Hooks and Heartstrings

2 ~ Curl Up and Trouble

The Isle hadn't changed.

Same cracked cobblestones slick with sea spray, same crooked signs swinging on rusted chains, same salty air that clung to your hair and clothes like it would never let go. But to Mal, walking those streets again felt like stepping into a painting she'd tried to forget—every color harsher, every shadow deeper.

It wasn't until she ducked into Lady Tremaine's Curl Up and Dye that she finally let her shoulders loosen. The place smelled of dye, hairspray, and the faint, musty perfume of old velvet furniture.

"Mal!"

The voice was small but bright. Dizzy Tremaine came rushing out from behind a chair, her oversized glasses sliding down her nose, hands already covered in streaks of pink and purple dye. "Is Evie back too?"

Mal smiled, for real this time. "As if... I uh, forgot you guys don't open til midnight. Place looks good."

"So what is your deal?" The blonde continued, "Has your grandmother given you any customers yet?"

Dizzy's smile faltered just slightly. "Ah, just a witch here and there. A lot of scrubbing, scouring, and sweeping. Lots and lots of sweeping."

"Sounds like the old Cinderella treatment, eh?" Mal teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Dizzy admitted with a shy smirk, "she's gone from Wicked Stepmother to Wicked Grandmother."

"That's not really much of a switch," Mal said as she and Dizzy both looked up, hearing footsteps. Presumably, Lady Tremaine trotting around with her old cat, Lucifer.

Mal tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Hey, Dizzy, you used to do Evie, right?"

"Yeah," Dizzy nodded, "I thought of the little braids."

Mal glanced down at the teen in front of her. "Do you have any ideas for me?"

Dizzy studied Mal's face carefully and approached her while reaching a hand up to her hair. "Mm. The washed-out blonde with purple tips? The best of no worlds. You can't see where your face ends and your hair begins! Dizzy grabbed Mal's hand and guided her to her pink and tattered salon chair. Dizzy grinned. "Oh, what is this? 'Bored to Death Pink'?" The blonde took a seat and was spun around to the mirror. "Hmm. How far can I go?"

"The works," Mal said without hesitation. "Whatever makes me feel like me—but, you know... way worse."

"Yay!" Dizzy said as she picked up her chopping shears, ready to transform the girl in her chair from good to bad.

After a few more precise touches, Dizzy spun Mal's chair around with a flourish. "Hey! There I am."

Mal faced the mirror, blinking at her reflection. The hair was wild, fierce, and a little dangerous—just like her.

"Voila!" Dizzy said proudly. "Voila," Mal repeated as she took a few bills out of her pocket and handed them to Dizzy.

Dizzy blinked, her eyes huge at the weight of the money. "For me?"

"Yeah, you earned it," Mal interrupted.

Dizzy giggled, wandering over to the cash register to put her hard-earned money away.

Harry Hook swaggered inside first, his boots thudding confidently on the worn wooden floor. Reagan followed closely behind, eyes bright and mischievous, clearly amused by the familiar scene unfolding.

Harry's gaze locked onto the bills clutched tightly in Dizzy Tremaine's hands.

"Fork it over, ya runt," Harry barked with a sharp edge, tapping his hook against the counter for emphasis. "Now the rest of it." His eyes flicked over Dizzy's reluctant hands as she slowly emptied her hard-earned money onto the worn surface.

Mal chewed her gum nonchalantly, watching with a cool, steady gaze as Dizzy handed over every coin she had. Reagan leaned against the doorframe nearby, arms folded, an amused smirk playing on her lips as she observed the tense exchange.

With the money pocketed, Harry straightened and nodded his thanks with a satisfied, "Hmm. Thank you. Mm-hmm."

Mal pushed off from the wall and blocked their path, voice sharp. "Still running errands for Uma, or do you get to keep what you steal?"

Harry's eyes glinted darkly, and for a brief moment, Mal caught a strange flicker in them—something old, something tangled beneath the surface—before it disappeared. "Well, well, well. What a nice surprise." He let his gaze roam over Mal's newly purple-tipped hair, smirking but with an edge of something more profound. "Just wait until Uma hears you're back. She's never gonna give you back your old territory."

Mal's eyes narrowed slightly, a sassy smile curling her lips. "Oh, well, that's okay. Because I will be taking it."

Harry stepped closer, his hook sliding through Mal's wild hair as if testing her resolve. "I could hurt you," he warned lowly.

Mal caught his hook with a steady hand, surprising him by plucking the gum from her mouth and pressing it onto the tip of his hook. Her eyes sparkled with challenge. "Not without her permission, I bet."

Harry raised his brows, a slow grin spreading as he deftly plucked the gum from his hook with his teeth. Reagan chuckled softly beside him, shaking her head as if used to these antics.

With a final sweep of his hand across the cash counter, Harry gave a dramatic bow and strode toward the door. Reagan followed, casting Mal one last look—part warning, part playful challenge—before they disappeared into the night.

Mal watched them go, the door's bell jingling shut behind them. Her heart beat a little faster, a mixture of old memories and new determination swirling inside.