Crossing the Bridge

Chapter 23

The scene opens up at the night sky as the camera pans over the lights and down toward Ben and Mal, who have moved from the middle of the yacht to standing in front of the stairs.

"I think someone went to have a private talk with his girlfriend," Emir chuckled. "I mean, how else do you go from standing in the middle of the yacht to being in a whole new location?"

"Maybe they went to get changed?" Emma suggested. "After all, Mal's missing the crown she had been wearing when she transformed."

"Plus her dress is shorter," Ashaki added. "I don't think whatever force changed her dress gave Mal two dresses so I'm guessing Evie gave Mal the same removable fabric that were on all of our dresses."

"Of course," Evie nodded.

Ben: Looking back at yesterday

I thought I gave it everything

But still there's so much road ahead of me

"What's that smile for?" Emir asked. "Like, Mal has this sort of smirk and Ben just looks dazed..."

"Mind. Gutter. Out." Akiho sighed. "Ben's probably just happy that he and Mal are True Love."

Emir shook his head. "That is a dazed look."

"Well how would you look about who knows how long from coming out of a hypnosis spell?"

Aziz just shook his head. "You're both idiots," he chuckled. "He could just be happy that everyone's safe after what just happened."

Mal: When I looked into your eyes

I guess I didn't recognize

"Jay, what's that look for?" Mal asked, looking at her oldest friend.

"If I knew, I'd tell you," Jay chuckled. Meanwhile, Lonnie was rolling her eyes at the small glare Lil Shang was leveling toward Jay.

"I can take care of myself you know," she muttered to him. "Besides Jay's a good guy."

Who we are and all that we can be

"And they're just...staring at us," Mal muttered, looking at the on-screen trumpeters, Lumiere, Fairy Godmother, Belle and Beast.

"Get used to it," Ben told her, gently squeezing her hand.

Ben and Mal: Sometimes it's hard to find yourself

"So that was the cue for all of us to start dancing?" Akiho asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's us. Do we really need a cue to start dancing?" Emir chuckled. "Besides, you act like we don't have choreographed musical numbers all the time."

"We don't."

"Really? Family Day ring any bells?"

"That was planned. I'm talking spontaneous musical numbers."

"Okay. Last viewing ring any bells?"

But it's worth it in the end

'Cause in your heart is where it all begins

Ben frowned as the future versions of his classmates and friends bowed to him and Mal. He knew, because it was an official event, there was nothing he could do. Didn't stop the fact that he hated it.

Most of his classmates were people he knew since he was a kid. It felt weird going from their peer to their king. Six months wouldn't eliminate that feeling.