CHAPTER 2: The First Day

The debriefing for Mal and Freddie's senior year project had been long and complex, covering every single detail of what the girls were expected to do during the assignment. A week later, the night before their very first day in the high school, Mal laid in bed with thoughts running through her head.

No one could know about her powers, nor about the Protector scheme. Everything had to remain a secret to allow for the operation to be a success with minimum interference. She had spent countless hours researching into what she should expect from a normal high school. She'd prepared herself for the prospect of cliques, bullying, and any useless drama that may ensue. In all honesty, Mal knew the most terrifying aspect of high school was prom, but she wasn't expecting to stay in the school for that long.

She'd watched countless films and read countless articles, and she hoped that was enough. After all, you can't really prepare for normality. At the end of the day, Mal didn't really know what to expect, but she was prepared for anything.

They had concocted brilliant cover stories. To try and blend in, Mal had decided to opt out of having her natural purple hair, and instead had decided to replace it with a long glossy dark brown wig. Although she would have preferred blonde, the brown would conceal her purple hair far better. The wig was placed delicately on a stand on her bedside table, ready for the following day.

Mal planned to blend in seamlessly and create as little friendships as possible. She wasn't very fond of people as a whole, and instead preferred to slip unnoticed into the shadows. Freddie, on the other hand, had planned to join any sports team she could as an attempt to discover more data. Although Freddie's assignment was to record Mal's process, she was willing to work practically too.

The basis of their assignment was for Mal to infiltrate the school and for Freddie to monitor the magic activity itself. Freddie was much more of a technology and statistics Protector, happy to work from behind a desk and to use her powers in analysis. Mal, however, was far happier in the field, running and spell casting. This made them a perfect team

Freddie hadn't planned to change her appearance. With her perfectly straight black hair always tied into two ponytails, she was certain she'd easily blend in. Both of their wardrobes had been carefully picked by agents monitoring their assignment, sized to fit the girls perfectly. Every single detail had been meticulously planned, yet despite this, Mal still felt nervous.

It was her first real assignment after all. This could make or break her career for the rest of her life. She was determined not to fail. After all, it wasn't just her career on the line, but the world of magic itself could suffer.

With these thoughts racing through her mind, Mal finally settled into a deep sleep, ready for the day ahead.


It was weird, Mal thought, to be driving to her first day of normal high school. She wasn't nervous, just... Perplexed at the situation. It was odd, to say the least.

Freddie would be arriving separate to Mal to make sure no correlation would be made between the two. That meant that from now on, Mal was on her own.

The wig had been itchy on her scalp at first, but Mal had learnt to ignore it. Paired with a simple leather jacket, black jeans and a purple top, Mal looked just like the average teenage girl. Freddie had attached a hidden device in the soles of her black boots to be able to monitor the magical activity as Mal explored the school and the city.

She was being driven into the high school by one of the graduated Protectors, disguised as her fake mother. The two barely spoke during the car ride, Mal curiously watching as the town of Auradon zipped past her through the windows. She could already spot numerous students walking towards the high school, chatting with their friends gleefully. Once again, it was odd.

"We're two minutes away," the Protector announced, "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Mal confirmed, wiping her hands on her trousers.

"We've already delivered all of your fake information to the school, so all you'll need is your timetable from the office," the Protector continued, "You have your cover story ready, correct?"

"Its impenetrable," Mal confirmed as they pulled into the high school parking lot.

"Well then, good luck," the Protector finished, "If you need anything, you have my number."

"Thanks, Mom," Mal joked with a smirk, opening the car door, "See you later!"

"Have a great day in school honey!" the Protector called back loudly, causing Mal to laugh as she began walking towards the school entrance.

Mal could feel the weight of the unfamiliar black backpack on her back as she casually walked towards the school entrance. The school seemed different to what she expected. Instead of a desolate car park, the parking lot was surrounded by trees and various greenery. The school itself seemed converted from a castle to a much more modern building. The main building itself was made of cloudy white stone, the main door a large old wooden door. It was somewhat magical-looking, Mal thought, like something from a fairytale.

The interior was a lot more modern, with blue lockers lining the halls and posters plastered onto the same cloudy white stone walls. The floor was made of linen dark wood, matching the door. Blue and golden banners also hung from the walls with the school logos proudly embroidered on them. Mal admired the decor for just a few seconds before springing into action.

She looked around blindly for some sort of sign pointing her to the main office. Unable to spot one, she tried looking for a teacher. Eventually, she settled on a shy-looking boy with bleached-to-white hair nervously fiddling with one of the lockers. She made her way towards him confidently.

"Hey," Mal began, causing the boy to jump and spin his head towards her, "Sorry, I'm new around here - do you know where the main office is? I'm trying to pick up my timetable."

"I-I, um," the boy stuttered, seeming very nervous, "E-East hall, s-second l-left down this h-hall."

"Thanks," Mal nodded, unfazed by the boys odd behaviour. Immediately she began stalking down the hall, eager to begin the mission.

She curiously peered at the other students in the halls, who all seemed to be seamlessly blended into the school. She could spot a few girls with matching uniforms, Mal assumed cheerleading uniforms, and quite a few boys wearing matching letterman jackets. Clearly the school was not lacking in the school pride department.

She easily found the office once entering the East hall, collecting her timetable and locker code in just a few minutes. The overly-happy secretary had been nearly annoyingly peppy, with her lilac dress and large pink tied bow around her neck. She seemed happy to help, clearly loving her job with a little too much enthusiasm.

Mal scanned her timetable briefly. She could see she'd been put down to attend art lessons, which she found rather unexpected. She expected to attend as few classes as possible, but she was happy to try new things if it meant completing the mission.

According to her timetable and her watch, it was nearly time for homeroom. She began walking down the East Hall once again, counting down the room numbers until she finally arrived to A43.

The door was stuck open, with a few students already in the room. Making her way inside, she dodged everyones eyes as she took a seat in the middle of the second row. Looking up, she realised that no one was actually looking at her, too busy catching up with friends. One couple in particular caught Mal's eyes.

The boy was sat at his desk, a letterman jacket hung at the back of his seat. A girl, who Mal assumed was his girlfriend, was sat on top of the desk with her legs crossed, playing with the boys hair. She too was clad in the school colours, however wearing a cheerleading uniform instead.

The girl had long light brown hair, curled perfectly past her shoulders, and a pair of sunglasses strategically placed on her head. Mal also noticed her shoes, which were heeled pumps, rather surprisingly for a cheerleader. She seemed self-assured and confident, even more so when Mal tuned into their conversation.

"This season is going to rock," the girl gushed, "With me as cheer captain and you as the Tourney captain, we're going to dominate the field. Don't you think so, Benny-Boo?"

"Definetly," the boy agreed with a dazzling smile to the girl. Mal rolled her eyes at the nickname, deciding to turn back to the front of the classroom.

She still had a few minutes before homeroom was scheduled to start, and so she pulled out her new phone. Of course she'd had a phone before, but it was very much simple and practical. Having a smartphone for the first time was oddly distracting, with the dazzling colours of the different apps and the customisation of the phone itself. It wasn't like she was new to modern technology, but she'd never felt the need to possess it herself.

The first bell rung throughout the school, making Mal jump slightly. Signalling the beginning of homeroom, Mal tucked her phone away into her pocket, watching as the Cheerleader Girl waved goodbye to her boyfriend before leaving. Multiple students scurried into the classroom just before the teacher stalked in, closing the door behind her.

The first thing Mal noticed about her homeroom teacher was her long blonde hair. And, just to clarify, it was long. Like, Mal was sure that if she were to undo the complex braid trailing behind the woman, she'd have an infinite amount of hair. And no, she was not exaggerating.

"Good morning everyone, and welcome to your senior year," the teacher began with a smile, leaning onto her desk at the front of the class, "For those of you who may not know me, I'm Miss Rapunzel Fitzherbert, but please, just call me Miss R. I teach Fine Art and Illustration.

"Senior Year is a very exciting time for people your age. You have a lot on your plates, but before I bore you with the agonising details, I'd like for us all to give a warm welcome to our new student. Mal, if you could please stand for the class?"

Mal could feel herself blushing, which didn't happen often. She hesitantly stood in her seat, offering a small wave to the class. She avoided everyones eyes apart from the Tourney Captain Boy she'd spotted at the beginning of homeroom, who offered her a shy smile.

"Mal, would you like to tell the class a little about you?" Miss R insisted, gesturing to the front of the class.

Awkwardly, Mal made her way to the front, a few whispers ensuing from a few students. With her cover story clear in her mind, Mal turned to face the class.

"Hi, I'm Mal," she began, raising a hard exterior, "My family just moved down from *N.L state, and thats really all you need to know about me."

With that, Mal returned to her seat, a sarcastic clap resonating from the back of the classroom.

"Uhm, thank you Mal," Miss R replied awkwardly, "Alright, lets begin the announcements."


By the time the bell for first period had rung, Mal was already making her way through the corridors of the school blindly, trying to find the corresponding science lab for her first Biology lesson.

"Hey," the Tourney Captain Boy interjected, moving to stand in front of her, "I-Uh, I know you're new, so I was wondering if you wanted help finding your classes?"

"I'm good," Mal shrugged, moving past him to continue looking for her room.

"My name is Ben," the boy continued, walking next to her, "I'm head of the Student Council, so it's kind of my job to make sure students are okay."

"I'm fine. I don't need the school's golden boy to babysit me," Mal insisted, groaning in frustration when she realised she'd been going the wrong way, "Why does this school have so many rooms anyway?!"

"Probably to store all the statues of me," Ben joked uncharacteristically, earning a small smile from Mal, "Seriously, what classroom are you trying to find?"

"B12," Mal relented, "But clearly I'm in the completely wrong place."

"This building only has blocks A, C and E," Ben explained, "Blocks B and D in a separate building. Just follow this corridor to the end and go through the double doors, then across the courtyard into the building directly in front of you. You're on the ground floor, sixth door to your left."

"Thanks," Mal replied sincerely, checking her watch, "I, uh, should get going. Don't want to be late for my first class."

"See you later then," Ben smiled, "If you don't get lost again, of course."

"Won't happen," Mal laughed, walking away from Ben.


Mal had soon learned that the school had decided to put her in the lowest ranking classes. This was evident in the fact that her class consisted of about eight people, and that they were all mindlessly and confusedly looking at the posters around the room, as if they'd never seen diagrams of bacteria before.

Mal took a seat at the front of the class, pulling a notebook and pen out. A few moments later, their teacher walked in. With a dark blue suit and a coffee in hand, the professor moved to his desk slowly, clearly not enjoying his morning. He sat heavily, looking around the class.

"My name is Professor Callaghan," he started lamely, "To begin this years module, we will recap topics covered from last year with a simple pop quiz."

A few of the students groaned, which the Professor hushed before continuing, "Question one: What are the two main ions that participate in electrical impulse transmission in neurons?"

"The sodium cation and the potassium cation," Mal replied almost immediately, already becoming bored.

Professor Callaghan watched her curiously as he asked the following question, "What is an example of a sensory receptor?"

"The vibration receptors in skin," Mal answered, also almost immediately.

Professor Callaghan rose from his seat, "What are some important neurotransmitters?"

"Adrenaline, dopamine," Mal began, "Serotonin, asparate, nitrate oxygen..."

"Young lady," he began, "Are you sure you're in the right class?"

"It's what my timetable says," Mal shrugged, "Is there a problem, Professor?"

Professor Callaghan bit his lip, "I think it's best to have you transferred."


To add to the embarrassment of the morning's homeroom, Mal now found herself walking into a new Biology lesson halfway through the period. Walking in with Professor Callaghan, Mal awkwardly stood at the front of the class, knowing she'd just interrupted the lecture. She avoided eye contact as Professor Callaghan began speaking to the other teacher.

"Miss Honey, I believe I have a new student for you," Professor Callaghan explained, "I have sent the transfer papers to the faculty office."

"Wonderful!" Miss Honey exclaimed, just as peppy as the secretary had been that morning, "Please, take a seat. We were just revising neurotransmitters."

Mal nodded, awkwardly shuffling to take the empty seat near the back of the class. Thankfully, everyone seemed far too invested in their notebooks to take any care of her arrival. All except one.

Mal spotted her nearly instantly due to the girls long blue hair. She was sat a few rows on her left, close to the front of the classroom. Instead of frantically scribbling into her notebook, she just seemed... Bored. Not in the way Professor Callaghan's class had been, but more as if she'd already studied the subject thousands of times. Without dwelling too much on her, Mal flipped open her notebook and also began copying out the notes on the board, hoping first period would end soon.


*N.L State: Stands for Neverland. Thought I'd throw a cheeky Peter Pan reference in there ;)