"love is a blessing and a curse

love is the reason that we hurt"

- love, thatguyistommy

"Do you think we'll have school tomorrow?"

Mal laughed at Jay's question, her first laugh since she had been Mallory.

As Bennett (or Benjamin, because oh my god, she had been dating the prince whose parents trapped them on that godforsaken island) blew up her phone, she felt disdain for Mallory, the perfect daughter and the perfect student and the perfect girlfriend. Always so afraid to make a mistake or break the rules. It made her want to hurl just thinking about it.

"We better not," Carlos said, wrapping an arm around Evie's waist and pulling her into Granny's Bed and Breakfast. Shouts were coming from down the street, so Jay took up the rear and led them all in. Mal fought a smile as they fell back on old habits.

"So what's the plan?" Evie asked the second they slid into a booth. They all fixed their eyes on Mal. Yeah, old habits die hard.

"Mallory?"

The voice came from behind her and gave her butterflies that she wrote off as residual. Beside her, Jay's fists clenched. The boy he had been - the star quarterback and school heartthrob - couldn't have even hurt a fly. Now, he was out for blood.

"Mallory, can we please talk?"

She hated him. She hated that name. She turned around to tell him as much and saw that he had been crying. Because of course he was.

"It's Mal."

Something sparked in his eyes. He was probably remembering the day they met. She was remembering it too.

"It's Mallory."

"Huh?"

"My name is Mallory, not Mal."

He'd smirked then and slid into the seat across from her. The library was empty, seeing as it was the end of the day. She tensed up; she had been waiting for this day for a while. Bennett couldn't keep his eyes off of her all week and it was only a matter of time before he approached her. The student body president always got what he wanted.

His smile was slick as he drawled out, "My apologies."

"I don't want your apologies. I want you to go. I'm not supposed to be talking to you." Her parents had warned her about Gold and his son enough. But, god, was he handsome.

"That's a shame," he said with that same slick smile. "Because all I want to do is talk to you."

"Sucks to suck," she said quickly, standing and hurrying out of the library. But that had obviously not been the end of it.

He was still handsome, even if he looked pathetic. Jay slid out of the booth and stood before it like a shield. Mal quickly slid out after him and rushed to stand between the two. The last thing they needed was for Jay to fistfight the prince.

"Hold on, hold on." When she turned to Ben, he looked a little heartbroken, clutching his phone in one hand and reaching out to her with the other. She crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Spit it out. We're busy."

"Mal, please," he said through a watery sob. "I don't know- my dad is… and my mom- I have nowhere. Just you."

She kept her eyes hard and her stance strong. Mallory would have caved. She hated Mallory.

"No, you had her . And now she's gone. Poof! Just like the curse. Run back to your castle, little prince."

Another sob. A familiar hand clasped Mal's shoulder. Then Evie was whispering in her ear, "He could be useful."

And she wasn't wrong, especially as the world devolved into madness outside. Mal cast a look at Jay. His gaze was firm, unwavering. It said, Whatever you think is best. Carlos clasped her hand on the other side. It said, I trust you. She missed this, missed them.

"Fine, but keep your mouth shut and keep your hands to yourself."

She hated the quasi-smile he gave her. Hated the things it made her feel.