The Prince and The Shadow's Daughter

CHAPTER FIVE: MAKING THE PLAN

While walking back to the dorms, I decided to stop by my locker to place my books away where the was spray painted version of my father's skull necklace with Long Live Evil written inside it.

"You know, you should think about taking this talent off of your locker and join the art club." Someone said from behind me, scaring me and causing pink smoke to form around my hands.

"But where's the fun in that?" I ask, finding out who thought it'd be a good idea to sneak up on a villain kid.

"So, what class do you have right now?" Ben asked, seeing that I had put everything away but hadn't grabbed anything new.

"I actually have no more classes for the day. What about you?" I told him, leaning against my locker, curious as to why he was there.

"Surprisingly, I don't have anything else either. You wanna take a walk around the gardens?"

"You know what, why not, there's nothing else to do. Let me just tell Evie and Mal where I'm going in case I don't see them after classes." I said while grabbing my phone out of my leather jacket.

Y/N

Hey, if I'm not at your dorm after class, it's cause I'm walking around the gardens

EVI

Who are you with

Y/N

I'm hanging out with Ben. He offered to show me around the gardens

EVI

OK be safe

"Okay, they know if I don't show up, I was not kidnapped or dead," I told him jokingly, putting my phone back in my jacket pocket. Then shall we?" he asked. "Lead the way," I told him.

"Now, where I am taking you, you cannot show anyone else because it is kinda my hiding spot from all my kingly studies and when everyone wants something from me." He explained, leaving you further into the gardens. "It's my own little world back here."

Before I could ask where 'here' was, he pulled back some vines that covered up an opening of a cave. "Now it really does seem like you are leading me where no one will mind my body if I go missing," I said, watching how his face contorted into panic. "In kidding, Ben, I know you would never do that. Audrey, on the other hand..." I said, trailing off, realizing that they were still together.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about her. She is stuck in the way everything should be because she grew up with her grandmother whispering about how things were when she was her age. Not that I'm trying to come up with excuses for her or anything." He quickly said, realizing how it sounded.

Before I could continue that topic, the cave ended and opened up to another garden with a small gazebo in the middle of it. Overall, it looked well-maintained.

"You know, I got asked some pretty interesting questions today by your friend in Chemistry,"

"And who perhaps was this friend and what were the questions?" Ben asked, suddenly intrigued by this particular topic.

"It was Perseus. He asked me if Mal was single, and then a few seconds later, he asked me if I was single, which is weird because I don't think he was asking that last question for himself."

While he took in the information, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. When I took it out, I saw multiple missed texts from Evie and Mal. Looking over at Ben, I noticed he was also looking at his phone.

"I hate to cut this short, but my coach is texting me asking if I could help train someone in Tourney, and I can't say no as that C is part of my duty as tourney captain." He said, slightly disappointed.

"Hey, No worries. It looks like Mal and Evie have something they desperately need to talk about. This was nice, though; we should do this again." I said before we went our separate ways, him to the tourney field and me to Mal and Evie's dorm.

"Mom said, 'If a boy can't see the beauty within', then he's not worth it." Can you believe it? What world does she live in?" Jane asked to no one in particular as soon as I walked into the room.

"Auradon," Mal said, deadly serious, while lying on her bed still drawing the designs on Fairy Godmother's wand.

"You guys like?" Evie asked, holding up a design she had been working on.

"Yeah, it looks cute. Really brings out your eyes," I told her, knowing exactly what she wanted to hear.

"I'll never get a boyfriend," Jane said, still on the topic of how boys would never look at her but would look at all of her friends.

"Boyfriends are overrated." Mal and I said at the same time. "And how would you guys know you've never had one." Evie retorted back seriously. "It's cause we don't need one, E. They are a waste of time." As soon as Mal said that, Evie started freaking out, "Oh no. Oh no, no, no. I forgot to do Chad's homework." Mal looked at her and then at Jane, "That's exactly what I mean."

As soon as Evie sat down with a bag I'm assuming was Chad's, someone busted through the door, introducing themselves as Lonnie, the daughter of Mulan. "I love what you've done with Jane's hair. And I know you hate us, and, well, you're evil. But do you think you could do mine?"

"And why would we do that?" Evie asked, still doing Chad's homework. "I'll pay you fifty dollars," Lonnie said, holding up a pouch full of money. "Good answer, I need to buy more materials."

Before Evie could even do anything, Lonnie then said, "I want it cool, like Mal's," which caused Mal to look towards Evie, who just shook the bag of money at her. "Fine, let's see, Beware, forswear, replace the old with cool hair."

Once her hair changed, she and Jane looked in the mirror and ripped a slit in their skirts, thinking it'll make them more cool. After that, Jane and Lonnie left the dorm to talk to their friends and walked in Jay and Carlos holding up tourney uniforms.

"So, did your plan work with Jane? Are you going to see the wand?" Jay asked.

"Do you think I would be going through every single spell in this book if I hadn't completely struck out?!" Mal asked, getting a little frustrated. "My mom's counting on me! I can't let her down!"

"Hey..." Jay started to say, making everyone turn towards him. "We can do this if we stick together." Mal smiled slightly before saying, "And we won't return until we do. Because we are rotten..." "to the core." we all recited.

"Oh, yeah. I found out that Fairy Godmother blesses Ben with the wand at coronation, and we all get to go. I have nothing to wear, of course."Evie off handly mentioned while finishing Chad's homework. "What?" she asked, seeing everyone look at her weirdly.

Before anyone could answer her, there was a knock on the door. "Hold that thought," I said before opening the door with Mal two steps behind me to see Ben standing there.

"Hey, Mal. I didn't see you guys today. I was just wondering If you had any questions or anything... That... you needed..." he said, somewhat nervously seeing all five of us together.

"Hmmm.. no, not that we think of." Mal said before I cut in, "Actually, is it true that we all get to go to your coronation?"

"Yeah, the whole school gets to go," he said with a little more pep in his step. "Wow. That is beyond exciting. Do you think that it's possible that the five of us could stand in the front row next to the Fairy Godmother so we could soak up all that goodness?" Mal asked, forming a quick plan in her head.

"I'm sorry, I wish you could. Up front It's just me, my folks, and my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend? Okay, bye!" Mal said before closing the door on his face. "Looks like it's time for Bennyboo to get another girlfriend." She said while grabbing her spellbook off her bed.