Wicked Ones ♛ MAL [✓]

➣ ten.

010. | THE FAMILY DAY FIASCO

Family Day came around, and to our surprise, it actually wasn't as bad as we had thought. Granted, we did keep to ourselves and didn't really engage much with everyone else, but it was still a relatively good day. And good days never happened to us, so we tried to make the most of it.

But we should've known that it would all go downhill eventually.

After Ben had introduced Mal to his parents, we all went out for a game of croquet. However, Mal was the only one out of the five of us who was actually playing. Carlos was chasing Dude around the courtyard, while Jay, Evie, and I were lounging under a tree while watching the game. The normality of the moment was weirdly comfortable, and thoughts of what it would really be like to live in Auradon crossed my mind yet again.

"I'm really happy for you guys," Evie said to me, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Mal seems a lot happier now, and I like that side of her."

I rolled my eyes. "It's probably the Auradon Effect."

"No, it's the Freddy Effect," Evie told me. "That's the difference here."

"So when are you guys gonna make it official?" Jay asked.

I laughed dryly. "Honestly? Probably never. I mean, technically Mal's still with Ben, and besides, who knows what the others will think if they knew I was dating her."

"You mean here... or at home?" Evie asked hesitantly.

I sighed, looking up at her. "Both."

Evie fell silent, and my eyes drifted to Mal. But something wasn't right. She was talking to Audrey and an elderly woman, and Audrey seemed far from pleased.

Sensing a problem, I got up and approached the three of them. Just as I got there, I heard Audrey say in her real, darker, meaner voice, "Grammy, I don't think you want to be talking to this girl. Unless you feel like taking another hundred-year nap."

The elderly woman looked at Mal, I looked at the elderly woman, and the realization of who we were looking at clicked in both of our heads at the exact same time. Only, I didn't act on it.

The older woman did.

"You!" she cried, taking a shocked and appalled step back. "H-How are you here? And how have you stayed so young?"

Ben rushed over to them, putting his hands on Mal's shoulders. "Queen Leah, it's okay. Maleficent is still on the island. This is her daughter, Mal. Don't you remember my proclamation to give the new generation a chance?"

Queen Leah seemed even more appalled by the statement. "A chance to what, Ben? Destroy us? Come on." Turning to the people who had gathered around us, she went on, "You remember, don't you? The poison apples. And the spells. Spells." Whipping her head around to face Mal, Queen Leah said angrily yet sadly, "My daughter... was raised by fairies because of your mother's curse. So her first words, her first steps - I missed it all!"

Chad and the others ran over to console the woman, who muttered out, "You mustn't trust her."

Mal took a step forward, trying to offer her an apology, but Chad whipped his head up and stalked up to Mal, shouting at her, "Go away! Stay away from her!"