Myra was sitting in the windowsill, away from the others, looking to the outside world. She still couldn't really believe it. How beautiful everything was in Auradon. Not just the trees and bushes and flowers, but also the buildings and the food. Their clothes looked so much more comfortable than all the leather people wear on the Isle. Even though she did still think leather looked better than whatever kind of material they used for Auradon clothes.
The sun was past it's highest point, about to go further down with every hour. Myra leaned back against the wall, repositioning so the rays of the sun touched her pale skin. The warmth helped her relax. Not just her, but also Lunch crawled down her side to lay down on one of the pillows in the sun. Feeling save enough the little, white animal curled his tail around his body and closed his eyes. Myra had gotten a hold on a black pen, which she lazily used to draw on the skin of her wrist.
There was a soft knock on the door, drawing only Myra's attention. Without waiting for an answer the door opened just enough for Evie's head to peak around the corner. "Can I come in?" When Myra nodded once Evie walked into the room, closing the door behind her with her foot. In her left hand, she was holding a cup with an orange liquid and in her right hand she held a plate. On top of it lay multiple kinds of food.
"I brought you some lunch." By the mention of his name, Lunch looked up at the woman. "Ow, sorry. Not you." Evie told the little creature, who seemed to shrug it's shoulders before laying back down. Thinking she must have seen it wrong, Evie shook her head while sitting down beside Myra.
She handed her the cup first. "It's orange juice." She answered the non spoken question. "It's full of nutrients like vitamin C, folate and potassium."
Myra chuckled, seeing how talking about this drink made her smile. "I've no idea what most of those words mean, but I'm gonna assume it's good for you."
"Well, I haven't seen you drink anything since we got here..." The young woman said with a slightly nervous chuckle. While she talked, Myra took a sip from the juice. It was slightly sour, but she liked the taste.
"Here." Evie started, presenting the platter of food before putting it down between them. "These are chocolate chip cookies, these are strawberries, little blocks of cumin cheese and-"
"Grapes." Myra finished when Evie pointed at the little, round fruits. popping one in her mouth. She loved the taste so much.
"Yeah."
A silence fell between the two while Myra tried out the other pieces of food, offering Lunch a grape. Myra could see the slight nervousness of the girl in front of her. How she avoided eye contact and messed with the edge of her skirt. Wanting to bring her at ease a little, Myra decided to ask her something.
"So... You and Doug?" Immediately Evie's face lit up at the mention of the guy. Her boyfriend. Her eyes met Myra's while she nodded enthusiastically. "Honestly, E, I thought you'd go for a prince or a knight in shining armor." There was the hint of a teas in the blond's words. Which Evie seemed to catch on because she laughed.
"Yeah, well. That's what I was planning on after all. But Doug..." The young woman thought about her next words, a dreamy look in her eyes. "He's so sweet and smart. He always believed in me, helped me with my studies. We became friends first and now we're more. Isn't it wonderful how things can turn out?" Evie ended her praise for her boyfriend with a reluctant sigh. Then she seemed to remember something.
"So." Evie started. Myra wasn't looking at her as she put a peace of cheese in her mouth. If she had she would've seen the smirk on her lips. "You and Harry?"
"What about me and Harry?" Myra questioned not understanding what she ment. Taking a strawberry and bit off a small piece to taste it.
"Well, you two are together. Right? I mean, he keeps calling you love. I actually think it's quite cute-"
Evie got interrupted when the strawberry shot into the wrong pipe, making Myra cough desperately to get it out of there.
"No-" the girl managed to get out between coughs.
Ones recovered she turned fully to Evie. "No, no, no. No." The distress in her voice alarmed Lunch, who shot up and ran to take his place on his companion's shoulder.
"No way. Harry and I are not together and we never will be."
"Ow." Evie was baffled and a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I just thought-"
"Well you thought wrong."
"Yeah, obviously."
And there was the awkward silence again. Neither of them knowing what to say next. Myra used her glass of orange juice to avoid talking. But too soon it was entirely empty. The silence continued non the less, until a bright smile appeared on Evie's face. She had an idea.
"Come on, Mee." She said as she stood up, taking Myra's hands in hers to pull her up as well. "I've got to show you something."
Evie pulled Myra with her through the house, passing the living room where the others were. All of them seemed to be eating and talking. Jay, Carlos and Doug the only ones noticing the two girls passing by.
Myra had no idea where they were going, until Evie pulled open yet another door and the two entered the dome at the end of the house with the glass walls and ceiling. The Pied Piper's daughter had been right when she thought there weren't any plants in the greenhouse. Instead Evie had turned this room into her working space. The room was filled with rolls of different kinds of colors, fabric and patterns. There were cabinets and closets filled with scissors, ribbons, shimmering stones, fake leaves and feathers and so many other thing Myra couldn't even begin to list them all. Spread through the room there stood four mannequins. One was empty, one had only a skirt rapped around it with pins on it and the other two had dresses on them that looked pretty much finished. Myra's attention immediately got drawn to one of the mostly finished dresses. It was mostly a light green. At the front the skirt was shorter than on the back, there were layers of light fabric beneath it in white. Around the waist was a light brown corset, set with green details. The top was the same green as the top layer of the skirt, white only visible between some of the layers. The straps over the shoulders were broad enough to support the hood that hung on the back. To top it all off, strings of fake ivy were attached to it with pins.
"What do you think?" Evie asked, noticing Myra's interest in the dress.
"It's beautiful, but why the hood?"
Evie smiled, walking around her creation to show off the hood. "It's for Lunch. I mean where else is he supposed to go when you wear it?"
It took a moment before Myra understood what she ment. "You made this dress for me?" She asked in disbelieve. On which Evie responded with a few eager nods. Now she looked closer, the details in the brown leather looked almost identical to the pattern on her arm guards and belt.
"Of course! The moment you said you were coming I started on it." Myra couldn't help the guilt creeping up in her body. It's not that she really had a choice in the not showing up, but that didn't stop her from feeling like it was her fault. Seeing the change of mood in her friend, Evie wanted to help. The blue haired girl took Myra's wrist and pulled her to a table that stood in the middle of the room, taking a book off of it before hopping on the table. Myra sat down beside the woman. Evie started flicking through the pages until she found what she was looking for and handed it to Myra.
"These are some of the designs I came up with for you." Myra didn't say anything as she looked at the drawings on the pages. There were all kinds of designs, for dresses and jackets; hats; jewelry; skirts; pants. All worn by a girl with short, green hair. The same hairstyle Myra used to have before they left. While she made her way through the book. At the end there were two designs that were more pirate like and instead of short, green hair, the drawn person had long, blond hair with green streaks in it.
Myra realized Ben really had not lied to her when they had captured him. All the things he had said, Carlos with the grapes, Jay with her ring around his neck and now Evie with her drawings and designs for her. Not even to get started on the fact that the only two people she had met in Auradon both seemed to know who she was. And not just because her father drowned children and she had kidnapped their King.
"Myra? Everything okay?" Evie's slightly worried voice drew Myra out of her thoughts.
"Yeah," She said, quick to wipe away the water that had gathered in her eyes. "It's just... When Ben told me about this I thought he was lying."
Evie placed her hand on Myra's back, rubbing it softly. "I'm sorry we didn't come back for you... We were scared to go back. Especially after the whole standing up to our parents thing. Disappointing them and all... We shouldn't have let it stop us." There was sincere regret in Evie's words.
"It's okay..." Myra said eventually. "I mean I was angry for a very long time, but not any more. Besides I wouldn't have reconnected with Uma if it wasn't for you guys abandoning me."
"You also wouldn't have kidnapped the King."
"I'm not so sure about that, maybe I would've." The two girls laughed.
"Anyway." Evie changed the subject while Myra handed her her book back. "After all this is over I'll need to take your measurements. I'm confident I've got them almost right, but still. No problem though, because I can easily adjust-"
"Evie." Myra interrupted. "All this... It's very sweet... but I'm not staying. After we stop Audrey I'll be going back to the Isle."
This surprised Evie. The blue haired girl put her sketchbook aside and turned to Myra fully, eyebrows crossed in confusion. "What? Why? Mal promised to release all the V.K's. You can finally come too."
Myra shook her head, looking down at her hands. "The ones who wanne leave can leave. I..." Myra took a deep breath. "I want to go back to the Isle and stay there."
"But that doesn't make any sense. Why would you wanne go back when you can be here, where it's save, with all of your friends?"
"Because-" Myra started, avoiding eye contact with Evie. She never thought lying could be this hard. Still having to say something Myra closed her eyes and forced the words out of her. "I don't belong here."
Evie shook her head, grabbing a hold on Myra's hands. "We all felt that way at first. But you will find your place, just like we all did." Myra didn't answer, she just sat there, staring at her hands, held by Evie's. She knew she should have said something, pull away or at least react in some way. But she didn't. She couldn't bring herself to it.
"Is that," Evie started in a softer voice. "Is that why you keep pushing us- well... Jay away?"
Myra let her eyes find the outside world behind the glass. "I mean... Ben said he missed me the most and Mal told me that he also took it the hardest when I didn't show up." She mumbled. "So I figured, if I just keep my distance I won't hurt him again when I leave."
"Ow, Myra..." the sympathy in Evie's voice didn't go unnoticed. Especially not when she pulled the blond into a hug, careful not to hurt Lunch. Myra let the girl hug her, muscles relaxing for a short moment before she pushed herself away. Without a word, Myra walked out of the door that let into the garden.
Evie watched her walk away for a moment before letting out an annoyed sigh and getting up from the table herself. Swiftly she pulled the door to the room open and her suspicion was right. There in the doorway stood Carlos and Jay. Both looking as if they had been caught stealing.
"It's not what it looks like!" Carlos immediately tried, but Evie's glare was enough to make him look down in shame.
"What did you guys hear?"
The two exchanged a look. Jay had been the first one to hear the conversation, from the point the two girls had started looking at Evie's sketchbook. Carlos had walked up on him and joined from that point. But they weren't going to admit that. "She thinks she doesn't belong here." Jay said eventually.
Evie placed her hands on her hips. "So, you know what we've gotta do, right boys?"
Myra was making her way to the edge of the forest, quickly wiping away the welled up tears. "They don't get it." She mumbled, only for Lunch to hear. "I can't stay. I want to, but I can't."
Myra let out a small yelp when she felt someone grabbing her left arm. Seeing it was Carlos who had hooked his arm with hers she relaxed. "What the hell, Carlos?"
Carlos smiled at her, but instead of answering like a normal human being he started to sing.
"Well, I never thought that it'd be so simple but,
I found a way, I found a way."
Myra stopped walking. "Okay, you don't have to do this, you're not going to convince-" Evie hooked her arm with Myra's other arm, making her stop talking and look at her with a shocked expression.
"And I always thought that it'd be too crazy but,
I found a way, I found a way." Evie sang. Before the two joined their voices.
"If you open up your mind
See what's inside." The two turned Myra around, forcing her with them back to the house. Neither of them stopped singing.
"It's gonna take some time to realign,
But if you look inside, I'm sure you'll find.
Over your shoulder you know that I told you
I'll always be pickin' you up when you're down.
So just turn around." Evie and Carlos forced Myra to turn in a circle, so fast she didn't know what was happening to her when she tripped. She didn't fall to the ground, but in one of the white chairs that stood in front of Evie's house. Startled she looked behind her to see Jay holding the chair. He flashed her a smile before pushing the chair back in place by one of the tables. "Very funny, guys." Myra started, putting no effort in hiding her annoyance. "But if you'll excuse me-" She tried to stand up, but Carlos placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back down. A growl escaped Myra's lips as she mumbled to herself. "Now I get what Uma ment..."
In the mean time, Evie had taken place on a chair in front of her. Leaning her chin in her hand.
"Now that we know that anything's possible,
We found a way, we found a way." Evie sang. Jay placed another chair at their table, the back of it facing Myra while he sat backwards, leaning his arms on the back of the chair before he started to sing as well.
"No one can break what's so unbreakable.
We found a way, we found a way."
"If you open up your mind,
See what's inside." Carlos sang, releasing Myra from his grip and joining the other two right as they chimed in.
"It's gonna take some time to realign,
But if you look inside, we're sure you'll find.
Over your shoulder you know that we told you
We'll always be pickin' you up when you're down
So just turn around." Done with it, Myra stood up from the chair, they don't want to listen to her words, maybe they'd listen if she sang.
"No one cares what you give.
I know I gotta live like I wanna live."
That were the only two sentences Myra got in before Jay stood up as well. The boy jumped on the table. "When it's time to be free!" He exclaimed, before kneeling down to be face to face with Myra.
"You know you gotta be what you wanna be." He ended with a wink. Evie stood up as well, just like Carlos as both of them walked around the tabel towards Myra.
"If you open up your mind,
See what's inside." The two reached Myra while Jay did a back flip off the table. Getting Myra to roll her eyes. Of course he had to do that.
"It's gonna take some time to realign,
But if you look inside, we're sure you'll find.
Over your shoulder you know that we told you,
We'll always be pickin' you up when you're down.
So just turn around."
During the last two sentences Evie had taken a hold on Myra's hands, wanting to show her support. "Look, Myra. We know it's a big and scary change, but we'll be helping you every step of the way. You're not alone. Just... Stay with us?"
Silence fell. Myra was trying very hard not to get emotional. Just as they were trying very hard to get her to change her mind, not knowing it wasn't her mind that needed to be changed. Taking a deep breath she forced a smile at the girl in front of her, determined not to look at Jay knowing she wouldn't be able to keep herself together if she did look at him, and nodded her head once. "I'll think about it."
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