The Letters From the Isle

Chapter Four| Tourney Tryouts

|Beast|

   "Jay, Ben, offense. Chad, you're defense. Taylor, you're shooter," Coach Jenkins tells the team. I watch as Carlos walks right into the kill zone. "Hey. Hey! Hey, you. Lost boy! Put your helmet on. Get out o the kill zone. Come on!"

   We begin the tryouts and Jay demolishes everybody, even me. It hurt, a lot. 

   "You! Get over here!" Coach says pointing at Jay. "What do you call that? I call that raw talent. Come find me later. I'll show you something you haven't seen before. It's called a rule book. Welcome to the team, son." Coach pats Jay's back then turns to Carlos. "You ever thought about band?" Jay laughs at the comment.

   "I'll work with him, coach," I respond raising my hand. Y/n had said that he would be conformable after having some time.

   "All right let's run that again."

~~~

   I was walking down the hall with Chad and Audrey when they saw Mal and Evie talking to each other then both of my friends turned to me. "Those kids are trouble," Chad says.

   "Come on, Chad. Give them a chance," I tell him.

   "Oh. No offense, BennyBear, but you're too trusting. Look I know your mom fell in love with a big nasty beast," that sentence offended me, "who turned out to be a prince. But with my mom, the evil fairy was just the evil fairy. That girl's mother," Audrey says.

   "I think you're wrong about them. I'll see you later," I walk over to Mal, "Hey!"

   "Hey," she responds. I think that once I get to know her better, she and I would be great friends.

   "How was your first day, I asked Jay and Carlos, they seem to be having great days."

   "Super," her sarcasm was really easy to pin point.

   "You should really think about taking this talent off the locker and into art class. I could sign you up."

   "Way to take all the fun out of it."

   "Right sorry," I smiled and walked away.

~~~

   "Okay. Carlos, we're gonna do some sprints. You ready?" I asked, it was finally after school and Carlos and I were working on the tourney field. I turn to him as he nods. I start the watch and watch as he sprints, he begins screaming, which confuses me. "Carlos? Carlos!" I yell running after him.

   "Ben? Ben!" Carlos yells from the tree he had climbed up. Under the tree was Dude, the campus mutt.

   "Whoa!"

   "Ben, help me! This thing is a killer! He's gonna chase me down and rip out my throat. This is a vicious rabid pack animal."

   "Who told you that?"

   "My mother!"

   "Cruella?" I thought back to Y/n's letter from yesterday.

   "She's a dog expert. A dog Yellerer. Why are you holding him? He's gonna attack you!"

   "Carlos, you've never actually met a dog, have you?"

   "No, course not!"

   "Dude, meet Carlos. Carlos this is Dude, the campus mutt."

   "He doesn't look like a vicious, rabid pack animal. Jeez. You're a good boy, aren't you? You're a good boy."

   "I guess you guys have it pretty rough on the island," I though back to how Y/n had told me about her life and how she was struggling to keep things going with her family and friends and was often tired.

   "Yeah. Let's just say we don't get a lot of belly rubs." I watch as Carlos's smile drops.

   "What's wrong?"

   "Y/n, we left her back on the island. She doesn't really make friends easily."

   "I'm sorry to hear that."

   "That's okay, you would never pick her to come here. Her heritage in all." That caught my attention. I can't be thinking about that because of the promise, but I really wanted to know.

   "Her heritage?"

   "Yeah, I guess her father's just made her life a mess. She won't be brought here because of her father."

   "Would he like never allow her to go?"

   "No, it's about who he-" Carlos stopped turning to me. "Why are you so curious?" My lips turn into a smile.

   "I've been writing to her for eight years now. I've never met her, or seen her. We have this agreement-"

   "Never tell each other your parents, we know."

   "We?"

   "Mal, Evie, Jay, and I. Y/n used to talk about you all the time. She would laugh at how funny your problems were or how silly you would word things. She really enjoys your letters."

   "Thanks Carlos."

   "You're really all that she has besides her brother."

   "And Harry," I whispered.

   "What do you mean, and Harry?"

   "Well, she said he helped her out, got her home, got her brother a place to sleep for the night while she worked til midnight, then did her chores for her."

   "You're jealous." I turned to him.

   "No, I'm not. I've never met her."

   "No, but she tells you almost everything. She tells you more than she tells us."

   "Really?"

   "Yeah, she really does."

Dear Y/n,

   I'm thinking of dumping Audrey. She's been really mean and isn't what I want in a girlfriend. She's self centered and constantly gets into fights with Mal and makes me think she can't change. It's like how Gaston was a really nice guy for a little while then became a villain. Audrey basically insulted my dad today saying he's a "big nasty beast". I love my father and he isn't anything like that. He's kind and caring. 

   I guess what I'm looking for in a girl is kind, generous, constantly thinking of others. She would be the best Queen ever, if it ever came to that.

   Mal asked me some strange questions today about the Coronation. Maybe it's with the whole thing your thinking they are up to. Maybe that really just want to be good. I wouldn't put it past them. Auradon is such a nice place, and I wish you were here.

   Carlos and I had a real heart to heart today. We talked about you, we talked about how hard your life is and how hard everyone's life is on the isle. Carlos also met the Campus mutt, Dude. I think that they're going to be the best of friends. I can really see why you and him are friends, he's kind and generous.

  I feel bad about you not being here, in Auradon with your friends. I hope one day you can join me here.

Your's Truly,

Ben