After Mal and Evie left, Erin pulled her favorite romance novel off the shelf and sat on her bed, happy to have a little downtime for herself. Hours went by and she slowly drifted from reading and understanding every word to blankly staring at the same page for the longest time. She couldn't really focus on the words she was reading, too preoccupied with her conversation with Mal and Evie. Mal had fallen silent after Evie's comment about redecorating their room. And her question about her grandfather's trident was bizarre. It also didn't help that Carlos was all too quick to deflect. Mal seemed pretty adamant about talking about Fairy Godmother's wand too.
Erin shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts. She didn't want to jump to any conclusions; It wouldn't be fair or right. Her mind was free for only a moment before thoughts on the proclamation bombarded her. She hoped with all her being that the VKs adapted nicely to their new surroundings, and she hoped that the inhabitants of Auradon would be open-minded about the idea.
Somehow, those thoughts morphed into images of a certain thief that caught Erin's eye. She couldn't deny that she found him attractive. But the way he acted and held himself led Erin to believe he was capable of getting any girl he wanted. He probably had a reputation for such a thing back on the Isle. He was most definitely a casanova, and Erin was positive he knew what he was doing when it came to charming any lady.
Thankfully, Erin was pulled from her reverie before her thoughts could overwhelm her too much. Taylor had barged through the door, her face as red as a tomato. The infamous Tinkerbell temper shining through no doubt.
"Ugh! It's not fair!" She screeched. She was wearing a mid-thigh version of her mother's signature green dress with matching green heels. Taylor's blonde hair was up in a styled bun and her bangs framed her face, her wings were easily on display, fluttering wildly.
"What's wrong?" Erin asked calmly.
Taylor turned to Erin so fast, Erin got whiplash just from watching. "What's wrong?! Everything!" Tay exclaimed.
"Tell me."
Taylor's wings fluttered behind her as she tried to calm down. After taking a deep breath, in a calmer tone, she said, "I found this beautiful, ginormous emerald, and Fairy Godmother caught me with it and told me to put it in the museum."
The fairy's temper flared again as she exclaimed, "It's not fair! Why should I?!"
"Emerald? As in the rare gem that can only be found in the diamond mines that Doug's father and uncles used to work in?"
Taylor nodded. "Yeah! Can you believe her?!"
"You know the mines are a historic landmark, right? No one has been down there in years, they're closed off. How'd you even get in?"
Taylor looked around sheepishly. "I may or may not have shrunk myself and flew through a little space in the boards," she said meekly.
Erin incredulously stared at the small girl. "Are you crazy?! The mine could have collapsed on you! You could have gotten trapped, and no one knew where you were!"
"I'm sorry! I had to see what was down there!"
Erin huffed and closed her book, knowing it was no use in trying to read anymore- she'd already given up. "You have to do what Fairy Godmother says. That gem doesn't belong to you."
"I thought you'd be on my side!" Taylor exclaimed. "We always have so much fun finding lost things together."
"This isn't a lost thing and you very well knew what you were doing. The gem didn't just wash up on the beach, Tay."
Taylor pouted. "But, Rin..."
"No, buts. We're taking it to the museum. Now," Erin said authoritatively.
The fairy stomped and continued to pout like a child who was just denied a cookie. "You're no fun."
"Thanks," Erin deadpanned as she put on a light jacket to protect her from the chilly night air. "Come on, let's go. We should be able to make it before the museum closes."
Taylor groaned. "Fine."
She was still pouting as Erin opened their door and gestured for Taylor to march forward. The agitated fairy huffed and stomped out of the room, causing Erin to roll her eyes at the childish act.
After locking the door, the two girls began their journey to the museum. "Did Fairy Godmother give you the paperwork?"
"Yeah. I guess she knew you'd make me do the right thing," Taylor replied begrudgingly.
Erin nodded. "Smart woman. Can I have the paperwork and the gem, please?"
"Why? I found it."
"Yeah? And you were going to keep it, which by the way is technically stealing. So, hand them over," Erin said, holding out her hand.
Taylor groaned but did as she was told. As she handed over the emerald and its paperwork, she asked, "How is this any different from finding lost things?"
"We happen upon lost things on a walk. You deliberately went into a closed mine and took a priceless gem just 'cause."
Taylor's wings fluttered, lifting her slightly off the ground. She was a stubborn fairy. But despite that, Taylor knew Erin was right- she just didn't want to admit it. Erin sighed. "The mines are closed for a reason, Tay. They're dangerous. Doug's family was almost wiped out many times until King Adam made the order to shut them down. How could you be so careless?"
"I was only curious," Taylor defended, "Besides, nothing happened, and nothing was close to happening."
The redhead scoffed. "You don't know that. Mines are unpredictable," she retorted. "And by the way, curiosity killed the cat. You could've been the cat."
"But I wasn't," Taylor countered before pointing at Erin accusingly, and she argued, "And you're just as curious."
Erin huffed. "Look, we have about 2 miles to walk before we make it to the museum. And I don't feel like going around in circles about this. So, let's just drop it, okay?"
After a few minutes of silence, Taylor sighed. "You're right," Taylor relented, coming to her senses. "I'm sorry, Rin. Hug?"
The girls stopped in their tracks as Taylor outstretched her arms. Erin smiled, unable to resist hugging her best friend. They held each other in a warm and comforting embrace filled with forgiveness and affection. Taylor knew Erin was only looking out for her like she'd always done, and she loved her for it. And Erin knew that while Taylor could be a little mischievous and too curious for her own good sometimes, she never meant any harm. They parted from their hug and continued to walk to the museum, arm in arm.
The walk was filled with laughter, jokes, and some interesting information (gossip) about some of their classmates. Taylor was talking about a party that the second generation of lost boys threw after curfew, and how it was over quicker than it started. Apparently, Fairy Godmother caught wind of it and shut it down, giving the lost boys a month of detention. Erin and Taylor hated how stringent Fairy Godmother was when it came to the curfew and parties, but they understood that she had to keep the peace for safety reasons.
Then, Erin told Taylor how threatened Audrey was by Mal and Evie- mostly Mal. Taylor got a kick out of it before telling Erin about a rumor that Ben wasn't happy in his current relationship, which didn't seem like new news to Erin. She could tell Ben wasn't happy, but he was too scared to admit it. Then, Taylor had asked about the VKs.
"What are they like?"
Erin shrugged. "They're nice enough so far. I mean, I barely had the chance to get to know them, but I think we should give them the benefit of the doubt. They've been thrown into this new and strange world, it'll take some adjusting."
Taylor nodded, agreeing with her bestie whole-heartedly. Like Ben, both girls believed the children of villains deserved a chance at a better life. They shouldn't be condemned to being prisoners on an island for something their parents did.
"Although, Mal, Maleficent's daughter... She asked about my grandfather's trident. And she was very, very curious about Fairy Godmother's wand and magic. Is that weird?" Erin asked, voicing her thoughts from before.
After thinking about Erin's concerns, Taylor shrugged and said, "Maybe... But I don't know. I mean, they don't have magic on the Isle, remember? It was probably just innocent curiosity."
"I guess you're right," Erin relented.
"Aren't I always?" Taylor asked rhetorically. Erin furrowed her brows, sending her friend a 'really?' look before both girls broke out in a fit of giggles.
They were practically breathless when they arrived at the front steps of the museum. "Finally! We made it!" Taylor exclaimed through her laughter.
Looking down at her watch, Erin smiled. "And just in time too!"
The girls shared another laugh and entered the museum just as the head security guard was about to lock up for the night. "Hi!" Taylor greeted excitedly.
"What can I do for you ladies? I'm about to lock up."
"We're sorry, sir," Erin said kindly. "But we have some paperwork from Fairy Godmother for a rare emerald. She would like it to be secured in the museum."
"Okay, is everything in order?"
The girls nodded. "Yes, sir," Erin confirmed and handed the guard the gem and the paperwork. "Here's the emerald and the required paperwork, approved and signed by Fairy Godmother herself."
"Thanks. The museum curator will take care of this in the morning. I'll lock it in his office for the night," the security guard said, thinking out loud.
Taylor nodded. "Great, thanks."
"Have a great night, sir," Erin said.
"You too, ladies. Get home safely."
The girls nodded, turned on their heels, and left. "That went well," Taylor commented as they descended the concrete steps.
"Told you so," Erin teased.
Taylor rolled her eyes and shoved Erin away playfully. "Hey!"
"Oh, shush."
Through her laughter, Erin said, "You know I'm right."
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up."
Erin did just that at Tay's expense. And the fairy couldn't help but join in with her own infectious laughter. They were too immersed in each other's company that they didn't notice four certain VKs coming their way.
That is until Erin ran into a brick wall, ceasing her laughter. And she would've fallen flat on her butt if two strong hands didn't steady her. "Woah there, princess," a smooth voice broke through the cool night air. "You okay?"
Erin looked up into Jay's dark eyes and her tongue became tied. Her brain was telling her to reply, but her mouth refused to work. So, she gave a meek nod instead and slowly stepped away.
No one spoke, having no idea what to say. The VKs were caught, and they were going to be sent back to the Isle empty-handed. Erin was flustered from bumping into Jay, feeling his hands on her upper arms, and hearing him call her a pet name in his deep voice. Meanwhile, Taylor was on the outside looking in. She noticed Erin's strange behavior as the redhead continued to switch her gaze from Jay to the ground, nervously playing with her hair. Taylor also noticed the deer-in-headlights look on the VKs' faces.
Breaking the growing tension, Taylor cleared her throat and said, "So, you must be Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay. Erin's told me so much about you. I'm Taylor."
While Erin breathed a subtle sigh of relief at Tay's quick thinking, Evie perked up slightly and she said, "Erin's roommate! Tinkerbell's daughter, right?"
"That's me! It's so nice to meet you."
"You too," Evie replied. "Mal and I loved what you did with your room."
Taylor's wings fluttered happily as she blushed under the admiration. "Thanks. Erin's a great decorator. She even helped Ben set up your Welcome Committee. She was busy for a good few weeks. Right, Rin?"
"Hmm," Erin hummed distractedly before forcing herself into the conversation. "Oh, yeah. No biggie."
Taylor sent Erin a look, making the redhead shrug. "Right, so where are you guys headed?"
"Oh, we were just out for a walk. Wanted to try and get used to the lay of the land. That sort of thing," Mal replied.
"I guess that's smart. Just be back at the dorms soon. And whatever you do, don't let Fairy Godmother catch you," Taylor stated.
Erin nodded. "It won't end well," she said softly.
"Well, it was great bumping into you- literally- but Erin and I should be getting back. Long day of classes tomorrow and all."
"Good night. Get back safely," Erin said. She had been avoiding Jay's gaze the entire time, embarrassment radiating off of her.
The VKs nodded and went on their way. After they were gone, Erin released a huge sigh of relief, feeling the tension in her chest dissipate. "Oh. My. Jingles! Do my eyes deceive me?"
"What?" Erin asked, genuinely confused.
Taylor picked her jaw up off the ground and replied, "My girl's got feelings for a certain thief."
"What...?" Erin asked, drawing out the vowel. "Psh, no. I have no idea what you're talking about."
Erin tried to walk away from Taylor and the conversation, but Tay's wings made it easy for her to catch up. "You totally do!"
"Taylor, stop! It's not a big deal."
A wide grin spread across Taylor's face. "So, you admit it."
"I admit nothing. Drop it, please," Erin pleaded, walking at a faster pace.
Once again, Taylor had no problem catching up, especially since Erin stumbled on the uneven ground. "What's wrong? He seems sweet. And he couldn't take his eyes off of you," Taylor finished in a sing-song voice.
"He does seem sweet, staring aside," Erin joked lightly.
Taylor giggled before turning serious, seeing Erin's conflicted face. "But..."
Erin sighed. "But... I also got the sense that he knows what he's doing."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... He seems to have a reputation for being a casanova. I won't let myself get hurt just because a guy looked my way. I know nothing about him, and I don't think it's healthy if I already start fantasizing about going out with him."
Taylor nodded. "Okay, I get that, smarty pants. Just tell me one thing."
"What?"
"You think he's cute, don't you?"
A blush decorated Erin's cheeks, and despite her subtle attempt at hiding it by bowing her head, Taylor picked up on it right away. "You do! Admit it!"
"Fine. I find him very attractive," Erin relented before chuckling. "Happy?"
Taylor smiled and nodded before linking her arm with Erin's, making both girls fall into a fit of giggles. Off they were, back to their room, ready to get a good night's sleep for the day ahead.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello, my Guppies!!
While writing, I realized how easy it is to mistakingly swap Erin and Evie's names. But I've fallen in love with my little Erin, she's my baby. Please, do your best to read carefully. I will also work on using her nicknames a bit more.
That's all for now, loves! See you next time!
Love,
KK