[✔︎] 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 ✫ DESCENDANTS TWO ⁴

➸32. Come to Cotillion

The ride back to Auradon bad been pretty awkward. Ben had tried to chat with Mal but it had backfired when he compared her to Uma by saying that they were both angry girls with bad plans

"Come in." Evie said, as she Mal and Maddie turned to walk away do they could talk.

"No." Carlos said.

"No?" Mal challenged.

"You guys are always going off in a huddle, whispering your girl talk stuff or whatever, and Jay and I are tired of it." Carlos said, gesturing to the son of Jafar.

"I'm not." Jay assured, trying to appear cool.

"We're your family, too. We've been through a lot together. We're not stopping that now, okay?" Carlos said, sitting down, "Everyone sit. Come on. You too. I don't know how to start girl talk." Carlos added once everyone was settled.

"What up?" Jay said trying to break the ice, as they all laughed.

"Um, well... I'm a mess. I'm such a mess. I mean, six months ago, I was, you know, stealing candy from babies, and now everybody wants me to be this Lady of the Court. And I have no idea how to keep up the act."

"Then don't." Carlos said.

"See? This was dumb." Jay said, getting up.

"Maybe it wasn't." Evie said,

"We're always gonna be the kids from the Isle. I tried to forget it. I really tried, but those are our roots. And we all did what we had to do to survive. But it made us who we are. And we're never gonna be like anybody else here. And that's okay. That's okay." Evie said, more directed at Mal.

"And we can't fake it."

"No."

"Yeah. I mean, especially without my spell book."

"Mal, if Ben doesn't love the real you, then he's not the one." Carlos said.

"I like that."

"Give him a chance. I'm gonna make some changes to your dress. And if you're up for it-- only if you're up for it-- it will be waiting for you, okay?" Evie said, squeezing Mal's hand reassuringly, before getting up herself.

"Come on, buddy." Carlos said to Dude as he followed Evie's example and walked away.

"Come to Cotillion tonight, all right? If Ben isn't smart enough to love you and you can't stand another day, I'll drive you back tomorrow myself. Okay?" Jay said, leaving agter Carlos, letting Mal be in her thoughts.

"Are you okay Maddie?" Mal asked, looking at the brunette. "You haven't said a word since we left the limo or in the limo for that matter. What's on your mind Maddie?"

"I don't know." Maddie said. "There's too many things going on through my head. Too many questions that I don't have the answers to."

Mal nodded, placing her hand in Maddie's, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Do you ever think you'll get back with Carlos?" Mal asked as Maddie looked away.

"I-I don't know." Maddie muttered.

"He's a great guy Maddie." Mal said. "I've known him all my life. He's come out of his shell. He doesn't need my protecting anymore. He loves you Maddie."

"And Ben loves you." Maddie said to Mal. "It's just I don't know how I'm supposed to feel. He tried asking Jane our in front of me twice."

"Boys do dumb things." Mal said. "It's a fact of life. But you have to trust them when they want to fix their dumb mistakes."

"So are you going to Cotillion?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah." Mal said. "And I better see you there."

"We'll see." Maddie said with a shrug. "There's no point in going really."

"Maybe to support your friend because she's scared out of her mind?" Mal quipped as Maddie sighed.

"I'll be there." Maddie said.

"Look whose coming over right now." Mal said, pointing to where Carlos was walking back and forth with Dude. "I'll see you later Maddie."

Mal got up abruptly, leaving Maddie alone with her thoughts.

Maddie got up, walking toward the entrance of the school.

"Maddie!" Carlos called, jogging over.

Maddie stopped dead in her tracks, cursing at herself for walking so slowly.

"Maddie." Carlos said, coming to a stop next to her. Dude rubbed against her leg, as she reached down and patted him on the head, scratching behind his ear.

"Whose a good boy?" Maddie said as Dude barked eagerly replaying.

"Me." Dude said.

"Oh wow you still talk." Maddie said. "I thought it'd wear off. I didn't think it was permanent."

"It hasn't." Carlos said, shifting his feet side to side. He was obviously trying to ask her something.

"So what do you need Puppy Boy?" Maddie asked, as Jane walked by. Carlos ignored Jane's presence entirely.

Maddie blinked in surprise, looking at him once more.

"Well someone told me that I should follow my heart and shouldn't be such a what's the way she put it?" Carlos trailed.

"Who?" Maddie asked, as Carlos snapped his fingers as he remembered.

"That I shouldn't be such a dick and toying with your emotions." Carlos said. "Which I'm sorry if I did."

"Who have you that advice?" Maddie asked.

"CJ and Gigi." Carlos said. "You can tell which one said what."

"Gigi told you to stop playing with my emotions and CJ told you to.. Yeah okay. That's not surprising."

"Really?" Carlos asked.

"She always says stuff like that."What do you want to ask me then?"

"Would you go to Cotillion with me?" Carlos asked, getting on one knee and pulling flowers out of his jacket.

Maddie tilted her head to the side, pondering his question.

"I mean you don't have to." Carlos added quickly, though his eyes saddened at the thought.

"I'll go with you." Maddie said.

"Really?" Carlos asked.

"Carlos the girl said yes take the answer." CJ said as she and Gigi came out from hiding behind a bush. "We were not spying on you."

"If you say so." Maddie said with a shrug.

"Great!" Gigi said. "Let's get you ready then."

Gigi and CJ shared a look that unsettled Maddie.

"Whatever your thinking." Maddie said. "I don't like it."

The two girls ignored her, dragging her to Evie's dorm room.