Wicked ² ✓

2.08

Chapter 8: Tiny Bears

Harley was on my bed, reading one of the comic books I had brought back from Auradon, one of my favorite series; Star Wars. While she was doing that, I was busy drawing in one of my sketchbooks.

I had finished the landscape of trees, and even had Harley help me with some of the details. Now I was working on a different piece, a castle. Not a castle like you'd see in Auradon or even one of the crumpled desolate ones still on the Isle. This one was my own. Something I had dreamt up and decided to sketch.

Harley and I had grown closer over the past few days. Apparently, Uma was often busy at the chip shop or 'plotting her revenge' and Harry and Gil were out doing whatever it is they do, which usually left the demigod bored. So, for the past few days, she would come here, we would read or draw, or sometimes go out and cause our own chaos. If I was completely honest, it was kinda nice to have a new person around, not just Evie or Mal.

"What the hell is an Ewok?" The question pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up to find Harley laying on her back on my bed, the comic book held above her head, her eyebrows screwed together in confusion.

"Um, kinda like a tiny bear," I said, going back to my drawing.

"Do we like the tiny bears?"

It was an innocent enough question but I couldn't help but chuckle, "Yes. They're cute mostly, as long as you don't piss them off,"

I honestly never thought I'd be teaching someone the things I learned in Auradon. Mostly because they were things that everyone on that side of the bridge just knew about, it was stuff I had to learn. It was kinda fun now to teach it to someone like me.

She set the comic book down with a sigh, rolling over so she was looking at me.

"Hey, angel?"

Once again, the stupid nickname sent butterflies throughout my stomach. But I ignored the feeling and looked at the girl in front of me.

"Yea, princess?"

"Why'd you come back?"

I shrugged, "Once a villain, always a villain," I went back to my drawing, doing my best to brush off the question.

In all honesty, the question was one I had been avoiding like the plague. Every time it was brought up I either shrugged it off with some lame excuse or changed the subject.

"Nope, try again,"

I looked at her confused, "What do you mean?"

"It's a reason, but it's not the reason."

"You've got me all wrong, princess," I said, still trying to brush off the topic.

"Believe it or not, Skylar, you're an open book,"

"Oh yeah," I glanced up from the drawing. She had that glint in her eyes once again - mischievous and confident. It gave me an uneasy feeling in my gut, but I was never one to back down from a challenge.

"Try me," Something told me I would regret those two words in a minute, but I didn't care.

"You're skittish, paranoid, always looking over your shoulder. You don't trust easily. Clearly, you have some past trauma that you haven't resolved yet. Issues with adults and authority figures. You never knew your mother and you tense whenever I mention your father, so probably something to do with him."

I stiffened at the mention of my father. I hated how she was right. Though I would never tell her just how bad things really were.

"You didn't come back with your friends," She continued, "And you avoid talking about why you left. It's clearly a sensitive topic, probably a fight. But you don't shy away from talking about your friends, so they're not the reason you left. So something else. My guess, a bad breakup."

I was speechless.

"I-"

Before I could really say anything I was distracted by a noise from the other room. A thunk and the sound of a metal gate closing. Someone was here.

Shit.

Now we had set some rules for the hideout, but there were two big ones we always stood by. One, no swords in the living room (that one's a long story). Two, no outsiders. I had broken that rule, and I had a feeling that right now wasn't the best time to get caught.

"Stay here and be quiet, please?" I know it's a lot to ask of someone, but I had a feeling it was Mal who just walked in, and if it was, I didn't need her more upset than she probably already was.

She looked at me quizzically.

"Please?"

Harley looked like she was gonna say something, but didn't. She just nodded and dramatically flopped back down on the bed.

That was another thing about Harley, she was quite dramatic. It was another thing I had gotten used to over the past few days. I didn't mind it though.

I walked into the living room only to be met with a head of purple hair, looking around the room as if to see if anything was different. Even with her back to me, I'd recognize her anywhere.

"Nothings changed if that's what you're wondering," I said, startling her a little.

She spun around in what looked like shock and relief, "Skylar?"

"No, Jesus," I smirked.

She set her bag down on the couch, running up and engulfing me in a hug.

A sensible person would probably admit how they kinda needed that hug. How they were still hurt after their ex cheated on them, and how every thought of that person just brought pain. That they needed their friends even if they didn't admit it.

But I'm not sensible, and I would never admit that.

"We were wondering where you went. The note you left only said you needed a vacation."

"Well, I wasn't gonna say where or why, I didn't need anyone dragging me back."

She finally let go and I got a chance to really take her in. The hair was different but other than that she could almost pass for the old Mal, the way she was pre-Auradon.

"New haircut, it's nice," I commented, hoping to shift the conversation away from me.

"Is this about-?"

"No," it came out harsh and rude, which I didn't mean for it to. But I didn't want to talk about him, and I definitely didn't want Harley in the other room to know about why I left. "Sorry, I just don't want to talk about it."

"Let me guess, you and Benny-Boo had a fight?" I asked.

"Something like that," she seemed upset at the mention of Ben.

I didn't want to push her into talking about whatever happened and upset her. But I also knew that if she didn't get it out it would eat her alive.

"What happened?"

"He caught me using the book and we got into a fight." She sat down on one of the couches, a dejected look on her face, "Then it turned into how I felt like I didn't belong, and I just snapped... I packed my bags and left,"

I sat down on the couch next to her, letting her lean her head against my shoulder, trying my best to comfort my friend, "You're not even gonna try and work it out?"

"Nope, I don't belong there."

"Is this because of Ben? Or because you feel like you have to pretend to be someone you're not?"

"Both?"

"Look, you don't have to be princess of whatever if you don't want to be. Ben would understand. But you can't just run away from your problems."

"Says you,"

I knew she meant the best by it, but there was no fixing what Parker did, "That's different,"

"Yeah," She didn't push it anymore so she must've let it go for now.