Part 2| Chapter 2: Cotillion D(st)ress

While Ben was dealing with his King responsibilities, Evie was squeezing y/n into a blue and gold dress at their dorm.

"Oh! Okay, Evie, I cannot breathe," she exclaimed as Evie pulled the dress tighter.

"Well, you can breathe after Cotillion," she replied.

"Well, I sincerely doubt that. I have at least twenty more events directly behind it, and I can't even remember what a single one of them is," y/n sighed.

"Impeccable," Evie said, admiring the dress and completely tuning out y/n.

"Sucks for you," Mal said from the bed. "I bet you wish you didn't have all this responsibility." Suddenly, Mal sat upright. "Maybe you wish you were back on the Isle."

"What? Do you?" Evie asked y/n frantically.

"Of course not!" y/n replied, though even she didn't fully believe herself. She loved Ben, but sometimes, the pressure of being perfect really got to her. That's why she dyed her hair brown with blonde strands, acts like the perfect girlfriend, and doesn't even put a toe out of line.

"Evie?" Mal asked.

"Hmm?"

"Do you ever think about what we'd be doing if we were back on the Isle right now?" Mal asked her.

Evie laughed. "That's funny."

Evie switched the TV on, and almost instantly y/n and Ben popped up.

"Ah! Look who's on," Mal said.

"As the royal couple continues their tour of the kingdom, they dined with Aladdin and Jasmine. Six months ago... no one thought King Ben and his girlfriend from the wrong side of the bridge would last," the reporter said through the screen.

Mal chuckled. "Yeah. No kidding."

"Ouch," y/n muttered.

"Y/n must be counting the days until the Royal Cotillion... when she will officially become a Lady of the Court," the reporter continued.

Y/n suddenly gasped. "Ugh! I was supposed to read this book, and I'm not even on page 1!"

Mal smiled. "I can help with that."

She grabbed y/n's hand and pulled her over to the bed before taking out her spell book. She flipped through the pages until she found the spell she was looking for.

"Let her read it fast at lightning speed. Let her remember everything she needs," Mal chanted. "Your book," she asked y/n.

Y/n scurried through her drawers before handing a red-covered book to Mal. With a swish of her fingers, Mal spelled the book. "Here you go."

Y/n opened the book, and to her delight, she was able to read a page within a second. "Thank you," she said while scanning through the pages.

"I know y/n's secret to fitting in, and Ben wouldn't like it one bit," Evie said. "Haven't you guys had enough secrets between the two of you already?"

"For the record, this is my first time using the spell book," y/n stated.

"Then how'd you dye your hair?" Evie asked.

"Ummm..." Y/n could feel the chain with her ring she wore beneath her shirt, but she didn't mention it. It was bad enough that Mal kept her spell book—Evie would blow if she found out y/n kept her ring.

"Well, personally, as your best friend, M, I strongly believe that this spell book—"

"Ah!" Mal exclaimed when Evie took the book.

"—it belongs in the museum, along with my mirror," Evie stated. "Don't give me the face. Put the pout away. Mm-hmm. You know I'm right. Y/n's ring should be there too, if only we could find it."

"Ah yes, it was lost the very same day your mirror was taken. Am I right?" Mal nudged y/n, earning a glare from her.

"It was very unfortunate," she replied icily.

"But when we find it, it's going to the museum," Evie said.

"Mhm," y/n agreed half-heartedly.

"You don't ever miss running wild and just breaking all the rules?" Mal suddenly asked Evie.

"Like stealing and lying and fighting?"

"Yeah!"

"No! What? Why would we? Guys, come here." Evie pulled them to the TV, where y/n and Ben were still featured. "Look at where we are. We're in Auradon! And we're Auradon girls now."

"Since y/n revealed her love of strawberries and chocolate, she has received hundreds of cartons from her admirers," the reporter said. "Here she is enjoying a cozy bite..."

"See, this is the land of opportunity. We can be whatever we want to be here. So, please, let's just leave the past in the past, okay?" Evie asked Mal. "Y/n, I'm sure you agree."

"O-of course," she said.

"Yeah. Of course," Mal added with a hint of something else laced in her tone.

"Besides, I mean, look at the shoes," Evie said, completely oblivious to what Mal was implying as she picked up a shoe. "Look at them," she chuckled.

"Mm. Severe," Mal replied with wide eyes.

"Careful—they're mine," y/n said, chuckling.

***

Later that day, the five VKs were walking through the outdoor path to get to their classes. Jay and Carlos were walking together, Evie was chatting with someone, and Mal and y/n were lagging behind them.

"I want to talk about the vision," y/n told her.

"What vision?" Mal asked.

"A vision of your fantasy. It was us, and we were doing what mother wanted us to do Auradon."

Mal's eyes widened. "How did you see that?"

Y/n shrugged. "My guess is, it was a shared vision. Somehow, I could see whatever you were seeing. So, Mal, do you have anything you wanna tell me?"

Mal thought for a few seconds, and y/n wondered if her sister was really opening up. However, she was soon disappointed.

"You know, a shared vision has a meaning."

Y/n rolled her eyes. "I'm aware. It means you're very close with the person who had the vision."

"That, and also you share the vision. You think it too, even partly." Mal turned to her sister. "I'm not the only one who feels like a fish out of water here, y/n."

Y/n stood there, slightly stunned, until Jane greeted her enthusiastically, making her snap out of her daze.

"Y/n."

"Hey, Jane," she greeted with a smile.

"Hey," Mal added.

"Y/n, I hate to keep bugging you, but the decorating committee needs more answers," Jane said nervously.

"No worries," y/n assured her. "Go on."

"I'll get to class," Mal said.

"Wait, Mal, you're a huge part of the decorating committee! I need you," Jane said before she left.

"Yeah, Jane, I really have to get to class right now," she said.

"You know, just nod if you like it. Chair swags. Entry banner. Twinkle lights. Napkin design. Table bunting. And you still haven't picked the party favours yet," Jane listed.

"Honestly, Jane, whatever you think—" Mal started.

"I mean, we can do chains, key charms, pen toppers. I kind of love the pen toppers, but, I mean, we can do all three," she continued.

Suddenly, Mal's eyes flashed green, something that only happened when she was angry or stressed. Of course, Jane didn't know that, but y/n did.

When Mal's eyes returned to normal, she chuckled. "I say pen toppers."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You won't regret it," Jane said before laughing. "Y/n, this Cotillion will be extraordinary!"

"I can hardly wait to see what your wedding will look like!" Lonnie exclaimed.

Y/n chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry, wedding?"

"The Royal Cotillion is like getting engaged to be engaged to be engaged," Jane explained.

"I knew it!" Evie gasped.

"Well, everyone knows it," Lonnie said.

"What? I didn't know it! How come nobody told me that? Is my entire life just planned out in front of me—" y/n ranted before Ben arrived.

"Hi, y/n," he said as he slung an arm around her.

"Hi, Ben," the girls said with over-exaggerated smiles.

"To what do I owe this surprise?" y/n asked nervously.

"I missed you," he simply stated.

"Aww," Mal said sarcastically.

"Go," y/n growled.

"I'll see you later," Mal said before leaving.

"Quick moment," Jane told Ben.

"But I just got here," he complained.

"It's okay—I have to get to class," y/n told him.

"Oh. Then meet me after, alright?" he said.

"Sure," she agreed.

After placing a kiss to her cheek, Ben let go of her and conversed with Jane while she walked along the path to her next class.

"Hey," Mal said, falling back to walk with her. "How's it going with Mr. Romeo over there?" she asked teasingly.

"It's going great, so I would appreciate it if you didn't interfere," y/n replied through gritted teeth.

"I'm not interfering; your emotions are. And you only have so much time to tell him you don't love him before he finds out himself."

"Wha—of course I love him!" y/n protested.

"Have you ever told him?" Mal asked.

"I—you know I struggle with expressing my emotions!"

"Well, you better fix that before he starts to think that his love is unrequited."

With that, Mal sped up, leaving y/n alone to contemplate her words.

Would Ben really think that? And worse, was their love unrequited?