Chapter Two: Auradon Kids Now

The four teens from the Isle walked down one of the outdoor walkways of the school, black stone under their feet. Chad and Jane led the way, both having found their strength in this villainous land. Chad had grown out his blonde curl, letting them dangle into his eyes. His black leather gloves contrasted against his ripped light blue t-shirt and his jeans had just the right amount of grunge. Jane was wearing her iconic black leather vest with berry lining and her wand's outline spray painted silver on the black. Underneath was a grungy lavender dress with a high slit up the skirt.

Ben and Audrey brought up the rear, though Ben was walking without really seeing anything.

Girls and boys alike turned to look at the group.

"Sup Audrey?"

"Hi Chad."

"Hey guys!"

Chad and Audrey waved to them all while Jane just shook her head.

"Why do you guys do this?" she asked. "Just pick someone to take to Cotillion already."

But Chad shook his head, waving at a group of Mad Mim's granddaughters. "I'm going solo. That way I can dance with all of them."

Audrey laughed. "Besides, I'm not interested in any second-rate boys here."

Jane giggled but it fell away quickly. "Audrey. Say you…were interested in asking someone to Cotillion. Or going with someone. How would you…?"

Audrey slung her arm around Jane's waist, nearly making the smaller girl trip because she couldn't keep up with Audrey's long stride. "All you really need, Jane, is…to look like me."

"Very funny!" Jane bit back with a smile, pushing Audrey back. But even in six-inch stilettos, she didn't stumble once.

Carlos suddenly walked up to the group, all black, white, and red leather, his black and white hair a little longer and flopped over his dark eyes. Jane felt her heart drop and speed up all at the same time.

"Hey Jane."

"Hey Carlos." She noticed her friends drift off, Audrey sharing a grin with Chad. They weren't helping her nerves at all.

"I was wondering…um." His hands were fiddling with a little black electronic box, probably for his Villainy of the Modern Age class. Carlos was very advanced in tech stuff. Not that Jane had noticed. "If you liked the dark chocolate cake last night?"

Right. Cake. Jane pasted on a smile. "I had the blackberry pie."

"Oh, cool."

"Are you headed to class?" Jane quickly asked before he could walk away. "I'm headed to Evil Spell Tools, near the tech wing. I could walk with you."

He smiled and nodded, heading off. Jane cast one last look at her friends (Audrey actually winked at her) before following him.

Meanwhile, Audrey had walked up to her two best villain friends, Evie and Dizzy.

"I have an opening for a fitting at three, who wants it?" she asked them.

"Me!" Evie exclaimed. "I can't wait to see what you've cooked up."

"I'm thinking rhinestones."

"Ben!" Dizzy exclaimed, drawing his and Chad's eyes. "I know I keep bugging you but the decoration committee, mainly me…okay it's just me on the committee. But I need answers."

Ben blinked, stunned to be spoken to let alone awake. "And I will give you those answers, but I…need to get to class."

"I could help!" Chad offered. "I'm thinking ice flowers, maybe a tasteful sculpture, oh and chocolate!"

Dizzy glared at him, her horned rim glasses slipping down her nose in a fair impression of her mother. "This is Ben's Cotillion. Not yours."

Chad slumped and trudged through the halls. After six months of indulging nearly every whim of his, he'd become very entitled in Ben's opinion.

Dizzy pushed her glasses back up and tapped her tablet. "So, Ben, back to it."

"Dizzy-"

"Just nod if you like it!" She started flipping through pictures on her tablet. "Chair swags, entry banner, flaming lights, napkin design, table bunting, and you still haven't picked the last party favor yet."

Ben stopped mid-nod and glared at her. Something hot was starting to travel through his bones. "Dizzy I really don't-"

She cut him off. "I mean we can do flaming key chains, dragon pen toppers, I kind of love the pen toppers, but we can do-"

Her babbling fell off when she noticed Ben's snarl, his canines out and eyebrows furrowed. His eyes flashed yellow for just a moment.

But as quickly as it came, it was gone and replaced with his vaguely villainous smirk. "You know, I say pen toppers."

Dizzy returned his smile. "You won't regret it."

Evie slung her arm around Ben's shoulders, her red lips curled into a Cheshire cat smile. "I can't wait to see what your wedding will be like."

"Me too." Ben's eyes suddenly bugged out and he pushed off Evie's arm. "Wait, what?"

"The royal Cotillion is like getting engaged to be engaged to be engaged," Dizzy explained.

"I knew it!" Audrey squealed with a little clap.

"King Hans's daughter Hannah just proposed to her boyfriend and their Cotillion was two years ago." Evie shoved a tabloid into Ben's hands that he leafed through at lightning speed. "Everyone knows what a Cotillion means."

Ben stared at the happy couple and the massive ring on the Princess of Arendelle's finger. His throat was suddenly very dry. "Well, I didn't know that! No one told me that, is my whole life just being planned out for-!"

"Ben!"

The group turned to see Mal slip her arm around Ben's waist and smile mischievously up at him. "What are we talking about?"

"Nothing-"

"The Cotillion!"

"Your wedding!"

Ben glared at the girls, causing them to scatter.

"What was that all about?" Mal laughed. But it was cut off when she saw Ben's dark face. "Hey, you good? You look…angry."

"So do half the students here," Ben snipped, pushing his hand through his shaggy hair. The blue bangs caught him by surprise. "You said being here in Auradon means we make our own choices, didn't you?"

"Yes. Because it's true," Mal reminded him. "Why?"

Ben, half a second from ranting about all the pressure and expectations and the life he felt he was being boxed into, turned to face Mal. And when his eyes met hers, he felt his heart rate slow and his breathing even out.

Auradon was wild and crazy and nothing like he had expected. Even after six months, he still felt out of place. But when he looked at Mal, he didn't care. She loved him and that was enough.

"Mal, I need you for one tinie winie-" Dizzy said, slowly approaching the couple, tapping her tablet with her stylus.

"What?" Mal snapped, making Ben laugh and Dizzy freeze.

"It's about the, um, thing." She lowered her glasses knowingly.

Mal's scowl vanished and she nodded. "Ah, yes. I'll catch you later, Ben?"

She slipped away from him, following Dizzy down the hall looking at her notes. Ben watched her go before Audrey captured his arm and started pulling him to class.

Yes, Mal was enough. He would prove to her, to everyone, that she had made the right choice. He would prove that he was bad enough.

Dizzy swiped past image after image of stained-glass windows. Gaston shooting the Beast, Lady Tremaine breaking Cinderella's glass slipper, Ursula with her trident.

"They're almost finished the border and will be ready to finish the piece after Ben does his great evil act," Dizzy explained, flipping to another image, one of Mal at her coronation, Phillip's sword aflame in her hand. "It will look great next to yours."

Mal nodded along, shoving a freshman out of their way as they walked. "Make sure you get it right. I sent my design over a month ago and it better be perfect."

"It will be," Dizzy assured her, pulling swatches of glass out of her bag. "What blue should they use again."

Mal carefully evaluated them before selecting the middle one. "If this doesn't end well, it's on your head, Dizzy."

The young girl tried to nod confidently but her huge eyes betrayed her nerves. Mal just smirked evilly before heading to her next class. Yes, everything was falling into place for this wicked queen.

Audrey hummed softly to herself as she ran inky blue fabric under her sewing machine. 27 dresses, 3 suits, and a spiffy bowtie had all been ordered from her new mini fashion boutique she was running out of her dorm room: Audrey's Ensembles. She still had quite a few to go and was planning on spending many sleepless nights before Cotillion working on them.

A knock at the door disrupted her focus and she looked up to glare at it. A moment later, the person knocked again.

Audrey stood and walked across her room (which was a feat considering how much space was being taken up by her sewing supplies). When she opened it, she was met with a very sulky pirate.

"No Harry." She started to slam the door shut but he stuck his foot in its path quickly.

"Come on, Audrey, I'll pay ya double," he offered. Audrey didn't bother fighting and just went back into her room. Harry pushed the door all the way open and stepped in after her. "I'm a pirate, I don't know what to wear to these fancy shindigs.

"Look it up online, open a magazine, ask someone else!" Audrey snapped. "I'm not making you a Cotillion outfit."

"But why?" He stuck his lip out in a mock pout. Audrey refrained from sticking him with a sewing needle.

"Because firstly, I don't like you. Second, you've been picking on my friends and I, especially Ben, all year. And third, you keep trying to get Mal to take you back." She crossed her arms and huffed. "This is Ben's night, not yours. So, I'm not helping you ruin it."

"Harry, you're here again?"

Audrey waved at Chad as he stuck his head into her dorm. He was in his official gear for Dueling Squad, the spring sport, with his black sweats and dark zip up tank hoodie decorated with green flames.

"We got practice in five, let's go!" Chad called to Harry who was still pouting about Audrey.

"Fine!" Harry tossed up his arms in frustration. "I don't need some Isle girl's help anyway! And why'd coach make you captain, hm? Not like you're any good at it."

"I'm at least good at keeping my team punctual," Chad huffed, yanking Harry out of the dorm and waving goodbye to Audrey

As the pair left, Jane came into the room, responding to Harry's dark scowl with an equally icy glare.

"What's his problem?" she asked, dumping her school bag on the only empty space in the room, her own bed.

"Still upset I won't make him an outfit," Audrey sighed, slumping in front of her sewing machine. "As if I don't have enough to do already!"

"You're the one who took the orders," Jane laughed, pulling out her homework. "Next time just say no."

"Next time?" Audrey was suddenly on her feet again, stalking her way towards Jane. "What next time? Do you think Carlos is going to hold a Cotillion for you?"

"What?" Jane snapped her book shut, bright pink. "No! I mean…it doesn't…he can't…"

Audrey was grinning wickedly and humming a love song under her breath. Jane angrily shook her head, as if blocking out the tune.

"Even if Carlos and I were…" she petered off. "Cotillions are only for royals presenting serious partners so they can prove their wickedness and join the court. Carlos isn't royal so he can't…wouldn't…it doesn't matter."

"Right." Audrey nodded slowly. "Of course, it doesn't."

"Oh, go sew a dress!" Jane threw a pillow at her head and the two dissolved into a giggly pillow fight.

Ben was running through the halls to his locker. People were staring but no more so than usual. His fingers fumbled to open it and he heaved a sigh of relief when it did. Sometimes freshmen cursed them shut for Hexing 101 homework and he did not have time to find someone to do an undoing spell.

"Hey Ben."

He jumped about a mile to find his girlfriend leaning against the locker next to his.

"Mal." He put his hand over his racing heart. "You scared me."

"Ooh, my three favorite words," she simpered, kissing him on the cheek. "I have a surprise for you."

"Again? That's the third one this month."

She gave him a teasing smile. "Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all," Ben laughed.

"Good!" Mal squeezed his hand. "Because I'm going to show everything great about being evil. You'll see."

"I don't doubt it." Ben went to close his locker. But Mal's keen eyes peered in before he could.

"Are those the potions I gave you? For speed reading and easy memorization?"

Ben quickly closed his locker and leaned against it. "Are those still in there?"

Mal's eyes narrowed…

Ben shoved his hands in his pockets, not meeting her eyes. "I really gotta get to class, I don't want to be late."

He started to walk off, but Mal grabbed his hands and pulled him back. "No, no, no! You're always in class or doing homework and I'm always in meetings or doing boring queen stuff."

"You love being queen." Ben raised an eyebrow.

Mal laughed. "Yeah, I do. But that doesn't mean I don't love you too. So, we are going to have fun today! Come on!"

Mal dragged him outside to where the sky was always overcast and stormy. She led him to the parking lot where her dark purple and black motorcycle with the dragon ornament was parked. But sitting next to it was…

"Ta da!" Mal exclaimed, indicating a navy bike with gold stripes and a matching beast ornament next to hers.

Ben felt his jaw drop.

"This way we can go on rides together," Mal explained, her hand gliding across the leather seat. "It'll be so much fun, you'll see!"

"I…wow." He didn't say her bike half terrified him.

"So, let's go." She tossed him a navy helmet which he barely caught before she swung onto her own bike.

Ben felt his nerves screaming, but he climbed onto his as well.