Descendants 2 [H.S. & C.S.]

Chapter 21

I couldn't believe I'd left my spell book behind. I also couldn't believe. I was headed back to Auradon.
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Cole and Harry were still trying to catch their breath. They sat side by side, but with an empty seat between them.

"I'm really sorry that things didn't turn out the way you wanted." said Cole.

Harry turned to look at him. He didn't know what to say. "I mean, as long as you're safe, that's . . ." His voice trailed off and he looked away.

A tiny smile formed on Cole's face. "At least I finally got to see the Isle. They're my people. too." he said. "Sabrina helped me see that."

Harry looked back at Cole, staring a
in disbelief. "Cole, Sabrina captured you."

"She's an angry girl . . . with a bad plan. Not so different from you when you came to Auradon, Harry."

Ouch, Harry looked away, stung.

Cole faced the window.

"Awkward." said Nick.

Calum and Justin exchanged glances.

"Nick, I know you can speak, but it doesn't always mean you should." Justin told him.

"Here we go!" called Michael from the driver's seat of the limo.

He aimed the remote out the front window, and the limo blasted through the magical barrier in a blinding flash of light and emerged on the other side.

Everyone let out sighs of relief. Michael loosened his grip on the wheel, and Camila smiled at him from the passenger seat.

Michael sighed, then turned to Camila. "Why don't you stop by practice later?"

"In the mood to break some rules?" asked Camila, recalling the R.O.A.R. rule about a captain and eight men.

"No," Michael's eyebrows furrowed, then he quickly smiled.

Soon the limo pulled past the sign outside the school.

Welcome to Auradon Prep.
Goodness doesn't get any better.

After Michael parked the limo back in its spot, the five teens made their way across the sunny campus.

Harry walked silently with Cole at the back of the group, with Calum, Justin, and Nick in front of them and Michael and Camila in the lead.

Camila carried the quiver of swords. "I'll get these back to the gym."

"Yeah, thanks," said Michael.

Camila grinned at him, and her eyes twinkled. "See you later." She dashed off.

Jade ran up to Cole, wielding her trusty tablet. "Cole! There you are. Cotillion's tonight!"

She pulled him away from Harry and showed him the tablet. "This is the stained glass window for Harry. Isn't it beautiful? He's going to love it!" Jade squealed.

"Hold on," Cole told Jade. He spoke to Harry. "Do you want to cancel?"

Harry looked up at Cole and his mouth opened.

Jade loooed from Cole to Harry. "Oh! I can come back. But, you know, like really, really soon."

"No, no, no. Now's fine." said Cole, turning back to Jade. Then, after a beat, he leaned in toward Harry, put a hand on his lower back, and whispered, "Do whatever you need to do." He gave Harry one last long glance and walked away with Jade to talk last-minute details for the event.

Calum took Harry by the arm. "We need to talk," Calum told him, starting to walk.

Justin cut in. "No," he said.

Calum and Harry turned around to face him.

"No?" Calum asked Justin.

"No," he said. "You guys are always going off in a huddle, whispering all your guy-talk stuff, or whatever, and Michael and I are tired of it." He looked at Michael.

"I'm not," said Michael.

Justin ignored him. "We're your family, too," he told Harry. "We've been through a lot together. We're not stopping now. So everybody sit." Justin sat on the grass with Nick in his lap. Michael sat down next to him. Calum and Harry sat, too.

"I don't actually know how to start guy talk." Justin's eyes shifted.

Harry and Calum giggled uncomfortably.

"Whaddup?" Michael said in an attempt to break the ice.

Everyone looked at each other.

"Well . . ." Harry started.

His friends looked at him.

Harry looked back at them. "I'm a mess," he confessed, beginning to cry. "Six months ago, I was stealing candy from babies, and now . . . everybody wants me to be the man of the court. And I can't keep up with the act."

"Then don't," said Justin.

"See? This was dumb." Michael planted his hands in the grass and moved to stand.

"Maybe it wasn't," said Calum.

Michael sank back down.

Calum took Harry's hand. "We're always going to be the kids from the Isle. I tried to forget it, but those are our roots. And we all did what we had to do to survive. But it made us who we are. And we're never going to be like anyone else here. And that's okay."

"And we can't fake it," added Justin.

"Yeah, especially without my spell book," said Harry.

"If Cole doesn't love the real you, he's not the one," said Justin.

Calum agreed. He looked at Harry. "I like that."

"Give him a chance," Justin said.

"I'm going to make some changes to your suit," Calum told him. "And if you're up for it—only if you're up for it—it'll be waiting for you, okay?"

Calum released Harry's hand, grabbed his bag, and walked off with the boys.

But then Michael hung back and plopped down in front of Harry. "Come to Cotillion tonight. If Cole isn't smart enough to love you, and you can't stand another day, I'll drive you back tomorrow myself."

Harry just looked at Michael. He rested a hand on his shoulder, stood, and strolled off. Alone, Harry stared into the distance. If only he knew what his heart was telling him to do. He had known before. Why didn't he this time?

Or maybe he did.