My Villain

◇ FIVE ◇

chapter five

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

"Do you think they actually paid for those?"

"Oh Audrey, does it matter?" Briar asked, standing with her sister and Ben as they looked at Mal who was at her locker. 

"She did it to Jane's hair, too," Audrey said as Briar sighed, "and Fairy Godmother's not happy about it."

"What's the harm?" Ben asked as Briar nodded. 

"It's gateway magic!" Audrey said as Briar sighed. "Sure, it starts with the hair. Next thing you know It's the lips and the legs and the clothes and then everybody looks good and then, where will I be?"

"Listen," Ben said, but was cut off by Audrey.

"I will see you at the game after my dress-fitting for the coronation, okay?" she asked as Ben sighed and nodded.

"Okay," he said.

"Bye, Briarboo and Bennyboo," Audrey said as Briar and Ben nodded.

"Bye," they said together.

"Hey, Briarboo and Bennyboo!" 

The two jumped and turned around and saw Mal and Carlos standing there.

"Hey," Briar said smiling. 

"We just made a batch of cookies," Carlos said as Briar smiled. 

"Double chocolate chip, do you want one?" Mal offered. 

"Oh, I, uh, I've got a big game," Ben said, "I don't eat before a big game. But thank you so, so much."

"I don't eat before cheerleading," Briar said, "but next time? Save one for me."

"No, yeah, we completely understand," Mal said as Briar looked at her. "Be careful of treats offered by kids of villains. Especially one by the daughter of the villain in your parents story."

"No, no, no," Briar said as Carlos chuckled.

"No, we're sure every kid in Auradon knows that," he said as Briar looked at him. 

"No, that's not it," he said, "no, no, no, we really do. . . ."

"No, we get it," Mal said, "you're cautious. That's smart. Oh, well, more for us, I guess." Mal and Carlos were about to eat the cookies, but Briar and Ben grabbed it and took a bite from them. 

"See that?" Briar asked, smiling at Carlos, "totally trust you."

"Totally," Ben said as Briar nodded. As she ate the cookie, she furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at it. She felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest. It only increased when she looked at Carlos.

"How are they?" Mal asked as Ben nodded.

"They're good. They're great!" he said.

"They're amazing!" Briar said smiling, "I love cookies, a-and your freckles are really cute, did you know that?" She looked at Carlos and smiled as he smiled back. However, he had a guilty look on his face as she smiled. 

"They're, uh, I mean, they're chewy and, and you know, they,  is that walnuts?" Ben asked as Clara looked at him. "I love walnuts. I mean, uh, you know, the, the chocolate. The, the chocolate, the chocolate chips are. . . . I'm sorry. Um, uh, they're, they're warm and soft. And they're sweet. Mal, have you always had those little golden flecks in your eyes?"

"How you feeling, bro?" jay asked as Briar grinned.

"I feel, I feel, I feel like, like singing your name!" Ben said as Briar laughed. "Mal, Mal!" he sang, but Mal shoved her hands over his mouth as Briar laughed. She turned to Carlos.