Bridging the Gap

Chapter 9

When Mal woke up the next day, it was to the lovely greeting of a newspaper in the face. She had plenty of rude awakenings on the Isle but this one took the cake.

She had actually been hoping to sleep in, considering classes were cancelled for the week to celebrate Ben's coronation. Sleep was the best way to recover from the exhaustion still permeating her bones from the amount of magic she used the other day.

"Well good morning to you too," Mal groaned, glaring at the person who had tossed the newspaper at her.

"Did you see this?" Evie asked, not bothering to apologize, as she held up her own copy of the paper. Mal sighed and grabbed the one that had been lobbed in her face only to see her own face staring back at her. It had been the moment when Ben had kissed her on the cheek last night.

"So there were reporters there after all," Mal sighed, running her hand through her sleep tossed hair. She couldn't help but wonder why that picture had warranted the front page. Ben looked amazing and she looked decent, considering her impromptu nap. There wasn't anything going wrong with her dress; no stains or tears. Mal's thoughts were interrupted though by Lonnie barging into their room, wielding the same newspaper.

"Tell me you guys saw this?" Lonnie asked, her fingers curled around the newspaper so tight that Mal honestly thought the paper would rip. "Ugh, I can't believe they managed to get on the school grounds!"

"Come in, why don't you?" Mal said, sitting up as Lonnie paced the floor of her room. Lonnie turned and looked at Mal, seemingly surprised that Mal was still in bed. Mal glanced at the clock and glared once more at Evie upon seeing that it was only 9:30 in the morning.

"You haven't read the article, have you?"

"Considering I just woke up, I would say no," Mal told her as she turned to face Lonnie, and picked up the paper with curiosity. "Honestly, how can there be an article if they just snapped a pic?"

Lonnie sighed, running a hand through her hair. "The Gazelle is more of a tabloid than a newspaper. Well, tabloid is too kind."

"It's a gossip rag," Kitty said, walking into their room, her hands clutching the same newspaper. "The guys have collected every copy they can find to keep it from Ben. Emir and Akiho gathered the Tourney guys to help. Well with the exception of Brendon but he somehow sprained his ankle last night and can't put any pressure on it. His highness has more pressing things to worry about than some dung beetle making up a story."

"Were you listening around the corner for a spot in the conversation to join in?" Lonnie asked, slightly amused.

"Of course," Kitty told her. "It's rude to interrupt someone after all."

Mal looked over at Evie in confusion but Evie just nodded in agreement, as if she was in the loop. Mal sighed and decided to read the article everyone seemed to be losing their minds over. Opening the paper and flipping to the right page, Mal began to read.

King Ben's New Beau: Just Who is This Hot Tempered Temptress?

Mal snorted in amusement at the headline. If there was a person in Auradon who didn't know who the Isle kids were, then they were clearly living under a rock.

The good people of Auradon would be forgiven for thinking that King Ben was still with Princess Audrey Rose, as they had been dating for about five years to the day. However it appears this is not the case.

King Ben, then Prince Ben, was seen sharing a carriage with a girl who at first glance is very different than the demure, graceful princess we've grown used to seeing on Ben's arm. Gone are the long, wavy locks of a princess. Instead, we're treated to a choppy, short style with purple locks that looks better on a miscreant than on the arm of a king.