happy ever after ☆ mevie

back to auradon

Evie -

We ride briskly through town, still avoiding recognition. It's midnight now, so less people are outside. We reach the bridge and I press the button on the remote in my pocket, and we glide across the golden bridge quickly. I smile with utter joy, watching Auradon come closer into view. This was the beginning of the rest of my life, and everything was only bound to get better. Then, as I spot the Auradon castle, the nerves return.

"Shit," I say, aloud.

Mal, riding next to me, notices. "What?"

"Ben," I say, shortly. "He's going to be so mad. I promised him I'd bring you back but... he won't expect this," I say, drawing a finger between her and I.

Mal sighs. "E, no matter how mad he is, it doesn't really matter. Besides, even if he's upset, he's a good soul deep down, and he'll be glad that we're happy."

I sigh and nod, praying she's right. We reach the parking lot and scurry to our dorms, praying that Fairy Godmother isn't up to punish us about curfews. Mal immediately flops into bed, still in her leather Isle outfit, totally exhausted. I change into my pajamas and sit on my bed, and realize that she's completely asleep. I grin and pull a white, fuzzy throw blanket over her, up to her chin, and can't resist the urge to kiss her forehead. My M.

I wake up to the midday sunlight streaming right on my face through the window behind our beds, a sure sign I've slept in. It's a Sunday, so it's not like I missed class, but I hate messing up my sleep schedule. I sit up and yawn, and turn to Mal's bed, made and empty. And then I remember what happened last night. How could I have forgotten? My life finally made sense. I had found my truth, and I had discovered that the true love that I always dreamt of had been right in front of me all along. That was worth anything, including a screwed up sleep schedule. Hell, it was worth the world.

I stand up and quickly make my bed, and grab my phone from the nightstand. It's already noon, meaning that I slept for about 10 hours. I sigh and open Messages, seeing one from Mal. My heart does that fluttery thing it used to when I awaited texts from Chad last year, but this time it's different. It's not nervous or expectant flutters, it's certain and joyous flutters.

Her text reads: "decided to let u sleep in when u didn't wake up by 10 – i'll be back around noon"

And right then, as if she was summoned, Mal opens the door and comes in carrying a brown paper bag with the familiar logo "Chip's Groceries" printed on the front – the grocery store started by Chip Potts and his mom a couple years ago.

"Morning! Jeez, I don't think you've ever slept that deeply," Mal said, putting down the bag.

I shrug with a smile and we meet in the middle of the room. Without realizing it, my arms are around her and we're holding each other again. I feel her heartbeat on my chest, and feel the flutters again. My heart, maybe for the first time, feels whole. Complete. Mal pulls away and walks to grab the bag again.

"I bought you your favorite – green apples, because they're way better than your mom's mushy Red Deliciouses." I burst out laughing at the excited face she makes as she pulls out an apple.

"Plus they look way cooler," I say, taking an apple from her and taking a bite. We both sit on my bed and munch on our apples.

"I can't believe I missed it before," Mal says, gazing at me like I'm some treasure.

"Same," I say, looking back with a wide smile. "Now it's like, everything makes sense."

"Yeah. I see it all now, the feelings. I see why it never felt right with Ben. I mean, we only realized this last night and it already feels so much more..." Mal spreads her hands out in front of her and then closes them into fists, and then quickly spreads her hands again, like fireworks. "More... right."