𝙼 𝙰 𝚈 𝙱 𝙴
stave ii 🃏 chapter 11

( third person narration )

𝘽𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨
𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄'𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣' 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠
𝙄'𝙢 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙨
𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙠

"Let's give Auradon a taste of evil."

Dark, loomy smoke surrounded a bubbling cauldron, filled with candy-apple red apples. The apples were half-submerged in an overflowing, mysterious liquid. The VK's all stood around the large cauldron as Evie slowly stirred it, along with Mal chanting a spell, poisoning them.

A wicked grin spread across Quinn Cora Hearts' face as Mal pulled out her leather spellbook, searching for a spell to poison the apples.

"Wicked ways beneath the skin," the purple-haired girl gave her friends an evil look, "let all who taste it now join in."

A nefarious smile emerged among all of the VK's faces as Mal pulled off a truly wicked evil laugh. More apples were drenched in the cauldron by Jay and Carlos pouring more in.

(oh god this lyric thing is gonna be so bad—)

VK's:
We got all the ways to be
W-i-c-k-e-d
We got all the ways to be
W-i-c-k-e-d
C'mon hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

The VK's dispersed. Mal and Carlos met inside the school. Mal, spray-painting the school lockers while Carlos dumped more poisoned apples on the school grounds.

Mal:
Crashin' the party, guess they lost my invitation
Friendly reminder got my own kinda persuasion

Carlos:
Looks like this place could use a bit of misbehavior
Happily ever after with a little flavor

Jay:
Bad to the bone, with even worse intentions
We're gonna steal the show, and leave 'em all defenseless

Evie:
A fairy tale life can be oh-so overrated
So raise your voices and let's get it activated

Everyone:
Long live havin' some fun
We take what we want
There's so many ways to be wicked
With us evil lives on the right side of wrong

There's so many ways to be wicked

(look i could've actually written it as descriptions but i was way too lazy)

Quinn was in Hatter's Music Studio. Everyone else had been spelled and wrecking havoc in the studio as the heartbreaker tossed three apples into the air. Alison, Max, and Maxine all caught the apples in mid-air and took an unusually large bite of them.

Music sheets were tossed into the air, guitars were irresponsibly played, and piano keys were furiously played. Quinn just stood in the middle of it all, satisfied with the spelled students as she sang her part.

Quinn:
Apple, apple dip, dip
Wanna try it?
Tick, tick
Take a bite, c'mon, be bold
Change the way the story's told

Mal:
This time the dark is finally getting your attention

Evie:
We're wicked by the book and class is back in session

(okay just skip to the three dots pls pls)

While Evie stayed in the classrooms, Quinn and Jay were both outside, surrounded by the cheerleaders who'd also been spelled.

Quinn:
You like it? Steal it

Jay:
Gotta beat 'em to the treasure

Carlos, Everyone:
A right of passage—bad just doesn't get much better

Everyone:
Long live havin' some fun
We take what we want
There's so many ways to be wicked
With us evil lives on the right side of wrong

There's so many ways to be wicked

Mal:
Mother always knows best

Evie:
Show her, pass every test

Carlos, Quinn:
Hear her voice in my head

Jay:
Evil is the only

VKs:
Real way to live

Everyone, Mal:
We got all the ways to be
Hey, hey, hey, hey
W-i-c-k-e-d
Let's go
We got all the ways to be
Hey, hey, hey, hey

W-i-c-k-e-d

Long live havin' some fun havin' some fun
We take what we want
There's so many ways to be wicked
With us evil lives on evil lives on
The right side of wrong

There's so many ways to be wicked

Hey, hey, hey, hey
We got all the ways to be
W-i-c-k-e-d
We got all the ways to be
W-i-c-k-e-d
We got all the ways to be
W-i-c-k-e-d
We got all the ways to be

Mal:
So many ways to be wicked

(not me doing these songs so dirty by not actually writing them as lines in the story 😅)

It all seemed real as Mal kissed the apple, tossing it to Ben.

But it was all just a daydream. A fantasy. A wish. Something deep down inside Mal that was waiting to be unleashed, but hadn't come out yet . . .

• • •

Six months ago, Quinn was running away from the news of moving to Auradon and transferring to Auradon Prep. Now, she was essentially "living the dream" as her best friend Evie had put it.

And Evie wasn't wrong. Auradon had good food, good people, and comfortable beds. There was a plethora of opportunities for Quinn to experiment with her music and make a living out of it. Hatter's Music Studios was the place where the smallest deal you could get was playing for the Royal Family, which was a massive deal.

Even though Quinn was slightly ticked off with Percy Pan, who had turned into a grade-A dirtbag after he'd cheated on her, all was well for Quinn Cora Hearts. She didn't love her new live as much as Evie did, but Quinn couldn't imagine herself anywhere else.

Then there was Mal, on the opposite side of the spectrum. While she claimed that she enjoyed the life presented to the VK's, Quinn knew that something else was on her mind.

A frown etched onto the Hearts girl's face as Mal jumped, being taken aback by the amount of journalists in front of her. Mal had zoned out. Again.

For being the daughter of the most evil villian in the entire world, Mal had turned into a total princess. Ever since Ben and Mal's relationship became huge, it was press here, and event there. Oh, and don't forget the gown fitting at twelve, yet another event in Mal's busy life. Mal even dyed her hair blonde with faded purple tips to try and "fit in" as she explained to Quinn and Evie.

Quinn lifted a part of her hair at the thought. Her locks were previously blonde at the top, fading into red on the lower half of her hair. But after a pesky dare, Quinn was now completely blonde. Therefore, dumping another past to her box of memories.

First losing the usual red lip, now losing her red hair.

"Ready for the media swarm?"

Meet Evie. Daughter of the Evil Queen and absolute diva. Also trying to be a typical Auradon girl. Evie was Quinn and Mal's best friend. She was the best to consult on fashion decisions, and everyday life in general. But not everything was confided in the blue-haired girl. Sure, Evie was Quinn's best friend (and she did tell her basically everything), however, Mal didn't seem to confide everything in Evie.

"As always, blueberry," Quinn commented, in response to Evie's question.

Evie gave a eye slight role at the nickname, one of many that Quinn used for everyone she came across. "Nobody's safe from your nicknames," Evie said, smiling and holding out her unpursed hand, "We have a dress that needs fitted."

Quinn took the hand. "You know I have no idea how to alter dresses, right," she said.

"But that's where you're wrong," the blue-haired girl insisted, "You will be a crucial role in Mal's dress-making." The duo's heels clicked against the pavement as they neared Mal and Ben.

"And what role is that?"

"You will be critiquing the dress."

Mal and Ben almost shared a kiss, only to be interrupted by Evie's hand grasping Mal's. Ben gave Quinn a look of question, who shrugged in response. Evie had a ton of orders for Cotillion dresses, but wasn't stressed out by it. She always said that if you have a passion for what you are doing, you'll never get tired of doing it.

Quinn made a mental note to tell her roommate Alison about that, who was hell-bent on getting at least one hour of sleep a night and wouldn't let Quinn play/write music all night.

"If we don't do a fitting for your gown right this minute, you'll be dancing in your bathrobe, okay?" Evie basically ignored Ben, until Quinn nudged her, reminding her of the King's presence, "Hi. Let's go."

Evie and Quinn dragged Mal to Evie and Mal's dorm that had recently been redocerated. The original pink floral fabrics were replaced with blue silk ones and dark blue carpets. Alison, Alice's daughter, practically begged Fairy Godmother to change her and Quinn's dorm also. Quinn and Alison had been bunking in Evie's room while Alison and her little sister, Ally were redecorating it.

Mal practically suffocated when Evie tightened the corset of the dress. "Okay, Evie, I cannot breathe," she said, gasping for air.

"Well, you can breathe after Cotillion," Evie insisted, pulling Mal's arm up.

"Well, I sincerely doubt that," Mal insisted. She looked at Quinn, who was partially listening to the conversation while strumming her guitar. Mal knew that Quinn would want to hear what she said anyways. "I have at least 20 more events directly behind it, and I can't even remember what a single one of them is."

Quinn rolled her eyes when Evie ignored Mal's stress, kissing her own fingers and complimenting herself on her job well done.

Evie sighed in satisfaction. "Q," Evie asked Quinn, "Do you like?" Evie beamed, presenting Mal's dress to the blonde girl.

Quinn looked up from her guitar. Evie was smiling, while Mal looked like she wanted to forgo Cotillion all together.

Her eyes landed on the dress. And only two words came to mind when Quinn saw it.

"It's very . . . poofy," Quinn looked at the bottom of the dress, "and yellow."

Evie hummed, "Your jacket is also yellow."

Quinn hummed back at Evie and straightened the bottom of her yellow leather jacket. "You have your fashion thing," she picked up her songbook, holding it up to the two girls, "And I have my music thing." A beat of silence passed. "The dress is lovely, and I'm sure Mal will grow to love it as much as you do."

Look, Quinn wasn't really a compulsive liar anymore. And yes, the dress was gorgeous. However, it didn't seem like . . . Mal. It screamed "Auradon" more than it screamed "Mal" like it was probably supposed to.

"And I'm sure the Hatter siblings will love the song you're writing to perform at Cotillion," the blue-haired girl sent a smile Quinn's way.

Hatter's Music Studios was responsible for the music-related portions of Cotillion. There was some big meeting with Max and Maxine about choosing someone for a solo at Cotillion. The twins were supposed to reveal who they were choosing that day.

Quinn, wanting the part so badly, turned back to her songbook, finding a particular interest in the current song she was writing. "The point of no return is getting closer / And I can't stand it how you're all I think about / This one's gonna force my hand." The blonde bit her lip. She knew she was writing about someone, but she didn't know who the person was.

"Evie, Quinn," Quinn's head perked up at Mal's voice again.

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

Quinn's breath hitched in her throat. Going noticed by Mal and Evie, the Hearts girl immediately turned back to her instrument and music book.

"That's funny," Evie commented, answering Mal's question as she turned to the TV, gushing at the sight of Mal, "Look who's on TV."

The news went ignored by Quinn as usual, who had a disliking for anyone who prevented a couple from having the most normal life a royal couple could get. But her attention was given this time around. Not to the screen, but to Mal, who had a gasp escape her lips at the mention of Cotillion.

Quinn watched the girl pull out an orange book and her spellbook. The blonde frowned as she watched Mal flip through the spellbook that had once been used by her mother. Also previously used to attempt to take over the world. Now it was used by Mal to alter her appearence, to make her the typical "Auradon girl," and help her fit into the royal lifestyle.

"'Read it fast at lightning speed. Remember everything I need.'"

Quinn hated that Mal was using the book to change herself. Ben fell in love with the girl from the Isle, not with the girl from Auradon. Even if it was a love spell at first.

Evie caught wind of the spellbook, too, and hated Mal's usage of it as much as Quinn did. Evie and Quinn made eye contact before Evie gave the girl a small nod.

"So, Mal," Quinn began, "Did you know that your name litearly translates to 'bad' in Spanish? So if you're gonna change yourself to fit in Auradon, you might wanna use that magic of yours to change your name too."

Mal glared at Quinn.

"Haven't you guys had enough secrets between the two of you already?" Evie asked, approaching Mal, as did Quinn.

"Evie, you remember what I was like before I started using my spell book. I mean, I was a complete disaster," Mal insisted.

Quinn sighed, looking over to Evie, who was also in front of Mal, the bedposts seperating the princesses with their best friend. "Even though I think this is partially Ben's fault," Quinn began, "You shouldn't be changing yourself with magic. So why don't we do this."

The blonde snatched her friend's spellbook, who was quick to complain about it.

"Wha—"

"Personally, as your best friends, we strongly believe that this spell book belongs in the museum, along with my mirror," Mal immediatly pouted at Evie's words, "Don't give me the face. Put the pout away. You know I'm right."

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

"Like stealing and lying and fighting?" Evie clarified.

"Yeah!"

"No!"

Mal frowned. "Why would we? M, come here," Evie pulled Mal up, also dragging Quinn with her to the front of her desk, "Look at where we are. We're in Auradon! And we're Auradon girls now."

Quinn outwardly cringed at the last two words that escaped Evie's lips. She loved Evie, but hated the phrase "Auradon girls."

Evie gushed as the TV screen showed Mal eating strawberries with Ben. They couldn't even have a date without the media swarmming around the couple.

"See, this is the land of opportunity. We can be whatever we want to be here," Evie insisted, and she wasn't wrong. But Quinn's frown deepened at the next thing Evie had to say, "So, please, let's just leave the past in the past, okay?"

Mal and Quinn reluctantly nodded. But both of them knew that some things in the past wouldn't be left as untouched as Evie would've liked. Mal longed to be herself, and as much as Quinn claimed to enjoy Auradon, there was something she was missing that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

But, alas, going back to the Isle of the Lost? That put a shiver down Quinn's spine. Despite the number of rules and expectations set in Auradon, going back to see her mother, the Queen of Hearts, and running into vengeful Isle kids didn't sound all that appealing to the Hearts girl.

Auradon it is.

"Besides, I mean, look at the shoes. Look at them."

• • •

"Why do you torture them? Just pick someone to take to Cotillion already."

Mal, Evie, Carlos, Jay, and Quinn were walking to class. The question about Cotillion dates had popped up. Quinn found it funny that she had quit her flirting game, but Jay's had continued.

"I'm going solo," Jay insisted, "That way, I can dance with all of them."

Quinn was also going by herself. She'd been asked by a couple of guys, but turned them down out of uninterest. Not that she would really need a date anyways. She was trying to get a Cotillion gig, so there was no need for boys.

"Why can't you just go with Quinn?" Carlos reasoned, "I mean neither of you have dates, so just go as friends."

Quinn and Jay gave each other a good look, before Quinn burst into laughter.

"I'm—I'm so sorry," the Hearts girl said in between laughs. She clutched her chest in an attempt to get her to stop laughing, "Me, with Jay?" Quinn laughed more at the thought of it.

Jay rolled his eyes and flicked Quinn in the arm.

"Um, Jay," Carlos began after Quinn finished laughing, "if you were gonna ask someone, what's the best way to go?"

Quinn knew that Carlos was talking about Jane. Since coronation, Carlos had been crushing on Fairy Godmother's daughter, Jane. He was too much of a coward to ask her out, however, which irritated Quinn.

"Listen, all you got to do," Jay placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder, "is look like me."

Carlos frowned. "Oh, ha-ha," he dryly remarked as Jay continued laughing.

Speaking of the devil, Jane, Lonnie, and Alison all approached the five. Evie gushed at the sight of Alison in a dress. And she wasn't complaining. Alison had been dressing up more lately, trying to 'find her style,' as she had put it. Evie and Quinn were all over it, being the fashionistas they were.

Quinn elbowed Carlos at the sight of Jane.

"Uh, hey Jane," Carlos said nervously.

Jane smiled. "Hey," she said.

Quinn and Jay, being the flirts they were, watched the entire scene unfold in front of them.

The blonde was cheering him on, "Come on Carlos," she muttered, "Ask her out already."

Jay looked at Quinn, "Dude, there's no way he's gonna do it."

"I was wondering . . . uh," the white-haired boy trailed off, "if you liked the . . . carrot cake last night."

"I had the pumpkin pie."

Quinn brought a finger to her temple in frustration as Jay hugged Carlos' shoulders. "Smooth," he whispered as Jane started talking to Mal about Cotillion decorations.

Quinn scoffed, "Smooth like chunky peanut butter."

She lightly chuckled, before watching Mal and Jane. Quinn frowned at how stressed Mal looked. She kept muttering "I have class," before Jane physically stopped her from walking away.

Jane was rambling on about pen toppers or something, but Mal's eyes began to glow green. Quinn shuddered at the sight. Her eyes hadn't glowed since Coronation. If not that, than they had a couple of times, when Mal used her spellbook. The princess stuff must've been getting to her more than Evie and Quinn thought it did.

But, nevertheless, Mal brushed it off. As usual.

"I say pen toppers!"

Quinn was frowning already, but her frown deepened when Lonnie, Jane, Evie, and Alison started talking to her again. Lonnie, Evie, and Alison had finished their conversation about Cotillion dress-fitting, proceeding to make Mal stressed out even more by talking about Cotillion.

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

Quinn raised an eyebrow at Lonnie's statement.

"I'm sorry, what—" Quinn said.

Mal seemed unaffected by the news. "Me, too," realization hit her, "Wait! What?"

Jane didn't make things any better with an explanation, "The Royal Cotillion is like getting engaged to be engaged to be engaged."

"I knew it!" Evie said.

"Well, everyone knows it," Alison insisted.

"Wha—I didn't know!" Quinn raised her hand with a scoff.

"Quinn, we had this conversation like a gazillion times!"

Quinn and Alison's mini-argument was interrupted by Mal's stress coming out. "I didn't know it! How come nobody told me that? Is my entire life just planned out in front of me—"

"Hey Mal."

"Hi Ben!"

"Yeah, hi Ben," Quinn said out of key. The four girls glared at her. Quinn nervously laughed, "Yeah, I've gotta go to Hatter's . . . so. Alison, you coming?"

"Yeah," Alison said, turning to Lonnie, "So, we good for 4?"

"Yep," Lonnie chirped, "Be ready."

Normally, Quinn would've asked what Lonnie had meant, but Alison had been doing a lot these days. Besides, Quinn had other stresses on her mind, like Mal's.

It had seemed as though Mal's keenness for the Isle of the Lost was finally getting to her. And the pressure to be perfect was also. Quinn and Evie both believed that Mal had liked it better in Auradon than she did at the Isle of the Lost, but, she was full of surprises.

Unfortunately, this surprise would cause an unexpected trip, and an unexpected rekindling of a relationship that Quinn had thought she'd left behind.

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄

hi i'm back—

*cue booing sound effects*

yea so it's been almost a year since i updated but hi hello i'm back 😍😍

this is actually what i like to refer to as the "decent stave" bc you all are actually getting the harry hook content you came here for

i'm so slay 🫶

also happy slay chapter that i actually liked??!

thanks for bearing with me. :)
until next time.

~crrashingwavves