She can't help her smile as she watches Carlos and Dude chasing each other across the courtyard.
It was a welcomed distraction from everything that had happened in the last few weeks.
And God, if a lot hadn't happened.
She was pretty sure half of it hadn't even registered yet.
The video chat.
The ceremony.
Maleficent.
Mal turning into a dragon.
Running away.
Jay being so hurt.
Being found.
Being in the hospital.
And now, to top it all off, the letters.
The letters.
That had been bitter-sweet. Well, bitter-sweet and confusing.
She rolls her lip between her teeth.
It was like having a piece of home.
The good pieces.
Filled to the brim with reassurances that everything on the Isle was okay. Well, as okay as it possibly could be.
It was as if she could hear them whenever she read over them.
And she couldn't even count the number of times she'd done that since receiving them.
She already had them memorized, and they'd just gotten them yesterday.
They were just so painfully them.
Not that she knew three of them- She frowns, four.
Not three. Four.
Faustina.
She still wasn't sure what to do with that. Like at all.
The girl was so at odds with T it was-
She didn't really have a word. The closest she could come to was absurd.
It was absurd to think that a well-spoken, well-written girl could be lurking in T somewhere.
Or-
She closes her eyes.
-rather, T was lurking in her.
Just how?
Why?
She gives the barest shake of her head.
Best not to go down that horrid rabbit hole.
But seriously, how!?
T was just so… So, not that.
How could that girl have- come up with? Created? She bites her lip harder.
She hated both those descriptors.
T wasn't-
T was real.
Real and a boy.
But, the other, Faustina...
It hurt her head just thinking about it.
Like the pieces just couldn't click.
Nothing about it made sense.
She startles when she's gently knocked forward. "Wha-?" She turns to find Mal looking her over in concern.
Oh. That's right.
She blushes slightly.
"So, like, sup with that face." Mal lifts her eyebrow. "You're spacin' harder than Ben does, you, like, okay or whatever?" She asks as her face pinches in concern.
"Oh." She blinks. "I was just thinking…"
"Thinkin' huh?" Mal turns to watch Carlos. "That's dangerous right now."
She cuts herself off before she can snort. "No kidding." She lowers her gaze as she picks at the hem of her skirt.
It was scary when Mal thought thinking was a bad idea. The other girl pretty much did nothing but overthink everything. It was like Mal's favorite hobby. How bizarre to hear their leader-
Oh! That was another word she could apply to Faustina and T being the same person, bizarre.
"Wanna…" Mal puffs her cheeks as she looks away and shifts in discomfort, "Wanna talk about it. Whatever's bothering you, I mean…"
She turns in surprise.
Had Mal- MAL- Seriously just-
She smiles, "I mean, if you're offering, then yes, I kinda would."
Mal nods as she leans back against the table. "Well, sup then."
God, where to start. "It's just-" A small smile tugs at her lips as Dude nearly trips Carlos in his enthusiasm. "-the letters."
Mal snorts. "No shit, right?" She shakes her head. "That shit was…" She sighs.
Oh good, at least she wasn't the only one who was lost. "It was nice to hear from them."
Mal glances at her from the side of her eyes. "Don't tell me you had a secret relationship with the rats too."
Did Mal, big bad, rotten to the core, Mal just whine? Her lips twitch into a small smile.
"No," She breathes. "Can't say I did. Though-" She drops her eyes back to her lap as she lowers her voice, "I wish I'd gotten an opportunity too. They seem nice. It's silly to think about, now that we're here, I mean. I think we could've gotten along well…" She turns to look up at the bright blue sky and puffy white clouds. Deez certainly always thought so too. "But, then again, things are so much different here than the Isle." She finishes softly.
It hurt to think about.
Losing the opportunity to make friends with such a caring group of people.
Her lips curl into a wicked smile, "I did kiss Harry once, though."
Mal's head turns so quick it pops. "The fuck!? When!"
"The last time the Rats 'kidnapped' Carlos."
Mal growls quietly before the tension leaves her, and she looks away guiltily. "Ugh." She groans. "Another day I try not to think about." She rests her arms on the table behind her as she gazes into the clouds with a pensive frown.
She turns at the regret in Mal's voice, narrowing her eyes at the sadness.
Mal had been ruthless that day.
Sure their leader had been prone to foul moods, especially on the Isle, but the way she'd gone off on Harry.
The way Harry had barely put up a fight…
The concern the pirate had for their pup as he just let the attacks happen.
It had been so out of character for Harry, or at least out of character for his mask.
The crazed drunk.
The promiscuous pirate.
The mouthy, flamboyant second to one of the most powerful gang leaders.
She sighs.
She knew D and T liked him, sure.
That should have been one of her first clues.
The second should've been how he'd always been sweet to her.
He was so gentle whenever they fought, and she knew he could have easily overpowered her.
She wasn't blind. Or stupid despite how many wanted her to be.
She'd noticed how his strikes never had power behind them. Never against her.
She bites her lip.
The third clue should've been the way he revered her like the princess she was, or at least had been on the Isle.
He was usually so crude. Vulgar in his comments towards his prey and conquests. But never, not even once, with her.
Sure he'd made promises that made her blush and left her flustered, but they paled in comparison to how he approached others.
She's always brushed it off as him knowing Jay and Mal might literally kill him… But now?
Now she was pretty sure it was out of respect.
For Deez.
Jay.
T.
Maybe even for Carlos near the end.
Speaking of their pup, he and Jay-
She wasn't surprised Jay had a secret relationship with the Pirate, but to find out that Carlos had one too was just unexpected.
Then again, with his club, she wasn't sure why she was surprised.
As strong as T was- his greatest strength was his dexterity.
She should've figured it out sooner.
It wasn't like she was unaware of his relationship with the Rats, even if he didn't speak of them.
She wouldn't have guessed T would have had the audacity to ask Gil to join his little project after inviting Carlos.
Even for him, that was pushing a line with Mal. One she would have thought he'd never be stupid enough to cross.
When his letter flashes in her mind-
She wasn't sure why she had ever given him that much credit.
It doesn't stop the twitch of her lips though.
She shakes her head.
Not the point.
Jay.
Carlos.
Harry.
Mal.
"Fair," She sighs once it's clear Mal wasn't going to continue, "But I wouldn't be too hard on yourself Mal, I know that was a rough day for you. With Deez being forced into joining the gang on my account-"
God. The guilt she'd felt that day…
How awful she'd felt for everyone involved.
The whole thing had been so overwhelming.
All she'd done-
All she could do, was watch it happen.
She shakes her head before she lets out a heavy sigh.
Mal looks her over. "Don't sweat it, Princess. We all would've done it. For you or the pup. We like-" She takes a deep breath, "Care about you and shit." She mumbles.
She smiles brightly.
She'd always known Mal cared about her.
Dare she say, even loved her.
Well, as much as she could anyway.
But to hear it from her own lips?
Warmth bubbles in her chest as she places a hand over her heart.
Could you die from happiness?
God, Mal had come so in such a short amount of time.
She'd always known it.
Had always been able to see past the carefully molded mask.
But to hear her actually admit it?
To hear her speak about her feelings so… okay, still not openly, but to admit she had them for her?
To hear that she would have done the same thing, for her and for Carlos in Deez's stead?
The Isle had made it so hard and confusing to talk about anything. Well, anything not related to power and dominance.
She does her best to contain the joy that the words had brought her.
She didn't doubt it for a second.
Even on the Isle, Mal had always looked away and made concessions for her and their pup.
But no one dared to point it out, lest it stopped.
"But-" Mal coughs, as she tilts her head just so, letting her hair cover her blush. "Sup with you? And that face earlier."
She sighs. "It's just," She bites her lip, "that letter. From T's other personality." She, Faustina, had called T her brother in her letter. But even thinking about that girl and T being raised by the same person seemed ludicrous. "It was just so, well…" The right word still eluded her.
Maybe there wasn't one?
"Tch." Mal scoffs, "Not T?"
"Yeah," She nods mutely as she shifts.
"I know." Mal tilts her head back to watch the sky, "It's fucking dumb."
Dumb, meaning their leader didn't know what to make of it either.
Something in her chest loosens. At least she wasn't the only one.
"It's just so, so, peculiar-" That didn't seem like the right word either, "To think that they're the same person." She sighs as she goes back to pluck the hem of her skirt.
Mal scoffs again, "That's a way to put it, fucking disturbing is what I think. No wonder the freak kept her-" She blinks.
Yeah. She was having the same problem.
T was a him… right? Even though he was in a girl's body, and she was Faustina.
"I mean, she called him her brother." Mal frowns, "So, like, did he know about her? And just like, never talk about her? Cause, like- Fuck." She shakes her head.
"I don't know." She furrows her brow, "But, thinking back. There were a few times he was sick. But seriously, other than that? Didn't he always end up saying he had something he had to do late at night?"
Was he checking on his sister?
And if he was was, how did that work?
And why always so late?
Mal stills before she shivers, "Yeah."
She turns to study Mal.
She knew something.
Had an answer she clearly wished she didn't.
It wasn't like Mal to be so… Disgusted? By something. At least not so openly.
"S'not like it matters." Mal frowns.
She frowns. How didn't it matter?
"The fucking bitch-" Mal growls, "Knows it too. We all did. Fuck knows they-" She pauses. "They have to, right?" She asks in uncertainty, "Know that they can't be-"
Oh.
She sighs as she looks towards the barrier wistfully.
It was like Faustina knew, or at least concluded, that it would be a long time before the sea family would be able to come over.
The ache in her chest returns.
"The way that fucking bitch wrote it…"
Made it seem like maybe the Sea Family was still hopeful they would be coming over sooner.
She takes a deep breath before she lets it out slowly.
"God. I didn't even…" She blinks away the tears. "I mean, it's Deez and her family. They've had to realize it, right?"
She turns at the desperation in her tone.
She'd, Faustina, cried while writing that letter. Had admitted she'd struggled with wanting to burn it.
But-
"I-"
They were so wrapped up in their current dilemma they didn't even notice someone walking over to them.
At least she wasn't the only one to jump at the sudden shift and creak of the table.
"You fucker!" Mal growls as she turns and swings at Hiro.
Hiro laughs giddily as he rolls backward and lands on his feet. "Language." He grins cockily.
"Come here and feel my language, you asshole," Mal growls as she balls her hands into fists.
Hiro clicks his tongue, "I'm good, Malgon." He chuckles. "Jus' wanted to give you lovely ladies a heads up that I'm-"
"As in, you conveniently fucking saw us or wouldn't say shit before kidnapping our pup!" Mal corrects haughtily, murder in her eyes.
"Technically isn't really kidnapping if one, he wants to come, and two, I'm gonna be his dad. So, hah," The man sticks his tongue out childishly.
"Don't fucking remind me that he'll have to deal with you like that." Mal rolls her eyes, "It makes me want to punch you harder."
Hiro's grin was so reminiscent of T's she can't help her smile.
"Please," Hiro scoffs, "You'd have ta catch me first." He chuckles before he leaps up and over the table and takes off running.
Mal's eyes flash green as one twitches. "I fucking swear, I just want to punch his smug-ass face."
She does her best to mask her amusement as she follows Hiro.
She smiles when he picks Carlos up mid-stride, making their pup yelp as he laughs at Dude nipping at his heels.
All without missing a step.
Jay would have been proud.
"You know," She puts a finger to her lips, "He's awfully agile for an adult."
"Stupid fucking old man." Mal huffs as she continues to glare after them.
She smiles as she reaches up and squeezes Mal's shoulder. "Even you have to see the irony in calling that man stupid." Her eyes narrow when she finds herself wondering how old Hiro is.
"Tch." Mal growls, "Like fuck I do, all the book smarts in the world and he's-" She cups her hands near her mouth, "STILL DUMB AS FUCK!"
Hiro's laugh echoes back to them.
"Fucking asshole." Mal seethes, forcing her to cover her smile.
Seriously though, he couldn't be that old. Even if he was the one in charge of the biggest tech school in the world.
"Wow, seems like when you have an opinion, it is a loud opinion."
She turns with Mal to find Jordan standing behind them, flicking her long dark purple ponytail over her shoulder.
Mal grunts before she crosses her arms and turns on her heels, "What can I say? We call it as we see it." She shrugs before her eyes narrow, "Finally came outta hiding I see. I felt you staring for like five minutes now."
"Lit. Someone said you guys were good at that. Like eyes in the back of your head parent style."
"Something like that," She smiles innocently, wishing she'd paid more attention to the fact she'd still felt watched even after Hiro's visit.
"Mind?" Jordan asks as she points at the bench across from them.
"Not at all," Her smile sweetens before Mal could answer as she shoots her a 'don't you dare look' even as she guides her to sit at the bench.
They'd been told to talk to this girl several times. To make a good impression and get her to see things from their point of view, and here she was, seeking them out.
Like hell she was letting Mal muck this up because of her temper.
"I guess," Mal grumbles as she plops down, leaning forward with her chin and her hand.
Good. She nods in approval, knowing it was the best she was going to get.
"How can we help you?" She asks curiously.
"Well, one, loved the digs at the Ceremony. That was deck. Totes want to commission you for the next dance, by the by. But besides that, like obvi, so, so, so, much."
She blinks. What dance? "I'd be happy to create one for you. What are you-"
"Bet." Jordan grins as she pulls out her phone moments before hers beeps.
She lifts an eyebrow as she pulls out her phone and finds a text, feeling Mal leaning over her shoulder.
"Yeah, that's not fuckin' creepy or anything cyberstalker." Mal rolls her eyes.
"Ooh, Dragon girl, chill," Jordan grins. "So, yeah. Speaking of Dragon, give me them deets. Sup with the whole turnin' into a dragon biz? New? Old? Scary? Fun?"
Mal stares at the other girl blankly for an awkward amount of time, even for her, before she stands up. "E." She snaps her fingers as she walks away.
"Right." She jumps to her feet. "I'll text you later about the dress." She calls over her shoulder as she rushes to catch up with Mal.
"Oh, come on. Don't be like that. Look, heard, ya don't want to talk about the whole dragon thing. How about saving Auradon?"
She winces at the question.
Saving Auradon?
Everyone kept saying that. Well, the people they surround themselves with did. But she couldn't see it, and if Mal's stiffening and blatant ignoring of the question was any indication, she wasn't the only one.
She frowns at Mal's back.
This was so rude. She swallows a groan before she turns in her stylish heels. "Sorry, Jordan, but we've got a lot on our minds. Maybe later?"
"Bet!" Jordan smiles as she jumps to her feet, "I'm third floor, Genie lamp on the door can't miss it." She chuckles. "For breathin' fire, the girl's got some ice, lovin it."
"Excellent." She forces a smile on her face.
"Ya'll have been through a lot of shit, so totes take your time. I'll be ready when you are."
"We'll keep that in mind." She offers with a wave before she turns and continues to follow Mal.
All and all, that could have gone better.
Then again, she studies Mal's back; it could've gone worse as well.
Anyone else as confused as Evie?
Picking up clues on Faustina and T's relationship? You guys certainly have more to go with than this pack and fam.
Did you enjoy some E-trospection?
We know this book is far from riddled with it. (As Mal and Evie's main it was a serious struggle to write these two up until the last quarter of this book, so you know, rip me a new one if you're pissed about it)
Lot's of contemplating the past and trying to make sense of shit in this one.
*Rolls eyes* You know, like so different from the last several chapters I know.
Where do you guys stand on Jordan?
Can you blame Mal for all but fucking her off for that line of questioning?
Vloggers man. Don't give a fuck 'bout your business lest it's about getting it.
I know we should probably have more of her, but damn, we're already juggling so many characters.
Fave quote:
"Tch." Mal growls, "Like fuck I do, all the book smarts in the world and he's-" She cups her hands near her mouth, "STILL DUMB AS FUCK!"
What's yours?
Much love and appreciation,
-Twisted