Everyone was breathing heavily by the time it was over. "I'm really sorry that things didn't go the way you wanted them to." Ben said to Mal after catching his breath.
"I mean as long as you're safe that's..." she trailed off.
"At least I got to see the isle, they're our people too." Ben said, referring to the other rulers of the four kingdoms. "Uma helped me see that."
"Finally," Ella laughed half-heartedly from the front.
Aaron gave him a half smile, "took all that?"
Ben smiled back at him, "Uma captured you" Mal stated anger growing in her words.
"She's an angry girl with a bad plan," Ryder chimed in. "Thats no so different from you guys when you came to Auradon," Mal looked at Ryder in betrayal. She wanted to claim otherwise that this was completely different but in the end it wasn't and she knew that deep down. Mal had trapped Ben too, she spelled him and though he stayed with her that didn't mean it was the right course of action. Now that she thought about it he actually never apologized and for some reason she was the one running and hurt. She had captured Ben and earned Ryder's respect just like Uma had.
"Awkward," Dude sang, jerking her out of her thoughts.
"Dude just 'cause you can talk doesn't always mean you should," Carlos warned.
Jazzy leaned her head on the window watching the isle speed by, "Jazz?" Evie asked.
"He listened to me, no one ever listened to me."
Carlos and Evie shared a look, "Jazzy what are you talking about, we listen to you."
She shook her head, "Not always."
Aaron looked at Jazzy, then the other two. "We always knew each other but we weren't always friends." That was a shock the five royals always acted as close as siblings. Aaron took a shaky breath and Lonnie took his hand in a show of support she knew how hard it was for him to talk about. Ryder sunk down in his seat and covered his face. "Ryder and Ella ran with Chad and Audrey for a while before we were brought into the fold. There were others who were the real problem though. They picked on us from time to time, but I kept my head low didnt say anything to anyone, I didn't even talk to myself under my breath in public. It was that bad. Jazzy was a little more outspoken. One day she got into an altercation with one of them because she was talking to Aziz about something that excited her, I don't know what. Aziz walked away for one minute, one of them was walking by and started picking on her, Jazzy got fed up and yelled, eventually it turned Physical."
"Me and Ella were passing through on our way back from Archery lessons," Ryder added, taking his hands away from his face. "We stopped them, Ella almost shot their head off. They still teased Jazzy after that, calling her a damsel in distress claiming she needed to be saved at every tiny inconvenience."
A heavy silence fell over them, "what happened to them?"
He waved them off like it wasn't that important, "Banished to the land without magic for a separate reason, it's a place with no magic, happy endings and they believe we are all fairytales, well our parents we don't exist to them."
"We might now," Ella chimed in from the front seat, "with all the stories they keep making to fill their dull lives."
"Normally I'd say that's a harsh punishment but they messed with Jazzy."
Jazzy snapped out of her daze and smiled at Evie, "Anyway, we brought Aaron into the group a week later," Ella said.
"Yea he tripped over his feet while Jazzy was pointing him out to us and Ella wanted him," Aaron blushed, but it served to lighten the mood so he didn't care too much.
Ella winced in the front seat. Jay looked over at her doing his best to keep an eye on the road. She pulled off her jacket revealing a huge gash on her arm. Jay's eyes widened, "ahh towers stupid pirate," She growled.
She placed her hand on it but without warning her hair and eyes lit up and the wound was healed in a second. "I didn't know you could do that," Jay said, astonished.
"Neither did I," she looked at her hand a little horrified. "My hair only ever glowed and grew before it never healed."
He looked back at the road and realized they were quickly coming up on the barrier. "Here we go," Jay called to everyone, still in shock. He pushed the button opening the barrier. They were on their way home.
~~~
They all walked into the school grounds, Lonnie was holding the swords under her arm. "I'll get these back to the gym," Lonnie said.
"Thanks," Jay nodded.
"Yea see you later."
Ryder and Jay shared a look, "You stop by practice, we have a plan."
Lonnie grinned, "breaking some rules?"
Jay shook his head, "Nope." he looked over at Jazzy who was fiddling with the lone bracelet on her wrist, "You too." She smiled and nodded.
Jane ran up to them, "There you are, cotillions tonight, "Look this is the stain glass window for Mal, isn't it beautiful she's gonna love it. And the crown Ella designed is amazing."
Ben leaned over to Mal, "do you wanna cancel?"
Mal looked at Ben with a bit of wonder and hope, "You know what I can come back But like really soon- " Jane said, going to leave.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, now is fine," He looked at Jane then back to Mal. "Do whatever you need to do."
Ella placed a hand on Jane's arm, "I'll talk to you in about a half hour." Jane glanced over at Mal and nodded in understanding.
Ella and Jazzy ran over to Mal and put an arm around her each with Evie in front of them. "We need to talk" Evie said.
"Yea," Mal said, her voice thick with unshed tears.
"No," Carlos stopped them before they could get far.
"No?" Jazzy asked.
Carlos nodded, "You're always going off in a huddle whispering you girl talk stuff or whatever and they guys and I are tired of it."
Jay looked at him accusingly for a second, "I'm not."
"Same," Aaron said awkwardly.
There was silence for a moment,"we're your family too, we've been through a lot together. And we're not stopping that now." He looked around at the eight of them, "everyone sit," he said, falling into a crisscross. They all slowly got to the ground. They stared at eachother silently for a moment, "I don't know how to start girl talk" Carlos said awkwardly.
Jay shrugged "What up?" he said causing Evie, Jazzy, and Ryder to laugh a little.
"Um well," Mal shook her head, "I'm a mess I'm such a mess," she started crying and Evie and Ella placed a hand on each of her shoulders, "six months ago I was ya know stealing candy from babies and now everyone wants me to be this lady of the court and I have no idea how to keep up the act,"
"Then don't, I don't" Carlos answered.
"See this was dumb," Jay said, starting to get up.
"Maybe it wasn't," Evie said making him sit She took Mal's hand letting Jazzy Place a hand on her shoulder "Four of us will always be the kids from the isle, I tried to forget it, I really tried, But those are our roots and we all did what we had to do to survive. But it made us who we are, and we're never gonna be like anybody else here."
"And that's okay" Ella said looking at Mal. "Because the people, who love you will stay by you and love you for you."
"Just like we do," Jazz added leaning her head on Evies shoulders
Ryder nodded, "We'll be there for you. The right people always will."
"To the ends of the earth," Aaron finished.
"We can't fake it," Jay added, letting all the stress he had felt wash over him. "We can pretend all we want that we understand all this and that we have it together." He shook his head and closed his eyes, "Mal I was sleeping on a rug in the shop six months ago. I didn't even have a proper bed. I was stealing from every corner of the isle and now I'm in the court planning parties, meeting other royals and god knows I was terrified when I met Aladdin and Jasmine," a chuckle ran though all of them
Ryder bumped Jay's shoulders, "It's gonna take time, and no one will fault you for that."
"I mean it's not like I can fake it without my spell book," The Raven on her shoulder nuzzled her cheek with his feathers trying to whip away her tears.
"Mal, if Ben doesn't love the real you, then he's not the one, Like Ella said The people who love you will stay by you and love you for you," Carlos told her.
"I like that," Evie said. "I loved all of it."
Ella sighed, "Ben is an idiot, he's been raised to see change happen quickly like it did with his father, we all know complete change is gradual. Give him a chance to see you."
Evie shared a look with Jazzy, "we're gonna make some changes to your dress and if you're up for it only if you're up for it, it'll be waiting for you," Evie said, hugging Mal. she mouthed 'Thank you' to Carlos. They all stood and Evie leaned over to Jay before leaving. "Remember you're walking for Ella, You're suits in my dorm."
He nodded, he and Aaron stayed behind, They sat back down, "come to cotillion tonight,"' Jay started.
"If Ben isn't smart enough to love you and you can't stand another day, we'll drive you back tomorrow ourselves." She nodded and smiled at them. They smiled back.
"You're two of the best Bothers I could ask for."
Aaron smiled again and kissed her forehead, "Any time sis."
Jay did the same and Aaron took off to catch up with Carlos
~~~
"Girl talk: Crushed it," Dude said after Aaron caught up.
"Yea except when it comes to asking Jane out then I'm a total chicken."
Aaron placed a hand on his shoulder, "I feel your pain. I'm no closer to asking Lonnie"
"I'm gonna paraphrase some of the the bravest kids I know" Dude Cleared his throat, " If she doesn't love you then she is not the one for you, The ones who love you will stay by you and love you for you and stand by you to the ends of the earth."
Carlos, crouched in front of Dude petting him behind the ear, "You really are a man's Best friend."
Aaron nodded, "how are you smarter than us when it comes to emotions."
"Easy, he's a dog, we're teenagers."
Published: Nov 11, 2019
Updated/ Edited: Aug 27, 2023