Jay's Perspective
"Leave me alone, man," Jay shrugged off Carlos's grip, continuing down the hall on his way to the cafeteria for lunch.
"Just because the plan didn't work this time," Carlos said, following him, "doesn't mean we can't make it work the next time. It's not like I planned on the power outage."
Jay ignored him and kept walking.
"I mean we almost had it," Carlos continued. "I think working together is the best chance we have of—"
"I'm my best chance," Carlos flinched at his anger. "You probably did all this on purpose. Do you know how hard it is to climb out a two-story window?"
"My bad that I can't control electricity..." De Vil seemed to consider it for a second. Both of the boys startled when they heard a high-pitched squeak. They turned to see a girl with brown hair and blue eyes. "Hey, Jane."
"New mission: bother her and leave me alone," Jay began to turn around.
"Um..." Jane began. "I...I wanted...so..." She started to breathe heavily and Carlos looked at her confusedly. "I...my mom is gonna be at the coronation and she's making me go with her—"
"Why is she gonna be at the coronation?" Carlos asked curiously.
"She...she...like, historically, it's customary for feathers—I mean fairies to give royalty a blessing when..." Jane took a deep breath, steadily continuing. "Fairies have blessed royals when they're born and when they become leaders. And mom's blessing Ben's reign so I'm gonna be there with all the royals. But—"
"Blessing?" Carlos asked. "What's that?"
"When we—well not me, magic isn't something I do," Jane explained. "But my mom'll do something with her wand—"
"Wand?" Jay asked, perking up.
"Will you go with me to the coronation so we can talk and stuff?" Jane asked. "I like to talk to you in class and we'll be waiting for a long ti..."
"You want to go with me?" Carlos asked suspiciously. When Jane nodded, he looked down. "I thought Madison Mim wanted to go out with me when I was ten and she lured me into a room full of dogs to make fun of me."
"What?" Jane asked.
"I thought Gloria Ratcliffe liked me when I was thirteen and she stood me up in the middle of the Shriekwood and I almost got bitten by a poisonous snake."
"Oh my godmother," Jane reached for Carlos and he stepped away from her. "I swear I would ne—"
"No you won't," Carlos said, turning around and walking away from her. Jay saw her look after him and her face fell, her eyes starting to well up.
Dang it, Jay thought. He put his hand on Jane's shoulder. "Hey, he didn't mean that, he's just being a baby." He tried to pat her shoulder warmly. "He likes you for sure, he's just a scared cat."
"He doesn't have to worry," Jane said sadly. "I would never do anything like that to him, that's so mean."
"I'll talk to him," Jay smiled, trying to speak warmly. "He totally wants to go with you, he said you're like the cutest girl he's ever seen."
Her face brightened up with a hesitant smile. "Really?"
"Would I lie to you, Jane?" Jay asked. She looked hesitant, so he switched topics. "I think it was totally rad asking him out. Total boss move, you really went for what you wanted." He sighed, looking down. "I wish I could."
"You have a crush on someone?" Jane's eyes brightened. Like, they literally started to sparkle gold. "Who? I could set you up if you want."
"Oh, uh..." Jay looked around. If royalty would be in attendance...way would Audrey go with him. Or Charm with the judgy eyes. Or Winter —who literally blew her whistle and ran whenever she saw him ("stranger danger" she'd called it, as if he hadn't been here for weeks). "Lonnie! I'm really diggin' Lonnie, she's so...so real, you know?"
Jane gasped. "She is, she's amazing," Jane agreed. "Do you want me to talk to her for you?"
"Oh," Jay held a hand over his heart. "That's asking way too much, I can't."
"No problem, I'm a fairy we literally live to help people," Jane said gleefully. "You're helping with Carlos, I'll help out with Lonnie. Hopefully, we'll both land coronation dates."
"Hopefully," Jay said with a grin.
Evie's Perspective
Evie was off to buy a new sewing machine since someone decided to act dramatic and destroy her old one. She was considering either the Fairest brand one or the Glass Slipper brand sewing machines. Usually, she'd just get both because she had at least five credit cards from five different princes. But carrying both back to school would be way too heavy. If only she had—
"Evie!" She turned around sharply and saw the handsome son of Pocahontas standing behind her. "I've been looking everywhere, I have a gift for you." He held a weird tree branch with little flowers and leaves on it.
She took it with a gentle smile. "Wow, Paco, a tree branch," Evie said. "Thanks." Before she could turn back to the sewing machines, he dropped down to one knee.
"I can't believe you accepted. It's not just a tree branch," he said frantically, eyes wild. "I knew from the second I saw you. And my mom always said I should give a piece of my home to the person I give my heart to. And if you accepted it..."
"Wait wha—"
"I love you, Evie," Paco declared whole-heartedly. Evie's eyes widened like saucers. "I know it. And I just hope you love me too. It's a risk I have to take, I can't live without you..."
This was so not convenient right now. "Pa—"
"Will you marry me, Evie?" He asked hopefully.
"Paco," Evie pulled him up by the shoulders until he was standing and forced the tree branch into his hands. "I'm sorry, but, if I'm marrying anyone, it'll be Ben. And I really don't have the time for this right now, so..."
His face fell, the tree branch falling from his hands. "You're...you're marrying him?"
"Maybe, I don't know," Evie said dismissively, turning back to the sewing machines.
"I knew about the dates with Chad, Lee, Eren, and Aziz, but—" he began.
"What?" Evie turned to him furiously. "How? I haven't been on a date with them at school..." She considered it. "Ever."
"I..." He began bashfully. "I just wanted to see you more often. So I follow you around sometimes—"
"WHAT?" Evie exclaimed.
"Please forgive me," he was crying now. He was crying. "I just think about you all the time and—"
"I don't care what you think about!" Evie yelled, picking up the tree branch and whacking him with it. Pink and purple leaves and petals fell all over the ground. "That's creepy. You know what?" She threw the branch at him. "Leave me alone!"
"But...but..." he sputtered, tears streaming down his face. "I'm not the only one. Chad, Lee, Eren, Aziz, Moai, Anton, they follow you too. It's how we keep in touch on where you are."
"You what?" Evie yelled.
"Hey, guys," someone in uniform said. Her nametag revealed she was named Jennifer and she was the store manager. "Can you keep it down or take it outside?"
"Shut up, Jennifer!" Evie yelled, turning back to Paco.
"Please forgive me, Evie," He fell to his knees. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to upset you. I just wanted to see you, I need to..."
Evie tuned out his words. She turned around and ran, bumping into someone when she tried to go toward the exit. She looked up, noticing Eren, Ariel's son with the gorgeous red hair. "Hey, Evie, fancy running into you here..."
And Evie ran to the exit, bursting out of the doors. She bumped into someone again when she turned to the left. Stumbling, she felt a hand grab her arm to steady her. She looked up, ready to say..."Ben!"
"Fancy running into you here," Ben smiled charmingly.
"Yeah, you too," Evie said sweetly. "I just need to run back to school."
"Where's your sewing machine?" Ben asked. Her heart almost stopped. "I can carry it for you. Or I could buy it and bring it to your dorm—"
"No, Ben, it's fine..." Evie trailed off as she realized something. "How do you know I need a sewing machine?"
He hesitated slightly before hiding it. "Oh, you must've mentioned it recently," Ben said kindly. He still smiled charmingly, but it was unsettling now. "Do you need—"
"Nope," Evie said, turning around. "See you at the coronation."
"Will you be my date?" Ben called.
"Sure!" Evie called, speedwalking as she tried to avoid anyone else she'd spelled.
"Hey, Evie, fancy running into yo—!" Chad called. And she ran. No way this was a coincidence. And no way was she sticking around for another princely run-in.