WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! (And slight spoiler)

During the perspective change in the second half of the chapter, there will be mentions of suggestive and sexual themes. You have been warned!


Early the next morning, Ben and Mal were clocking in together when they heard the faint sound of music playing in the distance. They glanced at each other in slight confusion before both silently agreed to find the source.

Within a few moments of entering the lounge, they discovered Jane sitting at a piano, playing the beginning melody of a song.

"Whoa!" Mal encouraged as they approached her. "You're sounding good, Jane!"

Jane giggled at the compliment. "Thanks. I wish I could keep playing, but I have to get ready for lunch. I won't exactly be rocking out." Hesitating for a moment, she bashfully informed, "You know, there's a club talent show in a couple weeks. Employees get to participate and, well . . ."

"You want us," Ben gestured to himself and his girlfriend, "to sing this duet?"

"Actually, I had this song planned if you chose to do a musical next year," Jane corrected before turning her attention to Mal. "Yesterday during our lunch break, Uma mentioned how you, Jay, Evie, and Carlos would sing and dance together when you were kids. I have the perfect song in mind that could work for you four with Ben having a few parts as well. Uma and Gil have too busy and unusual work schedules to participate in rehearsals, so they and Harry are out. Evie is willing, but Jay's reluctant."

Mal tilted her head in curiosity. "Really? Why?"

" 'I won't sing a Core Four song when we are missing a core'," Jane quoted with a disgruntle sigh. "That means one of us will have to convince Carlos to join our performance, but he's busy helping Audrey with hers. This is her first time since the annual talent show was created that she's doing a solo performance. They'll be working nonstop to make sure Audrey's song and dance is perfect."

"I'm sure we can negotiate with them," Mal reassured positively. Suddenly, she perked up at seeing a certain someone walk pass the lounge. "There's Audrey now. I'll go ask her."

Without waiting for a response from the others, Mal quickly bounded off into the hallway. "Audrey!" she called out before the girl could turn the corner.

Perking up at her name, Audrey twirled around to face Mal, greeting her with a smile. Mal, on the other hand, scrunched up her nose in confusion. "Why are you wearing that?" Mal wondered.

Glancing at her light pink waitress uniform—button-up shirt and skirt—for just a brief second, Audrey politely informed, "I work part time here too. I waitress in the evenings and cover shifts for others in morning or afternoons when they can't make it. After my evening waitress shift when the kitchen closes, I set up the dining room for the morning and prepare the kitchen for breakfast. I usually don't finish until two or three in the morning, but it puts less stress on the other kitchen staff, but that's enough about me. Did you need something?"

"I wanted to talk about the country club talent show," Mal insisted, going straight to the point. "Jane has a song for me, Ben, Jay, Evie, and Carlos to sing together, but we have a problem. Jay won't do the performance unless Carlos is part of it. I know he's busy helping you with your performance, but—"

"I can talk to him about it," Audrey quickly reassured with a kind smile. "Mine is nearly finished. We have the song and most of the choreography done. The only thing I have left is my wardrobe. Evie's friend, Dizzy Tremaine, is dying my hair later tomorrow morning and I'm having my outfit custom-made. We're using inspiration from the drawing of me that you did on your first day of Auradon High."

"The evil enchantress one?" Mal vaguely recalled as she tilted her head in confusion. "How could you make a song from that?"

"I'm rehearsing it in a few days if you want to watch for yourself," Audrey offered with a careless shrug. "Your friends can watch too, and I'd enjoy hearing the feedback. If my grandparents watched, they would have a heart attack once they saw my hair."

Keeping a mental note on that comment, Mal decided to change the subject slightly. "Well, I have one more thing I wanted to discuss with you," she claimed. "Carlos's birthday. Evie and Jay each have a gift for him to make amends, so we can all be friends again. I know they wanted your opinion on their gifts since you are close to him now. Meanwhile, I have this idea to bake him a cak—"

"That's perfect!" Audrey exclaimed happily, though she winced at her over-reaction. "Sorry. When Ben arrived a few minutes ago, Carlos noticed him eating a cookie and assumed you made it. He just mentioned to me how great of a baker you were and how much he missed your desserts. I know he would be so excited to get a cake from you. As for the other two, I have a tutoring session with Evie during her lunch break today, so I can find out what she and Jay got Carlos and give my opinion on what he'll think about it. Now, I have something to discuss with you."

"Which is . . . ?"

"I'm in desperate need of a French tutor," Audrey revealed, sighing in slight dismay. "Is there any chance you know someone that speaks it? Or can at least help me?"

"Ben and Gil," Mal automatically answered. "They took French together during freshman year, or at least, that's what Ben told me. Gil received the higher grade because French is his first language. I can see if he'll want to tutor you while he's studying for his classes. It will probably be some time after your tutoring session with Evie. I can have him meet you in your room if you'd like."

"That won't be—"

Audrey couldn't finish her statement for Mal had already turned on her heels to have her cousin text the boy in question. Audrey sighed once more, knowing it was going to be a long day—

But hopeful for the possibilities.


Later that day, after finishing a few Chemistry assignments with her tutor, Audrey—still in her waitress uniform—was sitting at her table in her bedroom as she tried to focus on her French assignments. But now she had a major distraction, who was sitting next to her as he tried to focus on his own summer classwork.

After a few minutes of stealing shy glances at one another, Audrey decided to do something to ease the tension in the air.

"Hey, Gil?" Audrey began in a small attempt to catch his attention. "What does 'embrasse moi' mean?"

Without looking her way, Gil automatically translated, " 'Kiss me'."

"Mon plaisir," Audrey teased.

Before he could understand what she meant by 'my pleasure', Gil found himself slightly surprised when Audrey abruptly straddled his lap before giving him the most passionate of kisses. While her hands became tangled in his hair, Gil rested his hands on her waste in an intimate fashion. After a few moments of experiencing the heated kiss, they reluctantly pulled away when air was necessary.

"I missed you," Audrey cooed through her labored breathing. Running her fingers through her boyfriend's shoulder length hair, she complained, "You've been working at the resort for three days, yet this is the first time we've been alone. I know we kept our relationship secret to prevent Chad from harassing us, but he's out of our lives now. Who else do we have left to hide it from? Our parents know—"

"But not your grandparents," Gil reminded while unconsciously rubbing circles on his girlfriend's thighs. "You know they would have a heart attack if they knew you have been dating the son of an ex-convict for the past six months, even if he's hopelessly in love you."

Audrey lightly rolled her eyes at Gil's attempt to cheer her up, though her heart skipped a beat at hearing the confession once again. "I want to tell someone, outside our parents, that I'm in love with you too," she stubbornly informed. "I can tell Carlos and you can tell Uma and Harry? I'm sure if we ask, they won't tell anyone."

While Gil took a few moments to consider the offer, an idea struck his girlfriend's mind.

"You know . . ." Audrey began with a sly smile as she wrapped her arms around Gil's neck. "There's still a couple hours until we have to head to work. Instead of trying to reach an agreement, you could use that time to prove how much you love me . . . by making love to me."

Gil raised a curious eyebrow at the bold request. "You already want to take the next step in our relationship?" he clarified in amusement. "Are you trying to follow in your mother's footsteps: pregnant at seventeen?"

"That was an act of rebellion for being taken away from her true mother," Audrey corrected defensively. "I'm on the pill, so that won't happen. Besides . . ." She trailed off a moment to slightly adjust herself in his lap, noticing his subtle reaction when she did so. "You like the idea," she teased with a small giggle in her tone. "I bet you are trying your hardest to keep yourself from—mmph!"

This time, Audrey was interrupted by Gil smashing his lips against hers hungrily. Standing from the chair, Gil waited until Audrey wrapped her legs around his waist before he walked them to her bed. Laying her down, Gil pulled away from the kiss for a brief second to reassure, "If you want to stop at any time, I will."

"That won't be necessary," Audrey retorted as she tried for a seductive smile. "I'm more than ready to love you."


Needless to say, Gil and Audrey both received their first strike for being nearly half an hour late for their shifts—

But, in their eyes, it was definitely worth it.