The Descendants

11

I sat on the bed next to Mal and Evie. Evie stroked a thin layer of blush onto my cheeks. Ben asked me on a date.
"Okay!" I pushed Evie's hand away. "Like I said; easy on the blush. I don't want to scare him away. Not that I could."
"Please," Evie scoffed. "My mom taught me how to apply blush before I could talk. Always use upward strokes."
I sighed. "Evie, I rarely ever wear makeup. I'm new to this."
Evie set the brush down and turned to me with a nude lipstick in her hand. She began to apply some to my lips.
Mal said, "My mom was never big on makeup tips. I've never had sisters."
Evie smiled, "Well..."
Evie and I said, "Now you do."
Evie blended my eye shadow a little more.
Evie said, "Well, now you've got a makeup expert. And believe me, we're going to need all the family we can get if we don't pull this off. My mother's not a barrel of laughs when she doesn't get her way. I don't think any of our parents are..."
I said, "we're you ever afraid of your mom, Mal, Evie?"
Evie replied, "Sometimes."
Mal said, "Yeah. Are you afraid of yours?"
I said, "I just want her to be proud of me. She gets so angry when I disappoint her, and it's like with every little thing I do, I'm disappointing her."
I looked down and looked at my nails. Evie took Mal and I's hand and lead us to two full length reason. Evie said, "Moving on..."
I gasped. "Whoa."
Mal straightened my jacket saying, "Wow!"
Evie laughed, "I know."
I said, "I look..."
Evie said, "Say it."
Mal smirked. "You know you want to, Maddie."
I said, "Not hideous."
They laughed.
Evie said, "Not even close."
Mal said, "Never."
We all laughed. I opened the door to see Ben.
After a moment of brief silence, Ben said, "For the first time, I understand the difference between pretty and beautiful."
I laughed.
Ben said, "I hope you like bikes."
I nodded and took the helmet. I smiled as Evie slowly closed the door while Ben and I disappeared.
He took my hand and led me to a motorbike. We both hopped on and he said, "hold on."
We rode around the forest. It was all...beautiful.
"Ok, we have to walk now," he said.
We both hopped off and walked around. We finally got to a bridge.
He walked over it but I stayed looking at the bottom of the ground. Hey, villains have fears too. Mines just happens to be heights.
Ben turned when he realised I wasn't following. He walked over to me and lifted my chin up. "Hey, it's ok" he said. He took my hand and led me across.
"So tell me something you've never told anyone" he said. "Me, well my middle name is Martha" I said.
He chuckled, "Martha, doesn't sound like a villains middle name"
"Well what's yours then, Benny boo, soon to be king" I mocked Audrey.
"Mines Florian" he said. "Florian, how princely" I said
"Better than Martha" he said. "Nothing's better than Martha" I joked.
"I can think of something" he said looking at me. I smiled softly.
"Ok, now close your eyes" he said. I closed then and he led me somewhere.
"Ok, watch your step" he said. I hit my head on something and fell.
"Watch where your going" he joked. "I will end this date" I told him.
"Ok sorry, nearly there" he said quickly helping me up.
"Ok, open" he said. I opened my eyes and saw a beautiful picnic set up. I smiled and looked at him. He smiled at me.
We both walked down there. "Here, try a jelly donut" he said.
I took it and ate it. He talked about himself while I ate it. He laughed at me when I finished. "First time" he asked.
"Well we don't really date on the island. It's more-" I started but he cut me off.
"I mean trying a jelly donut" he said laughing. "Is it that obvious" I asked.
"Here, just let me" he said wiping my lip. "Now lick your lip" he said.
I licked them, making him laugh. "I've done all of the talking, tell me something about you" he said.
"Well, I'm sixteen, I'm an only child and I've only ever lived in one place" I said.
"Me too, we have so much in common" he said.
I laughed saying, "no we don't"
He looked at me smiling. "Wanna go swimming" he asked.
"No" I said. "Come on Maddie," he tried.
"No, I'll watch you while I try a-" I picked up a strawberry, "strawberry."
Ben smirked as he took the strawberry I was holding and popped it into his mouth. I rolled my eyes a picked up another one, taking a bite out of it.
"See-wow" I said a I took more strawberries and began to eat them.
"Don't eat all of them" Ben said. "No promises" I said as he walked away.
I ate the strawberries. Then I saw Ben get up on a rock.
I stood up and smiled. "Are those little crowns on your shorts" I shouted.
He looked down and smiled at me, "maybe"
I laughed. "Ok" he said. He took a deep breath and roared, making me laugh.
"Woo hoo" he said jumping into the water. He started to swim around.
I walked around and started singing,
"A million thoughts in my head; should I let my heart keep listening? 'Cause up 'til now I've walked the line, nothing lost but something missing. I can't decide what's wrong, what's right. Which way should I go? If only I knew what my heart was telling me. Don't know what I'm feeling. Is this just a dream? Uh, oh. Yeah, if only I could read the signs in front of me, I could find a way to who I'm meant to be. Uh, oh. Am I crazy? Maybe we could happen, yeah. Would you still be with me when the magic's all run out? If only I knew what my heart was telling me. Don't know what I'm feeling. Is this just a dream? Uh, oh. If only, yeah..." I finished.
I sat back down and looked around.
"Ben" I said. "Ben" I said louder. "Ben" I shouted standing up. 'Ben, Ben, ben' was all I heard. I jumped into the water and started walking. Then it was too deep. I started splashing because I couldn't swim.
Then two arms picked me up and took me back to the picnic.
"You can't swim" he said.
"No!" I snapped at him.
"But you live on an island" he questioned.
"Yeah, an island with a barrier" I told him.
"And you still tried to save me" he said.
"Yeah and do I get a thank you, no. So all I get is soaking wet" I said.
"And this fancy rock" he said handing me a rock. I looked at it then back at him. "Make a wish and throw it back" he told me.
I threw it back into the water and stood up. Ben followed. He put his jacket on me. I shivered. "Maddie, I know I've told you I love you but I want to know if you love me" he asked. I turned away. "I-I don't know what love feels like" I said. He pushed my him so I was facing him. "I can look in your eyes and I can tell your not like your mother. You do know what love feels like, you just don't want to know it" he said.