The Gladers from the Isle (ABANDONED)

Recruitment

That afternoon, Fairy Godmother sent an urgent email to WCKD requesting a private meeting with the Chancellor. The response was immediate, and it was arranged that Ava Paige would attend Auradon Prep that evening: when all lessons had finished and less students would be milling about the campus.

~

"I'll never get a boyfriend," Jane complained as she sat on Teresa's bed. She was in the girls' dormitory: Mal was lying on her bed, drawing. Evie was sat at the wooden desk, using a sewing machine to make a black-and-blue dress for herself.

"I'm sure there's someone out there for you," Teresa assured her, turning a page in her biology textbook and writing notes.

"Boyfriends are overrated," Mal stated.

"And how would you know, Mal?" Evie asked, propping her elbow onto the desk to rest her chin in her hand. "You've never had one."

"That's 'cause I don't need one. They're a waste of time." She tutted at a mistake in her drawing and quickly used magic to erase it.

Evie looked over at Teresa and gasped. "I forgot to do Chad's homework! Oh, no, no, no..."

Teresa couldn't help but chuckle. "I think that's what she means."

A Chinese girl knocked on the open wooden door and walked into the room. "Hi, guys. I'm Lonnie." She looked around at the Isle girls' muted expressions. "My mum's Mulan..?" She looked at Mal. "Anyway, I love what you've done with Jane's hair and... I know you hate us and... you're evil, but... d'you think you could do mine?" Teresa furrowed her brow. Did everyone think the Isle kids hated them?

Mal nearly dropped her pencil. "Why would I do that for you?"

Lonnie raised a pouch of jingling coins. "I'll pay you fifty Auradollars."

"Good answer," Evie said, suddenly taking an interest as she took the pouch from Lonnie. "I need to buy more material. Let's see..." Jane and Teresa shard concerned looks as Evie listed off what she wanted to do with Lonnie's hair.

"Actually," she began. "I want it cool. Like Mal's."

Evie looked disappointed. "The split ends, too?" Teresa suppressed a laugh. Mal glared at Evie, who shook the pouch of money. She huffed, before rolling out of bed and grabbing her spell book.

"Beware, foreswear, replace the old with cool hair," Mal chanted. Green fairy dust swirled around Lonnie, and her short, black bangs were replaced with long, brown-blonde highlights.

"I know," Evie soothed, going over to her as she stood in front of the full-length mirror. "I know. It looks like a mop on your head. Y'know what, let's cut it off, layer it-"

"No, no, no! I love it!"

"You do..." Evie said. Teresa dropped her pen. The VKs were not very good at reading genuinely happy expressions.

"It's just..." Lonnie ripped her teal skirt. "Now I'm cool."
Torn clothing makes you cool? Teresa thought. Why can't these people just focus on schoolwork? Strictly speaking, they weren't really allowed in each other's dormitories, due to an increased risk of spreading the Flare.

Mal smirked. Jane went over to the mirror and did the same. "What did I just do? Mum's gonna kill me!" Mal laughed. Teresa just grimaced: Mal and Evie really weren't setting them the best impressions.

~

Fairy Godmother sat with Chancellor Ava Paige in her office. Lessons had finished. The blue curtains were drawn. The room was kept in a faint yellow glow from through the window behind the fairy - until she clicked on the lamp on her desk. On the desk, facing her, were two framed photographs. One was a wedding photo of Cinderella and Prince Charming, and the other was an older picture of Jane. The wallpaper was white with thousands of tiny blue flowers weaving in and out of each other like a tapestry. There were several pictures on the walls of different royals with their children - many of them students at the school. Fairy Godmother clearly had a lot of pride in her school; what it stood for and what it was built from. She sat now with her hands on the desk, clasped together. Ava Paige was leaned back in her chair. The fairy took a breath, and then furrowed her brow. It was as though she couldn't quite believe what she was about to say.

"Chancellor," she began. "I have been informed by one of my students that you have given one of the Gladers a device enabling you to listen in to his conversations."

"He is my test subject, is he not?" Ava countered.

"And he is with my students. What makes you think you have the right to spy on his entire dorm?!" She exclaimed. She tried to stay as level-headed as she could at all times, but her students meant a lot to her.

Ava Paige was very calm. Stoic. She almost looked careless. "By doing this, we have made it clear that Subject A1-"

"Teresa."

"Yes. She agrees that what we do is in the best interests of Auradon. We are going to recruit her to aid our cause directly."

Fairy Godmother wanted to say many things in that moment. But she didn't want to argue with someone who wanted to find a cure: a person with good intentions. A modern-day heroine, just like the royals in the pictures. Her shoulders slumped. "Very well. But next time you want to make a decision involving my students, you'll come to me first."

"Understood, Fairy Godmother."

~

Fairy Godmother told Ava Paige she'd give her Teresa's email on the account that she didn't disturb her during school hours or later than 10pm. The chancellor had agreed, grateful. She emailed her that night, as soon as she returned home.

Dear Teresa,

I did give a listening device to Thomas, and I apologise for any issues that caused. I hope you understand that it was a precaution. I needed to find out which one of you would be willing to help me and my team find a cure for the Flare. From what I heard, you sound like you understand our cause.

Of course, it would be a lot better if you didn't share this email, or any information that we may provide you in the future. We don't want to scare people any more than they already are. Once we have a cure, everyone will be safe.

Please email me back if you would like to join us. We'd be happy to have you.

Yours gratefully,

Ava Paige, Chancellor of World in Catastrophe Killzone Experiment Department.