Roses and Hooks /// Harry Hook

Chapter 3: Stress, Stress, Stress

"Oh!" Mal gasps as Evie pulls Mal's shoulders back and zips the dress up. I mean, the dress itself is beautiful, but it isn't Mal. The dress is Belle yellow with blue lace detailing, not a single flash of purple in sight. "Okay, Evie, I cannot breathe in this dress."

"You can breathe after Cotillion." Evie states as she looks at the dress, noting changes on her clipboard. I walk over to the Mal and look at the dress, trying to find at least one detail that screams Mal, but no luck. It's a ballgown that my mother would try to force me in, but I at least would stick something red in there to make it my own.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure breathing it pretty important, Evie." I mention to my blue haired friend, and Mal nods her head at me with her eyes slightly wide.

"Exactly! I have at least twenty more events after the big party, and I can't remember what a single one of them is." Mal panics as Evie ignores us both and focuses on the dress. She's really into getting this dress perfect, and I'm seconds from slapping dragon details around the bottom of it.

"Well, I'll be there next to you, so I'll explain them to you as we move from one event to another." Mal smiles at me, but if anything, that made her anxiety worse. I walk over to the rack of dresses Evie has brought in and grab Mal's Isle jacket. I stick it on and look in the mirror, trying to picture myself on the Isle.

"Impeccable." Evie blows a kiss to the dress, and I shake my head. I walk over to the dress and both girls look at me. Evie shakes her head as I proudly wear Mal's jacket, but Mal stares at it in longing. Well, if you didn't go fake princess on everyone, you might not be dreaming of the Isle. I'm the only one Mal has talked to about her daydreams of the Isle. She misses it terribly.

"Hey, guys." Mal says, getting our attention. "Do you ever think about what we could be doing if we were back on the Isle right now?" I smile at Mal and bump shoulders with her. Of course, I do. She knows I want to bring the Isle kids over and see the Isle for myself. She knows I hate all the royal stuff and I'd rather be free. To me, the Isle is freedom from all the expectations, royal events, and the stuck-up royals themselves.

"Hm, you're funny Mal." Evie tells her sarcastically, and Mal frowns at her. She's afraid to tell Evie her desire to be back on the Isle because she doesn't want to disappoint her best friend. Evie wouldn't get why Mal wants to go back, but I understand it. Mal doesn't want the stress and pressure of the royal life that I deal with every day. However, I believe if she'd just be herself, then she would handle everything much better than she is now. "Look! You guys are on TV!"

Looking over, we both see the tour we had to King Aladdin and Queen Jasmine. That was a disaster. The monkey wouldn't stop trying to take my crown, and you can watch me beam a piece of food at him. Also, if dad united all the kingdoms and became king, how could everyone still keep their titles?

"As the royal couple continue to tour their kingdom, they dined with Aladdin and Jasmine." The reporter says, completely ignoring the fact that I'm sitting on a pillow next to Mal. I wasn't originally supposed to be there, but Mal wanted me to come with her. I couldn't let her face off the royal life alone, so I figured if we were going to make a mess, then we would make a giant mess together.

And we did. The TV shows Mal spitting her food into a napkin and getting a new one, while I spin and beam whatever I had in my hand at the monkey that was trying to sneak up on me again. Mal cringes at the sight, and I start laughing. I hated being there with that stupid monkey. I thought Abu was supposed to be nice, or at least that is what I was told.

"Four months ago, no one thought King Ben and his girlfriend from the wrong side of the bridge would last." The reporter woman continues, and I frown. There is nothing wrong with Mal being from the Isle! They could have at least said her name instead of insulting her.