The Value of a Crew

Chapter One

Mal wiped her eyes as she brought her goggles up and flipped through her spell book until she came across the spell she wanted. Reading it to herself until she felt comfortable with the spell, she put the book back into her bag.

Clutching the handles of the scooter Ben had given her as tightly as she could, Mal recited, "Noble steed, proud and fair, you shall take me anywhere."

Please work, she thought. She had never cast such a spell before and if it didn't work, she'd wind up sinking in the bottom of the ocean. Something that was not the most pleasant of outcomes to think about when one had a fear of water and when said water was the only thing standing between her and the life she yearned for.

Jay knew of course, but he couldn't swim either since his father was from Agrabah. Not much use learning to swim when you hail from a place surrounded by sand—he wouldn't be much help to Mal if she drowned. She had no idea if Carlos or Evie could swim and by the time Ben found the note...

No! Don't think like that! She told herself. Things were going to be fine. She'd get past the water and live her life on the Isle, reclaiming her territory that the other gangs probably took over when the four of them went to Auradon.

Driving toward the Isle, Mal sighed in relief as she realized that the spell had worked. That didn't mean she could necessarily celebrate. With each wave that hit the scooter, her grip on the handles tightened until it was safe to assume her knuckles were pure white. The only reason she didn't know for sure was because Mal was making a point to look dead ahead.

The Isle. Right now, the Isle meant safety. The Isle meant home.

But Auradon has Ben, a crippling little thought entered her brain. Auradon has Evie, has Carlos and Jay. All the Isle has are two former friends, one of whom laughed as you drowned.

She tried to shove that thought out of her head. She would take her territory back. She would be with Hadie. She would be with Steph.

Mal bit her lip as she crossed through the barrier and drove past the adults who seemed to have moved into her territory. Judging by the fashions, Mal would have to say that they were pirates. Or at least loyal to the pirates. As she stopped to regain her balance as her magic was once again suppressed, she looked to her left to see a defaced poster advertising Cotillion.

You know, why did we put these posters up along the Isle? Mal thought as she stared at it. It's not as if anyone on the Isle could go to it. They'd only be able to watch it on the one of two television channels we have. And I'm sorry but dungeon shackle infomercials are only so interesting for so long.

She sighed and tore down the poster, balling it up and tossing it over her shoulder before driving off. She knew where she was going—six months away from the Isle couldn't erase her way to her clubhouse. She parked her scooter and hid it under a tarp so that no one would harm it.

Even if I'm never returning to Auradon...I...I can't let anything happen to the scooter. It was the last gift Ben gave me, she thought as she took her helmet off and strode off to go into the clubhouse.

And walked right into Gil.

"Hey!" Gil exclaimed as Mal paused. She didn't know how to react here—six months of being the perfect Princess meant she wasn't yelling at anyone and making them run away from her. Sure, Steph had worked with her on diplomacy in the event that she got off the Isle. But that wasn't how the Isle was run and after sixteen years of doing things one way, she had to work extra hard not to slip up.

But...this was Gil. Memories flashed before her eyes, unable to be suppressed, of Harry, Jay, Uma and Mal in the clubhouse and Harry ranting about Gil. Gil who had somehow repaired Ursula's necklace when they were seven and gave it to Uma, earning him a smile from her and a shove from Harry. Gil, who spent most of his time hanging out around Carlos until the split.