Blamed

Chapter 2 - Under Arrest

30 seconds.
30 seconds is the amount of time that the Isle was without a barrier.
30 whole seconds.
The dark, brooding clouds that had began to collect above the Isle, and created a sort-of funnel for the bolts of electricity, had fled, there were no more strikes.
The bursts had done their job.

It was confirmed. The strikes were, in no way, natural, and someone, somewhere, was intentionally hammering down onto the only thing that stood between the peace of Auradon and the destruction of the most Infamous villains in all of the land.

As the dome flickered back into existence, I turned my back, taking a deep breath.
I could picture what the Isle looked like right now. The havoc that the bolts of ominous green could have - would have caused.
All residents, screaming, cursing, following any means necessary to get off that dreadful prison I used to call home.

Yet the bolts of green anger, were so similiar to the flames she fired at me during the battle between mother and Daughter, a year ago.
Yet, they couldn't be hers. She was banished to isolation last year.

The problem with the people in Auradon, is that they always want someone to blame when something goes wrong.
The bolts looked like my mother's, but she isn't here. Therefore, the only obvious culprit is me.
And by the look on her face, it seems that Belle has realised that too.

"Did - Did you...?" She stammered, looking at me with wide eyes.
I shook my head vigirously.
"No! No, of course not? I have left Evil in my past!"
She looks unconvinced, but still nods slowly.
"Okay... I am going to see Ben. Please... Stay here," she reached a hand out to touch my arm gently, but hesitated and reeled it back in, before leaving the library, carefully glancing back at me when in the doorway.

I didn't stay there.

Instead, I snuck down corridor after corridor, aiming for my dormitory, or Carlos and Jay's. Either would do.
My friends nearly always have complete trust in me, they've seen me evolve from Isle-Mal to who I am today.

Eventually, I slid into the room I shared with Evie, closing the door with extreme caution as to not make any noise that could alert someone to my whereabouts.
I'm not sure why I'm acting so suspicious, so I released a breath of air that I didn't realise I was holding.
Then, I turned around to be met with the raised eyebrow and slight smirk that I always get when E knows that I'm up to something.

We sort-of just stared at each other, until I opened my mouth, had trouble in producing the simplest 'Hey', and closed it again.
Princess Blueberry snorted (not very Princesslike, E, Evil Queen would not like that.)
"Cat got your tongue, M?"
I frowned, and quickly scanned the room for Chelsea: no result.
"Chelsea's not here," I replied slowly. "And why would she have my tongue? That's disgusting."
She sighed. "It's an Auradonian expression, for when you don't know what to say."
"Auradonians are disgusting," I muttered, before slumping onto my bed.

"So, why are you acting so suspicious?"
I glanced up, meeting Evie's questioning gaze, before turning my gaze back onto the small spider that was slowly lowering itself onto Evie's crispy, sapphire sheets.
"Lightning. It wasn't natural."
Evie gasped softly.
"What?" She breathed out.

"The strikes were bright green, and aimed directly onto the point in the Barrier of the Isle where you and Carlos broke it all those years ago."
I chuckled darkly.
"And it showed a striking resemblance to my mother's flame powers."
"They think it was you..." Evie whispered, her attitude flipped upside down.
"Auradonians are fickle. They always want someone to blame. Even if it's someone who's saved their prissy little kingdom at least twice."

<><><>

"So, the barrier was broken?"
"Yes," I insisted.
"And we don't know who got out."
"No."
"...Great."
"Yeah."