I get that Prince What's-His-Face wanted to transfer some kids from the Isle of the Lost to Auradon, but did he have to choose me and my friends? Couldn't he have chosen anyone else?
It's not like I can say no; I kind of have to go. Who knows, mayb...
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When I get to the outside of Dad's lair, I hop off a roof in front of Celia and Mal, breathing heavily. "Damn," I say quietly, careful to not make an echo, "you're really slow."
"Did you get the bikes?" Celia asks quietly.
I shake my head. "Left that to Jay and the others."
"What?" Mal asks. "Our bikes are more important than you coming here to help with ember."
"Um, I lived with him. Remember? Or did you forget that him and I have been close for our whole lives?"
"Girls, quit," Celia shushes us. "You'll wake him with your bickering."
"He's a light sleeper," I mutter as Celia sticks the key in the key hole and twists it. "Makes sense as to why I never got away with literally anything."
"Hey," Mal says, nodding to the 'Beware of Dog!' sign. "How big's that dog?"
Celia glances at it before looking at Mal again. "You'll see," she says semi-defeated.
"I make Dad keep it away from my room," I say as Celia pushes the doors open. "Hard to sleep with it yapping near my bedroom door."
Celia smiles smally at me before we walk inside. She turns to Mal. "Okay, stay quiet. It echoes like crazy in here."
Mal nods and glances back as Celia and I go towards the bike on the tracks. Mal gasps a little, looking around scared when the dog starts barking and growling loudly. "Told you," I whisper. "You wanna drive?" I ask Celia, grabbing the helmet at the front.
"Go ahead," she whispers. "He'll be happier to see you than he'll be to see me." I nod and the three of us get onto the seats. Celia leans forward, "He never stops talking about you."
I roll my eyes and start pedaling. The bike starts moving easier and faster when they both start pedaling with me, and the lights on the bike flicker on. And the dog never stops barking even when we stop.
Celia shushes Mal as her and I quietly get off and hang the helmets back on the handles of the bike.
I walk first, Celia behind me, and Mal behind her. Mal flinches at the dog while Celia and I pretend that it's not even there. Celia gestures to Dad's lair, with him sleeping on the couch, and I start down the stairs quietly, avoiding the parts with creaks.
Mal looks around as the dog abruptly starts barking again. I roll my eyes and Celia shakes her head, pointing to the record player that starts cutting out.
I lean against a pole; Celia points to a doorway and Mal walks into that room. She comes around the couch and carefully walks behind the couch towards his stand. Celia rolls her eyes at the cutting out player and goes to move the needle.
I roll my eyes. They aren't going to be able to pull this off at all. One, Dad's probably already awake, despite the very fake snores. Two, even if he is sleeping, never touch the dog. He'll wake up as soon as the needle is touched. And three, as soon as Mal reaches her arm over to grab that ember, it's game over.
