"the summer is a curse and i can't let go

if you never try than you never know"

- summer is a curse, the faim

Parked outside of the cemetery, the silence in the car was awkward. Mal and Evie were digging for magic in the Mills Mausoleum while the boys sat awkwardly in the mayor's car. It was dark out now. The town was alight with screams, but that wasn't any of Jay's business. Maybe yesterday, before purple smoke had filled the gym and reminded him that there are more important things in life than winning the big game and flirting with everything that moves. Not that flirting with everything that moves isn't important, because it is. But some things were more important.

"So… who were, uh, are you guys?" Ben asked. Jay rolled his eyes. He'd never liked Ben, even under the curse, for reasons then that would have earned Ben some points now.

"Carlos de Vil."

"As in the son of Cruella de Vil?" Ben asked before realization dawned on his face. Jay watched his stupid jaw drop from the rear view mirror. "You're from the reform school on the Isle."

"Calling it a reform school is a little too kind," Jay said with a bitter laugh.

"You were there too?"

Jay was quiet, staring ahead at the empty parking lot. Carlos leaned over in the backseat to whisper to Ben, "His dad is Jafar."

Jay turned to tell Carlos off and probably hit him upside the head, but then the screams were in the parking lot. All three boys turned to look out the windshield and saw two black-haired girls running away from the town center. The girls spotted the car and made a B-line for it.

"Should we let them in?"

Before Jay could even answer that question, the girls were diving for the passenger side of the car. The taller of the two slid into the passenger seat beside Jay and urgently instructed him to drive while the shorter one dove over Carlos into the backseat.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but-" Jay stopped himself. Staring back at him with determination was the head of the girls' soccer team and his eternal rival Lana Hua. And she looked mad.

"Jahar, so help me, if you don't start this car right now-"

She didn't get to finish her threat, thankfully, because just then Evie opened the passenger side door.

"Uh… what are you doing?"

"You better get in. There's a qui shen on the loose," Lana instructed, grabbing the princess by the wrist and pulling her into the passenger seat with her.

"That means wraith," the girl in the back clarified.

When Jay turned, he saw Mal elbowing her way back to the center seat, pushing the curvy brunette onto Carlos' lap. She squeaked and scooted to the edge of his knees. Carlos, for his part, was turning red. A tease sat on Jay's tongue, but he was too confused by all the chaos to bother voicing it.

"And we should care why?" Mal asked.

"Because it could kill us."

Jay watched Mal and Evie exchange a look before Mal decided, "We'll drop you off on the way."

"On the way where?" the little one on Carlos' lap asked.

"None of your business," came Mal's curt reply.

So Jay started up the clown car of teenagers and drove.