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After the disastrous video call Fairy Godmother arranged for the villain kids during Remedial Goodness class a couple of days ago, Cordelia laid on Alec's dormitory floor while he painted the white roses she gifted him. For the past few days, she has been taking every measure to steer clear of Ben's way after their first date at the Enchanted Lake, but she knew she would have to face him in no time.
"Have you been avoiding Ben like the plague?" He breaks their comfortable silence with his question, "Because he's been asking me about you for the past three days, non-stop," emphasizing 'non-stop' as he rolls his eyes. "I thought you agreed to be his girlfriend on your guys' first date?"
"Well, yes... But I haven't given it that much thought," the girl rises from the ground, bringing her knees up to her chest. "He told me he loved me."
"So I've heard. Even professed it in front of the whole school after the tourney match," Alec hummed, turning to face her in her deep-in-thought state. "No," she sighs with frustration, not knowing how to describe his tone of voice, "it was much more different than that. It was like he meant it from his own heart."
"Why do you seem so sad about it?"
"I don't feel worthy of his love..."
The boy offered her a sympathetic look before placing his paintbrush down, "Listen to me, Cordelia. Give yourself some grace, for Christ's sake. Even villains deserve to be loved." Oh, if only he knew her true intentions. From the innocent look in his eye, she would've spilled her darkest secret to him — the love spell — but thankfully, a knock at his door saved her.
"Cor," Mal's voice echoed from the other side, "Evie's ready to take your dress measurements for the coronation on Friday, so come as soon as you're done spending time with Wonderland-boy." Alec's lip curled upwards at the nickname she gave him, a pink blush soon creeping up his cheeks. "Tell her I'll be there in a minute." With a pat on his shoulder, she bid him a 'see you tomorrow.'
A few hours after her dress fitting, she was now resting her head on Carlos' shoulder, listening attentively as Mal talked through their updated plan to steal the wand during the coronation.
"Okay, we all know what this looks like," she points to a sketch she's made of the magic wand, "So, it'll be on the dais under the Beast's spell jar, and we'll be coming in from here. Cordelia will be in the very front. While the rest of us will be up in the balcony. Carlos?"
"Okay, so I'll find our limo, so we can break the barrier, and get back on the island with the wand," he recites his part in the plan like the back of his hand. "Perfect... Evie?"
"Yeah?" She turned to look at the girl beside her. "You will use this to take out the driver," she hands her fancy glass bottle filled with liquid to the brim, "two sprays and he'll be out like a light."
"And Cordelia? Here's the thing you asked me for," Mal hands her folded piece of paper with the spell to break the love potion. Hesitantly opening it up, she read through the various instructions with ease. "It doesn't seem that complicated."
Seeing the girl's sorrowful expression, Evie looked over and a gasp escaped from her lips. "You guys are going to break Ben's love spell?"
"Yeah. You know, for after? I've just been thinking, when the villains finally do invade Auradon, and begin to loot, and kick everyone out of their castles, and imprison their leaders, and destroy all that is good and beautiful, Ben still being in love with me just seems a little extra... Cruel?"
"But I've never seen your eyes light up like that, ever, not until you got back from that date at the Enchanted Lake. You must really care for him that much to let him go-" Cordelia abruptly cut her off, aware of what she was trying to do. "Evie, stop. Harry's waiting for me on the other side, I made him promise. If I continue this, I'll be hurting another person back home."
"Even if it isn't want you want?"
"What if it is what I want?" She raised her voice slightly, wanting the matter of the conversation to end. They both knew it wasn't the truth, the quiver in her voice told a different story.
If only she could, she would be with Ben for as long as he'll have her.
⋆✭ ✫₊ ─── 𝙗𝙚𝙖'𝙨 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 ! i can say that this was the most challenging chapter i've written so far... like i didn't even know what to write at all. so i'm sorry for how rushed it is...
