Insanely Sane

2: 03

Mal and Kiara made their way to the salon. They ignored the 'Closed until Midnight' sign and walked inside.

They studied the walls. They were splattered with different colors of paint, all matching Dizzy's eccentric and bubbly personality in one way or another.

Dizzy grinned when she saw the girls. "Mal! Kia! Are Evie and Cat back too?"

Mal let out a sarcastic laugh. "As if. I forgot that you guys don't open til midnight. The place looks good. So, what is your deal? Has your grandmother given you any customers yet?"

Dizzy shrugged. "Just a witch here and there. Mostly a lot of scrubbing and scouring and sweeping... lots and lots of sweeping."

Mal frowned. "Sounds like a real Cinderella treatment, eh?"

Dizzy nodded. "Yeah... she's gone from wicked stepmother to wicked Grandmother."

"That's not really much of a switch. Hey, Dizzy, you used to do Evie, and you do Cat, right?

"Yeah, I thought of the little braids!"

"Do you have any ideas for me?"

Dizzy studied Mal. "The washed out blonde with purple tips? The best of no worlds. You can't see where your face ends and your hair begins!" She grabbed Mal's hand. "Ugh, what is this? Bore-to-die pink? How far can I go?"

"I could use the works. I mean, whatever makes me feel like me, but way worse."

Dizzy clapped her hands excitedly. "Yay!"

She went to work right away and soon, Mal's hair was straightened and purple.

Mal smiled. "Hey! There I am! Voila." She handed Dizzy a dollar bill.

Dizzy smiled. For me?"

Mal nodded. "Yeah. You earned it."

"Hee-hee-hee!"

A new voice caught their attention and Kiara let out a soft groan. Harry turned to Dizzy. "Fork it over, young runt. And the rest of it. Thank you."

Mal smirked at him. "Still running errands for Uma? Or do you actually get to keep what you steal?"

Harry looked between them. "Well, well, well. This is a nice surprise."

"Hi, Harry."

"Just wait until Uma hears you two are back. She's never gonna give you back your old territory."

Mal glanced at Kiara and shrugged. "Oh, well, that's okay. Because we'll be taking it."

Kiara shrugged. "I could care less."

"I can hurt you..." Harry began.

"But not without permission I bet." She took out her gum and placed it on the end of his hook.

Dizzy lifted a lazy hand into the air. "Great. More sweeping."

They made our way to the hideout and Mal started spray painting the wall while Kiara went to find her father.

She smiled when she found him trying to make a hat work. "Hey, Dad."

Jefferson looked up. "Kiara. What are you doing here?"

"I missed you. With the border being closed, I just... I needed to see you."

"Is everything okay?"

"I don't know. I don't fit here and I don't fit there. How am I supposed to choose when I feel like I don't belong anywhere?"

Jefferson stood and placed his hands on her arms. "You'll find your place, Kia. Sometimes it just takes a little longer. But I know you'll find where you belong."

She hugged her dad tightly and he hugged her back, kissing the top of her head.

In the hideout, Mal was nearly finished with the wall when a voice caught her attention. "At least I don't see a picture of me with horns and a pitchfork."

She turned toward the voice, still holding they can of spray paint. "Ben!"

He tried to walk toward her and Mal put a hand up.

He smiled. "Mal, I am so sorry about our fight. It was all my fault. Please, come home." He held up his ring.

Mal frowned, walking toward him. "Ben, I am home."

"I brought the limo. It's a sweet ride."

She shook her head. "I don't fit in, Ben. I really gave it my best shot. If you think I can change, I think you're wrong."

Ben stepped closer to her. "I'll change! I'll skip school, have more fun, y'know? I'll blow off some of my responsibilities-"

"No! No. See? I'm such a terrible influence. It's only a matter of time before I do something so messed up that not only the kingdom will turn on me, but they turn on you!"

"Don't quit us, Mal. The people love you. I love you." He placed the ring in her hand and paused.

Mal placed the ring back and his hand and stepped away from him. "I have to take myself out of the picture because that's what's best for you, and it's what's best for Auradon."

"Mal, please."

She shook her head. "No. I can't do this anymore. You should go, Ben. Ben, please go. Please leave."

Ben walked away and Kiara appeared at the top of the stairwell. "You okay?"

Mal shrugged and Kiara nodded before saying, "Our friends are on their way up."