Part of the Plan

Age 15

I dropped myself into the seat opposite dad. "I'm old enough for the truth."

Dad didn't look up. "What truth?"

"Zeus, Magara, what you did, the whole truth."

"I've told you everything."

"You told a story to a child. I want the whole truth."

He finally looked up. "Why now?"

"I'm going to Auradon, I want to hear your truth not theirs'."

Dad sighed, defeated. "Very well. Where would you like me to start?"

"The beginning is always a good place." I leant back in the chair.

He smiled. "Then I will start at the beginning of the world itself. First there was Chaos, a nothingness that stretched for eternity. From it came the Earth, Love, the Underworld. The Titians followed six males and six females. Cronus, time made manifest, was the last. He was, is, my father."

"One of the first things you ever told me was that one shouldn't fear their parent. Did you fear him?"

"Yes." There was no shame in his voice. "We all did. Each time my mother gave birth my father ate the child, he ate me." I didn't dare interrupt. "Hesta was the first, I was the second, the two of us so long in the dark. Then came the others. Zeus was the last but my mother tricked my father into thinking he had eaten him when he hadn't. When my brother was grown, he made Cronus vomit us all up."

Augh.

"He challenged our father and won. Cronus and the other Titians were cast into Tartarus and my siblings and I took up our mantle as Olympians."

I remembered. Zeus, Hesta, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter and dad.

"My brothers and I drew lots: Zeus drew the sky, Poseidon the sea and I the Underworld. The earth forever deemed neutral. And for a time, we were happy. For thousands of years we were content. I was content. But then the world started to see me as evil, as the reason for all their pain and death. I was doing my job; it could have easily been Poseidon or Zeus in the Underworld while I lounged on the throne of Olympus."

"And they didn't do anything to change anyone's mind."

"I told you before; they made me into joke. Made sure I wasn't welcome on Olympus. I grew bitter."

I would have too.

"I turned to the Fates themselves; I learned that in eighteen years there would be a planetary alignment which would allow me to free the Titians and with their help cast my siblings and their brood from Olympus, I could rule, I wouldn't be bound to the Underworld. There was only one who could stop me. Zeus' new born son: Hercules. I admit, I tried to kill him, and I failed but made him mortal instead. During the next eighteen years the girl, Magara came to me. I told you I made her a deal, a life for a life. I make deals, I made a deal with her and I made a deal with Hercules, Megara's life if he did not fight me. He agreed. But Megara was injured, killed and Hercules took to the field against the Titians. I was defeated. Thrown into the river Styx. When my brother fished me out, I was sent here."

"Is that how they'll tell it?"

"I don't know, Little Dragon, I don't know."

Present

Audrey was waiting for Ben at his locker, he saw and changed course.

Right towards me.

I smiled my sweetest smile. "Hi, Bennyboo."

He saw my words for the joke they were and returned the smile. "Hey, you coming to the game?"

"Wouldn't miss it." I reached into my locker and pulled out the bag of cookies. "Here, double chocolate chip, made them myself. I here chocolate's good for break ups."

"Thanks…but I have a game…and…and…"

"Of course." I pulled the bag back. "Never take treats from kids of villains. I'm sure all you Auradon kids were taught that."

"No…that's not…"

"It's okay, I understand."

"No." He grabbed a cookie and shoved it in his mouth, it reminded me of Carlos stuffing the limo food in. "See, mmm." A glassy look appeared over his eyes. "Mal, have you always had those little blue flecks in your eyes?"

Jay slid up beside him. "How you feeling, bro?"

"I feel… I feel… I feel…Like singing your name. Mal." He actually started to sing. "Mal."

"Hold it in bud." Jay started to drag the prince away. "We've got a game to win." He looked back at me. "Keep a look out for number eight, all right? Scoring the winning goal!"

I rolled my eyes and gave Ben a wave as he was dragged away, his eyes never leaving me.

"This is a nail-biter, folks. There's 47 seconds left on the clock. We're all tied up. The Sherwood Falcons, two. The Fighting Knights, two. What a game between Auradon's fiercest rivals."

Tourney was actually interesting, nothing like the game I thought pampered princes actually played. A team sport but there was still pushing and shoving, people, people getting shot at. I could see an even more brutal version of it taking root on the Isle.

A whistle was blown and all the players ran to there respective teams for something called a time-out.

"The teams get into their huddles and take up positions along the Kill Zone. The Dragoneers have been laying down a withering hail of fire."

The coach pointed to Jay.

"And now a substitution."

Another gesture and Carlos joined them. Jay slapped Carlos on the back and pushed him onto the field.

Carlos was actually going to play.

Evie and I cheered for our friend. Carlos would need all the support he could get.

I half expected a bloodbath but it never came. Jay and Carlos actually worked together, and with the rest of the Knights, to score a winning goal.

The crowd went wild. Evie and I cheered along with them. It was infectious.

Ben jumped up on the podium. "Give me an M."

"M." The crowd cheered.

"Give me an A."

"A."

Shit. I knew where this was going and I couldn't stop it. I just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.

"Give me an L."

"What does that spell?"

"MAL."

"Come, I can't hear you!"

"MAL!"

All eyes were either on Ben or me, maybe darting between the both of us.

"I love you, Mal, did I mention that?"

The crowd cheered. A surprising reaction given both their apparent dislike of me and the very recent break up of Ben and Audrey.

Maybe I made the cookie too strong. This had to be embarrassing for the both of us, surely, he had to feel some embarrassment over his actions.

Lonnie squealed next to me. Evie was grinning from ear to ear.

"Give me a beat."

No. No. Absolutely not.

*Insert Did I Mention here*

Everyone was dancing along, even my friends.

Evie squeezed me tighter and tighter as Ben continued to declare his love for me again and again.

I started to blush. I was starting to kind of dig it.

Ben stripped off his shirt and threw it at me. What he wanted me to do with it, I had no idea but I played along, smiling and holding it closer at what I assumed was a loving gesture.

He was coming towards me, being carried towards me actually.

He landed in front of me. The crowd cheered.

"I love you, Mal, did I mention that?"

Audrey pushed her way through the crowd, dragging the obnoxious Chad behind her. She grabbed the mike. "Chad's my boyfriend now." Anything for a crown apparently.

I expected Evie to tense up next to me, to be upset at the lost chance of a prince. Only she didn't, she actually relaxed. Almost as if she was relieved Chad wasn't an option anymore.

Ben put his arm around me as I continued to grip his shirt.

Audrey glared at him. "And I'm going to the coronation with him. So I don't need your pity date." Like she was getting that anyway. She stared making out with Chad.

Augh.

Ben grabbed the mike back. "Mal! Will you go to the coronation with me?"

"Yes."

All according to plan.

So, why didn't I feel good about it?