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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟐
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐏 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊
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Rylee and Morgan searched every inch of Auradon Prep before finally finding Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos sitting at one of the tables in the outdoor quad. Smiles instantly appeared on their faces as they walked over to their friends, only for them to fade when they saw who was sitting at another table nearby. As the princesses walked past the table that housed Audrey and her followers, they heard their whispers and felt their stares burning holes in the back of their heads. Rylee and Morgan did their best to ignore them as they stopped in front of the small blue table. While Evie and Carlos looked up at them with sadness in their eyes, Jay and Mal did their best to avoid eye contact. Despite knowing the Auradon students were watching them, Rylee did her best to keep her attention on her friends.
"Hey, guys," Morgan greeted the four as she and Rylee sat next to them at their table. When her small smile wasn't returned, the redheaded girl let out a small sigh and continued speaking. "Listen, I don't like how everything ended back there. Let's just pretend it never happened and move on."
"Life doesn't work that way," Evie responded while glancing over at the group of Auradon students before her gaze fell on her intertwined fingers, "they think we're monsters."
Rylee just studied the blue-haired girl before she rubbed her hands over her face. She took a moment to gather her thoughts and try to find the right words to say. When she looked back up, she found everyone staring at her with unreadable expressions on their faces. However, as soon as they noticed her looking back at them, they all looked away. It was right then that the Fitzherbert girl remembered what Elliot told her when Chad was giving her and Morgan a hard time about joining the Tourney Team. She just hoped it worked just as well on her new friends as it did on her.
"Don't let what they said get to you. Chad just likes hearing himself talk. But what he said was wrong," the blonde princess told them, drawing all of their attention back to her before Rylee's eyes fell on the girl sitting across from her, "Evie, you're one of the smartest students at Auradon Prep. You know your self-worth and that's a lot more than most people can say here."
After seeing a ghost of a smile flash across the daughter of the Evil Queen's face, Rylee turned to look at the daughter of Maleficent. "And Mal, you're one of the best things that's happened to Ben in a very long time. You're really bringing out the true Ben. He's becoming the person we haven't seen since before he started dating Audrey."
"Carlos, you're one of the kindest guys that walks the halls of this school," Morgan continued for the Fitzherbert girl after seeing where her friend was going with her speech, "and Jay, Rylee said it before and I'll say it again, we know you don't enjoy hurting people, you were just protecting your friends."
"We know you're not monsters. There's good in you. We've always seen it," the Fitzherbert girl concluded before the smile on her face returned after seeing new life in their eyes, "now you just need to see it in yourselves."
It wasn't long after the two princesses finished speaking when Rylee caught hope mixing with the emotions in her new friends' eyes. Just as she thought she and Morgan got through to them, Evie's attention landed on something behind them. The future advisors exchanged a quick look before turning around to find Doug slowly approaching their table. As soon as he stopped in front of Evie, the son of Dopey let out a small sigh and sent the blue-haired girl a small forced smile. "Listen, Evie, I wanna talk about earlier today. I just-"
"Doug!" Chad called out, interrupting the brunette boy as the prince got to his feet while everyone's attention landed on the son of Dopey.
"It's my fault, Doug. I'm so sorry," Evie whispered with a hint of desperation in her voice while trying to ignore the entitled prince.
"No, it's mine."
As the two tried to continue their conversation, someone else shouted Doug's name. Rylee's whole body tensed when she saw Pete standing up next to Chad with anger in his eyes. Both boys stared at Doug for a long moment, making the son of Dopey mutter an apology to Evie. The couple exchanged one last look before the boy in green reluctantly went to sit at the table with Chad and Pete.
"How long does she think that's gonna last?" Audrey mocked Mal as she and Jane walked by before they stopped behind the purple-haired girl, "Mal's just the bad girl infatuation."
"Yeah, I mean, he's never gonna make a villain a queen," Jane added after leaning forward so that her face was inches away from the daughter of Maleficent's ear.
"Well, he was gonna make Audrey one," Morgan muttered, causing small smiles to appear on Jay's and Carlos' faces. The two girls sent glares at Rylee and Morgan before they walked over to join the group of girls behind them.
Rylee and Morgan couldn't help but roll their eyes at their classmates and silently wish they weren't associated with them. When their attention landed back on Mal, they found her opening her spellbook with no emotion on her face before reciting a spell. "Beware, forswear, undo Jane's hair."
As soon as she finished speaking, the purple-haired girl moved her index finger around in the air. Rylee and Morgan exchanged a confused look before they watched Mal put her hand down followed by the sound of Jane's screams. The future royal advisors instantly turned in the direction of the sound to find the daughter of Fairy Godmother's hair back to the way it was before. Her distress was soon accompanied by the laughter of Audrey and her followers as they pointed at the girl while Lonnie clutched hers as if her life depended on it.
Once the initial shock of the spell faded, Rylee and Morgan turned their attention back towards Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos just in time to see them get to their feet. They simply sat there and watched as the four turned around to face the group of teens from Auradon with determination on their faces.
"There's a lot more where that came from," Mal threatened as she tightened her grip around her spellbook until her knuckles turned a ghostly white.
"Excuse me, who do you think you are?" Audrey countered as she placed her hand on her hip as if trying to make herself look intimidating.
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" the daughter of Maleficent questioned before she opened her spellbook once again and began to flip through the pages, causing the group across from them to scatter.
As soon as the area was cleared, Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos turn their attention back to Rylee and Morgan. They found the two princesses still seated at their picnic table with their emotionless eyes glued to where the teens from Auradon once were. After a moment of silence between them, the four from the Isle turned their backs to the two girls and walked away.
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After leaving the quad in search of Isle natives once again, Rylee and Morgan stumbled upon the group of Auradon students who were mocking their friends. The Fitzherbert girl scanned over them until her eyes landed on the smug look on Pete's face. An unexpected wave of anger washed over the blonde girl before she walked towards the group followed closely by Morgan.
"Pete, can I talk to you?" Rylee asked without even attempting to hide her emotions that filled every word before she saw Audrey's and Chad's attention turn towards her in addition to the Pan boy's, "alone."
"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of everyone else," Pete stated after he went to stand inches away from Rylee.
"If that's what you want, fine by me," the Fitzherbert girl hissed while crossing her arms over her chest, "just take this mask off before we continue our conversation. I wanna talk to the real you."
"What are you talking about?" the son of Peter Pan questioned with a quirked eyebrow as he continued to study the girl in front of him
"I'm talking about this act you're putting on. You've never liked Chad and you always thought Audrey was the most egotistical person alive. I know you've changed but it can't be that much," Rylee ranted while her hands clenched into fists under her crossed arms, "but, honestly, I don't really care what changed or why. Just don't take your insecurities out on people who don't deserve it or else we're really gonna have a problem."
Rylee and Pete just glared at each other for a long time as the former waited for his response. It wasn't long after that when the sound of clapping cut through the tension in the air, snapping them both out of their trances. When they turned their attention towards the sound, they found Chad looking at the Fitzherbert girl with the smuggest smirk on his face.
"Great show, Rylee. Really, it was amazing," the Charming prince mocked before his gaze moved to Pete, "you know, your ex is kinda cute when she gets mad."
"Oh, you think I'm cute when I'm mad, Prince Smarming?" the blonde girl responded as copied Pete's actions and quirked an eyebrow in his direction.
"'Prince Smarming'?" Chad repeated after his smug look transformed into a confused one, "what's that supposed to mean?"
"You know, Chad, you all were once considered the heroes but everything has changed since then," Morgan told him, ignoring the boy's question as she brought her arms over her chest to match Rylee's stance, "I think what I'm looking at now is a group of wannabe princes and princesses trying to make themselves feel better by bullying the people they're jealous of."
When none of the students opened their mouths to respond, Rylee and Morgan shared a smirk. The blonde princess sent Pete one last glare before the two girls turned around to begin their journey back to their dorm. Just as they were about to climb the stairs to the second floor, they saw Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos watching them from the balcony. The six of them instantly exchanged smiles before the two princesses continued to make their way back to their room.
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