Switched Tales 2

Date Disaster

Ben and Mal sat at table in a gazebo.

"Would you like a hot hors d'oeuvre?" Ben grabbed a piece of food and offered it Mal.

"Yes, please." Mal answered as Ben fed it to her. "Mmm. This is the best thing I've ever had."

"So you like it?" Ben checked a little nervous.

"I more than like it." Mal told him and leaned over. "I uh..."

Ben was looking at Mal ready to kiss, then Mal grabbed another hot hors d'oeuvre.

"Mmm. Double like it." Mal finished as Ben chuckled. "Is this beef ragout?"

"Yeah." Ben responded smiling as Mal enjoyed the food.

"This is amazing." Mal mentioned.

"Did I surprise you?" Ben wondered.

"Oh, yeah, you surprised me." Mal replied still eating the soup. "This is every single dish the fairies would make for my parents. What's it take you? Three days?"

"You know, don't even ask me." Ben replied as they both chuckled.

"Yeah." Mal slightly nodded. "Well, it means a lot. That you stopped and did all this for me." Mal reached to grab Ben's hand. "Especially with all the craziness you've been put through. I missed you." Mal moved her hand to Ben's cheek and held it in her hand. "We don't get much time to be just us anymore."

"I know." Ben reached his hand up and wiped something off her face.

Mal put her hand to her face and joked. "You can't take me anywhere, right?"

Ben laughed.

"Do you have a... Do you have a napkin or something?" Mal asked.

"I do. I packed some." Ben started looking around.

"Oh, there is it." Mal said and reached her hand into the basket.

"I think I stowed them away." Ben was saying, then saw Mal reach her hand in. "I can grab them."

Mal grabbed the spell book and pulled it out. "What's this?" She looked up at Ben, then opened it.

"I actually threw that in there super last minute. In case it rained or..." Ben was trying to explain.

"Speed reading spell." Mal started reading pages that were marked. "Blond hair spell." Mal turned to the next page, then looked at Ben surprised before reading. "Cooking spell."

Ben looked away from Mal and looked down.

Mal closed the book. "And I was giving you props for fitting in so well. For doing your best."

Ben held his hand up and started saying. "Take back this moment that has passed, return it... Reverse it."

Mal stood up angrily. "Are you trying to spell me right now?"

"Mal, it has been so hard for me!" Ben defended himself.

"Yes! Some things are hard!" Mal yelled. "Do you think learning to be queen has been easy for me?"

"No." Ben rolled his eyes and little and chuckled.

"I thought we were doing this together." Mal said.

"Mal, we are in this together." Ben assured her as he stood up.

"But we're not, Ben. We're not. You've been keeping secrets and lying to me." Mal disagreed. "I thought we were done with that. This isn't the Isle of the Lost, Ben."

"Yeah, believe me, I know that." Ben responded.

"Then why are you doing this?" Mal questioned.

"Because..." Ben started and scoffed. "I'm not one of those perfect princes, Mal. I'm not one of the sirs from the court. I'm a big fake, okay?" Ben sighs. "I'm fake. This is fake." Ben put his hand on his hair. "This is fake." He then reached for his spell book and opened to a page. "Take this feast, this sumptuous meal, return it back to what is real." Ben waved his finger around and all the food to a single peanut and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk. "This is who I really am."

Ben started walking past Mal and she tried grabbing his arm. "Ben."

"No, no." Ben said and walked away.

Mal walked over and grabbed the sandwich, then leaned over the railing and called out. "Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite!" Then she threw it back on the plate

(In Ben's dorm)

Ben had a small box on the table. Then he picked up a pen and stabbed a few holes into it. A few tears rolled down his face.

"I don't belong here." Ben said to himself aloud.

He walked over to the cage where his dad was. He took the cover off and picked his dad up and put him inside.

"Let's blow this popsicle stand. Yeah?" Ben chuckled and breathed heavily.

Ben was driving his scooter Mal got him and he pulled up to the cliff. He stopped and pulled out his spell book still breathing heavily.

"Noble steed, proud and fair, you shall take me anywhere." Ben read, then put the book away and pulled his goggled back down. "Okay." Ben sighed. "Please work."

Then he started the bike and started driving. It was driving on the water, then when he got to the barrier he felt it as he went through.

He was driving through the alley and people had to jump out of the way. He stopped when he saw a poster of him and Mal with stuff written all over it. He ripped it down and crumpled it up and threw it behind him. Then kept driving. He stopped at his hideout. He threw a rock at the sign and walked up the steps.

(Later)

Mal was in her office doing her work. "Debra?"

"Yes, You Highness." Debra on speaker responded.

"Can you ask Diablo to call me regarding Cotillion?" Mal asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Debra answered.

"Thank you." Mal said.

Then there was a knock at the door and Doug opened it. "Mal."

Mal looked up and smiled. "Doug?" Mal stood up and took her earpiece out. "Come on in."

Doug walked in and shut the door behind him, then he turned to face Mal. "Ben's gone back to the Isle."

Mal's smile fainted when she heard what Doug said.

Doug walked to Mal, then handed her a note. Mal took it and looked down on it.

"Mal..." Doug spoke again and gave Mal the bracelet she gave to Ben.

Mal slowly reached out and grabbed the bracelet. Then she quickly opened the paper to read the note. "I am so sorry..." Mal quietly read to herself. "This is my fault. I blew it. He'd been under so much pressure lately and instead of being understanding, I just went all dragon crazy on him." Mal slammed her hands on her desk. "I have to go there and apologize. I have to go there and beg him to come back."

Mal, you'll never find him. You need to know the Isle and how it works, and..." Doug was saying.

Mal walked over and looked out the window.

"You have to take me with you." Doug told her.

Mal quickly turned back to Doug. "Yeah, Uh... Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Doug nodded. "He's my best friend." Doug turned around and started walking. "And we'll bring the girls, too, because there is safety in numbers and none of us is really too popular over there right now."

"Thank you." Mal replied.

"But let's get two things straight." Doug said, then turned to Mal again. "You have to promise me that I won't get stuck there again."

"I promise." Mal assured him.

"And there's no way you're going looking like that." Doug added.

Mal looked at Doug a little confused and not so confident anymore.

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