Secret in the Heart ||Descendants|| (♡Ben)

26

    "I can't pretend
    To know how you feel
    But know that I'm here
    Know that I'm real" Carlos sings as he places a hand on my shoulder.
    "Say what you want
    Or don't talk at all" Mal sings and I look up at her. She smiles at me.
    "I'm not gonna let you fall" Carlos continues as he squeezes my shoulder. I look at him and smile.
    "Reach for my hand
    'Cause it's held out for you
    My shoulders are small but you can cry on them too
    Everything changes but one thing is true
    Understand
    We'll always be more than just friends" Jay sings. I look at him and smile. He is the reason I have them and I am forever grateful for that.
    "You used to brave the world all on your own
    Now we won't let you go, go it alone" Evie sings as she takes my hand in hers.
    "Be who you wanna be, always stand tall
    Not gonna let you fall" Jay sings.
    "Reach for my hand
    'Cause it's held out for you
    My shoulders are strong but you can cry on them too
    Everything changes but one thing is true
    Understand
    We'll always be more than just friends" They all sing. I smile and a tear rolls down my cheek. I can't believe that I am fortunate enough to have this group of friends. They are my family and I wouldn't know what to do without them.
    "I never knew you could take me so far
    I've always wanted to hope that you are the ones I need" I sing.
    "Reach for my hand
    'Cause it's held out for you
    My shoulders are strong but you can cry on them too
    Everything changes but one thing is true
    Understand
    We'll always be more than just friends" We all sing, slightly swaying to the music.
    "Reach for my hand
    'Cause it's held out for you
    My shoulders are strong but you can cry on them too
    Everything changes but one thing is true
    Understand
    We'll always be more than just friends" I sing and smile at them

"I'm gonna make some changes to your dress, and if you're up for it, only if you're up for it, it'll be waiting for you, okay?" Evie says as she looks at me. I nod at her. She gets up and Carlos, Mal, and Jay follow her lead. Then Jay sits back down with a sigh. "Come to Cotillion tonight, all right?" he says. I frown at him. "If Ben isn't smart enough to love you and you can't stand another day, I'll drive you back tomorrow myself." he says. I nod. "Thank you, Jay." I say. He nods and gets up. I sigh and look around. The box full of my father's stuff is standing beside me.

"Wait guys!" I yell. I turn around and see that they are far away. I grab the box and start running. "Guys wait!" I yell again. They stop walking and turn around. "I still have to tell you guys something." I say as I come to a stop in front of them motioning to the box I hold in my hand. "You really don't have to if-" Evie starts. "This is really important to me. I want you guys to know." I interrupt her. She nods and I put the box on the ground. "Okay so." I say. "Uhm...You remember when I told you that my mother died giving birth to me and that my father kicked me out?" I ask. They nod. "Well, the part about my mother is true, the part about my father isn't. He died actually. Well, I think he died since I never found his body." I say. "Hold up." Jay says. "What are you talking about?" he asks. "Okay so one day I went out to steal some medicine and when I came back my father was gone. I searched for him but never found him." I say. "So he's dead?" Carlos asks. "Yeah." I say. "Why didn't you just tell us?" Mal asks. "Because it was really hard for me. I mean my father just left me and I hadn't even gotten the chance to say goodbye." I say. "We understand." Jay says as he puts a hand on my shoulder. "I also told you that I didn't know who my mother was because he didn't tell me anything about her. Well, guess what, I found out." I say. "You did?" Evie asks. "Yes. Queen Leah called me Agathe at the croquet game so I went to the library and saw a picture of her in a book and compared it to this picture I have of my parents." I say. "So that's why you were gone so often." Mal says and I nod. "So what's up with the box." Jay says as he looks at it. "Well, I found it hidden in a wall at my old house." I say. Jay reaches down and grabs a book. "Rumpelstiltskin." he reads the title. I nod. It's silent. "Wait your father is Rumpelstiltskin?" he asks with a surprised look on his face. "Yes." I say. "Wow, I certainly didn't see that coming." he says. Carlos reaches down and grabs another book. "This is about his dagger." he says. "Is that what you are trying to find?" Evie asks. They all look up at me. Everybody knows the story about Rumpelstiltskin and his dagger. I nod. "Why would you want to be looking for that?" Mal asks. "Yeah, you of all people should know how dangerous it is." Jay says. "Look guys, my father told me things about the dagger and how it gave the dark one eternal life. But I don't see my father anywhere. He isn't alive anymore. I need answers." I say. "And you think by finding his dagger you will find them?" Carlos asks. "Yes." I say. "Hmm. I don't know Kara." Evie says. The clock strikes twice. She looks at it. "Look, why don't we continue this conversation after Cotillion okay?" she says. I nod and Jay and Carlos put the books back. I bend down to pick up the box but Evie puts her hand on my wrist. "Kara, we know you. We're gonna take that box for safekeeping." Evie says. "But-" I start. "No buts." Mal says and she lifts up the box. "Okay." I say and let out a frustrated sigh. "It's just what's best for you." Evie says. "I know." I say. Carlos, Evie, and Mal walk away.

"You okay?" I ask Jay. "Yes I am fine." he says. "Look I am sorry that I didn't tell you earlier, I just-" I start. "You weren't ready. I get that Kara. I am happy that you told me." he says and we start walking together. "So, about Lonnie." I say after a short silence. "What about her?" he asks. "She did pretty good out there." I say. "I can't let her join the team. I have to follow the rules, coach trusts me." he says catching on about where I want to go. "I didn't suggest breaking the rules." I say. He looks at me. "What are you thinking?" he asks. "The team shall be comprised of a captain and eight men." I say. "I know the rule." he says. "Okay so, make her team captain. The rule doesn't say anything about how the captain must be a man." I say. "You are brilliant." he says with a big smile. "I know." I say. "Talking about fencing. Don't you have practice soon?" I ask. "Yeah." he says. "Well, go find Lonnie and tell her the news." I say as I push him toward the school. "See you when I pick you up." he says and runs away. "Right." I say.

I walk over the grounds trying to gather my thoughts when I hear Carlos talking. "With me." he says. "Yeah, want me to swing by your room?" I hear Jane say. Wait hold up. Is he asking Jane? I frantically look around and then I spot him. Jane is talking on the phone. "No, no, so when you're on the boat facing the left..." Jane says. "Jane?" Carlos says as he puts his hand on her hand that is holding the phone. He pushes the hand down. "Would you be my date for Cotillion? And, if you don't absolutely hate me by the end of it, um, would you consider maybe being more than friends?" he asks. My mouth falls open. "Like boyfriend and girlfriend? We can hold hands instead of slugging each other all the time? And we can text and I can tell you how great you are, because, Carlos, you're really, really great, and I'm the luckiest girl in the world. You're so nice and cute." she rambles. "Me too! I'm the luckiest girl...I mean, guy. Luckiest guy." he says. Then Jane hugs him and he is a bit surprised but then hugs her back. Jane pulls back and says goodbye to him and walks away talking on the phone again. "Oh my gosh Carlos!" I yell as I run towards him. "You actually did it!" I say as I throw my arms around him. "I did?" he says full of disbelief. "I did!" he says and jumps up and down, forcing me to do it too. We let go. "So what variable made you do it?" I ask. "I don't know I just did it." he says.

Then something clicks. "Variables." I say. "That's it!" I say. Carlos frowns. "That's it! I know how to solve it!" I say. I hug him and squeal. Then I let him go and start running. "Wait! What do you mean?" he yells but I don't turn back I just keep on running. I enter the classroom and stop in front of the chalkboard. I grab a piece of chalk.
Travel to the wooden gallows from the island. From the gallows one can see the only two trees on the island, an elm and a beech. Walk from the gallows to the elm and count the number of steps. At the elm, turn 90 degrees clockwise and walk the same number of steps. Mark the location. Go back to the gallows and walk from the gallows to the beech again counting the number of steps. At the beech, turn 90 degrees counterclockwise and again walk the same number of steps. Mark the location. The treasure is buried in the middle between the two marked locations.

Okay think Kara, think. It's just another Math problem. Okay so assume that the elm E stands at (0,0), the beech B at (1,0), and the gallows G at (x,y). I draw an unequal triangle. Okay, so that means that M1 is situated at (y,-x) and M2 at (1-y,x-1). That would mean that the treasure lies right in the middle between M1 and M2 at( ½×(y+1-y), ½×(-x+x-1) ), which is the same as (½,-½). Okay so I need to walk from the beech towards the elm and count those number of steps. Then I need to walk half of those steps from the elm back towards the beech, then turn 90 degrees clockwise and walk half of the steps again and that is where the dagger is hidden.

The only thing that is still a mystery is which island my father has his dagger hidden. I sit down on the teacher's chair and put my foot on the desk. I look at my drawing. Which island. Travel to the wooden gallows from the island. The first sentence of the riddle. The wooden gallows. Do, we have gallows anymore? Wooden gallows. I look around the classroom. Wooden gallows. School benches! That's it. I remember my father saying how he felt like hanging himself every time he went to school. Okay so travel to the school benches from the island. No that doesn't make any sense. I need to go to an island with school benches. Does a small island have a school? I mean the Isle has a school, but we don't have trees. Travel to the wooden gallows from the island. From. That's it. Travel from the island to the wooden gallows. His dagger is hidden somewhere here in Auradon. Okay, so school benches. I am in a classroom right now, but this isn't the only classroom. I get up. The tower. I run towards the stairwell that leads to the tower Connor showed me. When I get up there I look around. From the gallows one can see the only two trees on the island, an elm and a beech. But there are so many trees here. So many beech trees, how will I know which one is the one? Wait the elm. I don't see an elm tree from here. That's got to be it. If I find the elm I will find the right beech tree.

I run back down the stairs. Okay, so who knows enough of this place to know if there is an elm tree. Ben. No, I am not going to ask Ben, I don't want to bother him right now. So who do I ask? Fairy Godmother. Of course. She would know. I start running towards her office. I knock on the door and enter without waiting for a response. She is sitting at her desk with a phone to her ear. "Is there an elm tree here in Auradon?" I ask as I stop in front of her desk. "Excuse me." she says as she puts the phone down. "I am sorry but I don't have much time. Is there an elm tree?" I ask. "Yes there is." she says. "Where is it?" I ask. "Just North of the school." she says. "Thank you Fairy Godmother." I say as I run out of the office and towards the North side of the school.

I run into the forest and look around. Okay, so an elm tree is very big so it should be easy to spot. I keep on running while I look around. Then I see it. Just in front of me a big tree with a lot of leaves. When I come closer I know I've found the right tree. I don't know how, I just got this feeling. I look around but I am surrounded by beech trees. I sigh. How will I know which one is the one. I climb up to the top of the elm tree. When I am at the top I look around. More and more beech trees. But I spot one thing that looks different from the rest. It's a purple beech tree. This is it. I know I've found the right trees. I climb down the tree and start walking towards the purple-leaved beech tree, making sure that each step is the same length, while also counting my steps.

Okay, so that is exactly 394 steps. That divided by two is 197 steps. I turn around and walk back 197 steps, still making sure that my steps are the same length. When I get to the 197 step I turn around 90 degrees clockwise. I walk 196 steps and when I step the 197th I hear a thunk.

~* ✨ ♕ ✨*~
3418 words
(30/04/2021)