The two girls were still riding the ferris wheel as the sun peeked over the horizon, silently glaring at each other as the cloudy gloom lightened.
Why did Evie tell her she’s our equal? The purple-clad girl fumed inwardly, She knows better! Uma, our equal? No way! That little shrimp!
I’m glad she’s back, the green-clad girl struggled to hold back laughter, she always acted so big and bad but when she got her chance she chickened out and now everybody knows she’s pathetic.
I’ll play it cool for now, for Evie’s sake, the purple-clad continued her inner monologue smuggly, but then it’s back on. The Isle is my turf and I’m not gonna let anybody forget it.
Just wait till she tries something, the green-clad girl bit back a gleeful smile, This is my turf now. She’s nothing but a traitor around here.
Then, almost inexplicably, another voice ambushed Mal’s thoughts. It was Ben’s.
You know I love the citizens of the Isle, his words flowed through her mind. Let it go, Mal. I know you’re not evil. The fighting has to stop. You can’t claim to be living here for my sake and not try to help me make it better.
Uma’s no different from me, Evie’s voice also took its turn. You used to hate me as passionately as you hate her now. Why do I get to be your best friend now while she’s still your enemy?
“So, ah, Uma,” the purple-clad girl winced as she broke the silence, trying to stop her gnawing conscience, “Are we gonna just sit here staring at each other all day or we gonna go get some breakfast?”
*o*o*0*o*o
How long do you think they’ll sit up there?” the blue-clad girl asked nervously.
“Who knows…” Carlos was amazed, “At least they aren’t fighting.”
“They’re just staring at each other.” Freddie frowned.
“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Evie shrugged.
“I bet your Mom didn’t teach you that.” Freddie cracked a quick smile.
“Nope.”
“They have a lot to get out of their systems.” Carlos sighed, then snicked, “Say…wouldn’t it be hilarious if Uma and her gang joined the Antiheroes Club?”
“That would be great!” Evie’s eyes widened.
“You’re dreaming,” Freddie snorted, “if you think that’s gonna happen.”
“Oh, come on!” Carlos started laughing, “You never know.”
“On this, I do.”
“Are you guys gonna bunk with Mal and I now that we’re all staying?” Evie gently changed the subject to avoid attracting too much attention.
“Nah,” Freddie shook her head, “I think I oughta go home and hang out with Celia. I’m sure things haven’t been easy for her since I’ve been gone. But you can count on me popping in and out.”
“I will tonight, for sure,” Carlos nodded eagerly, “and I wouldn’t be surprised if Jay did full time.”
“Not you?” She was disappointed.
“Oh, I’ll be in and out.” he assured her, “Mostly in. But I oughta go back to Hell Hall sometimes. Poor Jace and Harry have put up with mom long enough.”
She smiled sympathetically, “Well, I can confidently say that Mal’s door will always be open to you.”
“I know.” he reached out to squeeze her arm, “I’ll be around.”
“And we’ll be over to help you too.”
“The far side of the Isle won’t be the same without you.” he sighed, “but I get it if you don’t want to stay with you mom.”
“Actually, I’ll be over there some.” the blue-clad girl sighed, “We saw mommy yesterday and I promised to bring her beauty products whenever I could get them.” She winced, “Which is pretty much whenever I want probably.”
“So, what do you think they were saying up there?” Freddie changed the subject back, nodding at the two VKs on the ferris wheel..
“No telling.” Carlos shook his head, squinting, “Mal’s given her a lot to be angry about over the years.”
Freddie snorted, “She’s given everybody here a lot to be angry about.”
“I hope she remembers that…” Evie sighed, “It’ll go a long way towards healing.”
“You mean an apology?” Carlos cocked an eyebrow.
“It helped us when I apologized and explained why I couldn’t invite her to my party,” Evie shrugged.
“Yeah, but Uma isn’t you.”
“Aw, come on, Carlos! Give her some credit.” Evie frowned, “She’s just a girl from the Isle who’s never known anything else. We have to help her to change her mindset, just like we had to change ours when we moved to Auradon. That’s the only way to make life better here.”
“That’s a tall order,” Freddie made a face.
“But we have to try!” the blue-clad girl insisted, spinning around in a circle, raising her hands to the sky, “Look at us! We’re standing in Pleasure Island and everyone is having fun tonight. But we know this won’t last. Everyone will get bored and go back to the same old stuff.”
“Evie, Evie!” Gil’s excited voice suddenly shattered the moment. He rushed up and began pulling her away from her friends, “Come on, let’s go play pool with Harry and Jay! If you come, we can have two teams!”
“Let me go, creep!” she snapped, yanking free with a fierce look, “A princess does not play billiards!”
The brown-clad boy quickly backed off and Carlos intervened before he got the idea to try again.
“I believe that means scram, pal.” Then he gave the strongman’s son a quick smile, “No hard feelings though.”
*o*o*0*o*o*
“So, do they let you play this in Auradon?” Harry asked, slouching in a corner as he watched Jay survey the pool table and selected his shot.
“Sure,” Jay shrugged, smiling as he imagined Lampwick and Pinocchio playing in the same room, “It’s just a game and there’s a time and a place for it. Their thing is that you shouldn’t play games during school or work hours and you gotta be home at a decent hour.”
“Sounds boring.”
“They’d definitely frown on horsing around at Pleasure Island all night.” Jay grinned for a moment before he missed his shot. Then he frowned, “Darn, I haven’t played pool in months!”
“Why?” Harry managed the question after a long snicker.
“Got other things to do. School, ROAR, Tourney, hanging with my Isle pals,” he grinned again, watching the pirate line up his shot and knock in another pair, “Girls–one girl, actually.”
“Sounds boring.” the young pirate nodded at the game, “You’ve lost your touch.”
“No, it’s fun. Scout’s honor.”
“Villains aren’t scouts.”
“So, I joined later in life. Big deal.”
Harry raised an eyebrow, “What about your crush on Mal?”
“What about yours?” Jay snorted, “Or Evie or Uma?”
“What can I say,” Harry leered, “Girls love a pirate.”
“Excuse me while I gag.”
“So, Evie says we’re equals now,” Harry changed the subject, “What do you think about that?”
Jay shrugged, “I don’t mind.”
“Does it mean we’re gonna get our fair share now?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jay raised an eyebrow as he watched the black-clad boy line up another shot.
Harry shrugged, “Whatever my captain says it means.”
“Well, maybe we oughta go find ‘em then,” Jay tossed away his questick, suddenly wondering what Carlos and the girls were up to, “Come on!”
*o*o*0*o*o*
Cheers rang out even before the limeos rolled to a stop on the lawn of Beast and Belle’s castle, stunning the heartbroken AKs as they dragged themselves out of their seats.
“Oh, my dears, my dears,” Fairy Godmother swooped in, trying to hug them all at once, “You had us all so worried!”
“Dad!” Ben was after Beast before his feet hit the ground, “How could you even think—”
“It’s already been taken care of, son,” the retiring King slapped the teenager on the back then joined Belle for a tight embrace, “I was just waiting for you all to get home to make it official.”
“Thank goodness, you’re all back!” the seven dwarfs mugged Doug before separating to congratulate everyone.
“Well, done, daughter!” Mulan and Shang threw their arms around Lonnie.
“It’s a dream come true!” Alice, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Aurora, and Prince Philip embraced their children.
“I couldn’t have wished for a better ending!” Genie added, pulling Jordan onto a magic carpet, “I’m so happy, I’m even gonna let you drive home!”
“Gee, thanks!” She pecked him on the cheek.
“Wait a minute, wait a minute!” Jane’s voice suddenly rose above the noise, “How could you even think about celebrating? This is the worst day of our lives!”
Silence reigned in an instant.
“What?” Fairy Godmother’s hand went to her mouth “Oh, my dear, what is it?”
“Don’t you notice something different?” Jane’s hands were on her hips.
“Wait—where’s Evie?” Doc suddenly realized that his nephew was standing alone.
“And Jay!” Mulan gasped.
“Oh, my dear,” Fairy Godmother’s hands flew to her heart, “Carlos stayed behind—I’m so sorry.”
“And Mal…” Belle’s heart melted for her son, “I’m so sorry, son.”
“Yeah, well,” Ben tried not to look at his father, “Me-me too.”
“It’s a long story,” he continued, biting his lip hard to hold his anger in check, “We had to leave ‘em.”
“Well, come inside, come inside,” Fairy Godmother gently herded them, trying desperately to hold back tears, “Breakfast is waiting. Then you can tell us what happened.”
*o*o*0*o*o*
Mal felt a little timid as she and Uma walked up to her friends.
“Where’s Jay?” she asked.
“He went off with Harry; Gil says their playing pool.”
“Well, go get em!” Uma snapped, “Tell Harry to round up my crew.”
“We’re going to my place.” Mal explained, ignoring the green-clad girl’s pushiness, “For breakfast…and a talk.”
Evie almost melted; this was what she’d been hoping for! But before anyone could move, Jay and Harry ambled up with Gil trudging behind.
“What’s up, guys?”
“You’re just in time.” Mal gave him a tight smile, “We’re all going back to my place for breakfast.”
“Harry, Gil,” the green-glad girl added, “Go round up the crew.”
“You guys go get the food,” the purple-clad girl addressed her friends. “I’m going home to clean up a little bit.”
“You want me to come with you?” the blue-clad girl raised her eyebrows, smirking “I saw how well you clean on your own yesterday.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” Mal stuck out her tongue, “No, you need to go with the boys so they bring back enough food.”
“Oh, oh, oh!” Gil waved his hand for attention, “Don’t forget. I like those moldy potato chips. The barbeque flavored ones. If you could get those…”
Mal rolled her eyes. “See what I mean?”