"I just don't see why Doug can't just sneak away for a little bit to spend some time with me today?" Evie complained as she and Mal headed back to their dorm room.
"Because the band has a really big competition tomorrow, and in case you forgot, your boyfriend is in the band," Mal told her friend with a chuckle.
"I know, but that doesn't mean he has to be at practice all the time," Evie reasoned. "I mean we've barely spent any time together at all this week. I just figured with today being Friday, and a half-day that the band director would let them go."
"E, the competition is tomorrow, I think he wants to squeeze in as much practice as he can," Mal defended the band director.
"I guess," Evie huffed.
The two girls made their way to their dorm room, threw their stuff onto the floor, and then crashed onto their beds.
"What should we do since we don't have any more class?" Evie asked as she sat cross-legged on her bed.
Mal shrugged her shoulders. "Want to see what the boys are doing?"
"Well since I don't have a boyfriend to hang out with right now, sure."
Mal rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone. As she was starting to text, they heard a knock on the door. Evie got up to answer it, becoming shocked at who was on the other end. "Connie," Evie exclaimed.
"Hi, Evie, how are you doing?"
"Um, I'm okay," Evie responded, still not sure what to make about this unexpected visit.
"Can I come in?" Connie asked after Evie stood silent for a moment.
"Yes, sure…I mean yes, ma'am," Evie stuttered, finally remembering how much Doug's mother stressed the use of manners.
"Ma'am?" Evie heard Mal say from the closet with a chuckle as she started looking for a different jacket. "Since when do you – oh, we have company," Mal stopped and corrected herself upon seeing a strange woman entering their room.
"Mal, this is Connie, Doug's mother," Evie introduce as Connie made her way toward Mal.
"Hello Mrs…Mrs. Dopy?" Mal greeted, unsure what to call the mother of her friend's boyfriend.
"That'll work," Connie smiled as she shook Mal's hand.
"What are you doing here?" Evie asked as she moved toward her bed and kicked a stray skirt under her bed. She reminded herself to give that skirt back to Mal later, and ask why her clothes were on this side of the room since she liked to keep her side clean.
"I'm here to see you, honey."
"Me?" Evie asked, the same nerves she had on Family Day coming back.
Connie nodded. "We haven't spent much time together, so I thought I'd get here a day early and we could spend the day together since I knew you had a half day," Connie smiled. "Unless you had other plans?"
She wants to spend the day together, Evie thought, well, that's…unexpected. Ever since Family Day and the coronation, she and Connie had been texting and, occasionally, talking. They had gotten a little closer, but Evie never thought that this would happen. Back on the Isle…this had never happened.
"Evie has nothing planned," Mal cut in as she went to sit on her bed.
"Great, then we spend the whole day together," Connie smiled excitedly.
"But I thought we were meeting up with Jay and Carlos," Evie tried.
Mal held up her phone and waved it. "They're in a meeting with the tourney team. Won't be done for an hour." The sheer tone of Mal's voice let the blue-haired teen know that her friend was lying.
"Would you like to come too, then?" Connie offered. "I love meeting Doug's friends."
"I would love to, but I'm meeting up with my boyfriend, thank you so much, though," Mal said, way too chipper for Evie's taste.
"Maybe another time. But for now, Evie, shall we?" Connie said as she politely motioned for the door.
Evie nodded slowly. "Just let me get my purse."
Evie and Connie were finishing up lunch at a small Mom and Pop diner that Connie knew about. The outing had started out a little awkward, but as lunch went on, Evie found herself becoming quite relaxed. Soon she was acting like being out with her boyfriend's mother was the most natural thing in the world.
"So how have you and Doug been doing?" Connie asked as she pushed away her plate.
"Good, though these past two weeks have been a little stressful."
"The band competition?"
Evie nodded her head. "All the extra practices the band director's making then do means less time to see each other," she said sadly.
"Awe, Sweetie," Connie sympathized. "If it helps, Doug feels the same." Evie looked at her questioningly. "Me and Doug talk, too. He complains about the practices taking up so much of his time, and believe me, he misses spending time with you."
"I hope they win, then I can have my boyfriend back," Evie pouted, then started giggling. "What?" Evie asked when she saw Connie staring at her with a bemused little grin.
"When we met, you didn't smile that much. Nerves?" Evie nodded. "Right now, I finally got to see the smile that Doug goes on and on about, and he's right, it does light up your face."
Evie felt herself blush. "Thank you. I'm just glad my mother isn't here to see it." Now it was Connie looking at Evie questioningly. "My mother was constantly telling me to not laugh or smile unless I wanted a face full of ugly wrinkles."
"Trust me, Evie, nothing could make you look ugly." Once again Evie felt herself blushing from the compliment. Connie then checked her watch and saw that it was still very early in the afternoon. "Would you like some dessert, or would you rather have a girl's day of shopping and pampering?" Connie asked Evie.
"The dessert, since it's all I can afford," Evie answered.
Connie chuckled. "Sweetie, you aren't paying for a thing today. It's all my treat."
"You almost done, Sweetie?" Connie asked as she waited in the chair outside the dressing room of the dress shop they'd stepped into after lunch. This was the seventh or eighth dress that Evie had tried on in the past hour. At least Connie assumed it was the seventh or eighth, honestly, she knew she lost count as she was trying on a few things herself.
Without a reply, the door to the dressing room opened and Evie walked out wearing a dark blue, long-sleeved wrap dress. Evie stepped in front of the mirror and began looking herself over. As much as she liked the dress, she became a little concerned over what Connie would think about the length and neckline.
"And once again, you look beautiful," Connie commented as she took in the sight of the sixteen year old.
"You don't think it's too much?"
"Too much what?" Connie asked her.
"I don't know," Evie mused as she turned to see the back of the dress. "You don't think it's maybe…too short? Too low cut?" she inquired as she looked at Connie through the mirror.
Connie shook her head. "Not really. The neckline's not that revealing. And as far as the length? If I had your legs, I'd wear that too," she said, getting a smile and small giggle out of her son's girlfriend. "What about you? Do you like it?"
Evie nodded her. "My mother would have a fit if she saw it though."
"Why?"
"Princesses should be demure and never reveal too much if they don't want people to think they're nothing but a common tramp," Evie said, deepening her voice slightly to impersonate her mother.
"Was she that strict?" Connie asked, surprised.
"More like she was trying to make sure that I was proper enough to attract a prince's eye."
"Sweetie," Connie said as she motioned for Evie to sit on the chair next to her. "Before I ask, let me tell you, you are under no obligation to answer but…did you have a good relationship with your mother?"
Evie sat still for a moment. She didn't know what to do or say. This was the first time anyone had ever asked her that. She figured people just assumed that since her mother was a villain that she was a bad mom as well. That she was probably as bad as Maleficent.
"Compared to most of the other parents on the Isle, my mother was…I know she loved me. I mean, when Mal's mother pretty much banished us, she made sure I was okay, that I ate, that I was comfortable."
"You two were all you had?" Connie asked gently.
Evie nodded.
"Unlike the other kids, I didn't get to hang out with anyone my own age for years. It was just the two of us. So she spent time making sure to teach me to be a proper princess. She kept telling me it was for my own good, that way if I ever got off the Isle, that I could land myself a prince and live like I should."
"And just what makes a 'proper princess'?" Connie wanted to know.
"The hair, the make-up – clothes that don't scream skank," Evie joked. Connie gave her a small smile. "Plus, she made me learn how to cook, and clean, and sew, and –"
"Housework?" Evie nodded. "Your do know that princesses don't actually do their own housework?"
"I know that now," Evie replied. "Now, at least, I think she really did kind of lose her grip on reality a little after a while. But still, she was my mom, and…I love her."
Connie smiled at Evie. We should all hope to have a daughter like this, she thought as she listened to Evie. It was clear that Evie loved her mother, faults and all. "Well, regardless of what others might think, or say, of her, it's nice to hear you have such good things to say about her."
"Thank you. Most people just look at me weird, like I should hate her or something."
"What have I told you about listening to what other people say or think about you, sweetie?" Connie pressed.
"Don't listen to them," Evie answered.
"That's my girl," Connie told her. Evie heard that and felt a swell of pride go through her. She liked knowing that someone, other than Doug or her friends, felt like she mattered to them. Not that a few others hadn't tried to make the same attempts that Connie was, but…the ones that did always felt like they belonged to someone else first. Like Belle did with Mal. Or Fairy Godmother with Carlos. Or Coach Jenkins with Jay.
But with Connie, she felt like she came first, or second since she knew Doug would always come first to her. But after their talk, she realized that Connie didn't just care because she was Doug's girlfriend. She genuinely did care. And if being second meant that she could maybe start to feel like she mattered to someone, then maybe that wasn't such a bad spot to be in.