We do it Willingly, of our own Free Will
(Day 4: Wednesday Afternoon)
"You finished your report, right?" Evie asks Mal as they walk down the hall.
Mal chuckles, "What's the point? It's not like it will matter."
"The presentations start today," Evie argues. "You should at least be prepared."
"Why?"
Evie steps out in front of her and angrily comments, "How about to keep up appearances. So, what exactly? You're willing to treat Ben like a real boyfriend, but you're not even interested in doing your homework. Is that it?"
"E," Mal complains. "You're overreacting. I have to keep up appearances with Ben, but we literally just got quote 'rescued' from the island. Do you really think they expect us to do our homework, much less be any good at it?"
"Yes," she nearly screams. "That was the whole point of us coming here, was to try our best and to reform."
Mal gives her a look, "I think you're missing the objective." before she moves past her and continues walking to class.
"Mr. Turner won't have this," Evie warns.
Mal laughs, "He's been our teacher for like a week. You don't even know him."
"He's legendary," Evie retorts. "I don't have to know him."
Mal walks into the classroom and sits down, "We'll see about that."
Evie sits across the aisle from Mal and a couple seats in front of Doug, but she still turns around to speak to him. "Hey."
"Hey," he smiles. "You all set?"
"You know it," Evie smirks, but then she turns back around as the teacher speaks.
"Today we have your oral reports. I trust that everyone has completed their assignments." When no one answers he repeats, "Everyone has completed their assignments. Yes?"
"Yes, Captain," the class inconsistently reassures.
"Sir will do just fine," the teacher comments, his hands placed behind his back as he paces the front of the class. "Raise your hand when you're ready to go." Evie raises her hand passionately, but the teacher ignores her. "Really? No one wants to go first."
"Um," exasperates Evie in confusion. "Sir, I—"
He looks towards her, "Doug. Why don't you go first? I know that you haven't skipped out on your assignment, have you?"
"No, sir," he emphasizes, but then his words are filled with shy cowardliness. "I just thought someone else could go first. I'd much rather be second, or even better— last."
"Get stage fright, do you, Doug?"
"Yes, sir," he timidly answers.
"You can't possibly be happy being a follower."
"No. I'm very happy being a follower," Doug tenses. "Actually, more than happy. I'm very content right where I am."
"Still. How do you plan on getting anywhere with such a crippling fear in your way?"
"I— uh," Doug stammers.
"Get up here and do your presentation," the teacher commands. When it seems as if Doug is going to insist on not doing it, he enforces, "That's an order." before he sits down at his desk.
Doug slowly walks up to the front, and Evie whispers, "Good luck." from behind him as he does so.
Doug gulps as he stares out at the class, "Ah. My report is on the pirate fairy Zarina of Pixie Hollow, Neverland. She start— arted out as a keeper of dust— pixie dust-keeper— fairy, and she started these experiments and—"
"Doug," the teacher interrupts.
He turns to him, "Yes, sir."
"Stop torturing yourself and just read the paper."
"Won't I lose points that way, though?" Doug asks.
"You'll lose even more if you keep stuttering like that," the teacher confidently replies. "Go on, now, and look at the paper and read."
Doug tries to take a relaxing breath, "Yes, sir."
"Oh, and just one last thing," the teacher interrupts again. "Speak louder, please, so that at least the front row can hear you." The class snickers. "Quiet!" When it silences he nods his head up at Doug, "Go on. Continue."
Doug stares down at his paper and loudly speaks, "Pirate Fairy Zarina found a fascination with pixie dust early in her career, and as such she started doing experiments with it. To do these experiments she borrowed some dust from her friends, and she would often fill out forms asking for early refills; however, later on even that wasn't enough. Her obsession led her to steal from the mill itself, and after a tragic event she was booted from the Hollow and became an outcast."
Evie watches as Doug slowly becomes better and perhaps even more confident in his report the further he reads into it. She can't help but be happy for him, even if the teacher had completely ignored her. But what did I expect. I'm just some villain exchange student. Mal was right. He doesn't actually see me as his student. I'm just some bug interrupting his class. She looks at the teacher and sees him intently watching Doug's presentation; however, after a minute he sees Evie, and when their eyes meet she quickly looks down at her own report before looking back up at Doug. Why does she always have to be so stupid? She may as well not even try.
She stares down at her report, her head in her hand, but only after what feels like a second the teacher addresses, "Evie."
She looks up at him in confusion, "What?"
"You had your hand raised before. Is there something wrong with going now that you aren't first?"
"No," she softly responds, before she takes her paper and heads for the front of the class.
The teacher comments, "Class. Pay attention now. As you already may know, Evie is one of our Isle of the Lost exchange students." He looks at her, "You must know quite a few pirates."
"Not that many, actually," Evie denies. "That wasn't really my scene." She looks at Mal but doesn't explain how she'd probably know more about pirates than she would.
"Still," Mr. Turner replies. "You must have at least seen some. I'm very excited to hear what you've got to say."
Evie merely nods, as she looks out at the semi-blurred classroom. "My report is on Captain James Hook of the Isle. A long time ago he lived in Neverland, searching for any kind of treasure or magic he could find. In his youth he had befriended the pirate fairy Zarina, and together they had found many great treasures together. However, one day a certain blond fairy, who we all know to be called Tinker Bell, corrupted his fairy, convinced her to betray him, and she and her friends stole the pirate fairy Zarina back to Pixie Hollow. This left the pirate Captain Hook very vulnerable, and it would take many years to rebuild his reputation."
"Later on," she continues. "Later on—" Evie suddenly feels weak and unsteady, so light that she can't even tell if her feet are on the floor, so she looks down to check; however, all she can see is the report in her hands.
"What's wrong with her?" Doug leans over and whispers to Mal. "She had this earlier."
Mal doesn't reply and just watches as Evie attempts to continue, but then that word is also repeated. Mal widens her eyes in realization and stands, as Evie stops speaking altogether, and she rushes over just in time to catch her when she faints. "Evie."
The teacher stands, "Is she okay?"
"She's fine," Mal desperately yells at him, before she looks back down at her best friend. "Come on, Eves. Fainting in the middle of a report can't possibly be good for your grade."
Evie moves in her arms and cracks open her eyes, "Mal?"
Mal tries to smile as she attempts to convince them both, "You're okay. Can you stand?"
"Yeah," Evie answers as she gets back to her feet, and Mal slowly lets go of her as she does so. Evie takes in a deep breath, "Where was I?" before she picks her report back up from the floor. "Later on the pirate Captain Hook found a new enemy—"
"Evie," the teacher interrupts. "Stop your report."
"But I haven't finished yet."
"You can finish it on Monday. Right now I need you to go to the nurse."
"But I'm fine," Evie hysterically denies.
Mal hears her about to cry. She's scared. "Sir, she said she's fine. It would be a shame for her to miss all of the knowledge these reports could give her, if it really is just nothing."
The teacher slightly smirks at Mal, "What class did you learn that from? Manipulation Tactics 101?"
"Um," Mal looks away, unsure if he just got lucky or if he really did his research.
"I'm not going to spend precious class time arguing with the two of you. It's school policy that if anyone gets hurt or if anyone appears to be ill, then to send them to the nurse."
Mal grins, "Come on. Look at her." as she gestures to Evie. "She hasn't coughed, sneezed, or done anything else all day. She's perfectly fine. Can't you just let this drop?"
"No. I cannot just let this 'drop'," Mr. Turner says with finger quotations. "She needs to see the nurse, and if you're truly her friend, then you will make sure she gets there."
Mal looks away for a moment, "I don't even know where that is."
"Okay," the teacher nods, before he looks out at the class. "Doug. You've already gone. Why don't you show them the way?"
Doug stands, "Of course, sir." and walks over to them. "Well. What are you waiting for? Let's get Evie to the nurse."
Mal shakes her head with an irritated breath, before she trudges out of the room and the others follow her. Out in the hallway she complains, "We already know why she fainted. She shouldn't have to go."
"Why did she faint?" Doug asks.
Mal looks at her, but Evie doesn't speak. "It's private."
"Well, then," Doug logically responds. "You won't mind telling the nurse Evie's private problem in her very private office."
The nurse answers the door, "Are one of you Evie?" Mal and Doug look at their friend. "I've been expecting you. Come in." Mal and Doug sits in the two chairs, while Evie stands next to the paper covered bed. "Well. Don't be shy. Sit down," the nurse points to the bed. "So, I hear you fainted. Do you know why?"
"Yes," Doug answers for them, and Mal nudges him in the arm. "Ow." He glares at her, "What was that for?"
The nurse looks at Mal, "So. You do know why she fainted, then."
It wasn't a question. Mal knows her behavior gave it away, "It's private."
"Private?" asks the nurse. "What? Does she have a medical condition of some kind?"
"No. It's nothing like that," Evie answers, but when the nurse looks at her she looks down, unable to say it.
"Are you pregnant?"
"God no," Evie exclaims. "Do I look pregnant?"
Mal places a hand to her head, "You really had to ask her that?"
"You said it was private," the nurse calmly explains.
Mal sees the nurse's nametag, "Wendy. When someone says something is private that doesn't have to mean that they're pregnant or that they have diabetes or whatever."
The light-brown haired nurse calmly looks down on her, "This is a nurse's office. We discuss health and wellbeing here. What could possibly be so private that none of you can even tell me about it?"
"Family things," Mal irritably answers. "That's what's private. You really want to know what's going on? The Evil Queen is so vain that she has her daughter starving herself to lose weight. That's what's going on."
Doug frowns in shock, "Lose weight? But she's already thin."
Mal ignores him and glares at the blue eyed nurse, "She has been having her mother tell her that if she isn't thin then no one will want her, and you just asked if she was pregnant. I bet even Dr. Facilier or Mr. Hyde wouldn't make that mistake. You have to be the worst nurse ever."
"Mal," Evie softly responds. "This is Auradon. They probably have classes on self-esteem, emotional control, and health the moment they enter school. She couldn't have known."
"Actually, Evie, I'm going to give your friend some credit here," the nurse calmly acknowledges. "Our land may be at peace, but that doesn't mean that it's peaceful here. We still do have problems, and mental illness is still an issue here. Eating disorders have been prevalent among athletes, the fashion industry, and public figures alike. It's even more common for those with royal lineage. Being the daughter of the Evil Queen can't have been any easier for you."
"Oh. Ah," Evie places a hand just below her neck and slightly laughs. "I don't have an eating disorder. I mean, I don't know what that is, but I can't have that. I— I'm perfect."
"Ah-hum," the nurse disbelieves. "And when was the last time you ate?"
Mal watches as Evie frowns and looks away from the nurse, and when Evie remains quiet Mal answers for her, "She had a piece of rock candy on the way over here."
The nurse turns to her, "On the way to my office?"
"No," Mal partly smiles. "On the way to Auradon."
"But that was three days ago," Doug exclaims.
Mal softly chuckles, "I'm well aware of that."
"Then why didn't you do anything?" he questions. "How could you let this happen?"
"Hey," Mal asserts. "First off, I didn't let anything happen. Do you honestly think I haven't been encouraging her to eat or that I haven't tried to convince her that her mother has no say?" She narrows her eyes, "I've tried, but the reality is there is a reason to fear. What do you think her mother would do to her if she knew she disobeyed her orders?" She laughs it off after a second of silence, "Never mind. You couldn't possibly understand." Mal looks back at the nurse, "Can we leave now?"
"Hardly," the nurse sternly responds. "She has to eat something."
"Haven't you heard a word I've said?" Mal yells. "She can't eat, and good luck getting her to if it isn't zero calories."
"Hold on." Doug interrupts, "I have an idea." before he stands from the chair, struts to the door, and exits the room."
Mal watches him leave before looking tiredly back at the nurse, "She isn't going to eat."
"Well, I can't let her leave until she does," the nurse states, before she goes over to her desk and takes a granola bar out of the drawer. She tries to hand it to Evie, "Here. Eat it." Evie shakes her head. "You haven't eaten for almost a full week. Your body deserves something."
"No," Evie whispers. "It doesn't. I don't." She wipes the tears from her eyes, "I'm not good enough. I don't deserve anything."
"You have to have something," the nurse insists. "If you don't, then eventually you could die. Do you understand?" Evie looks away, and when the nurse asks, "How long have you been putting this kind of strain on your body anyway?" she doesn't answer.
Mal watches as the nurse prods Evie to eat again and again, and how she just keeps waving the granola bar in front of Evie's face until she breaks into even further tears, "No. I can't. My mom— she'd—" The words stop, but the crying persists.
When the nurse insists again, Mal stands and yells at her, "Stop pressuring her." The nurse looks at her in shock. "She's not going to eat, so just stop telling her to."
Nurse Wendy narrows her eyes at Mal, "She needs nourishment. She can't possibly survive like this forever."
"I don't disagree with you," Mal sternly responds as Doug comes back in, "but don't you see what's happening? She's crying. You're making her cry. You have to stop."
Before the nurse can comment Doug interferes, "Let me try something." She lets out a deep breath and steps out of the way, and then he walks over to Evie. "Here. Drink it."
"What is it?" she whispers.
"It's a sports drink. It has all of the electrolytes you could possibly need without any of the calories or carbs you're probably too afraid to have right now."
Evie looks carefully at the label, "This feels like a trick."
"It's not a trick," Doug quickly reassures. "It probably won't give you any of the energy or nutrients that you really need, but with any luck it will keep you from fainting again."
Evie takes off the cap and sniffs at the drink, "It doesn't smell like water."
"It won't taste like it either. They make them with different flavors so that it will be more popular and marketable." Evie gives him a look. "But that doesn't make it any less pure."
Mal watches Evie look at the water unsurely, "Evie." She looks at her. "If you drink it, I promise you I'll get you out of here." Evie takes a deep breath and then slowly lets it out, before she brings the clear liquid to her mouth.
The nurse looks at Mal, "That's not going to sustain her."
She narrow her eyes at her, "Didn't you hear him? We know that."
"Which means I can't let her leave," Nurse Wendy strongly replies.
Mal rolls her eyes, "And yet you will anyway." before she steps in front of her and widens her eyes. When she sees her vision change to thermal she commands, "Drop it and let Evie return to class." Mal steps back as the nurse drops the granola bar, "I didn't mean to literally drop it."
"Your— your eyes glowed," Doug stammers, startled.
"No kidding?" Mal sarcastically comments before grabbing hold of Evie. "Come on. We can go now."
When they reach the door the nurse shakes the command, "No. I can't let you go."
"What happened?" Evie questions with irritation. "I thought you hypnotized her."
"Hypnotized?" Doug repeats.
"Well, clearly, I'm nowhere near as powerful as my mother," Mal crosses her arms before stepping forward and smiling. "Wendy. I think we got off on the wrong foot here—"
"I'm still not letting her leave," the nurse angrily responds.
Mal rolls her eyes again before taking a deep breath, "Then I guess we're not going to ask for your permission again." She turns around and heads for the door, "Come on, E."
Doug steps in front of her, "What do you think you're doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Mal grits her teeth at him. "I'm sparing Evie from any more of this—" She shakes her head, trying to find a better word, but then she realizes the word fits perfectly, "This torture."
"But I still don't understand," Doug confusedly replies. "Why can't she have just a little of something? If all she has to do to leave is eat the snack, then why won't she?"
"Because when it comes to our parents, following their orders, and trying to earn the least bit approval from them," Mal yells, "that will always come first, no matter what."
"What about Ben?" Doug calmly asks.
"What about Ben?" Mal argues. "He doesn't change anything. We still have to do as our parents say, because they command it of us."
"Has your mother ever commanded you?" he sincerely asks.
"What?" Mal softly questions, even though she knows fully well what he means.
"Has she ever hypnotized you?" he clarifies. "Like you tried to with the nurse just now."
Mal finds her mouth open but unable to speak. It had only been before she'd left that her mother had hypnotized her to go to Auradon to steal Fairy Godmother's wand. Between the distance away from her mother and the amount of time that had elapsed, the command should have worn off by now. It probably has, but it still doesn't matter. "My mother doesn't have to hypnotize me to do anything. We all do what we do for our parents to earn their love and approval. They don't have to force us to do anything. We do it willingly, of our own free will."
Doug frowns, "A parent's love shouldn't have to be earned."
Mal laughs in disbelief, "That just shows what you Auradon preppies really know." before she guides Evie out of the room.
When they make it into the hallway Doug calls after them, "It's emotional abuse." and then Mal halts. "Your parents making you all believe that you're no good and that if you disobey them then you will lose their love, that is emotional abuse. Your unwavering loyalty to them and your fear of not doing as they say, even when it's harmful to you, those are clear signs of it."
"Mal," Evie softly comments.
She continues forward with her, "Ignore him. He doesn't know what he's talking about."
- I've never been able to make it through a Pirate's of the Caribbean movie before, so I'm terribly sorry if I got 's personality completely wrong.