Mischief ▷ Carlos De Vil [1] #wattys2016

15. set it off

Clara was paralyzed and her skin was as cold as ice. She didn't know what was going on, she couldn't see or hear anything; all she knew what that she was afraid and she had no idea what to do.

Clara could not be sure how much time had passed, but suddenly she began to warm up and her vision became clear. She heard the loud crowd murmuring and heard Carlos, when he put an arm around her and asked if she was okay. She was disorientated, but her body was returning to normal and she slowly began to make sense of things as Mal handed Fairy Godmother the wand, with what appeared to be a dark lizard at her feet. 

"Is that-"

"Maleficent, yes, she shrunk to the size of her heart." Carlos answered, interrupting Clara. Despite everything that had happened between Carlos and Clara, she didn't pull away from his arm. Although she would never admit it, it felt like home. He made her feel safe and she did feel something for him, that's supposedly why it hurt so much when she found out the truth. She didn't know what love was, but if love is a whirlwind of emotions that can make you feel like you're walking on air, then she was in love with Carlos and he was her first. The only thing is that she'll never know whether her love was fabricated or if it's how she really felt, regardless, something lingered.

Luke made his way over and pulled Clara free of Carlos' arm and into his own.

"Are you okay?" He asked, checking over his best friend to make sure she was all in one piece.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You?"

"Alright, I'm alright. Glad to still be alive to be honest!" Luke replied, nervous laughter lacing his words. Hugging her again, Luke leaned down so his mouth was next to her ear. "Sing the song, but nothing else. Don't mention him or the powerpoint, just pretend it's a regular song. I don't think he's as bad as I thought."

"Okay." Clara nodded, pulling away and turning to focus on what Fairy Godmother was saying. She was back to crowning Ben, her brother too busy making googly eyes at Mal to really focus on what Fairy Godmother was saying.

It wasn't long until they announced that it was time for the reception and Clara was getting ready for her songs. Lonnie and Luke were going through the songs with her and her short set list looked pretty solid, full good songs that would hopefully get the crowd dancing. Luke did a quick mic check before handing it to Clara, and wishing her luck. Her friends the left, leaving Clara on stage by herself as the crowd quietened down.

"Hey everyone, before I begin I just wanted to say a big congratulations to my darling brother, Ben. I love you endlessly and I'm beyond proud of you, I know you're going to be a great king and you'll only improve our world. While I'm convinced you're going to be amazing, I also know that every now and again you're going to make mistakes, so for those times I wrote a song for you. This is called, 'Stand By You', I hope you like it." Clara spoke into the mic, smiling as each word left her mouth while she looked down to her brother.

The background music started and Clara's eyes briefly fluttered closed as she began the song. Smiling to herself while she sang once she noticed people start to dance and nod appreciatively while Ben looked up at her with a big smile on his face. Mouthing, 'thank you' once she finished. She didn't take any talk breaks between any of her other songs, just keeping the flow of music continuous and upbeat.

She made sure to avoid eye contact with Carlos throughout any love songs, but other than that it all went well. With three songs left, Clara begin to get into it and jump around stage, dancing like nobody was watching. 'Love Myself' was next and it was a huge hit, amazingly Audrey was even enjoying herself and joining in for the chorus.

Her songs flew by and soon she was finishing up, 'Love Yourself' (a/n: yes, the unbelievably overplayed jb song) and thanking the crowd.

"That's all from me, but I just wanted to congratulate Ben once more and thank you all for listening. I hope you have all had a ball and now, I do believe it's time for 'Set It Off' preformed by the Auradon Prep students. Feel free to join in!" Clara said, grinning as she ran off to get into position for 'Set It Off', ignoring the fact that Carlos was her dance partner.

Despite it all though, she had fun. The coronation was an event she would never forget and she had been through such an incredible range of feelings in one day, but she was happy. Genuinely, unapologetically happy, not a fabricated emotion she didn't know whether to trust. So she adjusted her dress and danced her little heart out, throwing her head back in laughter knowing she was surrounded by her friends and it was finally the end to an unforgettable year.

A/N: THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! THERE IS ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO BECAUSE THERE ARE A FEW LOOSE ENDS I WOULD LIKE TO TIE UP AND THEN THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL! I HOPE YOU LOVELY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ENJOYING THE STORY AND THANKS FOR MAKING IT THIS FAR! :)