When Evie goes to her first class of the day, she's five minutes late but the teacher only gives her a warning look as she slinks into her seat. While opening her notebook, one of her classmates leans over and says something that turns Evie into a statue.
"I've never seen you without makeup before…." the classmate says, her crown becoming askew as she leans even closer and studies Evie's face as if it were the latest passage the teacher assigned them to read.
Evie recoils, feeling vulnerable as she places a hand on her face. What did she mean she's never seen her without makeup before? Evie always…her mind flashes to her looking at the alarm clock on her nightstand, grabbing her notebooks, pens, tablet, and her heart box purse then making a run for her first class. Her jaw drops and she lifts her other hand to the side of her bare face. Once the shock drips away, Evie reaches for her purse and takes out her hand-held mirror and signature blood-red lipstick. The classmate, sitting by her, is giving unneeded commentary that Evie ignores as her heart pounds and her brain becomes crowded with criticisms that stab her heart. When Evie opens up her hand-held mirror, she sees a blur yet again, the beautiful reflection she saw in her bathroom mirror is forgotten. She puts on her makeup, quickly and just when she's halfway done she hears someone clearing their throat to her side.
"I'm almost done," she says, waving them away and finds herself wishing she could poof away the image of her without makeup from their memory.
"Ms. Grimhilde, is my classroom your personal beauty parlor?"
"Oh no, does my hair look bad too?" Evie asks, nervous and pulls out her hairbrush from her purse.
It didn't even register in her head that the person speaking to her was the teacher.
"Put your stuff away now and give me your purse. You can get your stuff back after you write me a thousand-word essay on the importance of listening in detention."
Evie stops moving, her head lifting up to see her teacher, a fox who wore a pink hood, to whom she gives a tense smile.
"Lady Marian, I am so sorry for this occurrence but surely you understand the importance of looking one's best," Evie says with pleading eyes.
"As one of the best students in our school, I expect more from you, Evie," Lady Marian says with her hand out. "Come on now, hand your stuff over."
Reluctantly, Evie packs her stuff up, feeling ashamed and humiliated as her classmates chuckle at her. Once done, she hands over her purse to Lady Marian who walks away as soon as it's in her grasp. Evie watches as Lady Marian goes back to the front of the room and places her purse in her confiscated item drawer that she locks with a key. Seconds after that, Lady Marian shushes the students who quiet down in an instant and continues her lesson plan as if she didn't leave Evie behind, humiliated. As Lady Marian talks, Evie writes down the necessary information in her notebook, keeping her head down and wishing she could disappear.
When class ends, Evie bolts out of the room, goes to her locker and finishes up her makeup as quickly as she can. She expects to feel some type of relief but instead her earlier humiliation tattoos itself into her memory, refusing to leave her head. Hours go by and soon it's time for lunch and just as Evie heads to the lunchroom she feels a tap on her shoulder. Jane, stands to her side, holding a clipboard while wearing a bright smile and an aura of confidence Evie wishes was infectious.
"Hey, Evie, I was wondering if you'd like to volunteer to help set up for family day," Jane says, looking down at her clipboard.
Evie thinks back to her nightmare and takes a step back. "No."
Jane looks up at Evie with a disappointed expression and a bit of concern as she observes Evie's face.
"Okay, well if you know anyone willing to volunteer then send them my way. Also, are you okay, you don't look so well?"
The concern in Jane's voice makes Evie's heart swell and she wants so badly to tell her what's ailing her. Yet, she hesitates, thinking of the cool image she's built in Jane's eyes. She was the one Jane went to for makeup and fashion advice. The one who always knew the latest trends and could make anyone shine whether it'd be through their makeup, hair, or clothes and yet…Evie felt trapped in a room without light. She felt as dim as dehydrated skin in the winter.
"Do I? Oh, I'm fine, just a little swamped with everything."
Evie plasters on a smile, hoping Jane couldn't see how dark she felt inside.
Jane studies her more but the bell rings overhead so she doesn't have time to see through Evie's mask. Jane brings her clipboard close to her chest and takes a step forward.
"Let's catch up, later, okay? I have to get to class," Jane says then hurries away.
Evie walks towards the lunchroom door and she pulls it open, going in. She expects to see Mal at their usual table, sketching in her sketchbook, waiting to be pulled away to the lunch line by her but their table is empty. Evie walks towards the table, her eyes scanning the lunchroom but there is not a purple-haired girl in sight. As soon as Evie sits down, she goes to pull out her phone but then remembers that it's in her confiscated bag. She groans, disappointed.
Lunch was usually just Mal and her, hanging out, because the boys were always busy with their teams and clubs. For Evie, it was the highlight of her school day. So how could Mal just leave her behind? Evie knew that catching Mal in the act of using magic was a cause of conflict between them but for Mal to not even want to talk to her? Was the friendship Evie spent so much time cultivating becoming overwatered and drowning before her very eyes?
No, perhaps Mal is missing and…but wouldn't Ben have told her if she was?
Evie steps away from her thoughts, forcing herself to get her lunch and then she comes back to her table where she eats it, all alone.
After the school day is over, Evie goes to Lady Marian's classroom where she sits at a desk located in the front of the class for detention. There are only a couple of other students there at the moment and Lady Marian is in and out of the room as she checks to see if the set students are where they're supposed to be. Evie opens her notebook, presses her dark blue pen into a page and starts writing her essay.
"No way, they got one of Mal's minions in here. I thought you were all supposed to be the prime example that any Isle kid could become good," Someone remarks in a snide tone from Evie's side.
Evie looks up, turning her head, and sees Uma, taking the seat next to her. Evie tenses up, biting her lower lip as she debates whether she should reply to Uma.
"It was a misunderstanding," Evie mumbles, seeing no point in ignoring her.
"A misunderstanding, sure," Uma repeats with sarcasm as she places her notebook on her desk. " I guess it's nice to see there's still a sprinkle of wickedness inside of you, means they can't take everything away from us, I guess."
"They're not taking anything away from us," Evie argues, frowning. "Our parents are the ones who took everything from us, Auradon is just giving us a chance to get that back."
"A chance?" Uma chuckles. "They're giving us a mold to fit in. How's that a chance?"
"There's nothing wrong with being good."
"Yes, if it's their way of good," Uma counters. "But here's the thing about that, their goodness left an Isle full of starving children. It left kids sick in the street from their molded leftovers."
Uma flips open her notebook and continues."Although, I guess that doesn't matter because who cares about the consequences when the kids don't have the right blood flowing through their veins, right?"
"I…" Evie's voice trails into silence.
On the Isle, after her dreaded birthday incident, she was castle-bound. It left her unaware of a lot of horrors her fellow Isle kids had to face. And the nights when food was scarce were always looked upon with delight by Evie's mother because it helped them keep their figures. After Mal ran away, months ago, and she and her friends followed after her, Evie had a realization. Things on the Isle were much more awful than she ever realized. At the time, Evie was only concerned with her freedom and afraid of what would happen if her mother heard of her return but then that child tried to steal her wallet…when she met their gaze, she saw a sadness in their eyes that she had never taken the time to see before. A sadness that lays in the eyes of every Isle kid, one that could wash away if only they had a chance…
"Ben's changing things," Evie says, once she finds her words again. "He's already decreed for all of the Isle kids to be admitted here at Auradon Prep. He's giving kids a chance…"
"King Idealistic has a good vision but he's not fully solving the problem," Uma replies back.
"Well, why don't you talk to Ben and tell him your concerns? He's always willing to listen."
Uma doesn't say anything in response, she just starts writing her assigned essay as Lady Marion walks into the classroom and closes the door. Lady Marion sits down at her desk and watches over the classroom so Evie goes back to writing her essay too. As soon as she finishes, she rips the page out and bolts to Lady Marion's desk where she hands it off to her. Lady Marion scans the essay and gives a nod of approval. Evie awaits the return of her items with anticipation as she watches Lady Marion grab her key from her desk and unlock the drawer. Lady Marion reaches into the drawer, grabs Evie's purse, and hands it back to her.
Once it's in her hands, Evie immediately opens it and pulls out her phone with a triumphant smile.
"You can leave, Ms. Grimhilde," Lady Marion says, shooing her away.
Evie nods, walking out of the room as she scrolls through the notifications on her phone. One message stands out, a message sent almost a half-hour ago with only one word and a question mark after. Walk?, the message reads and the sender almost makes Evie drop her phone. It's Mal…she thinks and quickly replies yes back.
Evie walks through the halls of Auradon Prep without a set destination as she waits for Mal's reply. Just as she reaches the school exit, she gets a reply. Let's meet in the courtyard garden, the reply says. Evie raises a brow, the courtyard garden was where the greenhouse was and she wonders for a second if she'd have to deal with Ginny Gothel once again. Evie decides not to ask any questions thrumming in her head and responds back with a simple okay. She then heads over to the courtyard garden where she hopes the holes in her friendship with Mal brought on by intrusive thorns will get mended forevermore and not become discarded shreds of fabric on the ground.