Princess Mal - A Descendants Fanfiction

Chapter 13: Confession Time

A/N: Exactly what the title says.

Mal clenched her fists, her breathing erratic. She felt a sharp pang of hurt, like someone had just ripped her heart out of her chest, threw it on the ground and stomped on it repeatedly without stopping. Her eyes felt heavy as she felt tears filling them up to the brim. "Mal..." She heard Carlos say. "I'm fine..." Her voice was surprisingly calm, making Carlos widen his eyes in amazement. "Are you sure?" He tried again. She nodded slowly, but her eyes were still glued to the scene. The blonde girl had already pulled away, and Ben looked appalled for a moment, before he felt someone's eyes on him. He turned his head to see Mal. Her face looked broken. She looked like she had been shattered. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, before his eyes fell on Mal and Carlos' interlocked hands.

"Let's go."

"Huh? What?" Mal snapped out of her daze, looking at Carlos. He gave a weak smile, tugging at her hand. "Come on." He urged. Mal blinked before she felt herself being pulled away from the scene. She obeyed, feeling like a limp rag doll, unable to respond. Following Carlos unconsciously out of the ballroom, she noticed Beast and Belle's eyes on her. Her face stayed emotionless until they had reached the school campus. It felt like a blur, Carlos let go of her hand as they stood in the quiet atmosphere. Carlos' face was serious. Actually, it looked blank. He wasn't smiling anymore. "Go on." He said, his voice rough. Mal blinked again.

"What?" She managed to say, her voice caught in her throat. It was becoming difficult to talk, let alone say a word. "Cry." Carlos demanded. Mal was taken aback. Cry? She looked down at her sore feet. She hated wearing heels, and she missed her boots. "You're not in the ballroom now. Ben's not here, his parents aren't either, nor anyone else for that matter. You are free to cry now." Carlos said, crossing his arms and waiting for her to respond.

She did as told.

The tears wouldn't stop. She tried wiping them away, but they just kept flowing out. Her cheeks turned puffy and her eyes now hurt from bawling, but she didn't care. She felt a huge weight lift off her chest. "He's horrible! How could he! Doesn't he love me?!" She yelled into the night. Carlos took his tuxedo jacket and wrapped it around Mal, pulling her in for a hug. Her crying died down to a few snobs and sniffles. It soon enveloped into silence. Mal felt rather comforting to have Carlos with her, his strong arms around her. It wasn't as strong as Ben's... Her breath stopped. "Mal?"

"Hmm?"

"If I were Ben, I would never hurt you like that." Carlos said. Mal turned stiff and tense. "If I were Ben, I would always be with you." Carlos felt his heart quicken. He felt Mal turn still in his arms. Tell her, she's listening. He told himself. "If I were him, you'd never cry. And you'd never worry." Carlos finished, pulling away from Mal. He blushed at her stunned expression and chuckled nervously, his hands digging into his pockets. "Something like that..." He mumbled, looking away. Mal fell silent, her expression thoughtful. It was true, whatever Carlos had said. But...

"You're not Ben." She said simply. Carlos looked at her, not expecting to hear what she had just said. Mal tucked the loose strand of her lilac hair behind her ear clearing her throat and attempting to give him a sincere smile. "I cry for him because I love him. And... I still do." She said slowly, looking away from him. Carlos was speechless. "I love Ben. And... what I saw back there was just a misunderstanding.. maybe.." She choked, her heart feeling heavy. "I'm willing to.. forgive him. I love Ben. I'm sorry, Carlos..." She said, before turning to run back the way they came from. She had to tell him. She had to tell Ben what she told Carlos. As she ran, she kicked off her heels, her bare feet feeling the tufts of grass on the campus. Her heart beating fast, she felt herself become lighter as she dashed into the school, through the hallways.

She made a left turn, heading closer and closer to the ballroom. She had to tell Ben she was sorry, and finally make that good impression on his parents because she loved him. She would use all the methods and skills she learnt from Audrey. All thoughts swirling in her mind promptly crashed when she bumped into a tall figure. Looking up as she rubbed her forehead in pain, she came face to face with Ben's father.

"What's a lady running around the school barefoot doing without a partner to the ball?"