Secret Love

Chapter 7

Six months later...

"How to get out of the friend-zone..." Carlos searched the laptop for advice on how to ask out a girl.

He's been meaning to ask Jane out to the Royal Cotillion, but he shies away every time, not to mention she called him a "friend" earlier, which sort of hurt him.

He looks at his canine companion looking at the screen with curiosity on his face.

"I see you reading over my shoulder," he said.

He pets his dog, just as the door opens. It was Mal, closing the door behind her with a distressed look on her face. On the TV, the news about her and Ben dining with Aladdin and Jasmine was being reported. Feeling worse because of this, she turns off the TV. She paces back and forth, stil distressed, until her eyes started glowing green.

"Whoa, easy girl," said Carlos, trying to calm her down.

"You think this is easy?!" Mal raised her voice. "You don't have people taking a photo of you every single time you open your mouth to say boo! Not that I could say boo, but..."

"Sorry," Carlos apologized.

"Carlos, don't you ever miss screaming at people and just making them run away from you?" asked Mal.

"You're thinking of my mother, and I was usually at the other end of that, so no, not really," said Carlos.

Mal was about to leave, until Carlos stood up.

"Did you bring it?" He asked.

Mal takes a small case, but before she can open it, someone breaks in through the door. It was Chad, who just wanted to use Carlos' 3D Printer.

"Out!" Carlos demanded, pointing him out the door. "And leave the key while you're at it."

Chad leaves the key he 3D-printed to break in and walks out the door, bummed.

Carlos looks back at Mal, who was just staring at him for some reason.

"Mal," he said, snapping her out of her daze. "My potion?"

Mal opens the case and takes out a red gummy.

"So, this will help me say what I really feel to Jane?" asked Carlos.

"Yeah, I mean this is a truth gummy, so take it or leave it," said Mal.

Carlos was about to take the gummy, until Mal pulled back.

"Hold on," she said. "Are you sure you wanna be taking this? Because this is gonna make you say the truth all the time no matter what, and the reason I'm asking is because I know if I took this right now, I would get myself sent back to the Isle, which it's not that that sounds super unappealing, but..."

"Yeah, I'll take my chances," said Carlos.

"That bad, huh?" Mal asked.

"Very," said Carlos.

"Are you really sure that Jane is the one?" asked Mal.

"I really like her, and that's enough," said Carlos. "I mean, she's nice, she's a good friend to everyone..."

"She called you a friend right to your face, didn't she?" Mal guessed.

Carlos' silence sounds like a yes to Mal.

"A-A-Are you sure there isn't someone else you want to ask out?" asked Mal.

"No one else," said Carlos, feeling sure of his answer.

"I... I'm glad you found someone to fall in love with," said Mal. "I really am."

"Surprised?" Carlos asked.

Mal chuckled a little. "I guess so, considering that, um..."

"You broke my heart and left me to cry," Carlos finished.

Mal looks away with shame. She can still remember the break-up from six months ago, and now that Carlos expressed how he felt about that moment, there was no way she can hide how guilty she feels.

"You didn't think I'd forget, did you?" asked Carlos.

"I was kinda hoping you would," said Mal, smiling sheepishly.

Carlos places his finger under Mal's chin and raises her face so she can look at him.

"You were my first love. How could I ever forget?" Carlos said.

"Just like you said, I hurt you," said Mal, appearing to be on the verge of crying. "I never even told you I'm sorry."

Not wanting to see his friend cry, Carlos gives Mal a comforting hug, which she returns.

"It's okay," said Carlos.

"No, it's not," said Mal.

"No, really, it's okay," said Carlos. "I get it. Pre-Auradon Mal was obsessed with proving yourself to her mother. I can't blame her for not wanting love to ruin her chances."

"But now that I'm here, I feel like an idiot for ending what we had," said Mal. "I was happy, really. And then I just dumped it like you did with that rock you gave me."

Carlos tensed a little. He remembered that he had lied to Mal that he threw away the dragon-shaped rock he made her into the waters, because he thought it would make the break-up easier for her, which might help make it easier for himself.

"It's the past," said Carlos. "I mean, you're with Ben now and you're happy. Aren't you?"

"Yes, I definitely am," Mal half-lied with a fake smile.

"I know things between us ended pretty bad, but I've moved on, honest," said Carlos. "I'm ready to move on with Jane."

"And you really, really sure you wanna do this?" asked Mal, holding up the truth gummy.

"Why, are you jealous?" Carlos teased.

"Pff. Absolutely, not," said Mal.

While the two villain kids continue to chat, Dude walks off the bed and eats the truth gummy off of Mal's hand.

"Oh! Bad dog!" Mal exclaimed, surprised.

"Man, that thing was nasty," Dude said, words coming out his mouth instead of barks.

Mal and Carlos gasped with shock. Did the dog just talk?

"You, you just gotta man up," Dude said to his owner. "And while you're at it, scratch my butt."

"You heard him. Scratch his butt," said Mal, still dumbfounded by a talking dog.

Mal turns and leaves the room.

"You're just gonna leave me with..." Carlos stops himself when Mal closes the door.

Carlos looks back at his dog, still surprised that he could talk.

"C'mon. You scratch yours all the time," said Dude.

Carlos rolls his eyes and sighs.

"Your ex-girlfriend's pretty," said Dude.

"What?" Carlos reacted.

"Are you sure you don't want to take her back?" asked Dude. "Doesn't look to me like you've moved on, and I'm pretty sure she was making eyes at you."

Carlos sighs again, annoyed.

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