𝙼 𝙰 𝚈 𝙱 𝙴
stave ii 🃏 chapter 12

( third person narration )

𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠
𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙘
𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬

There was one thing right in Quinn Cora Hearts' spiraling life. That thing was music. To some people, music played a big part of their lives. Every chorus, every line created, every ballad had the power to change someone's life. To empower them. To help them relate to something bigger than themselves.

Quinn used it to shove her feelings into an incredible solo.

Hatter's Music Studios was the perfect place to exercise that musical talent of hers. Max and Maxine Hatter were responsible for running the joint, carefully selecting members of their team to perform at banquets, royal events, or earn a record deal.

It was a big deal, fueled by big bucks.

Quinn nervously stood in the main area, where auditions were usually held. Max and Maxine were to select the soloist who would sing at Cotillion. For Mal and Ben. In front of the entire kingdom.

Alison stood beside the Hearts girl, helping her calm down a little bit. Alison was a great soloist, but had opted out of playing at Cotillion because of her fear of playing onstage by herself.

"Look, Rosey, it's going to be fine," Alison said, "You crushed auditions and you're gonna get the solo. So, can you give me my twenty dollars that you're fiddiling with back."

Quinn took a deep breath, proceeding to hand the money back to her best friend, but failed. "But what if Percy gets the solo," she said, starting to pace, "I mean I basically wrote the whole song for him."

Percy Pan was a piece of garbage, to say the least. Quinn could have come up with a couple of very bad words to describe him, but decided not to. Turns out, she was being used for her superior song-writing skills. This not only earned Percy a spot in the music studio, but also helped him climb up Hatter Music Studios' rankings. So much for "needing desperate help."

"Who cares about Pan? He's leaving the group anyways for the fencing team," she held out her hand, "Now give me back my money."

Quinn tried to hand Alison the money again, but then. "But I'm just nervous! What if I don't get the part?" her pacing resumed.

Alison huffed. "Look around, take in your surroundings. It's a good distraction," she just wanted her money at this point, "Money."

The blonde rolled her eyes, handing her best friend back the money and taking her advice. The common room of the building was very nice. It had four cherrywood walls, the light from the two chandeliers reflecting off of its glossiness. The floors were covered in many red persian rugs, complimenting the number of emerald velvet chairs and couches. A large oak table stood in the center. For being the children of the Mad Hatter, the building was furnished well.

The walls were also decorated with hats. Many hats. Pictures of hats, figures of hats. A porcelain tea set was the centerpiece of the large table.

The light chatter between the people was cut short at the click of someone's heels. Quinn turned her head away from the tea set to find the red-headed twins themselves. Both in green, both wearing warm smiles.

"Good morning everyone," Max started, nearing the group. Some of them muttered their own responses, while others stayed quiet.

Maxine folded her hands. "So after a week of deliberation," she started, "We have finally chosen someone to perform the solo at Cotillion."

Percy sent a look towards Quinn, who happily returned it with a glare.

"I'm going to kill the twins if Percy gets the part," Alison muttered, earning an elbow in the stomach from Quinn.

"Now all of you did wonderful. Some of you better than others—"

Quinn and Percy glared at each other again as Max was cut off.

The second Hatter was cut off by her sister, "But I am happy to announce—"

"I?" Max questioned, "This is a partnership. You don't run the show."

Maxine flipped part of her hair back. "You and I both know that I'm more quallified to run this joint," she insisted, "Now the person performing is—"

"Quinn Hearts," Max cut off.

Everyone applauded as the Hatter twins started bickering about why they cut the other person off. Quinn was shocked, to say the least.

Okay, she was over the moon.

Alison hugged her friend. "See! I told you you would get it!" she frowned when she saw Quinn frowning, "What's wrong?"

"Are the Hatter twins okay?" Quinn asked.

Max shoved his sister, "Congratulations Quinn!"

"No I was supposed to congratulate her!"

The blonde waved her hand in dismissal. "Eh, it's what they always do."

• • •

Quinn was over the moon. She had taken free period to finish and polish the song she'd been writing. It was about falling in love, a concept that was tricky to Quinn. She thought she had fallen in love, but it turned out she was only being used.

Oh well. Who needed love anyways?

Since all her friends were busy, and Alison was nowhere to be found, Quinn stood on the balcony beside Jane, watching her two best friends salute, before pulling their fencing masks down and letting their swords clash against each other.

It was metal against metal. Some other team members had run off. Jay was fighting miscellaneous players while Carlos and Percy fought.

But Carlos had run off when two masked figures approached Percy and Jay. They were good, like better than Jay and Percy good, who happily took the highest positions on the fencing team. Percy and Jay both ripped their masks off, before nodding to each other.

Everyone watched in amazement as the figure fighting Percy pushed him to the floor, making several attempts to stab him. Both figures fought well against their opponent.

The metal clashing was like a symphony to Quinn. A well-experienced swordsman herself, she'd missed the sport. But Auradon's outdated sexist traditions had banned girls from fencing.

Percy and Jay were left defenseless when the figures took their swords. The swords were tossed back at them, before the first one took their mask off.

Quinn and Jane gave each other a look of amazement when Lonnie was revealed to be the first swordswoman.

"It's Lonnie," Jane stated the obvious as the crowd applauded, "And—"

The second figure, the one fighting Percy, revealed themself. It was Alison and Lonnie fighting the two best players on the fencing team all along.

Quinn jumped and clapped her hands for Alison, yelling, "That is my best friend.

Percy cringed when he found out that a blonde girl, the daughter of someone as dainty as Alice Liddel, had beat him in a sword-fight. Jay, however, was impressed, to say the least.

"Not bad," Jay remarked.

Lonnie put her mask under her arm. "You should put us on the team," she stated, Alison nodding in agreement.

The brunette shrugged, but Chad, being the dirtbag he was, and Percy were quick to step in.

"No, no, no. We'll—we'll be the laughing stock of the league," Percy insisted, "A-and what's gonna happen next? We'll have girls playing tourney?" He scoffed, "Come on, guys."

Quinn let out the biggest eye roll in the universe.

"So?"

Chad looked offended. "So? Uh, so, have you not read the rule book?" he whipped out a small pocketbook. Quinn rolled her eyes again as he started flipping through the pages, "Section 2, paragraph 3, 11 - 4. 'A team will be comprised of a captain, a co-captain, and eight men. '" He showed the book to the crowd; Percy nodded in agreement and pointed to the book. Chad turned back to the two girls who were frowning, "Hmm? Why don't you read the rule book?"

"Okay, so?" Alison defended, trying hard not to stab Percy and Chad with her sword, "Why does it matter? Guys can do the same things girls can, if not better."

"Yeah! And besides, you're down a man! I mean, since Ben had to leave to do all that king stuff," Lonnie said, "And besides, Alison's been practicing a lot, and she's pretty good. It'd be nice to at least have a sub in case we're down another man."

"Exactly," Percy continued, "A man."

Quinn cupped her hands over her mouth, yelling, "Boo," at Percy and Chad's antics.

Pan sent a glare at the girl, who smiled in response.

Lonnie, refused to give up, "Jay . . . "

Jay looked at the boys, then looked at the girls, then at the rule book. He sighed. "I'm sorry. Coach trusts me," he explained, "I'm not gonna stay captain if I just throw out the rule book."

The raven-haired girl glared at Jay, "If my mother thought that way, she would have lost the war."

Chad scoffed, "Okay?"

Alison rolled, her eyes, dragging Lonnie away from the scene as Chad and Percy taunted the duo with the rulebook. One thing's for sure, Quinn was glad that she was in Auradon, because if this was the Isle, Quinn would've tortured Chad and Percy by now.

• • •

"How to get out of the friend zone."

The dorm door opened, revealing Quinn Hearts as she heard those eight words. Carlos had called her over for something, but Quinn didn't know that he needed dating advice. Quinn wasn't mad, though. At least someone thought that she was still good in the dating game.

"Hey Carlos," Quinn chirped, shutting the door, "So, what'd you call me over for?" She folded her hands, sitting on the edge of the boy's bed.

"Well, since you already know that Jay was no help," Carlos started, "And since you were pretty big on that stuff back at the Isle." He looked up at the blonde, "Do you know how to ask someone out?"

Quinn fake pouted. "Aw, poor puppy. You need dating advice?" at the glare Carlos gave her, she said, "What? I'm being more helpful than Jay right now."

"Just get to the point."

She shrugged. "Just be yourself," Quinn advised, "That way, if a girl notices you, she'll notice you for you. I mean, you're okay-looking and you have a decent personality. That's all you need for Jane to notice you—"

Carlos looked at her sideways, "Is that supposed to be a back-handed compliment?"

"Anyways," Quinn interrupted, "Just don't be scared when you ask. You're gonna be fine. And if she says no, screw it. Be like me and Jay and go solo, so you can dance with whoever you want to."

The white-haired boy hummed, "Do you miss Percy?"

Percy? Quinn snorted at the idea, "Heck no. He's a liar, stealer, and cheater. I don't need someone like him." She picked at her nails.

Carlos turned back to the computer, scoffing, "Three synonyms that describe Harry."

Quinn looked up from her candy-apple red nails. "We don't talk about Hook," she muttered.

The doorknob suddenly moved, revealing a distressed Mal and a bunch of press behind her. Everyone shouted her name, snapping photos as Mal slammed the door and locked it. She began to pace, swiftly grabbing the remote and clicking the TV screen off.

Her eyes glowed. Again.

"Whoa. Easy, girl," Calos started.

That's when Mal really started to get angry. "What? You think this is so easy?!" she exclaimed, "You don't have people taking a photo of you every single time you open your mouth to say boo! I mean, it's not that I could even say, 'Boo,' but, you know what I . . . "

"I'm sorry . . . "

Mal sighed, "Don't you guys ever miss screaming at people and just making them run away from you?"

Quinn and Carlos looked at each other. "That's our moms," Quinn started, "and we were usually on the other end of that. So . . . nah."

A small silence loomed over the VK's as Carlos' face lightened up. "Oh, hey!" he stood up, "Did you bring it?"

Quinn raised an eyebrow as Mal held up a small pink container. Quinn already knew from the container that inside was a red gummy in the shape of a diamond. The Hearts girl immediatly recognized it as one of Mal's truth spells.

The door opened again. Mal, Calros, and Quinn's heads perked up. Quinn rolled her eyes when Chad walked in, making a poor attempt at being sneaky. He quietly closed the door, tossing the key to the dorm and catching it in midair.

His expression changed at the sight of the villians.

"Hi. Just came to use your 3D printer," Chad said, "Won't be a sec."

"How'd you get a key to my room?" Carlos asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I printed it off last time I was in here."

Quinn crossed her arms, "And where were Carlos and Jay?"

"Uh . . . they were sleeping," Carlos glared at Chad, "Look, I just, your printer's so much better than mine, and you install these hacks and everything runs so much smoother than mine and—"

"Out!" Carlos ordered, "Now!"

Chad gritted his teeth. "Fine," he said, nearing the door, "Fine."

The Hearts girl rolled her eyes again, "Chad!"

"What?"

"Um, leave the key!"

Chad scowled again, placing the key on the table with the 3D printer before exiting the dorm room, shutting the door behind him. Quinn and Carlos turned back to Mal, who was zoning out. Again.

"Mal?" Carlos caught her attention, "My potion?"

Mal's pale nails tapped on the container, before she opened it, revealing a red gummy, just as Quinn expected.

"So, this thing will make me say what I really feel to Jane?"

Quinn blinked in realization, "Wait, so you're using magic to do a love confession?" She crossed her arms. "Of course you are. Everyone's using magic to do everything these days." She huffed.

"I mean, this is a truth gummie, so take it or leave it," Mal said.

"Perfect."

Just as Carlos reached to take the gummy, Mal quickly stopped him. "Hold on, though. Are you sure that you want to be taking this?" she said, "Because this is gonna make you say the truth all the time, no matter what, and the only reason that I'm asking is because I know that if I took this right now, I would get myself sent back to the Isle. Which, it's not that that sounds super unappealing, but, you know
. . . "

Quinn raised her eyebrows at what Mal had said.

Carlos shrugged, "I'll take my chances, I guess."

"Okay."

Mal dropped her hands. Nobody had noticed Dude jumping off Carlos' bed, but they noticed when he snatched the truth gummy right out of Mal's fingers. Dude ate the potion, before jumping back on the bed next to Quinn.

"Man, that thing was nasty!" the dog said, shaking it's fur. Quinn slowly stood up, standing next to Mal. Dude turned to Carlos, who was intently staring at the talking dog, "And you, you just got to man up. And while you're at it, scratch my butt."

Mal and Quinn stared at the dog wide-eyed. "You heard him," Mal started, "scratch his butt."

Quinn and Mal both turned on their heels, exiting the dorm. Carlos lifted his arms up in disbelief.

"You're just gonna leave me with him?" he asked.

"Sorry Carlos!"

AUTHOR'S NOTE

yea quinn should've said something to stop mal from going to the isle ngl—

anyway slay filler chapter ✌️

ugh i love alison and quinn's dynamic!! they're a very platonic soulmates kind of friends, and it's not shown a lot in this fic mainly bc idk where to put her, but you'll see it as the story goes on.

i honestly just love her dynamic with everyone like her giving carlos relationship advice and her and evie just being the cutest and mal being like an older sister >>>>

also her and jay 👀 i'll talk more abt their dynamic in my authors notes, but let's just say i'm not gonna do it rn 😉

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

~crrashingwavves