The bell rang signaling the start of fencing practice as always Ella and Aaron were in the stands. Ella was grinning ear to ear; she knew what Jay was doing. Of course, she did, he told her everything. Jay called his team with Ryder next to him, "let's bring it in boys. Let's bring it in," When everyone got in, he started, "You all know I come for the isle right where things are pretty," he paused in an effort not to curse, "let's just say messed up, but there is one thing the isle's got on Auradon If your strong we want you by our side girl or boy."
Chad let a small smile grace his features, "what are you too planning?"
Ryder returned the smile and pulled the rule book out of his back pocket, "a team shall be comprised of a captain, a co-captain and eight men." Aaron looked over at Ella with an astonished look, Jay found a loophole. It seemed so obvious when Ryder had said it like it was the clearest thing in the world but no one, to his knowledge had ever put the pieces together especially so seamlessly. "So, uh give it up for your new team captain and co-captain." Jazzy and Lonnie ran in.
The whole team especially Chad clapped loudly, Jazzy and Lonnie were the best swordsmen in school, they were formidable. They were gonna siege their way to first in the league this year. Jazzy and Lonnie smiled, bumping shoulders, maybe they could rewrite the rules. Jay placed his whistle around Lonnie's neck and Ryder placed his over Jazzy's. She knew it was only symbolic, he would want the whistle back Cassandra had gifted it to him, shaped from the black rocks that once overtook his kingdom. "Thank you," they said to the boys. Jay and Ryder stepped back, joining the circle clapping with the team. Ella was clapping from her place on the balcony Aaron joining in letting out a loud whistle keeping his eyes firmly on Lonnie.
They blew the whistles together, "give us Ten," Jazzy said.
"Come one guys," Lonnie placed a foot on Ryder's back and Jazzy placed one on Jay, each pushing down very lightly. "Pick it up Ryder," He looked up at her with a playful look, knowing he probably just made Aaron a little jealous. Ryder didn't have a date to Cotillion, Aaron better ask her before he did as friends obviously, he didn't like Lonnie that way. He had his eye on a different prize and if he could get her off the isle that is, she would definitely be a prize then.
"Nice form Jay," after they were done, they blew the whistles again. "Practice is over."
Lonnie laughed, "yeah go get ready for cotillion." As Jay and Ryder went to leave, they stopped them, "Hey Jay, Ryder."
"Yeah?" Jay asked.
They smiled, "wait till I tell my mom," Lonnie told him.
Jazzy grasps the whistle tightly as she takes it off the chain and hands it back to Ryder, "It means the world to me. Really."
The boys smiled at them, "let get outa here."
Aaron hopped down for the balcony landing on his feet with a loud slamming sound startling all four. "Actually, can I speak with Lonnie? Alone?" Ryder and Jay nodded with Ella dragging them out by their ears with Jazzy trailing behind.
"Ouch Nightlight"
"Seriously sis loosen up."
Lonnie turned back to Aaron who was as red as his mother's hair, "what did you need? Are you okay? You don't look too hot."
"Gee thanks," he managed to mutter.
She looked confused for about half a second then got a panicked look, "I-I'm sorry," She stammered. "I meant that you didn't look too good," her eyes widened, "I mean you look hot, not kind of hot. I mean you look a little off, not that you don't look hot, not that I think- you know what I'm gonna stop talking. It was the most flustered she had ever been.
Aaron managed to get his features under control, hearing her stammer was a relief it reminded him that she was just like him, just a kid and just as nervous as him. He took a deep breath and shuffled a bit trying to recover his Y chromosome, before it could get away from him again and he asked, "Would you maybe wanna go to cotillion with me."
Lonnie stayed stone silent for a moment scaring him, in her head she was still reeling from what she had accidentally said to him. As soon as she processed what he was asking her, she grinned. Really wide. "I would love to," she practically collapsed into an embrace with him laughing and smiling. Aaron hugged her back letting out a breath of relief.
"Good cause I honestly have no idea what I would have done if you had said no," he said, making her laugh again.
"Aaron, I've known you since you were five and I was six, remember when you tripped and fell into the lake?" And just like that Aaron blushed again. "I had a huge crush on you back then and it's only gotten bigger since.
The boy couldn't help the smile, "You have no idea how much that means to me." Aaron was much like his mother in the fact that he had the biggest crush on Lonnie as a kid despite the fact that he had not been able to ever really talk to her and it was a crush that he just would not let go.
She grinned up at him, "Let's go."
As He went to his dorm he caught up with Carlos, "I did it," He grinned. "Your turn," The white- and Black-haired boy plucked up his courage and went to find Jane. As the son of Ariel went to his dorm to get ready feeling much lighter.
~~~
Jazzy had made her way to Evie's dorm who had let her take a shower and had just come out in shorts and a tank top and Evie was finishing putting up the dress for them to deliver when Doug burst through the door. He startled her so bad her towel went flying and she toppled to the ground, "I have a scout badge and smores. How could you go camping without me?" he whined.
Evie looked at him confused and turned to Jazzy who wasn't even concerned with what he was saying she was just glaring at him from her place on the floor. "What?" Evie asked as she went to pick up her friend.
"Are you seeing someone else are you and are you guys helping her cover it up?" He asked.
"No," Evie said in shock at the insinuation.
Jazzy kept her glare, "I know nothing about camping but some much for chivalry class."
"Is it Happy's son? Because let me tell you he's not as happy as his dad, kind of a dark streak in fact."
Evie turned to Jazzy who nodded, "I think he's depressed; he really is dark."
"Doug seriously don't- oh good you back," Cece sighed in relief. "You deal with it," she sat down and popped her back.
Evie sighed, "Doug," she took his hands in hers. "Ben, Jazzy, Aaron and Ryder were captured on the isle. We rescued them and saved the four kingdoms," she told him.
Rather than freak out about the well-being of his friends he was more worried about his relationship for the time being. "So, you're not seeing Happys son or anyone else."
She sighed again but this time with a fond smile "Don't be dopey." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek making Jazzy bow her head. "Besides we have dresses to deliver, and Cece and Jazzy have princes to dress, it is cotillion day after all," she noticed Jazzy's sadness but decided to address it when Doug wasn't listening. "And you know what, I was lucky enough to have been given a chance and now I need to make sure someone else get their chance too."
"My uncle bashful used to say that."
"Did he?" Evie asked.
"Yeah, but really quietly," he also noticed Jazzy sadness and wanted to make her laugh. He knew her feelings were something she was more inclined to talk about with the girls or her brother. He knew where he stood in that aspect and respected the boundary.
"Let's do this," as they were walking Evie asked, "What's up."
Jazzy looked down, "I connected with Gil on the isle no spell, nothing he just listened to me." Now what she said in the limo made more sense. "And I had to leave him behind."
Evie wanted to squeal with joy for her friend, Jazzy was a fighter not a lover, but she found someone to care about romantically, someone that made her happy. Gil himself was very much more of a lover than a fighter. The isle made him fight. They would definitely make quite the pair. "If anyone on the isle can forgive you for that it would be Gil. He's slow but he's not dumb. I guarantee that he understands you were on different sides. He's very genuine I'm sure he'll get his chance, not next, but sooner than most of the pirates. "
Jazzy smiled, "Thanks E. That helps a bit."
"No problem Jazz."
~~~
"Jane, Jane, Jane," Carlos found her while she was on the phone, she slid to a stop placing his hands on her shoulders, "Hey, hey, hey. would you go to cotillion with me."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah we're all taking the carriage over at six," she said with the phone still to her ear, "No the pen toppers and the port side cabin."
Carlos leaned over, "No I mean with me."
Cece was chasing after Doug on his way to Evie's dorm with Rachel in his arms, "Carlos!" the little girl shouted.
The older girl looked to the side and saw the white-haired boy, "You know what," She placed Rachel down. "Go to him, I have to deal with a dwarf."
Jane was still only half listening to Carlos, "yeah want me to swing by your room? No so when you on the boat facing the left, yeah, yeah right no, no, no not right left."
Carlos realized, "this is gonna be tricky," he lowered her phone, but before he could say anything more than her name he was tackled by a small mass.
"Carlos!" Jane panicked and got to her knees. Her concern was stifled when she saw that it was only Rachel and she weighed like forty pounds soaking wet.
"You're back, you kept your promise!"
Carlos couldn't find it in him to be upset. He laughed, "yeah I'm back."
Jane smiled at the two, she was so glad Carlos got to find his family with the Radcliffe's. As Rachel rattled off to him, she could clearly see a future with Carlos as a protective big brother watching over and dotting over his perfect little sister, both were surrounded by dalmatian puppies in her head. "Did you ask her?" Jane snapped back to the present and tilted her head in question.
Carlos looked at the fairy and let out a steady breath, somehow Rachel being there gave him so much more strength. "I was just about to," he turned his attention back to the girl, "Jane, would you be my date for cotillion?" he said softly, He started to stumble as a grin grew on her face. "And if you don't absolutely hate me by the end of it, would you maybe consider being more than friends. Maybe."
"Like boyfriend and girlfriend? And we could hold hands and just hug each other all the time, and we can text, and I can tell you how great you are causing Carlos you're really, really great. And I'm-- I'm the luckiest girl in the world, you're so nice and cute," She rambled on.
"Me too, I'm the luckiest girl-- I mean guy, luckiest guy." He was so glad his friends weren't there they would have laughed and to Rachels credit she didn't. She hugged him and he was surprised he nearly fell back since they were still on the ground. He steadied himself and took a shocked minute till he hugged back. He was getting better but the effects of growing up with Cruella had not yet left him.
"Jane, Jane," whoever was on the phone said. "Can you hear me hello?"
Jane looked at the phone which had tumbled out of her hand, Rachel reached for it and answered it, "Hello?"
"Oh, hello who are you?"
"I'm Rachel, she needs a minute."
The two laughed and Jane asked for her phone back, "thank you Rachel." She turned back to Carlos, "See you later yeah?"
"Yeah," he nodded as she walked away. Rachel elbowed him, I'll pick you up at your dorm."
Jane blushed with a smile and placed the phone back to her ear. Carlos looked down and realized his wingmen were a six-year-old girl who still had most of her baby teeth and a dog. He sighed, "good dog, he pets Dude who Rachel had picked up. "Thanks sis."
She smiled up at him, "You owe me ice cream."
~~~
The girls were getting ready together as always, "Ella these gloves are amazing," Jazzy gushed over the lace palm gloves that wrapped around her middle finger and worked its way down her wrist. "Where did you get them? I know we didn't make them."
Ella smirked but it was quickly whipped away as Evie tightened her corset and she yelped. "Her name is Dizzy," she wheezed. "Drizella's daughter. She's so sweet. She also wrote a card for you, it's in my bag. She even tried to write your name in Arabic. Jazzy took it out and read the short note thanking her for her part in the VK relocation movement and mentioning her cousin Anthony asking for him to come with her in the next group.
"Did you meet Anthony?"
Mal answered, "Anastasia's son. 90% sure that's Quest's boyfriend."
"Cousin and boyfriend," Now she couldn't leave him.
Ella came out from behind the curtain in a beautiful purple dress, "she made me a pair too." She pulled out a box that had a pair of pink laced pair much like Jazzy just much more minimalist.
There was a knock on the door and Jazzy opened the door, "Woah you all look like knockouts."
"Thanks Chad," Mal said stiffly, "but why are you here the carriages leave soon."
"I was on my way but there's a bird outside your door."
"Oh, bring him to my parents' carriage. The Agraba ones leave after the Corona ones, and I need Carlos to help me with him. That made no sense to Chad, but he did as asked.
Jazzy clipped on her gold-plated necklace that had her name in Arabic on it, a pair of golden hoop earrings and clipped a set of bangles onto her bare wrist. Ella grabbed the ring Jay gave her, her family ring, her sun pendant, and clipped on a pair of rose quartz necklace. She let Evie place a tiara on her head, and the four were out the door "wait Ella you need shoes!"
Published: Nov 11th, 2019
Updated/ Edited: Sep 6th, 2023