𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 ❥ 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘹 𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘬

𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞

*~🪝~*

Much to Hook's dismay, the VKs were once again summoned to Uliana's fishy lair. After the excruciatingly dull class he had just endured, he had zero enthusiasm for another tedious meeting. His mood darkened further as he realised he was about to face an inevitable earful from his girlfriend.

Dragging his feet all the way to the Black Lagoon, he sighed, hoping his absence might go unnoticed.

But the second he arrived, he was immediately bombarded with questions.

"Where have you been?"

"You ditched me while I was being ridiculed by the whole school!"

"Oh look, he's back."

"I thought he died."

"Good to see you too," Hook replied sarcastically, giving Hilde a quick peck on the cheek before making his way to Uliana.

"Where were you?" Uliana demanded, her tone suggesting she already knew the answer. She didn't.

"Merlin dragged me to class and threatened me with expulsion if I didn't go," Hook said matter-of-factly. The excuse set off a wave of laughter from the group. Hook? In class? Ridiculous.

"Now that you're here, Uli and Hilde want to plan their revenge on Bridget," Mali informed Hook, rolling her eyes. Maleficent, like Hook, couldn't fathom why they were tormenting this sweet girl who had always been kind to her and even offered fresh treats whenever they crossed paths.

"Ugh, tell me about it," Hook groaned, leaning against the slimy fish-walls. Gross.

"So the plan we came up with that you didn't contribute to at all," Uliana paused to glare at Hook, "is to make her fall for little Morgie here and then break her heart completely." Morgie and Hilde smirked, clearly proud of their devious plan. Hook, Hades, and Maleficent, however, looked less than impressed.

"Seriously? You chose Morgie? Of all people?" Hook nearly laughed. Morgie was notoriously shy and awkward around everyone. Especially girls. There was no way he'd pull this off, and Hook was certain of it.

"Do you have someone else in mind? You and Hades are obviously off-limits," Hilde retorted with a hint of sass. Her tone grated on Hook; he hated how everything she said was laced with meanness or judgment.

"Just wondering how Morgie is supposed to manage this. Have you ever seen him interact with girls? It's a disaster," Hades chimed in from his corner.

"Hey! I can do it!" Morgie protested, looking distressed.

"Well, we don't have any other options. It has to be him," Uliana said firmly.

Morgie's face was flushed with a mix of nerves and determination. He might have been awkward, but he was desperate to prove himself. "I'll do it," he said, though his voice wavered slightly. "Just give me a chance."

Uliana nodded, satisfied. "Good."

~*~

"Ella, I swear! He was so nice to me..." Bridget exclaimed dreamily as she flopped onto her bed. Ella rolled her eyes at her best friend's dreamy state.

"B, you can't be serious! He's a VK. You know they're evil!" Ella was determined to convince her best friend that all the villains only had one goal, and that was to cause destruction and chaos. No way in hell was James being genuinely nice. He had to have a purpose behind his actions.

"But he was! He saved me from his own girlfriend. The one I had just humiliated! Look, I know that I have to be careful, but I think he was being sincere." Ella eyed her best friend skeptically.

"Bridget..."

"No! I'm basically an adult, Ella. I can make my own decisions. I know you're just trying to protect me, but I am not naive! Being nice to everyone doesn't mean you're naive." Bridget locked eyes with Ella, pleading for her to understand where she was coming from. After a beat of silence, Ella sighed in defeat.

"Okay. I trust you. But if he does anything to you, tell me immediately. Okay?" Ella responded with care and concern for her best friend's feelings. She was scared that someone would take advantage of her sweetness and use it against her.

"Okay. Thank you!" Bridget hugged her tightly, her heart swelling with gratitude.

"Too bad he still has that witch of a girlfriend. Gosh she's really the devil in disguise." Ella commented, shuddering at the thought of the future evil queen.

Ella then watched her friend with a mix of concern and resignation. She knew Bridget's heart was pure and that she had an unwavering belief in the goodness of people, but she couldn't help but worry. The VKs had a reputation for a reason, and Ella wasn't sure how to reconcile Bridget's experiences with that reality.

Later that evening, Bridget lay in bed, her thoughts racing. She replayed the day's events over and over. James had been so different from what she expected. Instead of the malicious behaviour she'd been bracing for, he'd shown genuine kindness. But what did it mean? Was it a trick or something more?

She thought about the way he had stepped in, the way he had looked at her with an expression she couldn't quite decipher. It wasn't just about the rescue; it was about the care in his eyes. Could it be possible that there was more to him than the reputation he carried?

Bridget sighed and rolled over in bed, trying to quiet her mind. She knew that Ella was just looking out for her, but a part of her wanted to believe in the possibility of good. In a world so often defined by the past and by stereotypes, maybe she could afford to hope for something different.

*~🧁~*