Into the Depths

Chapter 30

Audrey sighed as she got dressed, her routine never changing despite her location doing just that. Instead of the prison that had her childhood castle had become, she was in her dorm at Auradon Prep.

While she had been able to graduate with her classmates, she still needed to attend summer classes to make up for the lessons she had missed ruling over Auroria in her mother's stead. Or at least ruling in name only. Her grandmother had made all the decisions for the kingdom. Audrey normally wouldn't have minded if it wasn't for the fact that she needed a guardian there with her.

A role that her grandmother had quickly volunteered for.

Honestly, why can't she give it up? Audrey thought as she brushed her blonde hair. Ben clearly loves Mal. I...I need to think of something else if I'm going to get back together with Ben and get Grammy out of my life. It's not going to be easy though, anyone with eyes can see that he clearly has feelings for Mal.

If there's one person she did feel sorry for, it was Chad. The Charmington heir had been sweet, offering to help where he could. He even tried to offer her a room in his castle when she finished her summer courses but of course, her grandmother had walked in just as Chad was trying to get the words out.

It was clear that Chad was devoted to her...maybe even too devoted. Audrey remembered how Chad had cried about their break up in the viewing, about how he had freaked out when she had called him in the future that would never happen. Hell, he had gone on a six hour drive on the night of Cotillion in that future just because she had called.

Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that it's practically impossible, I'd suspect Grammy did something to Chad considering he seems to get more devoted to me whenever he comes back from a meeting with her, Audrey thought as she applied her makeup. No one's that devoted to someone. Even his extreme anti-VK stance during Family Day in the first viewing didn't make much sense. I can understand not trusting them but to physically attack Evie? His mother was raised by a villain after all, one could argue that Queen Ella was a VK. Even if she's not a 'k' part of the VK moniker now.

She sighed and shook her head as she put the makeup brush down. She couldn't be thinking of Chad, she needed to think about Ben and getting back together with him.

It wasn't that Audrey hadn't tried to get Ben's attention. Last week, when Mal and the others were off galavanting around the Isle to get the next wave of VKs to attend Auradon Prep, Audrey had tried to cozy up to Ben.

He gave her a smile and asked how she'd been doing, like they were old friends and not formerly boyfriend and girlfriend. Audrey hadn't minded though, he was at least talking to her. She still had a shot with him, even if it was a minuscule one. After all, she had never spelled him to start their relationship as her grandmother constantly reminded her. If his Tourney teammates hadn't dragged him away, Audrey knew she could have had an 'in' with Ben.

She'd been so close!

But then Mal had to come back from the Isle, gushing about how good it was to see the Isle again and how much it'd changed since Ben and Carlos set up that safe house for the brats.

Audrey shook her head slightly. Whoa, where did that come from? I mean I'll probably never be the VKs favorite person but I hadn't really considered them to be brats before.

It didn't matter anyway. She needed to focus on what was going to happen today. After all, today was the day that Ben, Mal and the others were going to go collect the four VKs from the Isle. Once Ben was back, Audrey would go and see if she could have another talk with him.

Maybe...maybe I could just come out and say what Grammy's doing, Audrey thought as she finished up her primping. It's probably the one thing I haven't tried. I mean, I've known Ben since we were three. He'd do something. Right?