Wicked Ones ♛ MAL [✓]

➣ fifteen.

015. | BACK TO THE ISLE

I knew that I had to change my look if we were going back to the isle; floral print dresses simply weren't going to cut it. Thankfully I had Evie, and she helped me out with reworking my style - after she helped out Ben, of course.

When I came out of our dorm room late that night, even Carlos and Jay were shocked to see me. Evie had taken my hair out of its usual braid and straightened it, also giving it some lighter highlights. I had on a dark green tank top and black track pants, along with silver combat boots and a dark gray jacket tied loosely around my waist. My mother's symbol - two dark green brooms crossed in an x-shape under a black cat - was painted on the back of my tank top and on my jacket, though my hair and the way I had tied the jacket hid them from view.

I rolled my eyes as the boys stared at me. "Close your mouth, you'll catch flies," I told them.

They all shut their mouths, and I walked towards the limo without another word.

"Wait!" Evie shouted, catching our attention. "Something's wrong." Walking up to Ben, she pulled his beanie further down his head, then nodded in satisfaction. "There."

Suddenly Dude, who had been running behind us, stopped at the bottom of the stairs and yelled, "Shotgun!"

We all stared at him in shock - except for Carlos, who looked at Dude as if a talking dog in a vest was perfectly normal.

"No, Dude," Carlos told the mutt. "Stay. The Isle is way too dangerous."

I blinked, turning to Carlos. "Did he just–"

"Talk?" Carlos nodded, his lips in a tight line. "Yeah. I know. Tell you later."

Ben rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Let's go."

I nodded. "Yeah."

We all got into the limo, and Jay started it up before we began our trip back to the isle.

"Okay," I told Jay. "Once we cross the bridge, park under the pier in the old garage. Got it?"

Jay nodded. "Got it."

We drove out of Auradon and across the magic bridge to the isle. As we drove, I stared out of the window. All I could think about was Mal telling me goodbye. I never thought anything could hurt as much as that had, and it scared me, knowing that just one person could make my heart hurt the way it did.

"Fred," Evie said to me, snapping me out of my thoughts as she took my hand and squeezed it gently. "Don't worry. We'll find her and bring her back."

"Yeah," Carlos agreed. "Cause if anyone can convince Mal to do something, it's you."

When we got there, we all got out of the limo. Carlos called for Ben and Jay to help him with covering the limo, and Evie and I jumped in to help.

"I got it," Jay told Carlos, who nodded and went to get another tarp.

As he left, I leaned against the limo, nervously running my hand through my hair. "It's really weird being back here," I told Jay.

He nodded in sympathetic understanding. "We'll get in and get out."

Carlos, Evie, and I finished with the limo, only to see Ben walking towards the tunnel that led to the pier. 

"Hey, what's in here?" he asked.

"Ben!" we all called, running over to stop him.

"You don't want to know," Jay told him.