Numbly Mal twirled the combination on her locker. Could evil still have a foothold on her? She thought back to last night when the eight of them should've been busted for breaking curfew. If that was evil than she'd happily suffer the consequences. Mal gently laid her forehead against the cool metal of her locker, closing her eyes to imagine the past couple of months. As if on a movie reel she saw Carlos bring Dude home for the first time, Evie pinning her first "B" to the wall, and Jay being praised by his teammates. This was her true family, her friends she couldn't imagine life without. Four children whose only goal was to be like their parents bonded into a tighter family than any Auradonian bloodline could ever claim.
A soft whimper flooded Mal's senses. She knew it wasn't her because she had no reason to cry. Mal followed the echo and as she got closer the sobs become easier to recognize... Evie. She didn't her Mal enter or lock the bathroom door. Evie's world involved nothing but utter humiliation.
"Evie?"
Startled into reality Evie gasped, "Mal! I didn't hear you come in."
"So I noticed. Want to tell me what's going on?"
The blurry-eyes princess feigned a smile. "Oh I let Chad and Audrey get the better of me."
"What did Tweedledum and Tweedledee do this time?"
Evie smiled, "That comparison's an insult to the Tweedle Twins, Mal." The two girls shared a half-hearted snicker over that.
"Seriously, E. What did they do?"
"Mr. Delay split Doug and I up today so that we could help other understand the lesson better. All was fine until Mr. Delay was checking on me and my partner. I was demonstrating a small reaction solution when the whole thing exploded."
"What's so bad about that. Explosions happen all the time in Chemistry."
"Somewhere during my experiment the baking soda was replaced with a dehydrated poison found in the Isle's sewers. It was a low enough dose that it couldn't kill but it knocked everyone out. They'll be waking up with painful headaches and blaming me for class sabotage."
"Why didn't it effect you?"
"We were born around it. Our systems are immune, especially in a low dose like this." Mal felt her blood rush. "Mal, I can picture it now. They're going to say I got it from-"
"Your mother."
"Exactly."
"Have you had anything from your mother?" Mal couldn't remember.
"I got a letter, but it was so obviously searched, and nowhere did she mention sending something like that along."
"How did she sound," Mal asked changing the point of concern for a minute. Evie's eyes pierced Mal's soul, but in a shocking way.
"She was happy for me, Mal." Evie smile softly, "She's only ever wanted what was best for me. Her vanity and jealous blinded her so she realizes that she could never properly love me, but she truly cared about me." Mal moved so that Evie could lean against her. "She wouldn't ruin my chances now..."
"But Audrey would." Mal now knew how Ben felt when she was threatened. Mal's only thought was to protect. Evie squeezed her arm and sized.
"I should've seen it coming. I knew she'd retaliate in some way."
"Wait," Mal barked. "What are you talking about?"
Evie turned sheepish. She'd purposely kept it from Mal and swore Doug to the same. "Before we went to the Portobello Festival, Doug and I were heading to the library to study when we ran into the pissed off princess. She called my mother an 'old hag' and implied that she would be back in Ben's arms in no time."
"And?"
"And I got into her face... with Doug's help."
"Come on, E. We've got a princess to put into place." Mal didn't wait for her friend. Audrey better be hiding because there was nothing good about the thoughts she was thinking. She didn't care if her training regressed, right now justice took precedence.
Mal knew the way to Mr. Delay's class, she'd met Evie there many times before. But she wasn't going to socialize... Oh no, she had some art to do. A little piece she like to call "Beauty Rearranged." Mal's blood hit a boiling point as her vision tunneled she never saw Ben, and didn't notice me following her. Just outside of the chemistry class Mal stopped and waited.
"Mal," Ben called out as he came up behind her. "Are you okay?" The anger fairy turned on him with fury in her eyes. "Mal?"
"Don't stop me Ben."
"What is going on?"
"That prissy pink princess is trying to sabotage my best friend." Mal pointed behind her, but her words struck the perfect cord in her young beast.
"Oh hello Ben," The sultry voice rang in Mal's ears, and worked as venom to her blood. Audrey had no time to prepare as those bright emerald eyes sliced her filling the air with a tension to be feared. Mal took a step forward and with it her fist connected to Audrey's face. The princess buckled under the impact.
"If you ever do anything to harm or sabotage my friends again. You'll have a lot more than a black eye to deal with," Mal threatened.
Ben quickly subdued the angry imp. His face stayed steady and unmoved with a slight look of disappointment in his eyes, but under the cold veneer he felt pride and justification. He loved Mal, and this was why. He saw in the sternness of her features that she will gladly suffer any consequences because she believed that what she did was right.
"Ben, are you just going to stand there?" a confused Chad spoke out. He looked down at the barely conscious Audrey.
"No," Ben turned Mal in his arms and held her close. "Are you okay, Babe?"
Mal nodded as Audrey sputtered, "Is she okay?! I am the one on the floor with a black eye."
Ben looked over Mal's shoulder, "I am aware of that. You should really see the nurse about the swelling." He made sure that she was watching closely as he address Mal again.
"Ben, I'm so sorry," Mal had finally shaken the anger long enough to see her damage. She wasn't sorry about what she did, but who she did it in front of. Now Ben would be forced to turn her in, but she wouldn't change what she did for anything.
"No," Ben whispered. "You did what you thought was best. Now it is my turn to save you. Let's go." He started walking away with Mal under his arm, but decided to prove one last point. He stopped and turned Mal to him, he picked up her chin bringing her lips up to meet his in a soul searing kiss. A little rougher than his princely sensibilities prefer, but perfect for showing Audrey that she no longer ruled.
Mal slowly pulled away, oblivious to the world around her, smiling, "Take me to Fairy Godmother's office, Ben. Evie and I need to talk to her before the rumor mill reaches her first."