My Anchor ~ Harry Hook

CHAPTER SIX

After accidentally stumbling in on the villain kids conversation in the kitchen, Aria had been unable to shake the idea of the Isle being a home for them. The idea that, despite the tainted portrayal of the Isle, it was still people's homes. It was still people's sanctuary. This fact had kept her tossing and turning for many nights, causing those around her to become worried when dark circles began developing.

One day in a History of Woodsmen and Pirates class, an idea formed and began to grow rapidly. Developing by the second. She raised her hand to ask to be excused to the nurse, faking an illness. The second the door closed behind her, she began sprinting back to her dorm, desperate to begin planning.

She was going to break into the Isle.

See what it's really like.

Ben did tell her to get to know them, after all.

The very same Ben, who had clearly taken both his own and her advice and had also gotten close to the villain kids and in particular Mal, maybe a little too close.

So who was he to talk?

She had told him that she would support him no matter what, but if something were to happen between the two, she would absolutely be the first to say, 'I told you so'.

He had told her that her enchanted lake date idea had been incredible and had gone very well; at least it had been going well until Mal almost drowned. He had also managed to miss out on a crucial piece of evidence: he forgot to tell her that he had confessed his love to her. Which even he had admitted was too forward and was terrified that he'd 'fucked everything up'.

Despite her worry for Ben, she knew she wanted to go to the Isle to see what Auradon was missing. So over the next two weeks, she spent every spare minute planning how she could get away with it. How was she going to stay safe and go unnoticed? She read books upon books and studied maps of the Isle to make sure she was as prepared as possible.

One night, a couple of days before she planned to begin enacting her plan, she was packing some of her things into an old backpack that she found underneath her bed when she heard the door open behind her. Her entire body tensed up when she heard laughter that was cut short abruptly.
As she slowly turned her body to face the door, she was met with Lonnie and Jane, her roommates, with a mixture of shocked and confused looks on their faces.

'Heyyyy guys. Where have you been?' She said waving awkwardly.

'The waffle hut,' Jane said, keeping up her ever-present loving personality at the same time Lonnie said.

'What the fuck are you doing?'

'Nothing much, you know, just some studying,' Aria said unconvincingly.

Again, with the inability to lie.

'Like hell you are, why are you packing?' Lonnie questioned further.

'Just you know going camping,' she lied, squinting her eyes both in pain with how awkward this whole situation was and how trying to gauge their reactions.

'Ria, we aren't gonna to be mad at you if you tell us what you're really doing,' Jane assured, moving closer towards her before sitting on her bed and patting beside her, gesturing Aria to sit beside her.

'I'm not sure you'll be saying that when I actually tell you,' Aria said defensively.

'And I'm sure you're going to be wrong,' Lonnie said, sitting on the opposite bed.

'I'm going to the Isle,' she rushed out, and when the other two didn't say anything, 'but only for a day,' she reassured.

Yet again, the two girls were stunned into silence, not quite believing her, causing Lonnie to break out into a fit of laughter while Jane asked her if she was joking.

'No, I'm not joking. I mean, Ben is always telling us to truly understand them, and I overheard them talking about missing the Isle the other day. So I mean, I'm kind of just doing what he told me to,' she said, trying to justify her decision.

'Well, I'm sure there are better ways of understanding them. You're putting yourself in danger this way,' Jane said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

'I didn't tell you for your permission; I told you because I didn't have a choice. Plus, I was wondering if you two could cover for me while I was gone. I'm not going for at least another week; I still have things to prepare,' she explained, asking for their assistance.

'Sure, we'll help, but under one condition,' Lonnie agreed.

Aria froze internally, panicking about the deal that was about to be proposed. 'Which is...?' she questioned.

'Under the condition that you tell us everything, and when I say everything, I mean it,' Lonnie requested, adding emphasis to her point.

Aria sighed and, after a second, agreed, 'Okay, fine, but you can't tell anyone. And I mean it. No one.' She emphasised it before looking at them sternly until they both agreed.

'Just stay safe and don't do anything stupid. Okay?' Jane said.

'Yes, mom,' Aria replied jokingly before she got a disapproving look shot at her. She sighed, 'I will, I promise,' and finally agreed before hugging the both of them.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

That Saturday, she left around midmorning for the castle. She knew her parents had left the day before for yet another trip, so she'd just have to avoid Sebastian, and she would be fine.

She had told everyone that she had been called home as her parents had requested her presence for a meeting, and after lying through her teeth as best as she could about the reasoning, she had finally convinced everyone.

The journey from Auradon Prep to her home was a 3-hour drive, so during that time she went over and over the plan in her head.

When she was trying to figure out how she was going to get a remote to get into the Isle, she struggled. Until three days of wracking her brain later, she had woken up realising that her father had his own copy in his desk.

It was a little-known fact throughout Auradon that each royal family owned their own remote that was to be used only in extenuating circumstances. What those circumstances were had never been disclosed, and if it came to it, she figured she'd plead insanity.

When she pulled up to the front gates, she thanked the driver and climbed out before letting herself into the side gate. As she walked through the empty, echoing halls, she was reminded of her childhood, roaming the halls with no one to talk to or play with. Auradon Prep was a million miles from here, yet she had never felt more at home than when she was here.

When she stopped in front of the big oak door that led to the main office, she gripped the brass door handle and prayed that it wouldn't squeak.
Her prayers were not answered.

The moment she moved the door handle, a high-pitched squeak was emitted, causing her to internally curse her luck and wince at the noise.

'Aria?' A voice spoke behind her, causing her to jump and spin around, her eyes widening when she saw who it was.

'Bash...hey,' she said apprehensively, trying to gauge his reaction.

'What are you doing here?'