[3] Burning Point | Descendants 2

FOUR: Cracks Within Us

The two then turned their heads at the sound of the door opening, both surprised to see Chad Charming creeping his way inside. Mal looked at Carlos, finding that he was just as confused as she was.

"Hi. Just came to use your 3D printer. Won't be a sec," The prince explained to the two, moving toward the large machine in the middle of the room.

"How'd you get a key to my room?" The white-haired boy questioned as Dude started to growl.

"Oh, I printed it off last time I was in here. Uh ... you guys were sleeping," Chad answered, Carlos and Mal sharing a brief look with each other before turning back to the prince. "Look, I just- your printer's so much better than mine, and you install these hacks and everything runs so much smoother than mine and- "

Carlos pointed toward the door, "Out! Now."

Chad frowned and turned around to leave, "Fine."

"Chad!" 

The prince turned around with an annoyed look on his face, "What?"

"Leave the key."

The two boys glared at each other for a few seconds before Chad gave in, placing the key on the desk. "Fine!" He yelled and stomped out, slamming the door behind him.  

The door then opened once again, Mal and Carlos feeling relieved when they saw Helena entering the room. "Why did Chad just run up to me and tell me that my boyfriend needs to learn how to share?" She asked, closing the door and putting the key back in her pocket.

Carlos rolled his eyes, "I don't even want to talk about it."

"What's up with you?" Helena then asked as Mal she sat down beside Carlos, the pair staring at the girl standing in front of them. 

"I don't know what I'm doing with my life," Mal exclaimed before picking up a strand of her blonde hair, "I mean look at me, I'm not even me anymore."

"I don't think we've ever been," Helena added. "We traded the evil-like-our-parents label for the perfect princess one."

"You guys are both trying to live up to everyone's expectations. It's breaking you because you're trying to be who they want you to be instead of who you are. Come on, you guys know that you shouldn't care about what people think of you. Just show everyone who you really are, who we know you are," Carlos optimistically said. 

"That's exactly the problem. If I show everyone who I truly am, then nobody, not even Ben, will accept me," Mal cried out. 

"Since when have you cared about what other people think of you?"

"Since I left the Isle and decided to stay in Auradon." Helena and Carlos grew silent at Mal's truthful answer. "Believe me, I couldn't give two shits about what other people think of me. But it's everyone else here that cares. They see or read something, and they immediately believe that's who I am. And I know that we had our fair share of problems on the Isle, but it seems like things were easier there than here."

"Well things are definitely different here," Helena muttered as she couldn't help but agree with what Mal said.  

"The events, balls, interviews, reporters, photographers, paparazzi. It's all becoming too much and no one understands what it's like," Mal added.

"You do realize who you're talking to, right?" Carlos questioned, reminding Mal of his and Helena's struggles with the media. 

"I know that you guys know what it's like. And you guys are also the first ones to listen. I try to talk about it with Ben, but it's like he just doesn't understand."