standing up for what is right," she said as she put her hand on her hip. "I am trying to protect the people I love from you and your pack of minions."
"Protect them from what, Audrey?" Mal asked as she stood up from her seat. "What have me and my siblings done that is so evil that you have to be so… immoral."
"Your mother ruined my mom's life," she hissed.
Mal's blood started to boil. If she had to pick what she hated most, it would be being called Maleficent's daughter.
"Where are you?" Ben asked.
"Quad," she said, trying to stay calm.
"On my way."
"Audrey," Mal said as she clenched her fist to the table. "What happened between your mother and Maleficent was not my doing. I am not her."
"You might as well be," Audrey said. "Just like your bubble headed friend is nothing but a slut, that ruffian is nothing but a two bit thief, and the white headed squirrel is nothing but a broken psychopath."
Mal's mind exploded, after Audrey said those mean things about her siblings. She had no right to say that because she didn't even want to get to know them. Her eyes started to burn and she didn't know if it was her magic or if it was because she was crying. She looked up at Audrey, and she was smirking at Mal with an evil grin.
"You know…"
"Get the hell out of here, Audrey," Ben said as he walked up to Mal.
"What?" Audrey asked.
"I said to get the hell out of here," he repeated as he put himself in front of Mal. "Do you think that you were quiet when you said all of that?" He asked as he threw his hand out in front of him. "I heard you before I even walked out of the fucking building."
"I was only stating facts, Benny…"
"No!" Ben yelled. "You were being rude and mean," he said. "You don't know anything about them, but you want to judge them?" He asked. "You want to compare them to who their family is? Well, you are a fine one to talk, because you are nothing like your parents," he said, making her gasp. "Your parents are some of the nicest people I know, and it is sad that you turned out to be just the opposite," he said, before he took Mal's hand and her bag. "Let's go, Mal."
"But, Ben…"
"No, Audrey," he said as he turned back to her. "You need to earn my respect, and right now you don't have an ounce of it," he said. "When you learn how to act properly, and not like a villain, maybe we could be friends again, but for now, stay the hell away from me, but especially stay away from Mal and the others."
He turned around and left Audrey standing by the table. He pulled Mal toward the dorms, and when they got to him, he slammed the door and growled loudly. This was hard for both of them. When they feel what the other is feeling, it consumes them. They can't control how it affects them, and Ben feels horrible every time he gets this upset about it.
"I'm sorry," Ben said as he took deep breaths to calm down.
"You're fine," she said as she walked up to him and rubbed his back. "I know these feelings are hard."
"It's more prominent now that you are here," he said as he turned to look up at her. "Do you feel it too?"
"Yeah," she said as she nodded her head and sat down next to him on the edge of his bed. "It feels stronger. Like… like… I don't even know the words to describe it, other than stronger," she said with a laugh. "Thank you."
"For what?" He asked. "Being a decent human?"
"For defending us," she said as she nudged his shoulder with hers. "Even though that is only going to make her think that I am dating you now," she said as she laid back.
"Would it be that bad?" He asked, making her laugh. "I mean, what would be worse?"
"Well, being as deceived to wait to tell everybody, I would say yes," she said as he leaned down to look at her.
"I'm sorry she said all of that," he told her, before he brushed some hair behind her ear. "I'll talk with FG about it."
"No," she said as she sat up. "I don't want to get FG involved."
"But she was way out of line," he said. "She needs to be punished."
Mal got up and started to pace around the room. She didn't want to get FG involved because she knew that Audrey would just go around the school and start telling people fake rumors about her siblings, especially Carlos. He has been going through a lot, and she did not want his personal information spread through the entire school.
"No," she said again, but this time her eyes flashed green, making Ben stare at her in shock. "If you tell FG, Audrey will just get even more pissed and start telling people the crap that is coming out of her mouth. Jay can handle it, but Evie and Carlos," she said as she looked at him. "She said horrible things about them. She is calling Evie a slut because she is getting tutoring, and she is calling Carlos a broken psychopath," she said as she started to cry.
"Hey," he said as he walked up to her. "It's okay," he told her and he wrapped his arms around her. "We're going to stay here for the rest of the day."
"We have to go back to class," she said, before she wiped her tears.
"No," he said as he shook his head. "I am going to call FG and tell her what happened, BUT," he said as before she could interrupt. "I will tell her not to say anything to Audrey. It will be a small tiff between us, but she will understand."
"Fine," she said. "I am going to go and change."
"Okay," he said, before she left and he called FG.
Like he told Mal, FG was not happy with what Ben told her. She told him that what Audrey said was very uncalled for and was against school rules. She understood and respected Mal's wishes, but told Ben that if it continued she was going to intervene. Ben told her okay and said that he would tell Mal. FG gave permission for Ben and Mal to have the rest of the day off, but told him that she expected them to be in class the next day. He thanked her, before he hung up the phone and went to change into something comfortable. When he finished he walked out of his bathroom to see Mal sitting on his bed in a pair of purple cotton shorts and an oversized t-shirt. She was flicking through the channels on his tv. He jumped on the bed, making her jump because she didn't know he was there yet.
"You scared me," she said as she shoved his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to."
"Yeah yeah," she said as she went back to flicking through the channels. "So, what is good to watch here in Auradon. We only get the news and more news on the Isle."
"We can watch a movie," he said as he took the remote out of her hand. "What do you think?"
"Sure," she said. "Your pick. I have never seen one."
"Okay," he said as he picked one of his favorite movies and turned it on.
They sat and watched the movie, and half way through, Mal had fallen asleep. She had curled into Ben's side, and he wrapped his arm around her so that she would be as close as he could get her. This was something he had wanted since he realized he loved her. He wanted her close. He wanted to feel her. He wanted her. He heard his phone vibrate and he slowly reached over to see that Evie had texted him, asking if he was with Mal. He sent a quick text telling them what had happened, and then he invited them to his dorm for dinner.
"Hey," he said through his mind link to wake Mal up.
"Uh uh," she said, before she wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried her face in his chest. "It's nap time."
"It has been nap time for almost an hour and a half," he said as he stroked her hair. "I invited your brothers and sister for dinner in my room. So, we need to decide what we want to order."
"What about pizza?" She asked as she peaked up at him.
"Okay," he said with a nod, before she curled back into his side. "They are going to be here in about an hour, so you need to get up so we can order a couple of pizzas."
"Can't you do it?" She asked as she turned over and pulled his throw blanket over his head.
"No," he said as he pulled the blanket off her. "And if you don't wake up, I am going to tickle you."
"You wouldn't dare," she said as she sat up and glared at him.
"I would and I will if you don't get up and help me," he said.
She groaned, making him laugh before she sat up and helped him pick what to get on the pizzas. About an hour later there was a knock at the door, and Mal walked over to see her siblings and they had the pizza.
"I was going to pay for that," Ben said as he walked up behind Mal with his wallet in his hand.
"Well, I beat you to the punch," Jay said as they walked in and closed the door.
They all enjoyed having dinner together and talking about what they did for the day. Jay almost burst into flames when he heard what Audrey had said about them, but he was more mad about what she said about Evie and Carlos.
"What does she know?" Jay said. "She wants to run her big mouth about us when she doesn't even know us."
"Ben yelled at her," Mal said as she leaned into Ben's side.
"That I did," Ben said as he kissed the top of her head. "I was in the library doing some homework, and then I felt how irritated Mal got."
"I could only imagine," Carlos said. "I don't know how she knows why I go to counseling, but I just hope people don't believe her about what she says."
"I doubt it," Ben said as he shook his head. "She is a gossip and people tend not to believe her, because things she has said in the past have not been true."
"It doesn't…"
"I know it doesn't change the fact that what she is doing is right, but if she does start saying all of that crap about you guys, I will be going to FG and her parents personally," he said.
"Thank you," Evie said, making everyone look at her. "I don't like what she is saying, but she doesn't understand that her words hurt more than she knows," she said, before Mal sprawled over to her and hugged her.
"It's okay, E," Mal said as she hugged Evie's head and stroked her hair. "You're okay."
Ben could feel Mal's heart grow heavy, but he did not want to intrude.
"I should explain," Evie said as she sniffled. "Before Papa Hades and Mama Persephone took us all in, my mother tried to marry me off," she started, making Ben's eyes grow wide. "She would have 'suitors' come and look at me," she said as she started to get choked up. "They would… gawk, and… make faces, and… t… touch me," she said as she started to cry.
"Evie?" Ben called, making the princess look at him. "Did… did…"
"No," Jay said as he shook his head. "They never got the chance to."
"The stupid thing of all of this, was that EQ would do this on neutral territory, and Papa or Mama would jump in and take Evie away," Carlos said. "And mama can throw a punch," he said, making everyone chuckle.
"I'm glad for that," Ben said. "You guys are the strongest people I have ever met," he said, making them all look at him. "I know I brought all of you over so I could finally meet Mal, but getting to know you all makes me want to start my initiative sooner."
"What initiative?" Carlos asked.
"My Isle initiative," he said. "I told Mal that I want to bring people over from the Isle, people who deserve it. People who deserve a second chance."
Evie, Jay, and Carlos looked at Ben in shock. They were not expecting that to come out of Ben's mouth, but they loved the idea.
"I will need all of your help," he said, breaking them out of their thoughts. "I know that this is a lot, but…"
"It's amazing," Carlos said with a smile. "I know a lot of adults and kids who don't deserve that life, and I am happy to hear that you want to make a change. Count me in."
"Me too," Evie said with a proud smile.
"Same," Jay said.
Ben smiled, before he looked down at his girlfriend.
"Hey, I told you I was in before we even got here," she said, making them laugh.
"Great," he said. "I could never thank you enough."
"No," Jay said. "We could never thank you enough."
They went on to enjoy the rest of their nights and they all ended up staying in Ben;s room for the night. Evie, Mal, and Ben had fallen asleep on the bed, with Mal sleeping in the middle, and Jay and Carlos sleeping on the air mattress that they inflated so they could watch movies. When they woke up the next day, they rushed to get ready for class, hoping that they would be able to make it in time so that they would not be late.
Two weeks had passed and Mal was in Ben's room having another movie date. This had become the way they had dates, since they were still not telling the world that they were a couple. They did this every couple of days, and it became one of their favorite things to do. It was a Saturday and typically some of the other kids went home for the weekend, but when Audrey heard that Ben was staying at school with the VKs, she decided to stay too. It was almost two in the afternoon, and she had not seen Ben yet, so she marched up to his room and knocked on the door.
"Maybe Evie and your mom finished early?" Mal questioned as Ben got off his bed and walked over to open the door.
when he saw who was on the other side of the door, his eyes almost popped out of his head. "What do you want, Audrey?" He asked as he threw his head back.
"I just came to see you," she said as she rocked back and forth on her heels. "I saw that you didn't come down for lunch, and I wanted to see if I could talk to you," she said as she walked into the room, and froze when she saw Mal sitting in his bed. "What the hell is she doing here?" She asked as she glared at Mal.
Mal rolled her eyes before she threw herself against the bed and groaned. "Gods this is not how I wanted my Saturday to go," she said as she threw her hands to her face.
"Ben, what is she doing here, and why is she on your bed?" Audrey asked again as she turned to look up at Ben.
"That's not really any of your concern, Audrey," Ben said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"What do you mean it is none of my concern?" She asked as she placed her hands on her hips. "You should not be associating yourself with people like her. What will Auradon think?"
"Auradon would think nothing of it," he said with a shrug. "What is wrong with her?" He asked.
"She is a…"
"Villain," Mal mocked as she sat up and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we get it, Audrey. You don't like me or my siblings."
"I am more concerned with you trying to spell my boyfriend," she yelled.
"First, I am not your boyfriend," Ben said. "Second, I will never be your boyfriend. And third, Mal is not spelling me."
"How would you know if you have been spelled?" She asked as she looked up at him. "You wouldn't and I know, because you would never treat me like this," she told him, before she put her hands on his chest. "This isn't like you."
Mal had to resist the urge to pounce on Audrey.not because she was jealous, but because she could feel Ben getting uncomfortable.
"Please, get your hands away from me," Ben said as he took a step back. "And please leave. We are in the middle of a movie."
"Do you like her or something?" She asked as she stomped her foot. "Because you can't. Auradon would never accept her as a queen or princess."
"She already is," he said as he glared at her. "If you remember, her father is the KING of the Underworld, making her the PRINCESS of the Underworld. And by that means, she outranks you because she is a god too."
"No she doesn't," she snapped. "She doesn't count as royalty."
"Says who?" Ben asked with a growl. "You? And who the hell are you allowed to say otherwise."
"Well, when we eventually…"
"Don't you fucking say 'well when we eventually get married', because I don't know how many times I have to tell you that WE ARE NEVER GETTING MARRIED!" He shouted in her face. "I invited Mal to study and we fucking finished. You are not my girlfriend to demand me and tell me who I can or cannot hang out with. You don't have a problem when I am around Jane or Lonnie," he said.
"Calm down, beastie boy," Mal said through their link.
"Why is that?" He asked, ignoring what Mal had said. "Are you jealous of Mal?" He asked. "Are you jealous that I might like her? Are you upset that I find her beautiful? What is it, Audrey?"
"She can't be queen," she hissed through her teeth.
"Why?" Mal asked as she walked up to Audrey and stood next to Ben. "Why couldn't I be queen? Why is that title so important to you?"
"That is none of your business," Audrey said as she glared at Mal.
"Just like it is none of your business why I am in Ben's room," she said, before she turned around and jumped back onto the bed. "Are you upset that he invited me and not you?"
"You know what you are?" She asked as she walked over to Ben's bed and glared at Mal. "You are nothing but a bad girl infatuation and a slut," she said, making Mal look at her with a raised eyebrow. "What kind of person, who has a boyfriend, cheats on them? That makes you evil."
Mal smirked, before she got up and stood two inches from Audrey's face. "I am not cheating on anyone," she said with a sweet smile. "But you are right about one thing. I am wicked, and I have every way to be. So, if you don't leave me and my siblings the fuck alone, I will show you just how wicked I can be."
Audrey's eyes widened, before she turned to Ben and saw him smirking. She didn't know what to do, so she ran out of the room and slammed the door on the way out. Mal started to laugh once the door closed and Ben walked over and leaned against the bed.
"She isn't going to stop, you know," he said, making her look up at him.
"I know, but why not make this fun if she is going to try to be a prissy pink princess?" She asked, making him laugh.
"What am I going to do with you, Mallory?" He asked as he cupped her face.
"Love me," she said with a cheeky smile.
"I already do," he said, before he pulled her in and kissed her.
The following week, Audrey had started spreading rumors about Mal cheating on her boyfriend, and now Mal was getting looks everywhere she walked. It had gotten to the point where she wanted to stay in her room, but she knew she would get into trouble if she did that. She hated the staring, but was just happy that her siblings weren't being talked about.
"I said I would settle it," Ben said as he looked at her.
She rolled her eyes, before meeting his eyes and saw that he was looking at her with a pleading look. Sure, it would help if he did, but it would also feed into the rumor of her cheating.
"It's fine," she said slowly. "I don't want people to think anything."
"What is the worst that could happen?" He asked. "What? They think you and I are dating?"
"Ben, people think I have a boyfriend back on the Isle," she said, making sure no one could hear her. "Not that my boyfriend is the further king of Auradon."
"I am going to kill her," Evie said as she, Carlos, and Doug sat down with Ben and Mal.
"Who?" Ben asked.
"Who do you think? Your prissy pink friend," she said before she slammed her book open. "It's bad enough that people think Mal is cheating on y… her boyfriend," she said, correcting herself. "But now, they are saying she spelled you to help her cheat."
"She said what?!" Mal exclaimed loudly.
"Calm down," Ben said as he put his hand on hers.
"Calm down? What do you mean calm down?"
"I am going to deal with it," he said. "She is not going to get away with it."
"Damn right she's not," Evie said, making Ben and Mal look at her. "No one believes it."
"What do you mean?" Mal asked.
"People don't believe that you spelled Ben," she said. "They don't know what to think about the cheating thing, because they always see us with him or you and him together. Haley told her grandfather, and he is in FG's office right now, and he is pissed."
"My uncle is here?" She asked in confusion.
"Yeah," Doug said. "Haley couldn't find you to warn you that your uncle and parents know, but…"
"My parents know?" Mal asked in shock.
"Apparently, Haley and Herkie were told by Audrey that you spelled Ben so that you were able to cheat on your evil boyfriend," Evie explained. "Which is stupid, because they are you cousins and why wouldn't they say something to defend you?"
"You would think," Mal grumbled. "Gods," she groaned as she threw her head back. "Now, I am going to have to write a letter to my parents after I get the novel I am going to get from them tomorrow."
A loud thunderous roar, making everyone in the school freeze and look toward the building just as Zeus and Hera walked out. He scanned the quart, looking for his niece, and when he found her he matched over.
"Looks like I am about to get talked to," she said as she stood up and walked over to him. "Hello, Uncle Zeus and Aunt Hera," she said as she looked up at her aunt and uncle.
"Are you okay, Mal?" Hera asked as she pulled her niece in for a hug.
"I'm doing," She said, before Zeus brought her in for a tight hug. "But now I am having a hard time breathing," she said, making her uncle let go and look down at her.
"We do not want you worrying about Princess Audrey anymore," he said. "She is going to be taken care of and all of these stupid rumors are going to stop."
Mal nodded her head. "How pissed are my parents?"
"Let's just say that this is yours now," Hera said as she gave her a small gold dish.
"What is this?" Mal asked, looking at the dish in confusion.
"It is a… communication dish," she said, trying to find the right wording so she wasn't confused. "Your parents, or should I say, mostly your father, found him and surprised us when it worked."
"What do you mean work?"
"Well, there is no magic on the Isle," Zeus started to explain. "Your father's face appeared in my dish and I was shocked to see him. I guess in your home, there is a leak in the barrier or it is below the Isle to where the barrier does not reach, but he was fuming after he found out what happened."
"How does it work?" She asked.
"All you have to do is put some water in the dish and say the name of the person you are trying to get ahold of," Hear explained.
"Do all of the gods have one of these?" She asked.
"Most," she said.
"Does… does Ursula have one?"
"We do not know," Zeus said.
Mal nodded her head. She was thinking about Uma. Sure, they don't get along, at all for that matter, but Mal still wondered if she was okay.
"Thank you," Mal said. "I'll call them when I get back to my dorm tonight."
"Okay," Zeus said as he gave her another hug. "Again, if you need anything, give us a call. You have two ways of connecting with us now," he said, making her laugh.
"I will," she said. "Thank you again."
"Anything for you," Zeus said, before he took Hera's hand and left in a bright light.
When the light faded, Mal walked back over to her friends and sat down.
"What's that?" Carlos asked as he pointed to the dish in Mal's hands.
"It's a communication dish," she said, before she put it in her bag. "I can call my parents with it."
"Really?" Evie asked with a smile.
"That's what my aunt and uncle said," she told them.
"Hey, Mal," Chad said as he walked up to the group.
Everyone turned to see the blonde prince standing behind Mal with a plate in his hand.
"Hey," she said, before she turned around to look at her sketchbook.
He sat down next to Mal, making Ben grow irritated.
"Calm down, Beastie boy," she said through their link. "It's not like he is professing his love for me."
"He better fucking not," Ben answered back.
"I brought you this," Chad said as he gave Mal the plate that was in his hand. He slid over the plate and everyone saw that it had a piece of chocolate cake on it. "I thought that you might want a snack."
"Oh," she said as she looked at the cake. "Thanks."
She didn't reach for the cake, not because she didn't like cake, but because she didn't trust people giving her food, unless it was her siblings, Ben, or his parents, though she did prefer strawberry cake.
"Not hungry?" He asked.
"Not really," she said as she shook her head.
"Oh, okay. How are you doing?" He asked. "I heard about the rumors."
Mal felt her chest get heavy and a growl in her throat. This was a new feeling, and when she reached for her throat, she looked up at Ben and saw him clenching his fit. This was what he was feeling on the inside, and now Mal knew how he felt when he was jealous.
"I told Audrey to stop," he said. "I hope that me doing that will help."
"Probably not," Ben said through his teeth as he smiled at Chad. "I have told her multiple times," he said. "What makes you think that she is going to listen to you?"
Chad didn't know what to say. He knew Audrey wouldn't listen and he also knew he didn't tell her anything either, he just wanted to impress Mal.
"Anyway," Chad said, trying to get off the topic. "I know Ben's coronation is coming up…"
"He's going to ask you," Ben said.
"I know," Mal said.
"Yeah," Mal said as she nodded her head. "I know, Ben has been telling us and we have been helping Belle at the castle on the weekends."
"Which she is very thankful for," Ben said as he gave Mal a sweet smile.
She gave him a smile and scrunched her nose, making his cheeks flush red.
"Yeah, about coronation," Chad said, making everyone turn to him. "I was wondering, since almost everyone is going with one, if you would be my date?"
Ben started to growl, making Chad look over in his direction, but Carlos was quick.
"Wow," he said as he started to rub his stomach, trying to cover for Ben. "I'm starving. Do you mind if I have this?" He asked as he pointed to the cake.
"Go for it, C," Mal said, before Carlos took the cake and started to eat it. "I prefer strawberry flavor anyway."
"Oh…" Chad said. "Um… okay. But anyway, about coronation…"
"Oh, yeah," she said as she started to chew on her pen. "About that… I already have a date."
"Who?!" Chad asked, making everyone look at him in shock from his outburst.
"Umm… I'd rather not say," she said as she slowly gathered her things. "Umm… I have to go. Evie? Do you want to do my fitting?"
"Yes!" She exclaimed as she shot up from her seat and latched herself onto Mal's hand. "Ben! Do you want me to do yours too? The sooner I start your suit the sooner it will be perfect for the coronation."
Ben looked at his watch, pretending that he was seeing if he had time. "Sure," he said as he got up.
He got up and followed Evie and Mal toward their dorm, leaving Chad with Carlos and Doug.
"Who asked her to the coronation?" Chad asked as he watched them walk away.
"She didn't even tell us," Carlos said as he licked his finger.
"I think she told Evie, but I am not sure," Doug said with a shrug. "Why don't you ask someone else?"
"I wanted to go with her," he said. "Look at her. She's gorgeous."
"She is, but she doesn't want to go with you," Doug said. "Maybe you should just move on."
"Yeah, okay," Chad scoffed. "Why don't you move on from Evie?"
"Because Evie said yes to going to the coronation with Doug," Carlos said.
"She said yes to you?" Chad asked.
"Yeah," Doug said as he nodded his head. "Why so shocked?"
"Because…"
"I would stop right there," Jay said as he sat down with Lonnie and Jane. "Evie likes Doug," he said. "That is the difference."
"What difference?"
"The difference is that Mal does not like you," Lonnie said.
"Yeah she does," Chad said as he crossed his arms.
"She may like you as a friend or person, but she doesn't like you in a relationship or romantic way," Jane said as she rolled her eyes.
Chad grumbles. He didn't want to think that way, because he wanted to have Mal be his girlfriend. He wanted to be the one to say that he is dating the big bad from the Isle.
"Whatever," he said. "I guess Lonnie and I could go together then."
"I already have a date, Chad," Lonnie said, making him look at her in shock. "Jay asked me."
"Seriously?" He groaned. "What about you, Janey?"
"Carlos asked me," she said as she flipped through her book.
"So all of you are going with a VK?" He asked.
"You could always ask Audrey," Doug said, making everyone laugh.
Back in Mal and Evie's dorm, Mal was trying to calm Ben down.
"Okay, he asked me," she said. "You were there when I said that I had a date."
"I know," he said as he rubbed his hands down his face. "I just hate that you can't say that I am your date."
Mal felt bad. She knew that they were both having trouble with keeping their relationship a secret. She had to admit that she would feel better if they were just public now, but she just didn't want to deal with more of Audrey's crap right now. She just wanted to wait a little bit longer.
"How about this?" She asked as she walked up to him and took his hands into hers. "We can say we are a couple closer to family day," she said. "How about that?"
"When?" He asked as he smiled down at her.
"Well, coronation day is in two months, we won't see anyone until family day because we take the week of coronation off, so… family day?" She asked.
He smiled down at her, before he grabbed her face and kissed her. "I can deal with that," he said as he pulled away and looked at her.
"Glad to hear," she said, making Evie and Ben laugh.
The next couple of days, Audrey had not been going around saying much about the VKs, but she didn't stop. She would only talk about it to Ariana, but whenever someone over heard it, like Haley, they went off. Mal had to drag her away, before she started a storm in the library, and that led to FG getting involved again. She had received two weeks of detentions and had to make an apology to Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos in front of the entire school. Mal and the others thought that the public apology was very unnecessary, but FG along with Audrey's parents thought that it was a reasonable punishment for all of the torment she caused them. It was not a heartfelt apology, and Aurora looked like she was going to yell at Audrey for not making it sincere. Aurora apologizing to the VKs was more apologetic than Audrey's. After that, everything around school got better. People weren't staring at Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos anymore, but when Audrey tried to start a rumor, people didn't believe her because of what happened.
A month before coronation, Evie was in a jam. She had to make 5 dresses and 5 suits in a month. It was the weekend, and Belle took Mal and Evie to the mall to get all of the fabric Evie would need for the dresses and suits. While Evie was running around the fabric store, Mal snuck away to get a couple of things at the art store. Ben had given her his credit card so that she could buy whatever she wanted, even though she protested saying that her uncle had given them money last week when he sent Haley and Herkie's allowance.
"There you are," Belle said as she walked down the aisle at the art store to find Mal with a couple of notebooks in her hands.
"Here I am," Mal said, making Belle laugh. "Sorry I walked off. I just didn't know how long Evie was going to take and I wanted to get a couple of things before the stores closed."
"Well, she is still in there, but they are cutting everything she needs, so she will be done in maybe another 45 minutes," she said, making Mal laugh.
"Okay, I'l head to check out so we can meet her."
Mal went to buy all of her things, and the man at the register looked at Mal skeptically when he saw Ben's name on the card, but when Belle walked up he quickly changed his tune, rang them up, and wished them a good day. Belle explained that she should not take offense to the man looking at her skeptically, because people have called the castle when Chip has run errands for Ben before. That made her feel better, because she did not want people thinking that she was stealing. They met Evie just as she was walking up to the register and her hands were full of fabric. When they got back to the castle, Mal went into her room and called her parents from the dish her uncle and aunt got her.
"So things are better?" Persephone asked.
"Yes, mom. Things are better," she said.
"Good," Hades said with a snarl. "You would think that a princess from Auradon would act properly."
"You would, wouldn't you?" Ben said, making Mal look up and see Ben standing in her doorway.
"Hey," she said with a smile. "I'm just talking to my parents."
"Does Beastie boy want to meet us?" Hades asked with a smirk, making Mal give him a 'you better not embarrass me' look.
"Sure," Ben said as he walked over and stood behind her as she sat down in front of her desk. "Hello, Lord Hades and Lady Persephone. I'm Ben."
"We know who you are, Prince Ben," Persephone said with a chuckle. "But it is very nice to meet you."
"Are you guys talking to Mally without me?" Hadie asked as he jumped on his dad's back.
"You were napping," Hades said as he put Hadie in a headlock. "Ben is also here too."
Hadie snapped his head and saw his sister and her boyfriend in the portal. "Hello," he said shyly.
"Hi, Hadie," Mal said as she waved at her brother.
"Hello," Ben said with a wave.
"I hope you are staying out of trouble," Mal said, making her brother nod his head.
"We would love to stay and talk all night, but your mother and I…"
"You're Prince Ben," Hadie said, cutting his dad off.
"I am," Ben said with a nod. "And you are Mal's little brother."
"Evie, Jay, and Carlos are my brothers and sister too," he said.
"I do know that," Ben said with a laugh. "I was just saying Mal's name, because she is the only one here."
"Where are Jay and Carlos anyway?" Persephone asked.
"Evie is in the sewing room, trying to get dresses and suits done for the coronation," Mal said.
"And Jay and Carlos are in my gaming room, watching a movie with my dad and Chip," Ben said.
"I see," Hades said. "I want to say thank you for giving my kids a chance," he said. "And for defending my kids when people were being awful to them."
"You really don't have to thank me," he said. "Mal is my girlfriend and I was not going to let Audrey treat your kids like that. She should know better."
"You would think," Ben said. "She has been this way since we were young. She feels entitled."
"Being a princess does not mean you are entitled to anything," Persephone said. "Evie and Mal know that. They are princesses."
"Yeah… let's not get in the habit of calling me a princess," Mal said.
"I'm sorry to tell you this, Mally, but you are a princess," Hades said, making Mal groan. "And with that said, we will leave you to enjoy the rest of your night," he said as he looked at Ben and gave him a pointed look. "Your interrogation will have to be another time."
"Yes, sir," Ben said with a chuckle, before the picture of them disappeared. "They were nice."
"What were you expecting?" Mal asked as she grabbed the dish and walked over to her bathroom.
"Nothing, I was just stating a fact," he said as he followed her.
"Yeah," she said as she smiled at him. "They're pretty great."
"You miss them?" He asked.
"More than anything," she said with a smile.
He smiled at her and started to think, and it didn't take him long to figure out how he was going to surprise Evie, Mal, Jay, and Carlos.
Until next time my Lovies! xoxo GM