Finally, it was here. The biggest night of the school semester, not to mention the final event before school would be out of session until after New Year's Day. Thousands of cars were parked and many students came with their respective parents and guardians. Ms. Blanchard beamed as she joined the event before seeing David Nolan from the animal shelter coming along too and she soon decided to go talk with him about tonight's events.
"Good evening, Ms. Blanchard." David greeted the woman.
"Yes, good evening, Mr. Nolan," Ms. Blanchard nodded at him with a cheerful looking smile, almost looking like a cute princess in a fairy tale. "It's such an exciting evening, especially for the kids, though hopefully they don't pick fights with the Sherwood kids."
"That does sound like it might take a miracle," David replied. "I had nothing planned for tonight, so I thought I'd come check it out, see what's going on."
"Oh?" Ms. Blanchard smiled.
"And to see certain people..." David then smiled back, nodding before looking bashul.
"Oh..." Ms. Blanchard then said.
"And maybe... See you..." David soon said, smiling bashfully.
"Oh~..." Ms. Blanchard blushed back, smiling back warmly.
The two adults looked at each other bashfully and warmly as they followed the parents and students into the school as the big night was just about to begin.
Headmistress Fairgood smiled and greeted several adults at the door, shaking hands with them. "Good evening, glad you could make it. Your son and/or daughter is a great asset to our school. Good evening, glad you could make it. Your son and/or daughter is a great asset to our school." she then said to nearly every parent she met who ran into her.
Jane's eyes darted around as she hid behind the lockers and was looking around nervously as she hid away. She then flinched and yelped as someone tapped her shoulder before turning around and squealing. Wendy giggled as she was shown to be right behind Jane and the two best friends shared a loving hug together.
A black-haired tall woman smiled as she brushed Doug's hair and he looked up and bashfully up to her after he was more proper and cleaner looking. "There you go, Dougie, cute as a button~" she then smiled.
"Thanks, Mom." Doug replied.
The shorter man between them, wearing a purple cap on his head, smiled and gave Doug two thumbs up at the teenage boy.
"Thanks, Dad." Doug smiled.
"Dad, I can't wait to show you how good I am at Gym Class!" Gil laughed as he grabbed a black-haired strong man by his arm as he walked with a blonde-haired woman. "No one in school is as strong as I am!"
"I believe it, son," The man smiled proudly. "You make me very proud, growing up big and strong just like your old man."
"Not to mention very handsome~" The blonde woman giggled as she hugged his strong arm as they followed him over to the school gym.
Ben smiled as he stood between his parents and little sister as they were on their way to the school next before flinching as they heard tires squealing. The French family then quickly bolted out of the way because they knew exactly what that noise meant. They also heard a very loud car horn and soon came in a car known as a Panther De Ville.
As soon as the car stopped, the passenger door flung open and out came Carlos, fleeing for his life before he landed on the ground and kissed it heavenly. "Land! Oh, sweet land..." he then said in sweet relief.
"I see that Ms. de Vil is here." Belle muttered to Adam who nodded in agreement with her.
"No one will call that for long, I'm engaged," Cruella said as she stepped out of her car, taking out a cigarette and looked around. "Carlos, dahling, help Mummy get a light~"
Carlos soon walked on over and held out a lighter, lifting it up in the air and lit his mother's cigarette.
"Ah, that's a very good boy~" Cruella cooed and patted him on the head. "You make Mummy very proud of you, dahling~"
"Hooray for me." Carlos snarked to himself.
"Hey, Carlos." Ben smiled and nodded his head at the freckled boy.
"Sup, Ben?" Carlos nodded along.
"Think you'll still try out for football?" Ben then smirked playfully.
"You're hilarious." Carlos rolled his eyes.
Audrey, Ivy, and Coraline giggled as they were sharing some juicy gossip together as their mothers were bonded together.
"Hey, Ivy, can I hang out with you and your friends?" A brown-haired girl with pigtails and glasses asked as she came over to the three mean girls.
"No..." Ivy snorted and scoffed. "Get outta here, Dizzy. I might catch your geekiness."
Dizzy pouted and deeply frowned before she walked away from her older sister.
"I can't believe you two are related." Audrey wrinkled her nose.
"Tell me about it..." Ivy rolled her eyes. "I was hoping I could mold my little sister once I was told I was going to have one into being super cool and popular, but instead, we're looking at Future Queen of The Chess Club."
The three girls then laughed at that together, sounding very obnoxious and snotty as always.
Audrey's mother, Mrs. Aurora Thornley, soon came by, leaning in a bit with a concerned look on her face before smiling obliviously. "Sweetie, I hope you and your friends are playing nice~" she then said angelically.
"Yes, Mother, of course we are~" Audrey replied innocently.
"We're perfect little angels, Mrs. Thornley!" Ivy added. "Really we are!"
"You could say I'm a Princess of Good Hearts~" Coraline nodded.
Aurora nodded and soon kept on walking.
"Parents are so easy sometimes~" Audrey smirked to the other girls.
"Totally~" Ivy and Coraline nodded in agreement.
The three girls then laughed together, sounding very shrill and obnoxious, especially to other students who knew their true nature very well.
"So, why don't you and I get together and watch a movie?" Tilly smirked as she was talking to a boy who was known as Jace Badun.
"Ah... Doll, I dunno if that's a good idea..." The boy grinned nervously, stepping backwards bashfully.
"C'mon, what're you afraid of?" Tilly smirked as she came closer, reaching out to stroke his face with her hand, looking eager and hopeful. "I ain't got cooties or nuthin'."
"Oh... Erm... Uh... I think I... Um... I think I left something on the stove..." Jace grinned nervously before bolting off suddenly.
"What is the deal with everybody?!" Tilly complained. "Is it my breath?"
"Boys... They never grow up really, they just grow old..." A girl with golden blonde hair and glasses chuckled as she was reading a book where she sat.
"Uh... Yeah..." Tilly nodded as she turned around to the girl. "I swear, a lot of boys around school treat me like I'm invisible. I just don't know what I'm doin' wrong or if I even deserve friends. Sometimes I think about running away before I hurt anyone else," she then sighed about herself. "I know what you're thinking... Crazy Tilly, totally bonkers, absolutely mad."
"Yeah, kinda," The bespectaled girl smiled innocently. "But all the best people are. You're definitely a lot more interesting than most of the people I know back in Sherwood."
"Oh..." Tilly smiled back shyly. "I was wondering why you didn't look familiar... Well... Since you're a Sherwood girl and I'm an Auradon girl, I suppose I should get out of your way."
"I don't mind the company regardless of school rivalry or not," The girl reassured. "You seem like you'd be great company."
"Oh... Um... Thank you," Tilly nodded. "Erm... I don't believe I got your name?" she then prompted.
"Oh, I'm Robyn with a Y." The girl replied.
"'Yobin'?" Tilly guessed, looking puzzled.
"Not quite." Robyn smiled, amused from what she said from that.
"Got it." Tilly smiled back, bashfully, feeling a close bond with Robyn, even if they didn't share the same school together.
Meanwhile, Mal and the Mills family were observing the sights and sounds of the school banquet.
"Man, everybody's here." Mal commented as she saw a buffet table and decided to take one of the strawberries, eating it up instantly.
Jay and Carlos made it over to the chocolate fountain and stuck their heads under it, eating up gladly and happily. Some others, such as Audrey, felt deeply repulsed by what they were doing and she rolled her eyes with a scoff and put her snooty nose in the air.
"We told you so~" Henry and Evie replied innocently.
"Okay, very funny," Mal smirked at them. "I guess I just didn't expect two schools coming together would look so huge."
"Ah, yes, the final game of the Fall semester is always the biggest night of the school year," Evie nodded. "Hopefully that mess that The James Barrie Pirates will be cleaned up and forgotten about by the next semester."
"I can't believe that they vandalized school property like that," Mal groaned. "I mean, my old school would do something like that, but... We were less than perfect."
"Your old school sounds like a prison sometimes." Henry commented.
"It pretty much was most of the time, Henry," Mal nodded at the younger boy. "I had a few friends, sure, but they were sometimes fair weather friends."
"What does that mean?" Henry asked.
"Okay, um... Uh... How do I explain this?" Mal paused thoughtfully.
"Well, you remember how you were almost friends with Nicholas and Ava Zimmer once, but they were just using you so that they wouldn't get in trouble and blame you like with those candy bars at Mr. Clark's pharmacy?" Evie spoke up, helping Mal out a little bit.
Henry paused briefly before nodding.
"Well, those would be fair weather friends," Evie then explained. "A fair weather friend is a person who stops being a friend in times of difficulty."
"Oh..." Henry then said. "Well, I don't think Mal is a fair weather friend to you, Evie. I think she's the best friend you could ever ask for and the same with Evie for you, Mal."
"Aww~" Mal and Evie beamed at Henry's thoughts about their friendship. "You're so sweet."
"Yeah... That's what they tell me." Henry smiled innocently.
"And modest too." Mal chuckled before ruffling up Henry's hair a little bit.
Henry laughed a little and smiled. Regina smiled warmly as she watched the bonding before she heard a voice calling to her.
"Regina...?"
"Hm?" Regina blinked before she looked around curiously.
"Regina?" A man with diamond-like blue eyes and brunette scruffy hair with a matching beard spoke up as he stood up from one table with a black-haired boy who sat across from him as he approached the Mayor of Auradon Heights before she suddenly hugged her as she gasped and hugged him back instantly. "Oh... I thought that that was you."
"My, oh, my... Robin Bedford as I live and breathe," Regina replied as she hugged him back. "It's been a very long time, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it has," The man nodded with a small, warm smile. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Regina smiled back. "I guess I should've expected to see you here, but I'm glad we ran into each other."
"Evie, who is that man?" Mal asked her best friend.
"I'd like to know that too." Henry added to his big sister.
"I... I feel like I should know, but I'm not fully certain." Evie replied.
Regina soon looked over to her children and gestured for them to come forward. Henry and Evie shrugged at each other and decided to make way over there.
"Excuse me, Mal, we'll be right back." Evie told her best friend, walking over with Henry since this seemed important.
"Oh, sure... Why would I mind?" Mal shrugged nonchalantly. She then looked over and flinched nervously once she saw Ben coming over with a hopeful smile.
"Hey, Mal," Ben smiled warmly. "Having a good night so far?"
"It's very... Uh... It's very interesting," Mal nodded. "It'd be a little bit nicer if my mom decided to show up rather than being lazy, I guess."
"Oh, I don't think she's lazy, just busy," Ben shrugged as he didn't know much about Mal's family life, but then smiled. "Why don't you come meet my family?"
"Uh... Erm... Okay..." Mal said nervously as she followed him over, feeling like she had no other real choice though, feeling and looking desperate to get out of this sticky situation. "Evie! Help!" she then whispered loudly and panicky, though her pleas would fall on deaf ears.
"Don't be nervous," Ben soothed Mal as best as he could. "All you have to do is sit there and look beautiful. No problem there."
"Smile!" Someone called out as Ben had Mal sit down with his family as he pulled out a chair for her like a gentleman and suddenly, they had their picture taken with a camera.
"Well... Looks like the school newspaper already has a new story for the new semester." Ben chuckled to himself.
Belle and Adam also laughed along while Clarice beamed in excitement.
"Oh, by the way, this is my new girlfriend." Ben introduced.
"Oh... I never wanted to say anything, but I always thought that Audrey was a little self-absorbed with a fake smile and kind of a kiss-up." Belle remarked.
"Heh... I can agree with you on that, Mrs. French." Mal nodded bashfully.
"So... This is Mal," Ben then introduced his parents. "The new girl in town. My girlfriend."
"Hi." Belle smiled.
"Hi." Mal smiled back.
"I was thinking maybe she can join us for dinner since her mother couldn't make it." Ben advised.
"Of course!" Adam replied. "Any friend of Ben's can be a friend of ours."
"I like your hair," Clarice said to Mal. "It's very colorful."
"Um, thank you." Mal replied.
"My little sister, Clarice." Ben introduced warmly.
"I'm so glad to meet Benny's new girlfriend," Clarice beamed. "You're so much better and more cooler than Audrey."
"Heh... Yeah... Girlfriend..." Mal nodded as she forced a grin on her face.
"It's so exciting," Ben beamed. "I thought I'd have a hard time finding love again after what happened to Audrey, but you've made this school year more worth it. I'm so glad that you got to move into Auradon Heights, Mal."
Mal smiled, trying to be polite and keep up appearances. "Ben... I think I have to tell you something..." she then said.
"Maybe after the band plays and dinner is served," Ben suggested. "There's so much buzz going on right now."
"Erm... All right..." Mal nodded, trying to remain calm and patient before she took out her phone and texted "SOS" to Evie as she began to sweat from the anxiety of procrastination in not telling Ben what was going on with her sooner.
Speaking of Evie, she smiled politely as she sat at a table with her mother and the man named Robin and his son who was there and was named Roland. Henry just looked a little confused as he joined his family while Regina and Robin reunited and talked.
Evie then shivered as she felt her phone vibrate before she took it out and saw a text from Mal before she stood up, clearing her throat. "Mom, may I be excused to go check on Mal?" she then asked. "It's a... Um... A friendship emergency."
"All right, Evie, go ahead," Regina nodded. "And if you see Graham, tell him where we are so he knows where to sit."
"Yes, Mom." Evie nodded and she soon went to go and help out her best friend.
"I just can't believe I'm seeing you again after all these years." Regina said softly.
"I can't believe it either," Robin nodded before looking over to Henry. "And I see he's become a happy, healthy, young man since the last time I saw you."
"Yes, he certainly has." Regina nodded.
"Mom, I don't wanna be rude, but who is this guy?" Henry asked. "I mean... You personally know someone from Sherwood?"
"Oh, my goodness! You must feel so confused." Regina realized.
"Yeah." Henry nodded.
"Well, it actually all started back on the morning of May 30th, 10 years ago." Regina began with a small smirk.
"That's my birthday." Henry realized.
"Yes, it is," Regina nodded. "Well, you see... The day you were born got off to a pretty normal start. My water broke, we called your grandmother, she came over to watch your older sister. Your father drove me over to the hospital in the old car and that was when 'it' happened."
"It?" Henry blinked curiously.
"Indeed," Regina smiled. "We were afraid you were going to be born on the side of the road, but thankfully, a new car pulled up. One I hadn't seen before. It was a friendly and handsome looking man and his wife with their twin children, Roland and Robyn Jr, in the backseat as they were driving through town to get back into Sherwood after a family camping trip."
"Handsome?" Robin smirked playfully.
"I mean... Wholesome..." Regina smiled bashfully. "It was going to take a lot of trial and error, but when your father told them what was going on, they offered to give us a ride to the hospital. Everything was looking fine again, but you weren't a very patient baby. We weren't going to make it to the hospital."
"Oh, my gosh..." Henry whispered in amazement.
"The kind and helpful man and woman cleared their car, evacuating everybody inside, and you were soon delivered by them," Regina then told Henry with a warm smile towards Robin. "They were so cool under pressure."
"All in a day's work." Robin chuckled to Regina.
"You were delivered right there in a new friend's car," Regina then told Henry proudly as she patted him on the head before sighing. "When your father and I saw you for the first time... Our hearts just melted."
"Dad got to meet me?" Henry asked.
"Yes, your father met you," Regina nodded. "He was very proud to have his own prince for his little princess back home."
"Speaking of which... Where is Daniel?" Robin asked Regina. "You two didn't get divorced, did you? You just seemed so happy together like nothing could keep you apart."
"...There was an incident," Regina said softly. "I'm afraid that Daniel is no longer with us."
"Oh... I-I'm so sorry..." Robin replied.
Henry soon hugged his mother emotionally. Regina frowned softly and hugged him back, lightly stroking his hair, trying not to get too choked up as they were in public.
"...I'm afraid I lost Marian too." Robin then said.
"No..." Regina replied, turning to him in dismay.
Robin nodded at the sad and hurtful truth.
"Oh, my gosh... I'm sorry..." Regina frowned. "What happened to her? If you don't mind me asking."
"She got very sick one time five years ago," Robin explained with a very tender and somber voice. "I visited her every day in the hospital with roses... Until her final days."
"Oh, Robin..." Regina frowned. "I'm very sorry for your loss."
"I'm sorry for your loss too." Robin frowned back.
"They're both in better places and watching over us, especially tonight," Henry spoke up. "They wouldn't want you to be sad."
"Thank you, Henry..." Regina smiled softly and wearily.
"Why don't I buy you a drink?" Robin offered.
"Oh, you don't have to do that." Regina replied bashfully.
"I want to," Robin insisted as he nodded. "I'll buy you a drink too, Henry."
"Gimme a milk," Henry said, slamming the top of the table like a bar table. "Chocolate."
"How about we add 'please' to your order?" Robin smirked playfully.
"Please then, Mr. Bedford." Henry nodded.
"That's a good boy." Robin approved.
Regina laughed softly with a small smile.
MEANWHILE...
"Mal, would you wear my ring?" Ben offered.
"Um... Not now," Mal replied nervously, her eyes darting around anxiously, waiting for Evie to come over and save her. "I think it would probably just fall right off of me."
Evie soon came over to the French family's table which included Mal. "Um... Hello there, Mr. and Mrs. French... Clarice..." she then smiled with a small nod and greeted the family.
"Hello, Evelyn." Belle and Adam smiled back.
"Hiya, Evie!" Clarice piped up.
Mal looked relieved that Evie got her text and made it over.
"I just gotta ask Mal something real quick and I'll bring her right back," Evie told the family before she helped Mal up and out of her seat and pushed the other girl out of eye and earshot of the table. "What's going on? I thought you'd be excited to have dinner with your boyfriend and his family."
"It's kind of a funny, complicated story about that..." Mal smiled nervously. "I can't keep this up any longer."
"What is it, Mal?" Evie frowned. "You've been acting funny ever since Ben started noticing you and allowed you to be his new girlfriend. Many girls would kill to be in your shoes right now."
"Yeah, I figured..." Mal said as her eyes darted around again.
"What is it?" Evie soon asked as the marching band came over to perform for the school dinner.
"Okay... You're my new best friend, so I trust you to keep this secret and help me out with it..." Mal said, taking a deep breath just as the band began to play music for everybody, drowning out her words. "I wanna break-up with Ben."
"What?" Evie asked, putting her hand to her ear as she didn't quite hear that.
"I wanna break-up with Ben!" Mal repeated, trying to sound louder.
"WHAT?!" Evie asked, still unable to hear her before she looked over at the band, most specifically, Doug to cut the music just for a minute.
Doug nodded and had the band stop playing for now, but that was unfortunately when Mal blurted out what was on her mind for a very long school semester.
"I DON'T WANNA BE BEN'S GIRLFRIEND ANYMORE!"
Unfortunately for Mal, Evie did hear her, however, everyone else did. Everyone in the whole school soon looked at Mal in complete shock. Their gazes felt like daggers pinning her on the spot as Evie cupped her mouth, frowning and deeply concerned for her friend's reputation. One of the band members soon used her trombone and played the traditional "Wah, Wah, Wah" music as if to add more to Mal's pain and humiliation.
"Not now, Hannah." Doug scolded the trombone player who smiled sheepishly at him.
The adults looked just as shocked and dismayed as the kids.
"...You don't wanna be my girlfriend?" Ben frowned as he came over to Mal, looking deeply upset, though he looked like he was trying to fight to find the strength deep within himself not to cry, but he was hurt and cut deeply.
"Ben, I'm sorry," Mal frowned as she blinked with tears in her eyes. "I didn't want to hurt you... I just-"
"Well, you just did," Ben frowned back, looking firm now, but his voice still broke from the sadness he felt deep down inside. "In front of everybody... Well... I hope you got what you wanted. I thought you were different."
"Ben, please!" Mal cried out. "I didn't want to hurt you! I still like you and you're kinda cool, I'm just not in love with you!"
Audrey smirked as she looked at Ivy and Coraline before they snuck away from their table with their parents to do something dark and fiendish.
"Ben, please..." Mal frowned.
"I need to be alone right now." Ben replied firmly and sadly as he turned away and Mal could had sworn she saw a tear rolling down his cheek as he turned away.
"Ben..." Mal gasped as she felt her heart shattering inside.
"No... It's okay... You're finally free," Ben said as he went to go back over to his family. "All of those feelings are just gone forever more... I'll find a different happy ending and I think you can do the same."
Mal trembled a bit as she turned away, burying her face in her hands as she cried. She just embarrassed both herself and Ben in front of the whole school. Not to mention that, but a different one who had come to visit that night as well. Evie came to comfort Mal, not only her though, Jay and Carlos soon came to help out.
"Oh... Mal... I'm so sorry... I wish I could make this up to you." Evie frowned to her new best friend.
"It's okay," Mal sniffled and sighed. "That's just what I get for procrastinating. Can I have some alone time?"
"Are you sure?" Jay asked.
"Yeah," Mal replied. "I need to go and wipe the egg off of my face."
"...All right," Carlos said. "You should know though, Evie's not just here for you. We are too."
"Yeah... We can be like a family." Jay added with a smile.
"Oh... Thank you guys so much," Mal smiled back, albeit sadly before she walked off. "Excuse me."
Evie, Jay, and Carlos nodded as they let Mal go off on her own to let her feelings out instead of keeping them inside. No doubt this was very painful.
"On that note..." Graham soon said as he came to see Regina. "Regina, I have to tell you something."
"Yes, Graham?" Regina asked with a weary sigh, feeling just so bad for Mal like a more positive mother figure than Mal's own mother.
"I'm afraid I can't stay in Auradon Heights much longer," Graham said to Regina. "I can see that this town needs you though, especially after what just happened to Malissa."
"Graham... What're you saying...?" Regina asked.
"I'm moving to Hyperion City," Graham soon confessed. "I've been stationed down there and I would be so blessed and honored if you would come there with me. Of course, Evelyn and Henry too."
Evie overheard the conversation, not meaning to eavesdrop, but couldn't help listen to what was going on between her mother and the town sheriff.
"...I know how much Auradon means a lot to you," Graham said softly. "But if you want... I can decline the offer so we can stay here... I don't have to go to Hyperion City if you don't want me to, and-"
"...You can't stay here, Graham," Regina replied softly. "You've been offered the job of your dreams and there's no turning back now."
Graham frowned softly and patiently as he let her talk.
"And just think of all those city people who break the law every day that still need someone strong and protective like you to put them away and keep the citizens safe." Regina then continued with a small smile, trying to stay strong.
"Actually, those lawbreakers are an invaluable piece of the puzzle in the study of crime and punishment, but yes, we do have our fingers crossed that there are still a few more out there for me to handcuff and prosecute," Graham replied calmly. "What about you? What are you gonna do?" he then asked.
"...This might come as a shock to you, Graham, but... I can't move to Hyperion and I can't make Evie and Henry leave Auradon either." Regina said.
Graham nodded as he felt like he should had expected that from her. "I wouldn't have let you even if you tried," he then said. "You've built something special here, Regina, with your little family, and you all deserve to see where it takes you. I'm so proud of you."
"I'm so proud of you," Regina said with a sad smile, nodding in agreement. "I'd like to think that we helped each other to get here."
"I know that we do." Graham said, also nodding his head.
"And when you hit the road tomorrow or whenever you go, I want you to know how grateful I am to have met you." Regina continued from there.
"I don't think I'm ever gonna meet another woman who made me feel the way that you do." Graham nodded.
"I'm sure there'll be like... Some other woman," Regina replied softly before chuckling weakly. "Somewhere."
Graham merely sighed and bowed his head. "Can't say that we didn't try." he then said to her.
"I love you, Graham." Regina said.
"I love you too," Graham replied. "Even Evelyn and Henry as much as I possibly could had."
The two looked at each other and soon decided to share one last kiss together. Regina soon came closer beside him and decided to give him one last hug to take it all in. Graham wrapped his arm around her, comforting her as this was the end for them as he decided that he would go to Hyperion City alone and let Regina stay in Auradon Heights of Storybrooke with Evie and Henry. Regina and Graham just had to accept that things were now longer going to get easy for them. Evie wiped her eyes as she watched her mother and admired her strength and bravery, though at least she didn't lose Graham the same way she had lost Daniel.
"To us." Graham said as he picked up a glass of sparkling cider.
"To us." Regina nodded, picking up her own glass before they clinked together to take one last drink together.
Evie frowned. She may not had liked Graham and didn't know how Henry felt about him, but she felt so sad for her mother right now. She bowed her head as tonight seemed to be getting worse and worse. Unknown to anyone though, Harry appeared to be going outside the school too after Mal had left to be alone.
"Evie, I'm going out for a little walk, I'll be right back in time for dinner though." Regina told her daughter.
"Okay, Mom," Evie nodded. "I'll keep an eye on Henry for you."
"Thank you, Evie." Regina replied as she walked off then.
"Miss Mills..." A familiar voice called.
"Oh... Good evening, Mr. Deley..." Evie greeted as she faced the school science teacher.
"May I have a word?" Mr. Deley asked then.
"Yes, sir." Evie nodded as she walked off with him before Chad was shown to be annoyed and disgusted as he seemed to be called out too.
"It seems that you two have very similar homework answers in your final assignment of the semester," Mr. Deley said to both Chad and Evie. "I think you both need to come into my classroom right now."
"Tonight?!" Chad asked. "But it's the final night of the year before the winter holidays! We don't have time to go into your classroom, sir!" he then cried out in dismay.
"We've got plenty of time, Mr. Princely!" Mr. Deley replied sharply. "Both of you, march!"
Evie gulped nervously, but nodded while Chad looked repulsed and annoyed about going along with this. "Oh, Mr. Deley? Can my little brother come too?" she then asked as Henry was alone. "I promised my mother that I would watch him."
"Hmm..." Mr. Deley glanced over at Henry. "Very well... As long as he doesn't disrupt what I have planned for you two."
"Oh, no, sir," Evie shook her head. "Henry is very quiet and responsible for his age."
Mr. Deley merely nodded and soon, they were in the classroom. "All right," he then said to Evie and Chad as they sat at tables, separated from each other so there wouldn't be easy cheating as Henry was sitting in the back, reading his favorite book so that he could occupy himself. "I hate to do this to you, but you are both in detention for the rest of the evening."
"What?!" Chad and Evie cried out.
"UNLESS!" Mr. Deley quickly added. "One of you has higher marks given on this surprise test. I have to make sure there's no cheating going on in my classroom as I don't tolerate cheaters or failures in my class. If one of you scores higher than the other, then I'll know who's not cheating and who's the innocent one. You can handle that, right?" he then asked the two students.
"Yes, sir." Chad and Evie nodded.
Mr. Deley also nodded and soon gave them both their tests and took out an hourglass and turned it upside down once he gave the two their assignments. Chad looked quite nervous and anxious while Evie tried to focus very hard. Henry looked very hopeful for Evie as he knew for a fact that his big sister wouldn't cheat, but didn't say anything as it was none of his business. Chad was biting on his eraser of his pencil. Evie looked nervous too, but probably not as bad as Chad. And so, eventually...
"Pencils down." Mr. Deley soon requested once the hourglass finished.
"Dah!" Chad yelped and soon scribbled some other things on his paper before Mr. Deley swiped his paper to look at it.
Evie then handed her paper over, looking calm, quiet, and patient.
Mr. Deley nodded as he soon looked over the papers and it was quite unanimous of who was the cheater and who was the innocent one cheated off of. "Well, children," he then said. "It's pretty unanimous..."
"Does that mean you don't know our names?" Chad asked.
Henry groaned and face-palmed Chad's rather dumb question.
"No, Mr. Princley," Mr. Deley groaned and shook his head. "It appears that Miss Mills did just fine on her test while you, unfortunately, failed."
"Me?! Fail?!" Chad cried out before glaring. "You know, it's your fault then!"
"Oh?" Mr. Deley replied sternly, narrowing his eyes.
"You gave us a test on something we never had a chance to study for!" Chad then glared as he nodded with high insistence. "How is that supposed to be fair?"
Mr. Deley soon curved his lips into a smirk. "Actually, Mr. Princely, your test was a review on everything you learned in the past semester while Miss Mills was mostly given new material," he then said. "She is quite a bright student which I found to be unexpected. No offense, Miss Mills."
"Heh... None taken, Mr. Deley." Evie blushed sheepishly.
"I thought you were innocent," Mr. Deley then said. "So congratulations, Miss Mills. You're free to go."
Evie soon glared at Chad who grinned nervously with a shrug. "That's why you wanted me to do your homework," she then sneered. "You never cared about me, just my brain!"
"Well, sorry to tell you this, sister, but that's just how the world works sometimes," Chad shrugged as he stood up from his chair. "I'm a heartbreaker."
"Mr. Princely, you will stay here for a while," Mr. Deley firmly decided. "Consider it the final detention of the semester. You're free to go, Mr. and Miss Mills."
"Thank you, Mr. Deley," Evie nodded. "Come along, Henry."
"Hang on, Evie... I'm gonna punch out." Henry said before he suddenly gave Chad a swift kick in the shin.
"AAARGH!" Chad cried out in pain and frustration, grabbing his shin suddenly, looking like he had tears in his eyes from the pain. "Why, you dirty little son of a-"
"Don't talk about my little brother that way," Evie glared firmly as she put her arm over Henry protectively. "I think I smell chicken cooking, Henry."
"Awesome." Henry smiled as they soon left the room while Chad was left to suffer in detention.
Evie held her head up high, trying not to worry about Chad, though she felt a little heartbroken because she thought that he was her boyfriend and they were going to live happily ever after together.
"So, uh, Mr. Deley, sir... What do I have to do for detention?" Chad grinned nervously at the stricter teacher of the high school hallway of the school.
"Consider it a great cause for the school," Mr. Deley smirked before he took out a sponge with a bucket of soapy water. "Headmistress Fairgood has unlocked the door to the pool. Apparently we had vandals during our big game against The James Barrie Pirates."
"What?! But I didn't do that!" Chad frowned firmly. "Why would I deface school property?!"
"I'm sure you didn't do it, Mr. Princely, but it would teach you a better-suited lesson than to make Miss Mills do your homework," Mr. Deley crossed his arms firmly, giving Chad the evil eye. "Maybe it'll teach you how to better respect others as well. Report to the pool or else you will be expelled."
Chad just groaned as he felt like he didn't deserve this, like he had done nothing wrong, but he soon did what his science teacher asked him to do.
Mal sighed sadly as she hugged her knees while staring off into the full moon. She had leftover tears in her eyes as her cheeks were stained and wet. How could tonight possibly get any worse?
"Hey, Mal~" Audrey's voice smirked.
"What do you want now, Audrey?" Mal complained as she glared sadly at The Queen Bee of Auradon.
"I just wanted to let you know it's nothing personal." Audrey smirked.
"That's what you get for dating The Queen Bee's ex-boyfriend~" Ivy smirked as well as she came beside Audrey.
"How very poor and unfortunate for you," Coraline added. "You msut feel like someone ripped your heart out of your chest and crushed it into dust, huh?"
"What's it to you?" Mal huffed.
"Ben was to good for you anyway." Audrey rolled her eyes before smirking.
Mal narrowed her eyes as she tried not to lose her temper, but her fists began to shake as she began to breathe heavily. Regina stepped out and had seen that before narrowing her eyes sharply.
"I knew you'd figure out you're bad for him, just like you are for everyone around you." Audrey soon continued as she shoved Mal aside suddenly.
"Cut it out!" Mal complained.
"What're you gonna do about it?" Audrey pouted mockingly. "Tell your mommy? Oh, that's right... She couldn't make it tonight~"
"Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo~" Coranline and Ivy cried mockingly, wiping their eyes. "Poor Mally, not even Mommy loves her~"
"HEY!" A sharp female voice called out, making all four of the girls suddenly freeze on the spot. They all then turned to see that it was Regina who glowered at them with smoldering eyes, looking like a provoked and irked Mama Bear. "That's not how you talk to my daughter!"
"D-Daughter...?" Ivy and Coraline asked in confusion.
"She called me her daughter..." Mal wondered about that herself.
"Madame Mayor, how nice and lovely to see you this evening, you look so pretty tonight," Audrey beamed. "And we're not picking on Evie, she's indoors. We're just helping Mal out in her time of need, and-"
"Oh, save it," Regina rolled her eyes. "Just because I'm a parent doesn't mean I'm going to fall for the angelic popular girl act. I know just how you girls act, you're all the same! Making yourselves look cute and innocent while you make the innocent ones angry and their anger being justified while we parents are forced to be gullible enough that you're harmless. Yeah, right!"
"Really, Madame Mayor, we have no idea what you're talking about," Audrey pouted innocently before she suddenly picked up Mal in a hug and grinned, looking like a cute little angel. "We're friends, see?"
"See?" Ivy and Coraline added as they joined in on the group hug.
"Please," Regina rolled her eyes with a smirk as she approached the girls, making them yelp and look startled, walking backwards as they began to look like they were fearing for their lives. "I know you mean girls are all the same and you can't fool me. Besides, if you keep picking on Mal or even Evie and Henry, I'm going to do something you won't soon forget~"
"W-What're you gonna do to us?" Audrey asked nervously as Ivy and Coraline cowered behind her, counting on her to protect them.
"I'm going to tell your mothers about your bad attitudes," Regina smirked. "And don't try to play innocent around them. I can be very persuasive... I've been mayor of this town for a very long time and you do not want to cross me or my family... GOT IT?!" she then added, sharply and sternly.
The girls yelped and they soon suddenly slipped and fell in the muddy snow behind them, staining their dresses. The girls then yelped and cried out from their misfortune.
"Come on, Mal, let's get you back inside," Regina said as she held out her hand to the girl to help her up on her feet better. "I think there's a roast chicken for dinner tonight."
"Ms. Mills... Why did you call me your daughter?" Mal asked softly, accepting the woman's hand as they began to go back inside the school. "I'm not your daughter."
"I'll tell you one of my secrets, Mal," Regina replied. "You're very important to Evie and Henry every time you come over, so I'll consider you as family. So whenever you come to my house, you are my daughter, no matter what anyone else says. I can't make your own mother go away forever or change her for you, but you're welcome at my house any time."
Mal smiled, sniffling a bit with tears in her eyes.
"I also know just the kind of girl Audrey Thornley is," Regina then said. "Believe it or not, but I used to be just like that when I was that age. You could say that I was an evil Queen Bee in school too."
"You? An evil queen? Nah..." Mal replied as they went to go inside.
The two laughed together for a bit before Mal suddenly shivered.
"Phew... It's pretty cold out here..." Mal trembled nervously.
Suddenly, someone came up behind her and wrapped her up in a dark red coat.
"Oh..." Mal blinked. "Thank you."
"Didn't want ye to freeze..." Harry smiled bashfully.
"Oh... Well, thank you," Mal blushed as she looked back at him. "...It's Harry, right?"
"Aye, 'tis true," Harry nodded as he removed his hat and bowed a little in his stance. "I'm sorry to hear about yer break-up with Ben. Are ye going to be okay about that?"
"Yes, I should be fine," Mal replied, feeling a strong connection with Harry, even if he was one of Uma's cronies. "You're here with your family then?"
"Most of them," Harry said. "My parents are lookin' after leetle Hope tonight since she has a cold."
"Hope?" Mal asked curiously.
"Me youngest sister," Harry said. "Ye see, there's me and Harriet, we're the older ones, but she's older by five minutes, then there's my other sister CJ who's a couple of years younger than us, and then there's Baby Hope. I know a lot 'bout girls since I have so many seesters~"
"Heh... Funny thing, those sisters..." Mal smiled softly.
Harry smiled back as Regina looked knowingly between the younger ones as they made their way back inside. It would be quite the story in the future, wouldn't it?
To Be Continued...
A/N: Phew! That took a lot out of me. I just hope this chapter's not too cluttered for you guys. Well, guys, I hope you enjoyed this story. Be sure to stay tuned for the sequel Ways to be Wicked to be uploaded after today in the future next year! Hopefully 2021 is a lot more tolerable than 2020, who would've thought we'd fall apart as a species so quickly after this year, huh? If you have ideas, you can share them with me for the sequel because so far I don't have a whole lot of plans just yet since I've worked on this chapter shortly after the last one was uploaded and finished updating it on December 20th. Not sure if there's anything more to that, but Read & Review until next time!