So Many Ways to be Wicked

Chapter 14

"Am I really a nobody, Jay?" Carlos asked. It was the middle of the night. After the whole family day debacle, everyone went to their room and hung around before going straight to bed. Carlos could hear the girls whispering in the bed they shared but couldn't discern what was being said. Jay pulled the boy into his chest, stroking a hand through his hair.

"Of course you're not a nobody, C," Jay whispered back. Carlos felt tears come to his eyes.

"I'm so stupid for letting this get to me! I've taken beatings that hurt a hell of a lot more than some lousy words, why are they affecting me so much?"

"Maybe because you can expect something like that being said on the Isle, but here in Auradon, it just doesn't happen. It's not supposed to happen. We just seem to bring out the worst in people, huh?" Jay joked flatly.

"Yeah," Carlos agreed hollowly, "we do."

"Carlos, look at me," Jay took the boy by the shoulders, pushing him away so he could stare into his eyes. "You are not a nobody. Not to Mal, not to Evie and certainly not to me. You are my best friend and I'd be nothing without you, do you understand me? I'd be lost without you." Carlos let himself scrutinize Jay's expression, looking for the lie and finding none.

"You're my best friend as well, Jay. I don't know what I would do without you," Carlos said, feeling like his breath was caught in his throat. The moonlight shined beautifully on Jay's dark skin, the Arab teen having taken off his shirt to sleep. Carlos took note of the way their feet were tangled together and the way their bodies fit well beside one another. Before he could realize what he was doing, Carlos leaned closer, hesitating only a second before placing his chapped lips on Jay's. Jay didn't push him away, surprisingly, and instead entangled his hand in Carlos' hair. The kiss probably wasn't the best thing Jay had experienced, chapped lips against chapped lips, teeth clicking every once in a while and probably too much tongue,but to Carlos it was heaven. It was his first real kiss. His first kiss with his first crush and nothing could stop Carlos from enjoying it, especially when Jay was responding so enthusiastically. Eventually, the two parted, breathing deeply as they pecked each other on the mouth a few more times.

"I feel like we need to talk about this," Carlos whispered.

"What's to talk about, I like you, you like me. Doesn't that make us boyfriends? Or did you just want a fuck buddy because I'll tell you now, it's a relationship or nothing. I've waited a long time to get to kiss you and there's no way I'm just letting it be a casual thing," Jay insisted. Carlos smiled, feeling his cheeks warm and a fuzzy feeling bloomed in his chest.

"Okay, boyfriends sounds good to me."

"Go to sleep, you absolute morons," Mal complained, though it didn't look like Evie or her were going to follow that advice anytime soon. "We all know you love each other, blah, blah, blah." Carlos blushed and buried his face in his hands, groaning.

"Okay, okay, M. Calm down, we'll go to bed," Jay laughed, rolling over to spoon Carlos. The boy blushed even brighter before letting himself relax into the embrace and letting sleep overtake him.

"You think they're asleep?" Evie asked after a while, listening to the deep breaths of the boys.

"Yeah," Mal whispered back. "If they were awake they would be exploring their newfound ability to kiss each other." Evie giggled quietly, nodding her head in agreement.

"I'm glad they worked it out, though. They deserve to be happy," Evie said with a gentle smile. Mal nodded, her eyes never leaving Evie's own. It didn't take a genius to notice how much Chad's words hurt Evie, especially when her eyes were wet with tears. Mal said nothing, instead pulling the girl into her arms and rubbing her back gently. Evie let herself sob into Mal's arms, her head nuzzled into the crook of Mal's neck.

"He's right," Evie cried, "I'm nothing but a gold digger. I'm so unloveable, Mal. I 'm just some whore--"

"No, you listen to me, Genevieve Wolfram. You are not a gold digger. Your mom is the gold digger, she conditioned you into thinking you needed a man, that you needed a castle in order to be happy. You don't and I think you know that. And you are far from some common whore on the Isle, Evie. You are so pure and the best thing that has ever happened to this gang. We wouldn't be us without you and I've never regretted something more than when my mother banished you to your castle to live in exile." Mal lifted a hand and stroked Evie's face, swiping away the tears. "And you know what? We care about you, unconditionally. I love you, Evie. It feels great to say that. I love you as more than a friend, as more than my right hand woman. You are so smart, so beautiful and so cunning. I don't know if you feel the same but I can't live without you, Evie." Evie stared at Mal in wonder. Never had she heard Mal so vulnerable before. Mal was baring her soul to Evie and allowing Evie to do whatever she'd like with it. Mal's confidence was slowly dripping away as Evie kept silent.

"Mal Bellaire, je t'aime. Ich liebe dich, te amo, I love you too." Mal couldn't help but feel the sting of tears in her eyes as she gazed upon Evie confessing her love in four different languages. French, German, Latin and English, in that order.

"Evil, you're incredible," Mal said in a breathy voice. Evie grinned before roughly pulling Mal in, their lips colliding in a surprise, mind-blowing kiss. Their lips moved together slowly before they parted, leaning their foreheads together and breathing each other's air. Suddenly, Mal let out a laugh. "I can't believe Carlos and Jay confessed before we did, Jay's never going to let me live that down." Evie giggled as well.

"We'll just have to beat them at being the best couple ever," Evie said. "That'll show them." Evie giggled again, wiping any remaining tears off her face. "Thank you Mal. You really know how to cheer a girl up."

"I'd gladly do it any day, any time, my love," Mal grinned. Evie swatted her shoulder playfully before leaning in and giving Mal another chaste kiss.

"Let's get some sleep, okay?" Evie suggested. "Will you spoon me?" Mal gladly complied, becoming the big spoon and wrapping her arm around Evie's tiny waist.

"I love you," Mal said into Evie's hair as she felt Evie's breathing even out. Mal gave Evie's head a small kiss before settling down to sleep.