CHAPTER 19
A yellow taxi passed through the streets of Auradon with ease. Several groups of students passed by all giggling, and gaggling, to ensure they were soaking up the last bit of summer. However, for the students of Auradon Prep school started today. The yellow taxi pulled up to the front of the school, the driver left his seat and ran to the other side. He cleared his throat and opened the door.
"Ahem, madam." He held his hand out for the young woman to take. Her red hair gleamed in the sunlight, as she took his hand and left the taxi.
"You are far too kind," Antoinette Baker said with a grin. The man chuckled before closing the door and getting her luggage out of the trunk.
"Do ye need me to help you carry it in?"
Antoinette shook her head.
"I think I've got it from here." She said as she shouldered her carry-on. Antoinette reached into her pocket and pulled out several bills and handed them to the man.
"Thanks for the ride."
"Not a problem, miss," he said. His round, chubby face was excited with glee. "It's every day I pick up someone from within the fairy realm. I can only assume you're a fairy?"
Antoinette smiled.
"Don't know. Maybe I am and maybe I'm not," she said with a wink.
"Ant!" Ben's voice called out. Antoinette turned around to see her long-time friend coming toward her. The taxi driver stood there flabbergasted as the two hugged one another. He shook himself out of his trance and bowed to the king.
"Your majesty!"
Ben shifted uncomfortably as Antoinette glanced at him with slight mischievousness.
"That's not necessary, sir," Ben explained. The taxi driver stood up as Ben raised his hand to him. The taxi driver took the king's hand and shook it.
"Thanks for bringing her here. I know it wasn't an easy drive," Ben commented. The taxi driver stood there with his mouth open for a second.
"Not a problem at all your majesty."
The man then turned around muttering, "I just shook the king's hand."
As the taxi drove off Antoinette turned to Ben.
"Your majesty," she said with a bow. Ben scolded her.
"Please, shut up." Antoinette started laughing.
"Oh come on, you should expect that. You act as if you just got into the royal line." Ben put his arm around her shoulders as he led her further into Auradon Prep.
"Let's not think about that. We promised Mal and Jay a calming double date between us," he explained. Antoinette rolled her eyes.
"As calm as the royal couple, and a fairy who just so happens to be dating one of the original VKs can have a double date," she rebutted. Before Ben could answer something else caught their attention. As they walked to the front doors of the school, they heard the singing getting louder and louder.
W-I-C-K-E-D
We got all the ways to be
So many ways to be wicked
An apple was thrown through the air, and Ben caught it with ease. Antoinette watched the students, and teachers continue to dance. She glanced around and saw several interesting things happening.
First, the statue of the beast had been spray-painted with sickly green and purple spray paint. Second, Belle and Adam, former King and Queen, were dancing along. Third and most important, Jay was in the center of all the action with his friends.
"Any idea on what the spell is?" Ben asked, handing the apple to Antoinette. She smelled the apple carefully and then rubbed it on her wrist. Ben watched her curiously.
"A compelling spell which has been seeped into several apples. Makes the consumer-controlled by the individual who gave them the spell. In this case, showing the consumer how fun it is to be wicked."
"Can you…..?" Ben started. Antoinette glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
"You're lucky I know the spell." Antoinette gave the apple back to him, before pulling her sleeves up. The crowd had begun another chorus. She began waving her wrists gently and fluidly. A small cloud appeared around several people before they stopped dancing and looked around confused. Then the chorus came to a stop.
"What's happening?"
"Why are we here?"
Antoinette and Ben approached the Core Four as the crowd began to disperse. Antoinette crossed her arms as Jay finally noticed her. Jay grinned at her, his eyes softened, and even his breathing seemed lighter.
"Nettie!"
"You spelled several individuals."
Jay paused.
"Uh, well you see, what had happened was-"
Antoinette waited for a response. The others shuffled, uncomfortable, and avoiding eye contact.
Antoinette rolled her eyes and pecked him on the cheek. Making him pause.
"You're lucky I missed seeing your face."
He gave her a cheeky grin as he wrapped his hand around her waist.
"I missed your face too, Nettie."
Jay leaned his head forward and rested their foreheads together.
"Okay well, we gotta go. Bye!" Carlos mentioned as he grabbed Evie's hand and pulled her away. Not interested in seeing any sort of canoodling.
"Why don't you guys go and get cleaned up? I have to talk to Fairy Godmother about some things before we leave, and Ben has to check up on our reservations," Antoinette suggested. The others nodded in agreement before the four dispersed themselves.
Antoinette walked through the halls of Auradon Prep, breathing in the scent of fresh grass and calm. She came to a large, ornamental door, before knocking on it gently.
"Come in," called a female voice. "Ah, Antoinette!"
Fairy Godmother smiled at Antoinette as she washed off some spray paint from her clothes. The green paint clashed horribly with the periwinkle cloth.
"Good to see you, dear." The Fairy Godmother sat at her seat before motioning for Antoinette to do the same. "Now, how can I be of assistance?"
Antoinette took a deep calming breath.
"I'm on behalf of Jane."
"Oh?" Fairy Godmother asked with wide eyes and a tilted head. Antoinette nodded.
"Yes. See, Jane has asked me if you could begin her training?"
Antoinette waited with bated breath. Fairy Godmother smiled, forcibly and sickly sweet before resting her hands on top of one another.
"Jane is not ready."
"Not ready?" Antoinette repeated slowly.
Fairy Godmother nodded.
"I understand you two are dear friends, but my daughter is not ready. She will be ready only after having true love's kiss," Fairy Godmother explained. Antoinette blinked several times.
"After all, all fairies have to have true love's kiss before they begin training, it's where we get part of our magical being from. Well, except for a pure fairy, but even then if they were to bear a child to a human, then their offspring would need to have to wait for their true love's kiss before being trained. After all, we're not like witches who start their training during their thirteenth year."
Antoinette thought for a moment in confusion.
"But Fairy Godmother, I haven't had true love's kiss." Fairy Godmother raised her eyebrows in surprise before turning her attention to the papers on her desk. She began writing on some documents.
"Of course you have, otherwise your training wouldn't have begun. Honestly, the Council wasn't too sure. Documents are a little foggy, but your interaction with Jay helped solidify everything. That's why your headaches were getting worse near coronation."
Antoinette blinked.
"But my last kiss before coronation was with Jay, so that would mean Jay is my-"
"True love. Well, yes."
"Oh my-"
"But like I said," Fairy Godmother put her pen down and looked up at Antoinette. "Jane needs to have a true love's kiss before beginning her training."
Antoinette nodded slowly.
"Thank you for your time, Fairy Godmother. I'll be sure to inform Jane of the, um, requirements."
Fairy Godmother nodded as Antoinette left. Fairy Godmother watched her leave with a small smile dancing on her lip.
Outside of Fairy Godmother's office, Antoinette leaned up against the wall before taking a deep breath. Jay is my true love. She ran a hand through her hair. Suddenly, the idea of sitting next to him with Ben and Mal next to them was just too much. How were true loves supposed to act around friends and family? His family. How would Jafar react to Antoinette being Jay's true love? Would he attempt to curse her? From the few things Jay had said about his father, they weren't positive. How would her mother react? Anastasia would probably start planning their wedding immediately. Did she want to marry right away? Maybe because they were true loves they could wait a little bit longer? After all, true love doesn't just fall out of love.
All these thoughts ran through her head as she walked to meet with the others. She tucked into the bathroom and started touching up her makeup. Should she tell Jay? Maybe not. Maybe. Why should she tell Jay? But doesn't he have a right to know?
The door opened to the bathroom.
"Ant, hey. There you are. So how'd it gone with my mom? Will she let me start my training?" Jane asked. Ant applied some lip gloss.
"No, your mom says you have to have true love's kiss before beginning training. Otherwise, nothing would work." Jane glanced at Antoinette.
"But you're in training, so that would mean you would have had true loves-"
"Kiss. Yeah."
Jane blinked before grinning widely. She leaned against the big mirror.
"Well, seeing as how you didn't begin training until after you started kissing Jay-"
"I know. He's my true love," Antoinette said with a sigh. Jane looked at her in concern.
"Oh, you don't know if you should tell him."
Antoinette slumped her shoulders.
"Well, it's a pretty big deal, you know?" Jane nodded in understanding. Of course, finding out who your true love is was a huge deal. There would be expectations of engagements, marriage, and children. Antoinette was only seventeen, children were the farthest from her mind.
Jane glanced back to Antoinette to see her deep in thought, a panicked look on her face as magic started swirling around her ankles. Jane placed her hands on Antoinette's shoulder and shook her gently.
"Stop it. You are okay. Jay loves you, true love, or not," she explained. Antoinette rested her head on Jane's shoulder.
"That's the problem, with true love there's going to be expectations. Marriage, children!" Jane shook her head amused before pulling Antoinette away from her.
"Marriage and children will come naturally. As naturally as it was for you two to find each other." Antoinette raised an eyebrow.
"So, Ben's going to have to write a proclamation saying I can bear Jay's children?"
The two girls looked at each other before bursting into giggles. Antoinette took a deep breath. She smiled at Jane before hugging her. They held each other for a moment.
"Thanks for that. I needed a laugh," Antoinette explained, wiping a tear away.
"Where is she?" Mal asked, glancing around. Jay was leaned up against a tree as Ben fiddled with his phone, messaging Antoinette.
"She'll be here," Jay said confidently. He looked up at the sky watching the clouds roll through the sky lazily.
He closed his eyes, happy to know he'd be able to hang out with his girl. Jay opened his eyes when he felt someone kiss him on the cheek. He grinned at the red hair and wrapped an arm around Nettie's shoulder.
"Sorry. I got caught up with Jane," she explained. Ben nodded.
"We should get going. Our reservations are in half an hour and itsit'stwenty minutes," Ben said. Antoinette bit her lip.
"Actually, I think Jay and I will sit this one out. It's been a minute since we hung out just me and him." Mal and Ben looked at one another in confusion.
"Yeah, we'll meet up later?"
Antoinette nodded.
"Yeah, totally. Tomorrow sometime."
"So, what was skipping out on the reservations all about?" Jay asked as he followed Antoinette through the halls of Auradon prep. She glanced up at him and grinned.
"I just, I want to tell you something." Antoinette opened her dormitory door. Jay jumped on her bed and got comfortable. Antoinette toed her shoes off and climbed in next to him. She snuggled up against his shoulder.
"I've missed this," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "Just us being us."
Antoinette smiled, placing a hand on his chest. She looked up at him.
"Jay."
He turned his attention to her.
"Have you ever thought of true love?" She asked. Jay shifted, trying to get comfortable in the bed.
"I mean not on the Isle. Not much of a chance. I don't really think about that kind of stuff," he explained. Antoinette frowned.
"Stuff?"
"Well, yeah. You know, hope, true love, happiness, stuff like that." Antoinette started drawing circles on his chest, trying her best to comfort him.
"I don't really need to think much about it now."
"Why?"
Jay smiled down at her.
"Cause I have you. I don't need to think about anything like that."