Roses and Hooks /// Harry Hook

Chapter 9: Realization and Plans

3rd person POV

Meanwhile, in Auradon, Mal is cursing herself as she walks down the hall to her room. She had been so focused on trying to be the prefect princess for Ben, his parents, and the media that she had forgotten her best friend's birthday. She had spelled a black Rose to grow in a pot and has kept it hidden for two days, waiting to give it to her.

"I'm such an idiot! How am I going to fix this?" Mal mumbles to herself in anger. She stops by her room to pick up the rose, Evie already fast asleep. "At least you guys were there for her." She walks out of the room, and over to Rose's. She knocks even though she knows that Rose is probably asleep since it is midnight. Ben had given her a tour of Castle Beast and didn't realize how late it was. At least he gave Rose her gift this morning, or that's what Mal believes anyway.

"Rose?" Mal knocks on her door again. "I know you're probably mad at me, and I know that I have no excuse. I'm sorry I missed your big day." Mal waits a few minutes before knocking again. "Rose?" Starting to get worried, Mal runs to find her spell book so she can unlock the door. Rose isn't a heavy sleeper, especially since Audrey has been known to try and prank the girl in her sleep.

Coming back, Mal spells the door and runs in only to stop in her tracks. The pot falls from her hand, shattering on the floor and adding to the mess. The whole room is torn apart and shredded. It looks as if the Beast Curse came back and tore the room apart. The scary part is Rose is nowhere in the room.

"Evie!" Mal screams as she turns and runs to their room. "Evie! Wake up!" Mal shouts, shaking the girl awake.

"What? Mal? What's wrong?" Evie questions as she takes in the panicked state of her best friend.

"Rose is missing and her room is a disaster! I'm going to get Ben! You wake the boys!" Mal shouts as she runs out of the room. Evie jumps up from her bed and runs to look at Rose's room. One look at the mess has her sprinting to the boy's room. She didn't even stop to put shoes on.

Slamming into the room, the boy's both jerk awake at the sight of a panicked and distraught Evie. She's taking so fast they can barely hear what she's saying, but the words 'missing' and 'Rose' have them springing from their beds and throwing their shoes on. Evie races off to Ben's office only to find Mal and Ben standing in the middle of the room looking at the broken objects on the floor.

"Ben, what is happening? Who would do this?" Mal asks him as he picks up his planner. Looking at the dates of the ripped pages, he finally realizes what, or rather who, happened. Shaking his head and throwing the planner across the room, scaring the four villain kids in the process, he sighs heavily into his hands. He forgot his own sister's birthday. How could he forget the one day a year that he drops everything and spends the day making it all about her?

"Rose." Ben says, slamming his hands down on the desk.

"That's what I came to tell you! Ben, she's-"

"She did this." Ben cuts Mal off making her realize just how upset the girl could be. But she wouldn't have been this destructive over Mal missing her birthday, would she? There has to be more to it than that.

"What? Why would Rose do this? I mean, yes, she likes to cause chaos everywhere she goes, but this is too much, even for her. Plus, we all know she wouldn't go after Ben." Carlos says, but Ben shakes his head.

"It was her. I know it was because I'm an idiot and forgot about yesterday." Mal's head snaps up and she looks at Ben in shock.

"You forgot?! How on earth could you forget, Ben? She's your sister." Ben shakes his head again and looks up, before sighing and looking at Mal.

"I don't know. I got so caught up in being king, that I forgot my own sister's birthday."

"Oh my God! That was yesterday?" Evie covers her mouth, appalled that she'd forgotten too. She had made everyone outfits for the day, too. How could she not have realized the date? Mal spins around to look at her friends.