Various times through the week - various places
From that afternoon forwards, Mal and Ben fell into a natural and comfortable friendship, each feeling more at peace and relaxed within the others presence than they had done before.
Due to society appearances, prior commitments and lack of time though, neither Ben nor Mal had publicly addressed their changed relationship status. The media had yet to get wind of any trouble and since it was the first week back to lessons, the entire student body and the faculty had either not picked up on the change or were simply too busy with other things to care.
The only people who knew about the split were their friends and even then, it didn't change anything. Everyone around them could see how irresponsible and damaging it would have been if the pair had continued to date.
Evie and Doug seemed to be the only ones who ever saw Mal and Harry interact on a deeper level. Jay and Carlos had drafted the two pirates into the sports teams and neither of the villainous boys seemed too emotionally involved enough to care as they juggled school and sporting commitments. Lonnie and Jane's attentions were placed firmly on Evie and Doug so neither saw the touches that would happen over lunchtimes and in the hallways. Ben ignored the whispers and the gazes across classrooms so long as nothing was said blatantly in front of him.
Gil was the final person to find out as he had been in the infirmary on the Monday afternoon when Ben had told the group. He had been treated for a small bout of nausea after he had consumed too much food at lunch. Gil had sat down with his best friend and they had spent Monday night locked in their dorm room simply talking, skipping extra tutoring sessions and sports practises. Neither pirate would disclose the topics they had discussed but both seemed to carry themselves better, with straighter postures and higher held chins as if they had let the worries and weight off their shoulders go.
For the ten friends, Monday night revolved around tutoring, extra classes and sports sessions and Tuesday fared no better. Clubs began again on Wednesday and the group found it hard to do anything but promise to meet up the following day. Classes and homework dominated Thursday and the gloomy September weather crept in through chilly winds and frost on the grounds.
Mal's eyes had yet to transition back to their dormant green colour so she and Jane had spent their Thursday morning free period trawling through spell books to find a glamour spell strong enough to mask it, a feat which had been unsuccessful. Mal's irises had absorbed the magic from Jane's spell and seemed to glow brighter than before.
"Maybe he woke up some primal part of you," Evie sniggered over her pudding at lunch that Thursday, causing the two other girls to raise their eyebrows and turn on the purple-haired girl.
"What?"
"Who?" Lonnie demanded. "Did what? When?" The daughter of Mulan went so far as to elbow Mal who was sitting to her right. Lonnie was sat at the end of the long, bench-like table with the two VKs on either side of her. Jane was next to Evie, leaving the rest of the long table empty.
Mal groaned around her spoon and sent a glare across the table to the smirking Evie. "Nothing, it was an accident," she began but she could tell nobody was buying her excuse.
"Come on then, spill it Evie," Lonnie turned to the girl sat across from her, her arms folded and a brow raised in an intimidating expression.
Evie wilted under the stare and seemed unable to stop her mouth from opening. "Mal and Harry are seeing each other again, that's why her eyes are glowing, because he went dow-"
"Evie!" Mal cried, leaning over the table and slamming a hand over her friend's mouth with a horrified expression that matched Jane's.
"Harry Hook?" Jane asked and herself and Lonnie absorbed the information. "What do you mean 'again'?"
"Were you two something back on the Isle?" Lonnie pressed, resting her elbows in the table top and then leaning her chin against her palms, eyes wide with fascination and intrigue.
"Gods above Evie," Mal cursed and let go of Evie's face with a deep sigh. "We were something on the Isle yeah." The way she had paused and stumbled over the word 'something' made Lonnie feel as though it was an inadequate description, as if they had been miles more.
"Something?" Jane echoed her friends thoughts, confused. "Like boyfriend and girlfriend or something more or less... intimate?"
"I don't know. We never called each other boyfriend or girlfriend but-" Mal's eyebrows furrowed. "We were so much more but at the same time we weren't anything," she explained frustratedly, her spoon clattering down onto the table top.
Lonnie nodded along seriously before she smirked. "So what were you saying before you got rudely interrupted? He went down where?" She asked playfully, poking Evie in the arm.
"Jane cover your ears," Mal warned dejectedly, already accepting the fact that Evie would tell Lonnie. She gave her dorm mate a miniscule nod and Evie turned eagerly to Lonnie.
"Is that necessary?" Jane asked with a pout and Lonnie's grin was predatory.
"Penis," Mal said monotonously but even the word had Jane blushing furiously and her hands slapped over her ears and her eyes squeezed shut.
"Oh, so you did do something dirty," Lonnie snickered.
"Picture the scene," Evie began, dramatically dragging her hands through the air, as if to paint the picture. "Harry's leaning against an outhouse and he pins her against the brick but our sweet and delicate Mal begins to crack under the pressure. Guilty and frustrated, she cries. He leads her into the forest and he kisses her like she's never been kissed-"
"Oh Evie please," Mal tried to protest but she was shushed by the two girls so Mal simply rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair, half heartedly playing with her spoon.
"Anyway, Harry kisses her within an inch of her life and then he's ruining her shirt and her bra with his hook and then he- well he, you know," Evie trailed off, suddenly becoming shy. A red blush began to creep up her neck and she looked away.
"He what? He what?" Lonnie cried, turning to Mal with her hands clasped in a prayer. "What did he do! Please, he did what?"
"I believe I gave her the best orgasm she's ever had," Harry's smooth voice was suddenly behind Evie and Lonnie and the two girls screamed and jumped in surprise. "She made flowers bloom around us."
Jane was humming out of tune quite loudly and was drawing the attention of numerous people. Evie and Lonnie's outbursts had not helped and now everyone within a three table radius was attempting to listen in.
"Did you? You didn't tell me that?" Evie said quietly as Harry sat down next to Jane, smirking at the girls. Doug and the rest of the boys were following slowly so Mal glared at the rest of the table.
"Do not mention this anymore," Mal whispered harshly as Doug dropped into the seat directly besides her with a confused smile as Jane still had her hands over her ears. "Girls I will tell you after dinner, I promise. And don't talk about it in front of him or else his head will explode with his super-inflated ego," Mal stuck her tongue in Harry's direction and his booming laugh was loud as it rung throughout the dining hall.
"'Fraid that's already happened, he got drafted to first string for the match next week," Gil joked as he caught the tail end of the conversation, placing his tray down next to Doug's.
"Yeah, I'm surprise he could even keep his head balanced upon his shoulders. Coach just drooled over him as he dodged Jay on the way back from our Governing class," Carlos grinned. Jay and the pirate were involved in a long-running game of 'tag' in which one would hit the other on the arm and then the other would try to do it back. Because both boys were so quick on their feet it had become a spectacle to watch them chase after each other between classes.
"Yeah well, we'll all be able to see that tomorrow night," Harry grinned, winking at Mal with a crooked grin. "Dougie's only just thought it worthwhile to tell me there's a river near the cottage so we'll be swimmin' too," Harry informed the group as the boys began to dig into the lunch.
"Really? Well, looks like I'll be beating your ass when we swim," Jay grinned and Lonnie groaned. The two had also been betting each other and turning everything into a competition.
"That a challenge mate," Harry egged him on with a gleam in his eye. Swimming was second nature to the pirate.
"Winner has to give up his dorm up for one night, the entire night," Jay proposed, sticking out his hand confidently.
"Hey! What about me and Gil?" Carlos complained, realising that he would probably be bunking with Gil for a night when the time to cash in on the prize came.
"Deal. Hope ya ready to burn every piece a furniture in ya room after I've done with it," Harry teased and Mal fought the blush that she knew was rising to her cheeks. She couldn't help but picture herself being bent over a desk. To her left, Lonnie's complexion was tinged with red.
Jane finally dropped her hands from her ears, confident that the more mature talk was over. "I spoke with my mom, she said Mr Thatcher has offered to drive us to the cottage because he's visiting relatives in the east and its not that far out for him."
"What time? It's definitely going to be Friday night right?" Carlos questioned her, staring at her so intently that Jane began to giggle hysterically.
Jay punched Carlos in the arm. "Knock it off dude," he warned as Jane took several deep breaths at Evie's prompting.
"Yeah, at five thirty tomorrow night outside the courtyard, in front of the statue with all of our bags," Jane told the group.
"Hey E, can I borrow that swimming costume again?" Lonnie returned the conversation back to what the girls had been talking about for days.
"Yeah, I also have some fun little designs that I worked on over summer," Evie's smile was bright and dazzling. "Doug, are we going to do it?"
Doug and Jay spluttered, the older boy going so far as to spit out the sip of juice he had taken. The pumpkin juice sprayed over the two pirates and Harry's hook came down onto the wood, splintering the surface as he wiped the drink from his eyes. Mal and Lonnie's jaws had dropped and both Carlos and Jane were blushing .
"What? Did I say something?" Evie questioned as Gil laughed at his best friend's reaction. The pirate took pity on the blue haired girl and repeated her last sentence.
Evie's eyes went comically wide and she shook her head. "No! No! I meant are we going to have the dinner party we talked about, not- not that," she muttered and the table dissolved into laughter and giggles.
Doug's glasses were slipping down his nose as he was still staring at his girlfriend, he had yet to blink so Jay elbowed him gently.
"Huh, oh ... yes we can. I spoke to one of my aunts and they said they would send someone to help. It'll probably be a deer or something." Doug's cheeks were aflame and he was still only looking at Evie as if she was the only one in the room.
Harry prised his hook from the table, holding it out in a semi-threatening manner to Jay. "Tonight on that field you're getting your arse whipped. Ya hear me!"
Jay grinned and fist bumped the hook as the bell signalling lessons rang. "I'm holding you to that Hook!"
Authors note:
Hello! So a filler as suspected buuuuut, I pinky promise the next will be long, fluffy, a bit/lot smutty and we will be at the cottage. There is only a week or two left in this story's universe so we are on the way to the end.
I WILL HOWEVER being writing small one shots for Mal/Harry, Evie/Doug and anybody else so if you have a suggestion or request, leave it in a review.
Also, one reviewer should keep an eye out for the smutty parts in the next chapter, your watery request is included ;)
As always, like, review, follow, favourite and enjoy XOX
(P.S. I have a pinterest and I have a board for both Mal and Evie and I think they're pretty rad so check them out if you want. The user name is ratclanqueen / ratclanqueen