The VKs were sitting at a picnic table in front of the school. Everyone looked solemn. And no one knew nor had the energy to pick the others up. Erin was with them still trapped in her mind despite Jay holding her as close as humanly possible. She could practically smell the rotting fish guts that haunted her memories. She felt fear gripping her heart like it did when she nearly drowned. But worst of all, the deafening sounds of cruel hysterical laughter filled her ears. She barely registered Jay rubbing her arm or whispering reassurances into her hair as she leaned her head on his shoulder. She barely registered the fact that Audrey and a bunch of other kids from their class were at an adjacent table. And she barely registered Ben's sudden presence.
"Hey guys," he greeted. "How is everyone?" Jay and Carlos looked up at him incredulously at his dumb question. Ben cleared his throat and kept up his confident exterior. "Yeah?"
He began to walk around the table, getting a look at everyone's face when his eyes landed on Erin. It was clear to see that she was in her own world, staring blankly at nothing at all.
"Hey, forget about it. Alright?" Ben tried. But that was easier said than done. "It was nothing. Forget about it. Let it go. Tomorrow, after the Coronation, I promise everything will be okay."
He had stopped behind Mal and placed his hands on her shoulders. None of them believed him and honestly his words weren't the least bit reassuring. "I have to go," he whispered into Mal's ear after bending down slightly.
Then, he leaned back up and said, "I'll see you guys later." After giving Mal's shoulders a final squeeze, Ben was on his way.
"Erin!" A high-pitched voice chimed. Erin recognized Taylor's voice right away. But she didn't have the energy to move. "Oh, I've been looking everywhere for you guys!" She exclaimed, standing at the head of the table and trying to catch her breath. Her eyes landed on Erin and her heart shattered, seeing her friend's broken state.
"Oh, Rin," she breathed empathetically. Erin didn't spare her a glance, but Jay did before looking back at the redhead in his arms. He caressed her cheek, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, and softly suggested, "Why don't you go with Taylor back to your room?"
"Okay," Erin whispered. But she made no move to get up. Taylor bit her lip in worry, having never seen Erin in such a state. Jay looked up at her and they shrugged at each other, not knowing what to do.
"Hey, Rin. Your family wanted to say bye before they left. They may be heading to our room as we speak. Do you wanna go see them?" Taylor asked.
"Sure," Erin whispered again. And again she made no move to get up. Jay tightened his arms around her small frame and kissed her hair as he closed his eyes and released a breath through his nose.
"Hey, Red," Mal chimed. Erin hummed but didn't meet Mal's bright green eyes. "Erin, look at me."
Hearing Mal's serious yet gentle tone, Erin finally stopped staring at nothing and met Mal's gaze. Mal took the opportunity to speak her mind. "I don't know what's going on in that mind of yours. Clearly, Chad's words struck a chord. But he was wrong. You are no freak. You're beautiful."
"And kind," Evie added.
Carlos nodded. "And smart." Dude barked in agreement, bringing the smallest smile to Erin's face.
"You're the best friend a girl could ask for," Taylor said happily.
"And no matter what anyone says," Jay interjected, "You are loved."
Erin's smile grew ever so slightly as she looked around at all her new friends. They helped her get out of her mind. "Thanks, guys. He was wrong about you guys too. And I'm sorry-"
"You have nothing to apologize for," Jay interrupted. "Let Taylor take you to your room. I'll come by to check on you later okay?"
Erin nodded and let Jay help her off the bench. When she was free from the table, Taylor immediately pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. Erin reciprocated, though gentler, while Jay rubbed her back.
The moment ended when Doug, who had been pacing back and forth, rushed over, the epitome of remorse. For what? No one knew. "Listen, Evie, I wanna talk about earlier today. I just-"
"Doug!" Chad exclaimed, shooting out of his seat. Doug spared him a glance over his shoulder before turning back to Evie who softly said, "It's my fault, Doug. I'm so sorry."
"No, it's mine."
"Doug!" Chad yelled again.
Doug was getting agitated that he couldn't talk to the girl he liked. "What?"
Chad didn't care. He sent Doug a pointed look as if telling him to listen or be deemed an outcast like the VKs and Erin. Evie looked up at Doug, begging him to stay by her. "Doug..."
"Sorry, I can't," he conceded before sulking back to their table. Doug gave Chad a little bit of grief, but that's as far as it went. Erin shared a defeated look with Taylor before looking over at Evie. She had pushed her tray away, angry at how everything was transpiring.
As if things couldn't get any worse, Audrey and Jane walked up behind Mal hand-in-hand. "How long do they think it's gonna last?" Audrey started. "It's only a matter of time before Jay realizes what a clumsy freak Erin is. And Mal's just a bad girl infatuation."
Jay and Taylor huddled around Erin and sent Audrey their best death-glares as if it would protect Erin from Audrey's words. But the damage had already been done. Erin wrapped her own arms around her torso in a hug, doing everything she could to not fall to the ground in tears. She was terrified of Audrey's words ringing true. And not just for Jay, but for her family, her friends- everyone. Erin hadn't felt this insecure in a long time, and she absolutely despised it, but she didn't know how to shake it.
Jane bent down to speak by Mal's ear. "Yeah. I mean, he's never gonna make a villain a queen," she jabbed darkly before standing and turning her attention to Erin. "And no one wants a smelly fish freak. Not even a villain."
Audrey and Jane erupted into laughter as they sauntered away. Erin's breath hitched. They knew. Everybody knew. How could I be so stupid to think Audrey and Chad wouldn't tell anyone? Erin thought to herself bitterly.
Jay knew what Jane was referencing and went to console Erin when Mal whipped her spell book open and chanted, "Beware, forswear, undo Jane's hair."
After a choreographed hand flourish, a shrill scream could be heard from where Jane and Audrey were standing. The small crowd cleared, revealing Jane with her old bob hairstyle. Audrey immediately turned on the girl and started laughing, and everyone quickly joined in. Lonnie worriedly stroked her long locks, scared of Mal taking them away next.
Mal stood and turned to the group of stuck-up royals with fire in her eyes. "There's a lot more where that came from," she threatened.
Audrey scoffed and popped her hip, resting her hand on it. "Excuse me, who do you think you are?"
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Mal asked incredulously. Erin had to admit that it even frightened her. All the kids blanched slightly, but they still remained where they were, not totally believing the purple-haired sorceress. Mal just shrugged and opened her book, ready to do another spell. That got them all running away in droves.
Taylor scoffed. "Serves them right. C'mon, Rin. Let's go back to our room."
Erin nodded and let Taylor guide her away from the others. Over her shoulder, she said, "See you guys later."
"Yeah," Mal replied, "And Erin, remember what we said."
"I will. Thanks."
"Bye, guys," Taylor chimed over her shoulder. They all waved and offered small nods. As Mal watched the girls go, anger reentered her body, remembering all the hurt those royal brats caused today. Her friends. Erin. Herself. Mal felt more ready than ever to follow in her mother's footsteps. She was ready to make them all pay.
Taking a deep breath, she snapped her book shut and rotated back to her friends. "I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. Let's grab that wand and blow this popsicle stand," she said confidently. Everyone held a straight face, just as angry about today's events. At that moment they were all for the plan one-hundred percent.
But that moment ended for Jay as his mind switched to Erin and turmoil seeped into his heart. How would she react when she saw them steal the wand? She'd be crushed. Jay could imagine the betrayal painted all over her face. He could hear her heart, breaking into a million pieces. He could see the tears streaking her beautiful, flawless skin. Would she understand? Would she ever forgive him? No matter how much Jay wished she would, he knew that it would never happen. And no amount of magic would change that.
Jay never wanted to hurt Erin. But he knew this day was coming and yet, he let the both of them become close to one another. It was selfish. So selfish. But the last few days with Erin had been wonderful. She brought joy into his life. She filled his days with genuine laughter and harmless fun. And she taught him what love felt like- both giving and receiving. But all that was about to come to an end.
He had to talk to her. Prepare her for what was to come. But when? She was already in such a fragile state like a delicate porcelain doll. His confession would surely shatter her to pieces. There was no way either of their hearts could handle that conversation right now, or ever for that matter. But what choice did he have? Either way, the truth would be revealed.
The turmoil inside Jay only continued to grow. But he felt like he knew what needed to be done. After dropping the girls off at their room, Carlos started walking back to theirs when Jay said, "I'm gonna go check on Erin. Make sure she's okay."
"What's gonna happen after tomorrow?" Carlos asked worriedly while placing Dude on the carpeted floor.
"I don't know," Jay revealed as he rubbed his face with his hand tiredly. "What I do know is that I don't want her getting hurt after... you know..."
"So, what are you going to do?"
Jay sighed. "The best way to keep her safe is to tell her what's going to happen. I'm working up the nerve to tell her now."
"What?!" Carlos whisper-yelled, flabbergasted. "Jay! You can't! Mal's gonna kill you!"
"Carlos, chill," Jay demanded firmly. "Mal isn't going to find out. And this is happening whether you like it or not. If she knows, then she'll want nothing to do with me. With her as far away from me as possible, my father and any other villain won't be able to use her against me. I will not allow her to be hurt."
"But, Jay, this will hurt her too, if not more. What are you gonna say?"
"I don't know."
"Are you gonna tell her everything?"
"I don't know," Jay replied, getting a little agitated.
"How's she gonna react?"
"Well-"
"She's gonna be so upset!"
"Carlos..."
"Oh no, Jay, you can't do this!"
Jay grabbed Carlos' shoulders in a vice grip. "Carlos!" He exclaimed, cutting off the boy's rambling, which was nearing full-blown hyperventilation. "I know, okay? I know she's gonna be upset. But this is the only way to keep her safe. I'll figure it out. But I have to tell her. I'll see you in our room soon, okay?"
Carlos took a couple of calming breaths and nodded his head before allowing Dude to lead him back to their room. Jay took a deep breath and looked over at Erin's door. This was it. This was the moment he was going to break her heart. Blinking away his oncoming tears, Jay approached her door. After one final deep breath and long exhale, he rapped his knuckles on the hard dark-stained wood.
While he waited he tried to work out what he was about to say in his head. "Hey, Rin. Um... so, about tomorrow... I just, um... you see, the thing is..."
He huffed. "This is gonna be harder than I thought. C'mon, Jay. It's gotta be done."
Jay's self-pep-talk ceased when he heard the knob turning. But to his surprise, Taylor stood behind the door. Her eyes were red and puffy and her face was blotchy from crying. Jay was working so hard at preparing what he was going to say to Erin, he didn't think about what would happen if someone else answered the door, especially if that someone was already in tears. Right now, Taylor was a bit of an obstacle, and Jay's steeled nerves and confidence would only last so long before he chickened out.
"Oh, hey, Taylor," he greeted. To others, he still sounded like the confident smooth-talker that everyone had come to know. But Jay heard the slight waver in his voice. "Are you okay?" He asked, referring to her tear-stained cheeks.
She sniffled and wiped her nose while shrugging her shoulders. "Erin just told us about Audrey's 8th birthday party. She told us what that witch did to her. She also told us why she never had before. She didn't want us to be ashamed of her," Taylor sobbed as fresh tears fell. "How could she think that? How could anyone, even Audrey do that to her? You know, Erin is the best thing that's ever happened to me. She wanted to be my friend when no one else would dare to be near the weird, short girl with wings."
Melody came up behind the inconsolable fairy and pulled her into a sisterly embrace. "Deep breaths, Tay," she soothed before lifting her head to look at Jay. "Hey, Jay."
"Hi, Melody," Jay replied. Melody's eyes were red and puffy too. But all Jay could think about was the fact that if Melody was here, Erin's whole family was here. And there was no way he was going to shatter their little girl's heart. Who knows what they'd do to him in response?
Jay cleared his throat, jarring himself out of his thoughts. "The whole family's here, huh?"
"Yeah," Melody replied, "We're all a little shaken from what Erin told us. My parents are beating themselves up because they knew something happened that night, but since Erin didn't tell them, there was nothing they could do."
"That didn't stop those trolls from telling the whole school as a cruel joke," Taylor interjected bitterly. Her sobs had stopped, but her face was glowing red with the Bells' famous temper.
Melody placed a reassuring hand on Taylor's shoulder and said, "I know. But there's nothing we can do about it right now. Anything we do will only make matters worse."
"I know," Taylor huffed, the red-heat draining, leaving her skin at its normal shade. While Melody was right, Jay couldn't believe that Audrey and Chad would do such a thing, especially when Erin told him they had forgotten about their little prank. Then, Jane spits out that comment, making Jay's fists curl in frustration. The only reason he didn't do anything was that Erin needed him more.
"I really hate how today went down," Jay started. "Erin didn't and doesn't deserve what's happened to her both today and all those years ago. Is she here? I just wanna make sure she's okay."
Melody offered Jay a small smile. "She and Aiden are sleeping," she stated before stepping aside, revealing Erin laying on her bed with her arms around Aiden who was sleeping on her chest, arms draped around her neck. Jay could also see Ariel and Eric sitting in chairs, watching over Erin as she slept. If Jay didn't know any better, he'd say that Erin looked serene.
"Erin was completely drained after today. And Aiden felt she needed the extra comfort. Ended up falling asleep himself," Melody explained while gazing at her younger siblings with all the love in the world.
Taylor smiled at the pair before stepping into the hall with Melody, gently closing the door behind them until it was barely open. The fairy asked, "Do you want us to relay a message for you, Jay?"
"Oh, just- just tell her that I stopped by to check on her. And that I'm looking forward to seeing her tomorrow before the Coronation."
"We will," Melody assured.
"I'm sure she didn't tell you," Taylor interjected. "Erin isn't really one to brag. But she actually helped to plan the Coronation as well as the afterparty. She's excited to see it all come together."
Jay's brows furrowed. "You're right. She never mentioned it. She never seemed overly busy or slammed with extra work."
"Oh, the Coronation has been in the works for months," Melody clarified. "These past few weeks just consisted of minor details and finishing touches that Erin prides herself on."
"That's awesome," Jay said, beaming with pride. But it dimmed as he added, "How come she never told me?"
"Try not to take it personally," Taylor reassured. "As you've probably learned, Erin tends to keep these things to herself. Though, we've also learned that she told you the story. You've had quite the impact on our little redhead, Jay."
Melody stifled a giggle. "I'll say. I don't know what it is, but I see a bit of a difference in her confidence. Today excluded obviously," Melody added. "But, Tay's right about Erin's habit of shutting people out, for lack of a better term. She's always been that way."
"Why is that?"
Melody spoke quietly to keep her parents from overhearing. "It's common for the middle child of every family to be more independent than his or her siblings. Erin is definitely no exception. Mom and Dad spend a lot of their time preparing me to take over the throne someday. They also pay attention to Aiden a lot more because he's the baby and mute. They practically have their eyes glued to him to ensure they don't miss anything he says or signs in this case. In Erin's mind, taking our parents away from me or Aiden was selfish. And she didn't want to feel like she was burdening them.
"Now don't get me wrong, my parents love all of us dearly and do an amazing job at allowing us to feel heard. Erin loves telling them all about her day and what she's been up to. But as long as I can remember, she's never talked about a single bad day."
Jay took in all the new information and sighed. "How has she been coping without talking to anyone? She was mumbling about shaming her family and embarrassing you guys."
"She said the same thing to us," Melody stated. "We were all very quick at debunking her self-accusation."
Taylor nodded and added, "Erin has a journal that she writes in nearly every night. I've tried to get her to open up more to me, but she's even told me she didn't wanna burden me with her problems. But she never bats an eye when I tell her about one of my bad days."
"That's Erin for you," Melody confirmed. "She's the most loyal, kind-hearted person you'll ever meet. If only she could learn that it's a two-way street. It's okay to confide in someone you trust."
"Based on today, I'd say she's starting," Taylor said. "I guess that's another thing we should thank you for, Jay. It started after you guys began hanging out."
Melody smiled and gave Jay an unexpected hug. He was stiff at first, but soon relaxed and hugged the ravenette back. "Thank you for taking care of my baby sister, Jay. And my parents wanted me to thank you for taking care of their baby girl, just in case they never get the chance to tell you themselves."
They parted and Jay replied, "She makes it easy, well for the most part. What I mean is, she makes it easy to want to. She's an amazing person. It's starting to become difficult to imagine my life without her."
"She likes you a lot too," Taylor added, giggling through her words. "You're like the one and only thing I can't get her to shut up about."
Jay couldn't help the blush rising to his cheeks as his face broke out into a big, bashful smile. "That- that's quite an honor. Uh... I should get going. Let you guys get back to your family."
"Thanks, Jay," Taylor said with a bright smile of her own.
"We'll be sure to tell Erin you stopped by," Melody reassured. Jay nodded and took his leave while the girls went back into the room. As he walked back to his own room, his mind wandered. It felt like his brain and his heart were fighting each other, tearing him apart- again. This was nearly identical to when he was contemplating whether to get close to Erin or not. Except, this time his brain was telling him to help his friends complete their dastardly mission and set the villains free. His heart, on the other hand, was telling him to abort the mission and be with Erin- be happy.
Jay was so immersed in his thoughts, he nearly passed his door. Thankfully he recognized the knight's armor that stood across the hall. After unlocking and opening the door, he entered. Right away he saw Carlos laying in his bed and staring up at the ceiling while stroking Dude's soft fur. While Jay slipped off his boots, Carlos let his head fall to the side, and after spotting Jay by the door he sat up, disturbing Dude in the process. He stared at Jay with curious and concerned eyes, about ready to explode with anticipation if Jay didn't reveal anything.
When Jay didn't offer any news and just sat on his bed, taking off his jacket and shirt, Carlos asked, "Well? What happened? Did you tell her? Was she heartbroken?"
Jay gave Carlos a pointed look, effectively silencing the chatty boy. "I didn't get the chance. Taylor and Melody answered the door. Erin fell asleep."
"Her family was there?! What'd you do?"
Jay sighed. "We talked. I learned a few new things about Erin like she helped plan the Coronation and afterparty."
"Wait, what?"
"You heard me. Yet another reason for her to be heartbroken. She put in all this work and time and effort and we're about to tear it all apart for some stupid vendetta that isn't even ours. I mean, can you honestly tell me that you still wanna go through with this? That you ever did?"
Jay waited expectantly for Carlos to respond, but not for long before he continued his rant. "'Cause the more time I'm here and the more time I spend with Erin, I've realized that this is not what I want. This is all our parents. I don't want what my father expects of me. I've learned that I'm so much more than some petty thief whose only purpose is to stock my father's shelves and seek revenge on those who defeated my father for good reason. And a big part of that revelation is because of Erin. In fact, the only reason I'm even saying all this is because of Erin. She's taught me so much about who I am and who I want to be. I just don't see how I can give that up," he finished, his voice just above a whisper.
Silence fell over the boys. Carlos didn't know what to say to his best buddy's confession. And Jay had nothing left to say as he pulled the covers over him and went to sleep, back facing Carlos. The white-haired boy turned out the lights and laid back down under his blankets. But sleep didn't come. As he lay there staring up at the dark abyss-like ceiling and petting his new best friend, his thoughts swirled. If he was being honest, he didn't want to go through with the mission either. It would mean losing Dude. He never would've imagined disobeying his mother, let alone for a dog, which he was taught to despise for all those years trapped as his mother's servant. He felt free in Auradon. And he didn't want that to change. But what choice did he have? Mal was hell-bent on going through with the mission... Right? Could she be having second thoughts of her own? Mal had always been hard to read. But while she kept up a tough facade, Carlos thought he could've sworn he saw a little bit of remorse and regret break through every now and then. Like when she wanted to break Ben's love spell. And what about Evie? She told Carlos that she'd been doing well in school and she liked being known as smart and not just a pretty face to ogle over. And she liked Doug. It was genuine. He helped bring out a different side of her that Carlos had never seen before- that Evil Queen forced Evie to repress. Were the change she went through and Doug enough to make her have second thoughts as well? So many questions. No answers whatsoever. All Carlos knew for sure was he would not betray his friends and be the only one to back out of the mission. No matter the cost.