Were You Expecting Flowers? ✔️

40

It's good to be bad
And we're proof of that
Used to be lost, now we're on the map
Used to steal stacks, now we're giving back
___________________

MAL CASUALLY took a seat on one of the tables. "Just wondering if you've seen a pretty pink princess around here somewhere?"

Uma crossed her arms and took one long look at Mal before huffing and turning to one of the guys who was wiping off the counter. "Hey Gil!"

The boy looked in our direction. He was dressed in a brunt red and brown vest with spikes at the edges, a sheath hanging at his side. Two streaks of black and orange were painted on his face.

"Take care of things for now, would ya?" Uma said, "Our visitors want a tour of our ship."

Gil didn't sound as tough as he looked. "Sure thing, Uma."

Uma clapped happily, before waving for us to follow her out of the restaurant.

"How long have you guys known each other?" Ben asked, trying to be friendly.

Uma shrugged. "Since school."

"That was until you dropped out." Mal reminded her.

"I dropped out cause Ursula needed someone to run the place. She doesn't trust any other folks to care take of her business."

"Is..." Ben swallowed, before continuing, "Is your mom hard on you too?"

I understood: he knew parents here aren't exactly the best.

Uma raised an eyebrow at him. "No, considering the fact that I barely ever see her... I don't even address her as my mom." She replied, "I'm surprised you care, Benny boy."

Mal poked the handle of her sword at Uma. "He's different."

"Oh really?" Uma sneered a little, making Ben more nervous, "Then may I ask why we're on our fourth year of landfill strikes? And why all our kids are starving?"

Ben gulped and I felt the need to save him.

"He's giving the second generation a chance at Auradon Prep." I told her, "That's already a huge step."

Uma shrugged and continued down the road towards a dock located nearby. A large ship was parked against it, octopuses painted on the sails.

"I hate to ask." Jay said, "But why do you have a pirate ship when you can't sail past the barrier?"

"That's a good question." Uma replied casually. And she left it like that.

Carlos leaned in to whisper to me. "I don't like her."

I bit back a laugh. "I can tell."

He moved away. I noticed he didn't touch me at all since we had arrived. I guess it was a logical move: affection isn't a thing on the Isle.

Uma led us on deck. It was a finely crafted ship, I'd say, but you could tell it was missing out in action. We followed the captain below deck. There were at least half a dozen rooms lined up. I peeked into one of them and saw a stack of unused paint.

That explains a lot.

Uma stopped suddenly, causing the other six people and one dog behind her to crash into each other in the tight space.

"Your girl is in the room at the end. Pink dress, bratty attitude. We picked her up a little over an hour ago." Uma said, leaning against the wall and detaching one of the keys from the belt that hung loosely around her waist. "I was gonna release her in a bit, but I didn't know where she was from. Didn't want to talk to me. I'm guessing by the fact that you're here that she's an Auradon brat."