VIVA LA VIDA, Evie Grimhilde¹

Chapter 16: Video Chat

Word count: 1095

Two days away from family day, something the Auradonians are very enthusiastic about is also the thing the villains' kids are dreading. They'd avoided the inevitable for as long as they could, slowly getting dressed and trudging down to their first class, although they are usually in biology at this time, the Fairy Godmother had summoned them down to her classroom urgently. They all find their seats and throw their bags on the floor, not excited for their teacher's no doubt overly chipper announcement.

"Children, excuse me, um..." She rushes in from the front of the classroom, a grin on her face "As you know, this Sunday is family day here at Auradon Prep. And as your parents can't be here due to... distance, we've arranged for a special treat."

She rushes back to the desk at the front and approaches a computer, beckoning them closer. She presses a button and suddenly, it turns on and Maleficent's face is zoomed out on it. "I don't see anything, nor do I hear." The five students stare in disbelief at the screen, all rushing up to get a closer look. "Is.. is it... Is it on?" Maleficent faffes with the machine, a fed up look on her face. "Can I please see a remote?! Is this thing on? It's broken!" The sound of Cruella grunting in anger comes from the corner of the screen. Suddenly, the look of surprise dawns on their faces. "Evie, it's mommy!" The Evil Queen calls, pushing past Maleficent and Cruella to get a better look. Evie smiles, a bit freaked out by seeing her mother on a computer screen, but waves. "Look how beautiful! You know what they say, the poison apple doesn't fall far from the tree." She gloats. "Don't you mean the weeds?" Maleficent rolls her eyes.

"Who's the old bat?" Cruella's shrill voice pierces their ears causing them to wince. Their headmistress' usually cheerful face turns sour as if she's trying to hold in her distaste and keep up appearances. "This is the Fairy Godmother." Mal introduces, sending the parents a warning look. But, of course, they still push,
"Still doing tricks with eggplants?" Mal's mother taunts. "I turned a pumpkin into a beautiful carriage!" The Fairy Godmother snaps.
"You really couldn't give Cinderella 'til 1a.m.? I mean, really. What, the hamsters had to be back on their little wheels?"  Maleficent continues, drawing laughter from the other parents, aside from Scar, who simply scowls in the corner.

"They were mice! They were not ha- They were mice!" The headmistress insists, being slowly gestured off to the side by Mal.
"Hi, mom."
"Mal!" The woman gasps, as if she completely forgot her daughter was standing right there. "I m-miss you!" The words come out even less sincere than they are. The Evil Queen having to slap her on the back to coax it out of her. "You children are never far from our thoughts!" Jafar chips in, waving at them with a fake smile. Scarlet can't believe they'd set this up, as if it's supposed to be a gift when in fact it's a punishment. She crosses her arms in discomfort and inches closer to Evie, who is equally as uneasy. "How long must mommy wait to see you?" Maleficent puts on a fake concerned voice, clearly sending a message that only the ten of them would understand. "Um, there's a big coronation coming up. I think, probably some time after that" Mal replies, sending an even more encoded message back. "When?"

"Friday, 10 a.m."
"You sure I can't see you before that? I don't know what I'd do if I don't get my hands on that magi- you, you little nugget that I love so much!"

'impatient cow' Scarlet thinks, it's less than a week and she still doesn't think it's good enough. She can feel her father's eyes burning into her, she looks at him a few times but doesn't hold eye contact. "Yes, I completely understand, mother."Ma solemnly responds, upset at her mother's disinterest in her. Cruella lunges across the table so she can look into the camera horizontally, completely eclipsing the others. "Carlos, is that a dog?! Yes, yes, baby, I do understand. It would make the perfect size for earmuffs." She begins talking to the stuffed dog-scarf again, squeezing its nose like a maniac. She's referring to the small dog Carlos is holding, he'd began to be attached to it not long ago, miraculously overcoming his fear of canines. He steps forward,

"He's the perfect size for a pet! This dog loves me and I love him! And FYI, your dog is stuffed! So, give it a rest!" He snaps, causing his mother to lean back in shock, not used to her obedient son disobeying her. They're all shocked by his sudden bravery, Scarlet proud of the boy's evolvement from the cowardly boy she first met.

Jafar seems to find it very amusing, mocking the woman sat the furthest from him with a crackle. Even Scar cracks a smile. "Why don't you go sell a toaster, you two-bit salesman!" Cruella angrily slaps at him unsuccessfully. "People who talk to stuffed animals shouldn't throw stones!" Jafar rebuttals. "Well, people who sell toasters shouldn't use mixed metaphors!"
"Enough!" Scar bellows, shutting both immature adults up. He scooches over, shoving Jafar and Maleficent out of the way.
"Scarlet, I trust you've settled in well?" The girl mentioned steps forward, nodding her head,"Yes, father. Auradon has been treating me... nicely."
"You seem off, are you sure everything is alright?" She gives him a firm nod.

"Good. I received your letter, I appreciate thee... update." Scarlet nods, a small sense of pride growing in her. "We'll see you after the coronation." The computer screen switches to black before she could even say goodbye, leaving them all awkwardly standing there. "I'm so sorry." The Fairy Godmother sympathises, hand on heart. "Thanks for the special treat." Jay gives her a sad smile. "Of course." They begin filing out of the room, grabbing their bags in the process. "M..." Evie pulls Mal to the side. "What do you think our parents are gonna do if we don't pull this off." They all look at their purple-haired friend expectantly. "I think... they'll be quietly disappointed with us but ultimately proud of us for trying our best." Scarlet raises her brow at the suggestion, knowing the delusion one must have to believe that. "Really?" Carlos asks. "No, we're definitely goners." They all silently head to their dorms, not speaking a word to each other.