Better With You - Mevie

Five

Ben folds his arm across his chest and sighs. "I think you already know what this is about, don't you?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, putting on my best poker face.

"No don't give me that. What's going on between you and Evie?" He demands.

"Nothing. Nothing at all, we're just best friends, why would you even question that?" I ask, trying to sound as casual as I can.

"You literally gave her your RING. And don't tell me she was just holding it because I know that was a lie before. You gave it to her, she was wearing it, and I want to know why. And I want to know everything else that's happening between you two. You have seemed like more than just friends for a very, very long time now and I'm sick of it. So I'm gonna ask you a question, and I want you to give it to me straight. Mal, do you have feelings for Evie?" He questions.

I look down at my nails, fiddling with them and avoiding eye contact. "No, no of course not. She...no way. I couldn't like her, in what universe..." I ramble.

"Mal. Look at me," He orders.

I drop my hands and lift my head to meet his eyes.

"Do you have feelings for Evie?" He asks again, his tone solemn and firm.

"Ben, I..."

"Yes or no?"

I look into his eyes. I've always wondered whether he would ever figure out my feelings for her, but I never actually thought it would happen. And now it is. How could I be so stupid? I got too playful with Evie, I loosened up too much, I got too carefree, I crossed the line with her and now he's cracked the code. He knows, and there's nothing I can do about it. My face falls, and I know I've been defeated.

"Yes."

My voice is barely a whisper, my heart is beating out of my chest. I can't believe I just admitted that to him. I never, ever thought I would tell this secret, but I just did. 

The truth is out.

Ben is completely speechless. I watch as he tucks his hands into the pockets of his fancy coat, and leans against a rough bark tree behind him, seemingly taking it all in. I grab his hands and look at him.

"Ben, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen, it all just came out of nowhere, and..." I start, but he interrupts me.

"So was it all a lie, all along? Did you ever really love me? Or was it all an act?" He asks, throwing my hands away.

"No, no I promise I wasn't lying at first. I really did like you when we first started dating, I loved you!" I tell him desperately, my eyes welling up with tears.

"So what changed?"

I look at the grassy ground and adjust my skirt, nervous, then shift my gaze back to him. "It all started about eight months after Evie, Jay, Carlos and I arrived in Auradon. Evie and I were spending way more time together than we ever have before. Back on the Isle, friendships and relationships weren't encouraged very much, nor was love, it just wasn't considered something important or worthwhile. Plus, before I learned about empathy and caring for others after being in Auradon for a while, I was SUCH a controlling person, when her and I WERE together I was always bossing her around. All of that resulted in us not being astronomically close. We were good friends, of course, but not exactly besties."

"But then when us four VK's arrived in Auradon, we were the odd ones out. All these strange fancy princes, princesses and good fairytale people, we had never seen anything like it in our whole lives. Sure, Evie and I had Carlos and Jay, but they're guys. A different breed, if you will. Her and I were the only two evil girls in the whole of Auradon, so naturally, we became closer. And with the help of Fairy Godmother's goodness class too, and learning that love is not stupid like we had been raised to believe, I learned to...love her. I found myself starting to compliment her when she remembered things about spells, like when she remembered the properties of a tear while we were making your love spell. And when Chad blew her off for Audrey at the Tourney game I found it easy to tell her how talented and special she was."