Truth Or Fiction

Chapter Fifty Nine

"Oh you mean my brother and his best friend who are currently embarrassing themselves and Ben?"

"The very same."

"So not much has changed there," Neal said, snorting slightly in amusement.

"And why did you need to look for them? Wouldn't they have been in practice with you?"

"A very good question, Ashaki," Ben said, looking over at his best friends. "I hope you guys are okay."

"I'm sure we're fine Ben," Emir told him but gave Ben a small smile in thanks.

"They skipped." Carlos said with a chuckle as he joined the group, Dude trotting behind him. "Presumably because they were getting into mischief with Harry and Uma or they finally remembered they have girlfriends."

"Why can't it be both?" Emma asked. "Mischief with their girlfriends?"

"Emma!" Snow scolded. "I'm with Lord Hades, I don't want that image in my head!"

"Not that sort of mischief mom!" Emma exclaimed, her cheeks bright red.

"Either way they didn't let me know and I had to spend all of practice dealing with Chad muttering about how a captain knows where his team mates are," Jay sighed.

"Sorry Jay," Emir and Akiho said softly.

Lucy looked over at Chad. "So...is this you just being a jerk because Jay's a VK and got Captain over you or have the number of times Ben found you after being late to Tourney practice finally sunk in?"

"Therefore, I need to talk to them about letting me know if they're going to bail on practice just so I can be prepared for another Chad diatribe."

"Hence why you texted them," Aziz chuckled. "Lure them in with sparring and then you've got them right where you want them."

"Being in Auradon's made you boring mate," Harry chuckled. "Nothing wrong with taking some time off now and then. Otherwise you'd wind up like Henry."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Claudine said as she rested her head on Henry's shoulder.

"Henry trained for like eighteen hours a day," Jay pointed out. "I think only you, Mal, or Uma could match him in training hours. I still don't know where he found the time."

"Eighteen hours a day?" Ben asked, looking at Henry. "When did you sleep? Eat?"

"I did," Henry nodded. "But there's nothing wrong with keeping ones skills up to snuff."

Emir raised an eyebrow. "What if you got burnt out?"

"I think we've established that the Isle's different than Auradon is," Mal said, her voice soft.

"Also I'd like to just point out that Ben is not the best person to ask about someone's sleeping or eating schedule," Akiho said.

"Well when you're not obligated to help stock your dad's store, I'm sure there's more time in the day," Carlos teased and Jay reached over, grabbing the smaller boy close to him and rubbing his knuckles into Carlos' head.

Henry chuckled and shook his head. "Okay when did DeVil get some bite to him?"

"Being in Auradon's good for him," Harriet said, a small smile pulling at her lips.

"Gah! Okay, okay! Let me go!"

"Only if you say it!"

"Fine! Boreadon!" Carlos exclaimed and Jay chuckled as he let Carlos go.