Thank you "guest" for the review!
The Isle Four lounged on the open grassy area known as the quad, enjoying the last vestiges of temperate weather. It's been a week since the museum incident and most had forgotten already.
The girls were enjoying nice fluffy sweaters and the boys were in a losing battle of stopping them from stealing theirs. Mal was lazily sketching, random scenes with her friends. Evie, a bit more productive, sketched out ideas for her future fall line that would be in all the magazines and dress ideas for Homecoming.
Dragon Hall and the Isle at large didn't have a concept of "Homecoming." School was entirely voluntary, in some cases discouraged, and there was very little to celebrate; certainly they wouldn't revel in a new school year.
But Evie was excited; it was a chance to show off her skills and a reason to dress up. It was still a couple weeks away, but it would take all of that time to make two dresses and two suits. Her friends had no real opinion on fashion, other than Carlos who had an eye for color and a flair for the edgy. Mal and Jay put their utmost faith in her abilities, Carlos wanted something black and white; simple and elegant; but she knew that was just "safe" Carlos talking. He thought he had to look a certain way, researching on the internet what typical teens in Auradon wore to dances.
Even with the Crown's generous allowance, she would have to make every Auradon Farthing count and the others had given them their portion as they knew it was important for her to do this for them.
Dress making was not a cheap endeavor.
She was going to add a slash of red to Carlos' suit she decided, crimson that matched his supernatural eyes. Mal's of course would be purple, she hadn't decided if she would go a rich plum or a lighter lavender. She wanted to do something unexpected but still within Mal's taste.
Jay would be in oxblood and burnished gold, something to complement his deeper skin tone.
She of course would be in her signature deep royal blue with gold accents and faux ruby accessories.
She had thought about having them have matching couples outfits, but for their first formal appearance she wanted them to be seen as individuals, to show all of Auradon who they really were.
They wouldn't have run of the mill dresses or suits from some chain department store. They also wouldn't have some Auradonian born seamstress make them something either, even if they could afford it. They were from the Isle, they weren't like the rest. The museum trip made that abundantly clear. So no, they wouldn't dress like Auradonians but they wouldn't be Islanders either.
Evie decided that they weren't meant to fit in; they were born to stand out.
The boys had found a ball and were tossing it around, it was a relaxing Sunday.
Across the quad, they were being watched.
"I think this is a bad idea," grumbled Chad Charming, not liking Ben's suggestion to solving their problem.
"If you have a better one, I'm all ears," Lonnie Li replied, taking in the two Isle boys. "Jay is huge. He'd be a perfect defender. Carlos looks quick. The dancers say he's a quick study too; he already has a solo for the winter recital. Ben, you need a dependable charger out there with you."
Ben nodded; he had done his own research. The two teens probably would have been invited to try out for the tourney team if he had gotten them to Auradon earlier.
"They're thugs, I highly doubt they would even know the meaning of teamwork," the Charming heir insisted, toting the party line.
"You need to give them a chance," Ben felt he had told him for the millionth time. "…and what happened to your nose again?"
Chad at least had the wherewithal to look embarrassed; he mumbled something about being clumsy at the museum.
"Look, the bottom line is that we're down four players. Brad and Mike are benched because they're idiots and can't muster the C average to stay on the team. James and John are injured and out for the season. All we have is a bunch of freshmen who don't know what they're doing because the team last year was mostly seniors who have graduated. So unless you want to pull out entirely this year –your senior year by the way if you forgot – we need at least two more players to even qualify," Lonnie explained to Chad, tired of his whining. If he even suggested that they simply not play that year, she was plenty ready to kick him off the team and try to find an additional player. It was easy enough for Chad not to care as he was a prince; he was basically guaranteed a place in any university he wanted, regardless of whether he earned it through academics or sports. He would also never have to worry about paying for said schooling. She, on the other hand, wasn't royal and couldn't rely solely on her mother and father's name to get her anywhere; besides maybe a university in Northern Wei. She would prefer to stay in Auradon proper, so that meant it would be a great boon to her transcripts if she had a championship under her belt; she could potentially get a scholarship.
The lesser prince stewed in his unhappiness, knowing their goalie was right but he still didn't need to like it. He was also worried that Ben would find out that he had been antagonistic to the four teens; he couldn't imagine Jay or Carlos joining the team with him on it. Their lineup suffered major losses since last year's seniors graduated, they basically had to take everyone who had tried out, there were no more players they could pull from; ultimately if Jay and Carlos said "no" then their season was over before Homecoming.
"So who's going to ask them to try out?" Chad asked, knowing he was the last person who ought to do it and the last person who wanted to do it.
Lonnie grimaced, slightly ashamed she didn't want to do it either. She knew she shouldn't listen to rumors but they were pretty hard to ignore. Carlos looked harmless enough, but Jay was built like an ox and she could easily see him as Mal's top enforcer, which is what the gossip said he was. Her mother would kill her if she knew her daughter was avoiding the Isle Four based on gossip alone, but her mother wasn't there so she hesitated.
"Come on you guys, you should really give them a chance," Ben told his teammates, his patience running thin at how stubborn the class was to even give the Isle kids the time of day. He didn't understand why everyone was still so hesitant around them. They'd been there for almost two months, none of them had done anything remotely intimidating. The only students who had extended the olive branch were in the band.
At least Audrey wasn't there, he was certain he would hear another lecture,
No offense Bennie Bear, you're just too trusting. I know your mom fell in love with a big nasty beast who turned out to be a prince. But with my mom, the evil fairy was just the evil fairy…that girl's mother.
Of course that started a whole fight about how he wasn't a child and didn't need to be condescended to. He was the Crown Prince and future King of the UKA, he knew what he was doing. He was tired of being told he didn't know what he was getting into, as if he just dreamt up this plan one night and went with it. They act as if he didn't spend a year thinking it over and coming up with the plans. As if he didn't have the best councilors Auradon City had to offer helping him out.
You don't understand. When I look into her eyes, I don't see evil.
What he had meant to say, was when he looked into their eyes he didn't see evil; but that slip of the tongue had sent his girlfriend on a jealous tirade and had made some unflattering accusations to both himself and Mal; things that were totally untrue and unjustified. It didn't help that later that evening Ms. Robinson had called him and Professor FéeMarraine to a conference with Audrey. Apparently his girlfriend had made some more accusations that day and falsely accused Carlos and Mal of trying to steal Fairy Godmother's Wand while on the field trip.
As Crown Prince and President of the Student Counsel, it was up to him whether or not to bring her up on student ethics violations. Professor FéeMarraine was there in case he wanted to recuse himself as her boyfriend.
He had done so, leaving it up to their Magical History teacher to decide if what Audrey did was worth punishment. He could tell she expected him to take her side and get her out of trouble, but he didn't think she deserved it, he would preserve the integrity of the student council, and he didn't have the patience to grant her any favors.
He knew the Professor would be utterly fair and unbiased. He later found out that she simply asked Audrey to make a face to face apology to Mal and Carlos and the princess had refused. He couldn't believe she was so stubborn that instead of just apologizing, which was a softer sentence than what he would have had her do, she would rather do a week's worth of detention with the groundskeeper. He didn't know what her problem was or where all this jealousy was coming from. It was one thing to be cautious because her family had been the victim of Maleficent's fury, but he had eyes and ears everywhere; he was well aware of her petty and vindictive nature towards the four. All of his overtures of trying to mend fences had fallen on deaf ears and he was tired of trying for her sake.
So, if he wanted to invite Carlos and Jay to the team then he would. If that meant Audrey and the rest of the team and cheer squad would then have to work with and cheer for them; then so be it.
Mal wasn't too thrilled with the idea of the boys joining the tourney team. It was another school activity that would eat up their time, but she kept quiet on that front because they did seem excited. Both boys were getting antsy with just doing school work. Carlos was a bit alleviated with dance but he wanted something aggressive. The two teens had witnessed a few games and seen professional matches on television. The rough contact sport had piqued their interest and perhaps it would do them good to have an approved outlet for some of their frustration at their poor treatment from some of the students at Auradon Prep and all the excess energy from the plentiful food and less physical demanding work they used to do on the Isle.
There was one issue, however, that she would bring up.
"Your magic is still new and you're developing," she warned both of them. Luckily their bursts of accidental magic had been brushed off as the wind or someone being clumsy. The boon to having a generation without magic is that no one could recognize it when they saw it.
Out on the field, however, they would not only be scrutinized but if either boy would be particularly angry or aggressive their magic could manifest in kind.
"If either of you lose control, they're going…"
"Magic isn't illegal, it's just frowned upon. They'll just think it's something that happens, like with my hair," Jay interjected, thinking Mal was being paranoid.
"That was just for a haircut though. You might actually hurt someone on the field. They're not going to be like, 'oh the Isle kid has dangerous magic, no big deal.' They already think we're thugs, add magic and they're going to freak out," she insisted.
Mal had a point, they already weren't trusted and Jay was honestly surprised he and Carlos were invited to the team at all. Even if they were desperate for players, it didn't seem like anyone in Auradon Prep besides Ben and the band trusted them.
"Don't you know anything that could…bind our powers so we could play?" Carlos asked his girlfriend, trying to figure out a solution.
The purpled haired fae winced at the suggestion, the thought of binding their powers felt unnatural and wrong. Their natural magic had been fettered all their life, she never wanted to be so powerless ever again.
"I don't want us to be helpless, what if they finally get tired of being diplomatic for Prince Ben's sake?"
He understood his girlfriend's worry, at any moment on the Isle they could have been attacked. Either as a vendetta against one of their parents or as an act of desperation because of a food shortage, there were some Isle habits they were finding were impossible to shake off.
"We'll never be helpless, Mal. We survived the Isle for seventeen years, all without magic. We can take on anything they throw at us. I don't mean to permanently bind our powers, isn't there anything temporary?"
Mal wanted to argue, tell him even if it were temporary that seconds could mean the difference between life and death. She didn't want to risk any of them, but whether he was doing it on purpose or not he had those big wide brown eyes that begged for her help and understanding.
So she breathed deep and thought harder about their situation.
They weren't on the Isle and they wanted to live as if they weren't, what was the point of coming to Auradon if they were going to be as paranoid as if they were still on the island?
He wants a normal teenage life, he deserves a normal life.
They all deserved the carefree life that every Auradon teenager had, even if those teens weren't even remotely aware of just how easy their life was. Part of being a regular teen in Auradon was joining a sports team, where they could exert all this energy without worry because food was abundant and they didn't have to be conscious of reserving their fat stores for the winter or any food shortages.
They could do something for the simple fact they wanted to and they thought it was fun.
"I know of some runes that can bind magic," Mal gave in, recalling her mother teaching her the sigils in case her magic manifested and as a young fae, would need to sometimes dampen her magic for her safety and others'.
With Evie's help, the next day before the boys' first try out and practice, they had created simple leather wrist bands with imprints of sacred fae runes. From a casual onlooker, they looked no different than any other masculine bracelet they could have gotten from Target or a gift shop. The bands so simple, most would probably never even notice them. But if one cared to look, the underside of the band were intricate symbols seeped in magic.
As soon as Jay and Carlos put them on, they felt the binding magic. It wasn't painful, but a sense of something missing lay just under their skin. Both had instinctually wanted to remove them but resisted temptation. It was what they asked for and it helped them contain their magic.
The girls each delicately tied the bracelets to their respective boyfriends, making sure not to make it too tight but also that they wouldn't fall off.
With a quick look around and decided they were safe from prying eyes, they both experimentally tried to do some simple magic and nothing happened.
"If anything happens, the ties should be weak enough for you to rip off immediately," Mal worried over them. He could tell she was agitated and hated the offending accessories.
They had spent so much time in a prison they didn't deserve, even something as simple as a bracelet felt too confining.
He leaned down to kiss her and nuzzled his forehead to hers.
"We'll be fine, I promise."
"Anything happens, I'm burning this place to the ground."
He believed her, and he loved her all the more for it. He was thankful she didn't seem to remember her promise to start a prank war with Audrey, her Dramamine induced stupor made her memory hazy and perhaps made her speak words she didn't mean. He wasn't about to remind her of her ominous promise, thinking it would have been a short term satisfaction but a long term hindrance.
Audrey was willing to accuse them of stuff they didn't do with no proof, she would probably have no trouble doing so when they actually were doing something against her.
"Wish us luck," he said as he and Jay started to head towards the tourney field.
"You don't need luck, you have talent. Which is more than any of these spoiled jerks can say."
He grinned, happy she believed in him so thoroughly.
Coach Jenkins had been in a constant state of anger since 2/3 of his tourney team had graduated last May. His program had been decimated of all but three of their best players. His team now consisted of three seniors who were trying their best to keep the new players in line and teach them all they could. But green players could only be taught so much by mentors; true talent was taught by experience.
Then he lost an additional four players to laziness or irresponsibility. Tourney was a dangerous game and if they didn't respect defensive maneuvers enough or to keep their shields up – which was something he shouted at least a hundred times during practice – then injuries happened.
Seeing the two new players on the field, for the first time in months he felt something other than rage; he felt like his team may have a fighting chance that year.
Jay was massive compared to the other freshmen players, and probably most of the adult staff at Auradon Prep. He had heard one of the other coaches, the one who taught Strength and Conditioning, say that all the boy seemed to do was school, work out, and eat. It definitely showed, he wasn't sure what they did on the Isle but he wondered if there were any other boys they could recruit if they looked like Jay.
There was Carlos, who was a twig compared to his friend but so was the rest of the student body. Ben had vouched for them and they both seemed eager to try out.
"There are eleven players in tourney: three midfielders, three chargers, two defenders, two gunners, and one goalie. The goalie defends the goal, stops the ball from entering and she has to get the ball back to our side once its caught. The midfielders play both defense and offense, depending on who has the ball. They are only allowed in the 40 yards in midfield and to the end of the kill zone. After midfield, there is the kill zone, the big red and white area which is another twenty yards. That is where the cannons come in. The two gunners are on alternate sides, shooting at the other team. They only get four cannon disks per play, so they have to make it count. Gunners can only shoot at moving players. They have to have great aim and not accidently shoot their own players, very hard things to do with moving targets. Defenders protect our chargers by attacking the opposing team's chargers and midfielders. They also have shields and can deflect cannon disks as well. Defenders are allowed anywhere on the field. Chargers are only allowed in the attack area and up to the end of their kill zone. Chargers are typically the ones who score. Scores only count once we're in the strike zone," Ben went over the basics of tourney with Carlos and Jay.
The teens remained silent, taking in his instruction. He had a chart with the different zones on the field.
"This is the stick, shield, and those are the cannons…" Ben went on and went over their gear, trying to cover everything within a few minutes.
The cheer team was off to the side, doing their routine while checking out the new players. None of them were sure what to think. They had spent the last month gossiping and avoiding Carlos and Jay, now they were expected to cheer for them? Not only that, but they would all be spending much more time together. Whether it be during practice, on the bus to tournaments, or home games. They could tell the head cheerleader, Princess Audrey, was not happy; a frown marring her features although they weren't sure who she was angry at: the Isle boys daring to step on the revered tourney field or Crown Prince Ben for inviting them. There were rumors about strife between the couple; the Crown Prince unhappy with his princess not supporting his edict, she unhappy with the daughter of the evil fairy who had terrorized her family still in Auradon.
After so many weeks, the Isle kids clearly weren't going anywhere and Ben was their future king. They all started to worry about the side they had chosen, the brunet royal had control over their futures if they wanted any prominent posts in his court. He would no doubt remember those who had supported his earliest proclamations.
Some of the cheerleaders and tourney players, freshmen who had not had enough time to be totally loyal to either royal, felt they ought to take a firmer stand. Perhaps befriending the newest tourney players would be a natural transition without seeming manipulative.
Audrey steamed at the audacity of her boyfriend. Tourney was their domain and he was allowing that riff raff in.
Was nothing in Auradon sacred?
The sport was violent enough; they didn't need thugs who were probably all too eager to cause pain to make it even worse. From her peripheral, she could see her cheer underlings were starting to doubt her leadership. If they had to choose between following her or following their future monarch, the choice was easy. Normally she and Ben had a united front, but his so called "program" was the first time they had such opposing positions.
Her frown deepened when she saw the two Isle harlots in the stands, their heads buried in books and looked like they were watching their friends try out and do homework at the same time. She wondered if she had the authority to kick them off the field grounds, gawkers had no place during practice. But the two were also hanging with the band, she doubted any of them would listen to her if she tried to expel the girls.
She was not universally loved, she had known that. For the most part she didn't care, those who didn't like her were so small in the grand scheme of things she never really saw them anyway. What did a band member mean to a cheerleader? What did sheep mean to the lion? She only really cared about the opinion about fellow royals, those who would make up the King's court once Ben took the crown.
The future she had seen for herself was starting to crumble before her eyes. The Queen's crown had been so certain, she even knew her measurements. All she could do was helplessly watch the boys get in formation and start their practice.
Of course, the Isle boys had exceeded expectations.
Jay was as strong as he appeared to be. He ran through midfielders and defenders as if they were nothing more than annoying mosquitos. Carlos did exceptionally well, he was quick and elusive. The opposing defenders couldn't keep up with him to take him out, those left who weren't steamrolled by Jay.
As soon as the whistle sounded, all the anger and energy that had been building inside Jay was let loose. He wasn't that quick, but he was quicker than the other boy. He heard the satisfying crunch of hitting him and he went down like a ton of bricks. To avoid suspicion, Jay looked for Carlos and ran towards him to protect his little brother, moving onto the next player he could hit.
Jay wore the padding the rules dictated he ought to wear. He wished he didn't as it felt bulky and cumbersome. He recognized the one player in a yellow jersey, signifying he was on the "other" team during practice. The other player's nose was still bruised and slightly swollen from the day Mal used her powers to trip him up.
Ben had said Jay was a "defender" and that meant he was to protect the Crown Prince, Carlos – who was also a charger – and one other charger. The bruised boy, he was a midfielder for the other team.
So it was well within the rules and Jay's rights to completely mow him down. Even if he wasn't anywhere near the charger with the ball, Jay preferred to take all precautions and nail down all potential attackers.
It wasn't the coach's preferred tactic but he couldn't argue with the Isle teen's results.
Ben and Carlos made it swiftly past the kill zone, but Jay was always there with his shield to make sure none of them got dinged. He even threw in a couple of unnecessary windmill flips to avoid the disks, showing off to all those watching. The cannons were more powerful than he initially thought, and at the speed the disks were going he knew it would leave major contusions where they hit. But he was more than willing to take the strikes; he had always been stronger, to him that meant he would take the shots his brother wouldn't have been able to.
He got a certain satisfaction from seeing the surprised face of the gunner, never had seen anyone take on a shot head on or intricately flip out of the way. The disks seemed to be mere annoyances rather than powerful projectiles that at least made other players stumble from the sheer force of them. Jay was able to stand his ground and some of the disks even shattered when they collided with his shield.
Carlos for his part, easily out maneuvered any player that got near him and ran out of the kill zone as soon as he could; he took a more practical and straightforward approach. Jay took care of those who looked to be eager to get him out of the game. Handling the ball was a difficult feat, unused to stick and having to do all that concentrating while running. The play stumbled along because he or one of the other new players had lost the ball.
They were doing as well with the ball as anyone who was playing for the first time in their life. He was able to pass the ball to Ben who had attempted a goal within the strike zone but Lonnie, the goalie, was just too quick for him.
The break whistle blew to end the play, every defender and midfielder with a yellow jersey was on the ground, trying to catch their bearings.
"You two! Get over here," the coach yelled and pointed to both Isle teens. Carlos and Jay braced themselves to be in trouble, thinking they were about to be reprimanded for being too rough. "What do you call that?"
Jay and Carlos had no idea how to answer. They were surprised when the coach then started to smile.
"I call that raw talent," the coach was about to burst with pride and an unexpected smile. "Come find me later, I'll show you something you haven't seen before. It's called a rule book."
Coach loved the intensity, but there were about a dozen good sportsmanship rules and penalties they had violated and wouldn't do for a real match.
"Welcome to the team, boys," Jenkins said proudly as he hit Jay's shoulder. The teen was a bit unsure about that contact but overall pleased. The other boy in yellow was right behind him, disbelieving after only one play the two were welcomed enthusiastically to the team.
"Lets run that again," he commanded, his normal severe demeanor returning, wanting to get real practice in.
"Woo!" Jay cried with a happy clap, eager to do it again. When he turned around, the boy in yellow was immediately behind him, staring him down.
Jay grew upon the island, he wasn't daunted by anyone; especially not some blond pretty boy. Remembering how mean he was to Evie, Jay's smile immediately disappeared and the grim look sent a shiver down the other players side; the teen in yellow knew he should expect the exact same treatment as before and that the Isle teen not only remembered him but was not one to forgive. Without a care, Jay walked past and bumped his shoulder; without turning back he didn't see the boy try to pretend he wasn't hurt but after a few seconds grabbed his shoulder, hoping the throbbing would go away.
He wasn't sure if he could survive an entire practice with Jay's force. Looking across the field, he saw Audrey who looked just as displeased as he was about the turn of events. He got back onto the field, he knew he wouldn't survive her wrath if he didn't keep at it.
After tourney and cheer practice, Ben and Audrey were freshly showered and dressed; normally they would go to a study hall together to catch up on homework or relax then head to dinner.
That day was different, however.
"Sorry Audrey," he said cooler than normal and she wasn't quite sure if he was all that sorry. "But I have a meeting with Mal and the others. We're working on expanding the program. I think they would have a lot of good insight on the needs of any children coming over," he explained before she could make any snide comment, too used to her behavior.
"That's alright," she replied, surprising him. "I know I've been in a bad mood about the whole thing and I'm sorry. I know this is important to you. Let me know if you need any help?"
A small burst of guilt started to eat at him, seeing how hard she was trying. Perhaps she was just having a bad week. Everyone was entitled to have a bad day. She was always trying so hard. She had on a large statement necklace with pink roses, a diamond studded white shirt, and a Northern Wei cashmere carnation pink cardigan. It was dressier than most would ever wear to school, but not only as a princess but his girlfriend she always has to be seen at her very best; even if it was just on school grounds and after hours. It seemed the few days of not speaking finally got through to her that she couldn't keep antagonizing the Isle Four.
"Thank you, Audrey," he said softer and sweeter. "How about afterwards, I'll take you out to Lumiere's?" he offered the nicest French restaurant in Auradon City. It was way out of their way, in the heart of the city and it would be late when they got back. But he felt she deserved it with how she offered the olive branch and she was already dressed up.
Her beaming smile told him he made the right move and they would be ok.
"That'd be lovely, text me when you're finished," she happily said and gave him a chaste goodbye kiss. He was glad that all the previous jealousy seemed to have disappeared, perhaps it finally got through to her that he wasn't doing anything inappropriate with either Isle girl. He went to where he said he'd meet the teens and once he was out of eyesight, Prince Chad came out of the shadows.
"Do we really have to be nice to those island rats?" he asked petulantly, unhappy with her new plan.
"Yes," she stressed, just as irritated but what they were doing wasn't working. "Be nice. Treat them like your teammates. Be 'bros' or whatever you guys do. Might help if you seduced the girls."
"Both of them?" he wasn't opposed as they were both beautiful, but normally Audrey derided him for his play boy ways.
"If you can, we need to divide and conquer. These miscreants have so far just ignored us. Perhaps joining the tourney team will be a boon to our plans. The boys will be distracted with the team and we can turn the girls on each other. It should be easy to get the boys with popularity. They'll see it's better to fall in line with Auradon then neither girl will have their bodyguards. There'll be in-fighting with them over you. Soon, they'll go running back to the Isle or sent packing."
Chad wasn't sure if it could be done, but they wouldn't be the first set of girls to fight over him. He, as the sole heir to both Cinderellasburg and Charmington, always had a girl trying to garner his attention. Besides Ben, he was the most sought after bachelor in the whole UKA. Evie also wouldn't be the first girl he was an ass to, plenty had later melted under his smile and good looks. A small show of contrition and all was forgiven. He was a prince who would inherit two kingdoms, recalling how Evie stared at the royal wedding stresses and then later the castles, he thought it would be easy to charm her.
He did have his own coronation coming up when he turned eighteen, could be the perfect lure for the witch's daughter.
Mal would be more of a challenge, the girl looked like she'd rather maim a boy than date them. But he was certain if his riches and natural good looks wouldn't work, then the gifts his fairy godmothers bestowed upon him would make up for the rest.
Perhaps she just needs the right prince to come along and sweep her off her feet. I am a Charming, after all. I'm everyone's rightprince.
It worked with everyone else, he thought.
"Aunt Snow probably wouldn't be too thrilled with me dating the Evil Queen's daughter, but it'll be short lived. I can brush it off to her seductive wiles and a rebellious phase," he commented. Adults were easy to manipulate, particularly when it came to their princes. He could probably get away with murder if he was so inclined.
Audrey nodded, thinking her parents would have killed her if Mal had been born male and she had lost her mind by dating him. But there were always different standards between princes and princesses, it was just how things were. She was just glad Chad was on board, he was one of the few who agreed with her.
The Isle Four just weren't right and they didn't belong in Auradon. They may have Ben confused and starting to sway the other students, but that just meant that once they showed their true colors; Audrey and Chad would be prepared.
While Auradon Prep seemed to have an endless amount of classrooms in the main academic building, Ben preferred to have all student council and other meetings in the castle dormitory. It was convenient and it allowed the students to have easier access to the mess and their rooms once meetings were over. He also preferred the more comfortable ambiance of the castle. The Belle Building was all stone and metal, the castle was wood, carpet, and plush couches.
He was surprised to only see Mal doodling away as she had waited for the meeting to start.
"Hi Mal," he smiled and greeted genially. "Where are the others?"
He had invited all four of them, thinking more heads were better than fewer; he thought that they each had unique experiences on the Isle and therefore more insight to how he could help.
"Evie is working on our homecoming attire, she 'can't spare a minute.' Jay and Carlos started to do homework and I didn't want them falling behind, so I told them to stay and finish. If they get done in time to attend at least some of the meeting then fine, otherwise not to worry about it. Seems tourney was more intense and time consuming that they thought."
Ben sensed a slight accusatory tone in her voice but he let it go. He was aware of how demanding sports and other extracurricular activities could have on a student's life. He was tourney captain, student council president, and the Crown Prince of Auradon City. He knew exactly what being a busy student entailed. Perhaps he should have considered that Jay and Carlos were stretched enough as it was, they were new to the whole Auradon school system. But they were willing, and it would look good on their transcripts. If they started to struggle academically, then they would all work with the coaches and teachers to help them as best they could.
"So you're the lucky one left to attend this meeting, should I be grateful?"
"Oh, eternally so…but in fairness I couldn't come up with a plausible excuse in time and Evie can be quit convincing when she's wielding her sewing needle. Either I show up to represent them or I end up looking like a purple poodle at Homecoming."
Ben laughed, appreciating her candor and that she was there at all. It was just as a favor to him, the meeting beyond what was required of her or any of them outside of school.
"How are classes going?"
"Good, way more homework than I ever thought possible. Feels like I go to school for twelve hours a day rather than eight. I have no idea how Evie, Jay, and Carlos are doing it with their extras."
She also meant all the magic lessons they did in secret. She hated the thought of them giving up learning to expand their powers for school activities, but there were only so many hours in the day. Perhaps they would have to cut back somewhere. They only had a chance at school for this year, they could learn magic later.
"Yeah, Auradon Prep definitely teaches you time management. Do let me know if anyone starts to struggle."
"Yep, we got the same offer from Dr. Li. We get lots of offers from the counselor. Seems she really wants us to seek other help. Everyone is just so helpful."
Ben ignored that hint as well, her eyes letting him know she wasn't fooled at all. He was very well aware the other adult was trying to push the Isle kids to seeing a professional trauma specialist. He was tempted to just order it so, make it a condition of staying in Auradon Prep but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He thought it would do more damage than help. He couldn't force them to see they may have issues; that was something he had to wait to see if it manifested itself in their behavior or they went to it willingly.
So far, the Isle teens were perfect students. No one had a complaint about their behavior. Even the more resistant teachers had begrudgingly said their conduct so far was beyond reproach, no matter how intensely they were watched.
Dr. Li was in agreement to let them come to them, everyone reacted to trauma differently. It could present itself as anxiety, unhealthy coping mechanisms, bouts of uncontrolled anger, or it may lay dormant for years. There was no way of knowing, and forcing the teens into therapy would be counterproductive.
So all they could do was let them know they were there to help them if they needed it.
"So what exactly did you want to know?" Mal asked, moving on; seeing that Ben was not taking the bait.
Ben explained in detail his plan, from its inception to the issues he has run into so far; particularly with funding and getting public approval.
"So what it boils down to, we're having issues with 1) funding, 2) public support outside of Auradon City, and 3) available resources."
"Basically, everything."
"Yeah."
Ben was slightly despondent that it seemed the program was as doomed as he feared, but he was encouraged when Mal didn't say "too bad" and leave right then and there.
"OK, let's start with funding since nothing happens without money. So if you were moved by the documentary then perhaps others were as well. Have there been any charity or justice groups that have come out in support of the program so far?"
"Yes, some of your Target wardrobe was donated from the Loxley Foundation."
"Have there been any specific groups that have protested the program?"
Ben was hesitant to answer, not wanting the teens to have to worry about the opposition.
"You can't protect us from reality, Your Royal Highness," Mal said gently, knowing the look of someone wanting to spare someone's feelings.
"Mal, call me Ben," he reiterated, one day she'd be comfortable enough around him to be so informal. "There's no one here."
"Ben," she relented, "We won't be in Auradon Prep forever. None of us are naive enough to think this was a universally loved decision."
"The Zerstörung Foundation has been very vocal about expelling you from the country and back to the Isle."
"Ah." That wasn't surprising, Mal had learned about that foundation pretty much immediately after she got to Auradon Prep. Audrey threw it in her face a few days after classes started, a foundation created specifically to always remember the victims of Maleficent's rampage. "Well, I think we both knew Auroria was out of the question. It'd probably be in rather poor taste to ask Agrabah or Charmington for their support. At least not for us…"
Mal had a contemplative look.
"Why did you choose us, Ben?"
"I thought as children of the 'worst' villains, that you would need help the most."
"And no one tried to convince you otherwise?"
"Well, there were plenty of people who thought I shouldn't invite you…"
"No, I mean no one tried to get you to choose anyone else?"
"Well," he was hesitant to admit he mostly kept who he chose a secret; for the very reason that he knew people would try to talk him out of it. "I didn't really tell anyone those specifics. Most found out after the invitations had gone out."
"That lack of transparency probably hindered more than it helped," she said bluntly.
"It's what got you to Auradon," he pointed out.
"And I appreciate that, but we're talking about expanding the program. We may be the children of the worst villains, and maybe we did need the help the most. I won't deny my mom's a monster. There's a good chance I would have died when I hit eighteen."
"For what?" Ben asked, horrified. Whatever Mal may say, he was glad he chose the way he did. Even if the program never got off the ground, she didn't deserve to die so young at the hands of her own mother.
"I wouldn't worry about that," she brushed off, not willing to delve into it. "But I will say we're the worst to represent this program. We've already been tried in the court of public opinion and we've been found guilty."
He wished he could deny that, but he couldn't.
"Who would you have picked?" he tucked the question of why Maleficent would want to kill her daughter for another day, recalling Mal's scars and thinking he wasn't ready to deal with what the answer may be.
"Kids, like little kids. Probably of henchmen, someone no one knows and can't associate horrible actions to. No one remembers the henchmen, not really. They only remember the villain. And people like little kids, it's hard to accuse someone of atrocities when they're three feet tall."
Ben nodded as she had a point, he probably would have chosen Mal and the others regardless. He wanted to help everyone but the lack of space in Auradon Prep and Auradon Academy forced him to do triage. He chose the ones he thought needed the help the most.
"But what is done is done and I'm certainly not going back," ever the pragmatist. "So, I think we need to start small. The Loxley's are one family behind the program. The documentary producers are probably another. Funds should probably come from charities, not taxes. The latter just causes resentment, no one likes to be forced to pay into anything; especially if the pool comes from people directly affected by the Wars. . ."
Ben was surprised at how well Mal played at politics, it made him wonder exactly what she got up to while on the Isle.
They didn't solve the issue any more than what they started with, but her insight had caused him to see different avenues to try that his older advisors probably never would have thought of.
It delighted him when Mal had made a standing appointment to discuss these matters with him, she seemed determined to have the program succeed.
He didn't even notice they ended up talking for hours, much too late to catch dinner in the city but he was sure Audrey would understand.
Normally most hated 7th period, generally because it wasn't 8th period and therefore it wasn't the last class of the day. It felt like some horrible tease, where they were so close but still had so far to go. Most students were in the lull of their food coma from lunch and wanted a nap, but they still had at least two classes to get through before they could be free from school. Some were able to get their study hall for 8th period and therefore de facto end their day at 7th period but most were not so lucky.
Jane FéeMarraine didn't mind 7th period and would even say Honors Auradon Lit was her favorite class. Not that she was all that fond of the required reading or had a love of books in general, nor was the professor particularly high in her esteem.
The reason why it was her favorite class sat a couple rows in front of her and to the right, the perfect spot to admire him without being obvious. For the first couple of days, she along with the rest of the class had all but stared at him and Evie, wondering if they would pull out weapons or wield evil spells. The stories they had all heard growing up, painting them all as these malicious villains who couldn't help but cause death and destruction.
After several days when the Isle teens literally did nothing but pay attention in class, most had stopped looking and focused on the lessons as well.
Jane never stopped looking at him. It seemed everyday she found something new to admire about him. He was one of the few who bravely raised his hand when he had an opinion or knew the answer to a question. The teacher at first wasn't sure what to make of him, figuring an Isle child wouldn't be able to keep up with the curriculum much less be in an honors class. He and Evie mostly kept to themselves, even with group discussions they were usually left to only work with each other.
He never seemed to let the stares or whispers get to him, he always seemed to have a ready smile on his face as if to prove them all wrong; trying to rise above and show he was as good as the rest of them, despite his villain blood.
Jane wish she were brave enough to approach them and offer her help or addition, but every time she even thought of trying she would squeak in fear and it wasn't just because they were children of villains.
That admiration turned to something different when one day the sunlight caught him at a different angle or something the half star fae couldn't define and she was left breathless with just how gorgeous he was. She noticed his thick eyelashes and deep brown eyes; she started to notice his strong jaw line and wide kind smile. A sweet ache would emerge in her chest whenever she saw him, and a fluttering in her stomach and racing pulse would accompany her whenever he would even look towards her.
She couldn't believe she had a crush on the son of Cruella de Vil.
Being on the cheer team, and yes she considered being the mascot as part of the team, meant that she had access to all the latest gossip. She had heard all about how Mal was the leader of the organized crime syndicate on the Isle and that Jay was her second in command. The massive Isle boy being the muscle to drag the bodies to the dump site after Mal had killed their enemies.
The Moor fae supposedly had intricate scarification tattoos that designated how many people she had murdered, that tidbit had come straight from a seamstress who worked with the Isle girls' uniforms. The fact that Mal was allowed to wear longer sleeves for their fall uniform, gave credence to the rumor. As to date, no one had been able to catch sight of Mal's shoulders or arms above her elbows. The longer she remained covered, the more certain others became of the truth of the tale.
Evie was supposedly this seductive siren who lured men to her trap and she killed with poison; her mother reborn with cobalt hair.
Jay was rumored to have been Mal's second in command. The muscle behind the throne that carried out her dirty deeds that she didn't want on her hands.
Carlos was allegedly their go-to torturer, learning cruelty from his mother and killed with joy. When everyone saw the scars he had on his leg, rumors of Mal punishing him for some failure or slight had come to light.
But Jane couldn't believe someone with Carlos' smile that lit up a room, would hurt anybody.
Mal, on the other hand, she wasn't sure about. The girl had a perpetual scowl and walked down the halls with the confidence of someone who knew they were the most frightful and powerful thing present only could. Jane had seen her stare down full grown adults and wasn't the one to back down. Jane's mother had complained that some of the teachers were being ridiculous by "fearing such a small, harmless girl" but she didn't blame them. Mal's intense jade eyes could probably burn holes through adamantium.
Evie and Jay could have also gone either way.
She didn't know if Mal could be as sadistic to give Carlos the scars (her supposed friend), but she couldn't believe he would be friends with someone who had done half the things Moor fae was rumored to have done.
Anyone with such kind eyes that pierced through souls couldn't associate with anyone so vindictive and evil.
From what she could see, they were all close friends. So that had to mean if Carlos was their friend, then the others couldn't be so bad. Perhaps Mal was modest, there wasn't anything that said she couldn't be, that was the reason those longer sleeve options existed in the first place.
She had hesitated to even talk to him after her realized attraction because she thought her mother would never approve of him being her friend, much less a potential boyfriend. But then over the weeks her mother had dropped hints that she need not be afraid and that the Isle kids needed to be given a chance and expand their circle of friends.
So all she had to do was overcome her shyness and say at least a few words to him instead of squeaking. Her involuntary yelping was one of her more embarrassing features, along with her hair and nose. Features it seemed every other girl in Auradon had in perfect condition or proportions.
Then seeing how stunning Evie and Mal were, even with the latter's unfriendly demeanor, and with their super cool fae hair, Jane felt even more inadequate than usual.
If he was just friends with such beautiful girls, she had no idea what it would take to be his girlfriend. It also didn't help when he joined the tourney team a few days ago. She was happy she'd get to see him more often, but if he was as good during real matches as he was in practice then Jane was certain everyone would start to see what she had seen weeks ago. Once all the other girls realized how great he was, she wouldn't stand a chance.
As days went on, she figured she would just get used to being an admirer from afar. It wouldn't be the first time. She expected Abigail Darling, a junior cheerleader, would make her move once Carlos' popularity grew; Jane had heard the cheerleader comment on his freckles several times.
I loved his freckles way before she did.
She thought, slightly bitter she'd never get a chance.
After one practice, however, she heard several cheerleaders insist they saw Mal do magic; they were utmost certain the fae knew magic and was using it to convince Ben into these "meetings" about how to better service the children still left on the Isle.
Audrey was certainly enraged and talked about it ad nauseum; although she was all sweet smiles and "let me know if you need any help" when he was around. There were also a few cheerleaders and tourney players no long allowed to hang with them. Jane wasn't sure what happened but she suspected Audrey sniffed out those reporting to Ben and exiled them from her social circle.
Jane didn't think Mal was bespelling their Crown Prince, her mother would have noticed and put a stop to it right away. But she had noticed that every time someone had been rude to her, they had met an accident.
The first several times, she could brush off as a coincidence. Chad Charming and his fall at the Cultural Museum being the first instance she witnessed. But each and every one occurance? And rudeness to the four happened often. The others may not be able to recognize the hand gestures as one of magic, but she was half fae even though most forgot because she didn't look it. While Nadine FéeMarraine refused to teach her magic, and her mother didn't use it other than during special royal functions, Jane had seen and knew magic gestures from research she had done when she was younger and curious. She wasn't an expert and probably couldn't name the exact spell, but it was enough to make her suspicious.
If Mal could do magic, then that gave Jane an idea.
Jane didn't have any classes with Mal, but the school was small enough that she at least saw her in passing and knew her general routine. She caught the Isle teen in the bathroom before senior lunch. Most girls immediately vacated the bathroom as soon as they saw Mal was also there.
It didn't seem to faze the fae and Jane wondered if Mal was used to people fleeing in fear before her.
Again, Jane had a feeling the rumors weren't as far-fetched as she wanted them to be.
She stood to the side, trying to gather the courage to talk to the other girl. Mal caught her reflection and raised an inquisitive eyebrow, not expecting anyone to still be there much less just standing there staring. She went about the rest of her ablutions and pretended Jane wasn't there hovering. When the girl with a fondness for bows was still there she stilled, a silent standoff.
The silence was only broken when Jane let out a high pitched yip of distress and Mal wondered,
What is wrong with her?
Jane saw Mal's confusion and when she moved to leave the bathroom, the brunette fae said in a panic,
"I like your hair," but it came out louder and more rushed than she had intended. That stopped the Isle girl in her tracks and she replied,
"Thanks?"
I wish Evie was here, she'd know what to do. I should probably offer a compliment in return.
Mal was no stranger to lying in general, she was from the Isle after all, but she wasn't skilled in the art of lying for the sake of social niceties.
It was odd to her to converse in a bathroom but she figured it may be an Auradon thing. Every time she went, there had been a gaggle of girls chatting away, only leaving because she had entered.
It wasn't that she thought Jane ugly or anything, she just didn't care in general. But she knew Evie and Carlos would want her to make an effort, and given that the other girl was brave enough to even approach her and gave a compliment, Mal thought that was worth forcing herself to be cordial.
"I…" she looked the other girl up and down, trying to figure out what to praise.
Gods, this is harder than I thought. What do people compliment each other on? If only Jane knew how to fight or had a nice knife, things I actually know about.
It also didn't help that she was wearing the uniform, what everyone wore. So it wasn't like Mal could compliment her on her clothes. It was basically the first time ever meeting her, so she couldn't compliment her on school or achievements. The girl had an odd, almost triangular haircut, her hair also looked unnaturally stiff and the color could only be described as strangely streaky; so she couldn't compliment her on hairstyle. While she wasn't good at tact, there were some outright lies that anyone would be able to detect.
She needed to hurry up because she was pretty certain the normal pause was becoming a weird awkward silence.
"…like your purse," Mal was pretty proud of herself, thinking Evie loved to talk about accessories. "How long did it take you to make it?"
That should give her plenty to talk about while I think of other things to say.
And Mal would be right if the girl was Evie, the blue haired teen could go on for hours about the style of the purse, material, stitching techniques, and all the other work it took into creating a piece.
But she was not Evie.
"Oh…I didn't make it…I bought it…" well her mother did for her birthday but she wasn't sure how to respond to Mal.
"Ok," and again Mal had no idea what else she was supposed to say.
"It's just that…I'm Jane, sorry…duh, I should introduce myself before I ramble on…I'm Professor FéeMarraine's daughter…not that it really matters...I don't know why I said that…you have really cool hair…and cool everything else….and I was wondering if you knew any magic…you know to make me cool too…your mother being such a powerful fae, transformation was one of her more notorious gifts…besides…you know…I would just super appreciate it if you could help me…I don't know how this usually works…I know there is usually some sort of exchange…I don't want to give you my first born or anything…but I have money, well not a lot of it but maybe a payment plan? I was hoping you could fix my hair, and my nose, and maybe…"
"OK, first of all," Mal interrupted abruptly, before Jane kept going on and on. "You're thinking of either Rumpelstilzchen or Neverland fae, what would I even do with a baby? It's a destructive stereotype and I don't even know where to begin how wrong it is to assume I'd take a child payment. Secondly, I don't know if anyone told you, but there's no magic on the Isle."
"Well, I know that…but…"
"Then you'd know the type of magic you're asking for is crazy complicated and even if I did know magic, which I don't, then you should be asking a much older witch or fae. Why don't you ask your mom?…You know… Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo and all that. Or better yet, ask her to teach you how to do it yourself?"
Jane sighed, her mother being the obvious choice to go to for such things; she had done it for Cinderella after all but,
"Mom says real magic is in books, and not the spell books. Regular books with history and stuff." she said as she rolled her eyes. "She refuses to teach me anything, she doesn't want me to 'get dependent on magic.' She calls it tough love, wants me to work on the inside, not the outside. That sort of thing."
"Not even as a favor to her own daughter?" Mal asked, the hypocrisy not lost on either teen. It was well enough for the previous generation to not only use magic, but could trace their entire current success and status to it.
Case in point, Cinderella.
But she wasn't about to criticize The Fairy Godmother to her own daughter.
"What about your own magic? You didn't grow up with the barrier; didn't you have bouts of accidental magic? She had to have taught you something."
Jane shook her head "no" and both wondered if she had no magic. It was a possibility when humans and fae had half-blooded children. Jane had tried as a child, but she didn't know if her research only found false spells or if she didn't have the special spark all fae had.
"That sucks," Mal went on. "Why don't you stop dying it? It's probably what is making your hair so…stiff."
There were also several other signs of damage: Jane's hair was dry, looked brittle, and overall unhealthy but Mal refrained thinking Jane already knew all that, she didn't need her to rub it in.
"It's the only dye that's strong enough to overcome my natural hair," she nervously stroked and twirled a chunk of strands; as if she were making sure it was still as bad as before.
As with Jay, magical hair was stubborn to change when it didn't want to. It also explained why Professor FéeMarraine always had it in a strict bun.
"Why dye it at all?"
Mal didn't understand; if it was harmful and looked terrible then the next logical step would be to just stop. Perhaps it was damaged to the point Jane would have to cut it all off and start fresh, the school mascot might prefer having damaged hair than no hair at all.
"It helps me fit in…we're the only fae that's ever been to Auradon Prep," her voice getting quieter and quieter as they spoke and Jane had trouble looking Mal in the eye.
"And what? You're ashamed of being fae?"
Mal wasn't sure what to think; part of her angry that Jane and Professor FéeMarraine would hide their heritage. And furthermore, would denounce magic in the first place – all in the name of appearance and bowing to humans' warped sense of propriety.
Another part of her, the small empathetic part, felt an odd ache in her chest at seeing how sad and perhaps embarrassed Jane was. It wasn't her fault that there were so few fae around and her mother encouraged her assimilation to human norms.
Mal was tempted to show Auradon Prep and the UKA just exactly how fae she was, no one would ever make her feel less than; especially when it was the humans that were weak and powerless, not the fae. But she refrained, thinking of Carlos and his gentle nature. What would he do?
She thought of how cruel the other students could be, perhaps she wasn't being fair. She had only been there a couple months, who knows what she would have done to fit in if she had been there years.
"Sorry, I get it," she didn't really but knew it was the nice thing to say and she was trying. "Why don't you go to a salon? There's got to be at least one with a stylist that knows how to deal with magical hair."
"The only one nearby is Iliofáneia, it's impossible to get an appointment unless you're royal and there's no way we could afford to go there regularly."
Mal was tempted to help her. She knew a spell for at least growing hair out, a glamor to make it stylish. Vanity spells were the easiest to do, and one of the first spells her mother taught her. They were simple spells even quarter fae could wield. Jane looked dejected enough that it even tugged at Mal's admitted limited heart strings.
But magic was "discouraged" and she didn't want the attention of Professor FéeMarraine. The magical history teacher was affable enough, but she knew she was a powerful fae no matter how much she bowed to humans. Mal might be the daughter of Maleficent, but she was just learning how to use her magic. It would be nothing for Nadine FéeMarraine to flick her hand and end her.
If the star fae wasn't feeling murderous, then all she had to do was send her back to the Isle. She wasn't sure if the professor held enough sway with Crown Prince Ben to listen to her if she said Mal was causing trouble and she didn't want to find out. Neither situation was an option.
"Look, we both grew up without magic. We didn't need it then, we don't need it now. I can't help you, sorry. I don't even think you even need magic. Maybe after Auradon Prep, you can let it grow naturally. And there's nothing wrong with your nose."
"Yeah, but that's like still a year away. The homecoming dance is coming up, and there's this boy…"
Jane trailed off, not wanting to admit that her secret crush was Carlos. Mal being his friend, she probably thought Jane too uncool and meek for him. It was also clear to her that the Isle fae didn't think too highly of her wanting to fit in with humans. But the other fae didn't understand, Mal grew up on the Isle. There were plenty of other fae trapped there with her. Plus Jay was part djinn, and Evie was the daughter of a witch. Being magical wasn't so taboo on the island. Jane was already shy and awkward, she couldn't imagine how much lonelier she'd be if she were so . . . blatantly fae.
It took Mal all her control not to roll her eyes, she didn't understand going through so much hassle for a boy. If one didn't like the way she looked or had an issue with her heritage, then there were plenty of others around.
It's not like boys were some rare resource that needed to be gotten at any cost. Girls for that matter as well.
She especially wasn't going to help Jane with magic then; a boy particularly wasn't worth courting the headmistress' wrath and she also didn't want it known she could do magic in general. It was better to let them think her powerless, if everything went to hell then she'd have an ace up her sleeve.
"If a boy doesn't like you for who you are, then he's not worth pursuing. You won't be able to glamor forever."
Jane's shoulders slouched, her hope dashed and she felt particularly foolish for even asking in the first place. Mal had a point, but she still had harbored hope that she would have been able to make Carlos see past her hair and nose later on, she just needed to fix them now to at least get his attention. All Jane could do was nod in acceptance, hoping Mal would leave and save her dignity by not witnessing her crying.
The purple haired fae was more than happy to leave and get to lunch.
Jane hurried to a stall and closed the door, wanting a few moments of privacy to let the tears fall. She felt stupid, ugly, and hopeless. Her mother wouldn't help her, she had no means to help herself, and Mal couldn't help her. She felt stuck and powerless. All she wanted to do was go to a dance with a cute boy, something she had yet to be able to accomplish in her four years at Auradon Prep. She didn't understand why it was so hard for her. Every other girl seemed to be just so naturally beautiful; they walked around in effortless royal or noble perfection.
Audrey, Evie, Mal, everyone else on the cheer squad; all they had to do was be themselves and they had boys falling over themselves. She was hidden away behind the mascot helmet, always passed over and barely ever noticed. She may as well be invisible. At least if she were truly invisible, being looked over time and again wouldn't hurt so much.
She knew she was missing lunch, but she couldn't go out just yet. The tears kept running down her face and she probably looked a puffy red eyed mess. But a few more moments passed, the tears finally dried up and she had felt better. Still disappointed, but she needed to get the worst of it out of her system. Thankfully no one had come in, everyone still enjoying their noon meal.
She dabbed her eyes with some toilette paper, went to the sink and splashed water on her face. After a towel dry, she applied some fresh make up and once she felt she was at least presentable, she squared her shoulders and looked into the mirror.
Mal said there was nothing wrong with her nose, and perhaps she was right. But Jane still felt it was too long and a smidge too wide. Her hair was a weird rigid texture and the highlights were poorly done, she also felt it was just so plain. Even if it were its natural starlight platinum blonde, soft and fine; she'd probably still hate the style. It was the same style she had since she was a little girl,
No wonder no one sees me. They all probably think I'm in middle school.
Add it to the seemingly unending list of things she found wrong with herself.
Part of her wanted to snatch the blue bow, hating how childish it looked; her mother had insisted it was just "darling." She didn't want to be darling, cute, or anything remotely kid like. She wanted to be an adult, a woman who got men's attention.
Someone who could be someone's girlfriend; specifically a freckled someone with black and platinum hair that fell charmingly in his eyes when he was writing an essay.
But she was too weak to take it out of her hair and toss, thinking her mother wouldn't approve so she let it be.
Mal couldn't help her with magic but she did what she could, she gave Jane a sliver of hope. College would come sooner than she thought; she would apply to universities in Camelot Heights or Westerling, areas with a more concentrated fae and magic community. Even if she didn't go fully natural, there would be more magic hair friendly places that were affordable. There had to be.
Perhaps high school just wasn't her time, but college could be.
No, I'll make it my time.
Jane was more determined than ever.
Mal was clearly unafraid to be fae, perhaps she'd find her courage too and salvage the rest of her senior year.
And if her mother wouldn't teach her magic, then maybe she could learn it some other way.
There was the internet after all; it'd been years since she last tried. She was older, more mature, and had so many more options open to her for research.
She'd make it work.
Sometime around eleven p.m. Evie was finally done with homework and had gotten as far as she wanted with their homecoming outfits. The next day was Friday and then she'd have the rest of the weekend until Homecoming Week commenced.
She had no idea so many rituals and traditions surrounded high school,
And we're only two months in!
Still, with all the work and effort she thought it was worth it. She was doing what she loved and it was nice that her outfit and homework were the biggest things she had to worry about. She wasn't worried about her next meal, aggressive customers who mistook her for one of her mother's whores, or what her mother would do with her once it became apparent that marrying a prince was a pipe dream.
She was off the island and in a whole new world, a world of endless opprotunities. She wasn't sure where the others were, the boys were probably still trying to catch up with their own homework – their time being consumed with tourney. Mal had even somewhat joined the student council. At least that's how Evie saw it, but perhaps a quasi-member of Crown Prince Ben's court was more appropriate. The former Isle heiress had been meeting with him trying to expand his Isle-to-Auradon program.
Once I get homecoming over with, I'll make more of an effort to go to those meetings. I want to help too.
Mal knew how to sneak in and be quiet, so Evie got ready for bed and was about tucked in when she heard a rapping on her window. She smiled when she saw the familiar smiling face of her boyfriend. She went over to the window and opened it for him; he gracefully slid in with many nights practice. She kissed him in greeting; he had a bundle of clothes with him. He had planned to stay the night, like he had been for the past couple of weeks, and would change in the morning and sneak back up the balcony to his room in the morning.
It was a ritual of theirs, all four teens had gotten too used to sleeping with their significant other. It was now a rare occurrence that they'd be too tired to exchange rooms, even with the boys' training schedule; the only time it happened was when they had school projects that went well into the night and fell asleep in their own rooms. With how the floor chaperones put so little effort in determining if anyone was sneaking out, or perhaps the four where that talented at sneaking about, it seemed the room assignments were merely a suggestion.
They weren't even particularly that careful to erase the evidence the boys stayed over. Their bathroom had a mix of masculine and feminine scented toiletries. There were even razors on the girls' vanity, and four tooth brushes. The house goblins that did a weekly cleaning and gathered their laundry never said anything to them, and it didn't appear they had reported them to the faculty.
Evie suspected the goblins didn't care as their job was to maintain the rooms, not report students' misbehavior. She also supposed they may still have a streak of loyalty to Maleficent and by extension, her heiress.
Whatever the reason, she knew she slept better with Jay with her. She felt safe with him there; she worried less that someone would break into their room and drag her back to the Isle.
He had undressed down to his boxers and both slipped into bed. He lay on his back and she snuggled into his side and lay her head on his chest.
"How was practice?" she was sleepybut never would be too tired to make sure he had a good day. And if he didn't have a good day, then she'd plot to make whoever made it a bad day pay.
"It was good, Carlos is getting better at handling the ball. I think coach is going to have us play first string."
"That's great," Evie didn't know everything about tourney but she was aware being first string was a big deal.
"I also got to hit Chad a bunch of times. So overall a really good practice," Jay smile widely, thinking of his favorite part of practice.
Evie snickered, so glad the arrogant prince was being put in his place.
"There's something off with that boy, he smiles weirdly at me and Mal now."
"Perhaps all the times I've hit him directly in the head."
"Feel free to hit him harder, I think at some point you'll knock some sense into him."
He laughed at her clever joke and played with her soft hair. Admiring how it shone a deep sea blue in the moonlight.
"How are the outfits coming along?" he hoped he was done standing for hours while she pinned things to him.
It's the only time I don't like her on her knees in front of me.
He refrained from laughing at his own licentious thoughts or saying them out loud because he's not a total idiot.
"Your suits are pretty much done. You cannot get smaller or bigger within the next week."
He rolled his eyes, she was referring to the muscle he gained from the steady stream of food and exercise Auradon provided. He knew she was joking, particularly since she had yet to complain about his added bulk and she liked to run her hands over the swells of muscles.
The Auradon Prep seamstress, however, did not appreciate having to create a whole new set of shirts and blazers.
"Carlos got bigger too, I'm not the only one," he groused.
"He didn't get so big he split his shirt sleeves."
"Everyone got a nice show," he insisted, a cocky smirk gracing his lips.
She didn't disagree.
Evie then went on a small lecture about the difficulty of not only sewing but tailoring clothes to best fit each person. While the Auradon Prep seamstress had been rude and condescending, Evie appreciated the work she did. She then started to talk about the suits and dress she had made for them. It all sounded like rocket science to Jay, but he enjoyed how animated she got and how her eyes lit up when talking about her passion. He trusted in her fashion sense and talent, he had no doubt the four of them would be the most stylish students at the dance.
Once she was done, he spoke a bit about tourney; the different plays coach had introduced and how he was having a difficult time remembering all the rules. But she aptly listened even though he suspected she cared about the sport about as much as he did about zipper prices.
But because the other had loved what they did, it was easy to listen to each other speak about those topics. Their talking eventually died down and gave way to sleep. He listened to the soft even breathing of his girlfriend, glad she was safe and happy.
Jay looked out the window and beyond the gardens he saw a navy blue sky, diamond like stars twinkling away. He recalled his father telling him a superstition where the first bright star he saw was a "wishing star." He even recalled the children's rhyme.
Star light
Star bright
First star I see tonight
I wish I may
I wish I might
Grant the wish I wish tonight
As a child, he had said the nursery rhyme almost as a prayer each night, saying it to lamp posts or oil lanterns as stars could not be seen on the Isle and were the brightest items he could find. He couldn't recall how long he had done the ritual, at least a few years after he met Mal who had painted a star filled sky in a cave, their first hideout before they found the Warehouse. She had no idea what stars looked like either, or what colors to use. They had asked some teachers once, but they said the sky was filled with all the colors they could think of.
The adults didn't seem to get that there were some things beyond their imagination, as all they knew was the dark and dank world they had been born into.
So she painted the cave pitch black and then splattered every limited color available to them. There was one star she painted extra-large and bright, using a rare white pigment from crushed shells. The beach was off limits to them because of the barrier and it was on the other side of the island. But once in a while, these shells would wash up close enough for them to grab. They made the trip once a year and gathered all they could. All paint was rare and had to be made from precious resources: orange from onion peels, yellow from hard to find clays and leftover pumpkin rinds, purples from berries, and reds from various root powders. Mal guarded the paints jealously but used them in the hope that wishes could come true.
He had no idea what Mal ever wished for, but having had to take care of her after her mother had bouts of rage that ended in cuts along her back and arms; he had added wishing for the death of Maleficent to his long list of childhood wants.
They stopped when prayer after prayer went unanswered, they figured because they weren't real stars then their wishes were never properly heard.
Later on they learned wishes were not for the likes of villains and by extension, villain children. Certainly an island full of children all wishing and begging for help would have been heard regardless if the stars could be seen or not.
So he had stopped wishing a long time ago.
Now in the comfort of Auradon Prep and Evie in his arms, he couldn't think of a single thing to wish for as he saw an endless sky of bright stars to wish upon.
Please read and review! Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!