Rockabye •Descendants

rockabye •eighteen

...

The next day was quiet, too quiet. Mal did her morning routine of getting up, showered, getting ready, and leave to get breakfast. However, this morning was unsettling. As soon as she left her shared room with Evie, Auradon Prep students have been looking at her strangely. Some stare, some point, some whisper to each other. Mal felt watched at every corner.

When she got to the cafeteria, the room fell silent as she walks down.

"There she is." Someone whispers. Mal grabbed a plate and filed it with food. Fruit cup, oatmeal, orange juice, a bagel, and grapes. Each time she went to reach for something, she felt staring. She turned around and many heads whip away to look at something else. Mal quickly grabs her food and walks out. Once out the door, the chatter resumed. Walking down the hall, Mal saw many schoolmates holding yellow and blue papers. They raise there heads and saw Mal and hid the paper.

Mal speeds off and hurries into her room. She shut the door and lens on it. What is going on with everyone?

Mal sat down on her bed and started eating, but her door opens wide. Evie hurries in and upon seeing Mal, she shuts the door.

"Mal—"

"Something weird is happening to everyone, Evie. They're all so quiet and whispering." Mal informs. Evie looks at her and frowns sadly.

"It's because of this, Mal." Evie says and shows Mal the papers in her hand. It was the same that everyone had. Mal reads the heading, FAMILY PROBLEM?

Mal took the papers careful and reads the rest.

" 'Princess Athena wasn't too excited to see Mal at Queen Leah's birthday ball. Mal wasn't happy to see King Ben with his daughter and Serena. Will Ben have to choose between them? Will Mal deprive a little girl of her father?' " Mal reads. With every word she grew more and more shocked. Is this what people are thinking? She would never want to separate Ben and Athena, she just wanted to keep Ben and Serena away from each other. She would feel guilt for separating a daughter from her father the way it had been done to Mal and she'd hope that she and Athena could have a good relationship with one another.

Mal looks up from the writing to look at Evie who was worried.

"Mal, they are picturing you as the bad guy. They're just waiting for you to mess up." Evie says.

"What do I do then, Evie? Everyone loves Athena and many people don't like me." Mal says and looks back at the words on the paper. Evie rips it out of Mal's hands so she wouldn't look at it any longer.

"Show them that you're different. That you don't want to separate Ben and Athena." Evie advises.

"And how do I do that?"

"Maybe... maybe you can set a picnic for them." Evie suggests.

"Alright, but there is a problem. How do I convince Serena to allow this? She HATES me. And Athena doesn't know Ben is her father." Mal asks.

"OK, first, Serena didn't hate you. I'm going to suggest this but you have to promise to hear me to the end."

"What is it, E?"

"Maybe you can talk to Serena and explain to her that you don't want to keep a father and daughter apart... the way your mom did to you?"

"No! What? Evie, you can't be serious. Tell her my personal life? And for what, to be pitied and humiliated? I think I've had enough humiliation from this." Mal points to the cover.

"Mal, she wouldn't do that. From what I heard about her from Jane, Serena is a fair person. She doesn't pity people. She won't pity you."

"I don't know, E..."

"What's the worst that could happen?" Evie says. Mal rolls her eyes.

"Ariel shows up to stop it." Mal scoffs. Mal didn't think it was such a bad idea. Maybe, just maybe, Serena would agree.

In the dining room of Eric and Ariel's Palace, Ariel and Serena sat eating their breakfast as Ariel reads the article and occasionally lets out a laugh.

"Though I don't blame her for feeling threatened. You are a beautiful girl and you can have your pick of any prince. Or princess, if you prefer." Ariel exclaims to her daughter.

Melody and Louise were gone doing "important" and "secret" work and Eric took Athena horseback ride at the beach early. It was just Ariel and Serena. Serena saw the cover of the newsletter. Athena on one side, Mal and Ben on the other. It was perfect to Ariel.

"Please, mom. Let's this go."

"What? Absolutely not. This girl is a danger hazard, I know people will slowly start to see it." Ariel grins happily. Serena huffs.

"Mom, please. Ben, he is no longer in love with me and he cares about Mal so much. He will think it was me who is starting this stories." Serena says. Ariel puts the paper down on the table.

"My starfish, you are loved by everyone in Auradon that Ben wouldn't even think about confronting you." Serena says. "You have the upper hand. You have Athena and the support of others. In no time, Ben will see that you are the right fit to be Queen."

"What if I don't want to be Queen?"

"So what, you would rather leave the position to a villain's child?"

"She's not bad from what I've been hearing, mom. Ben trusts her, and I trust Ben's judgement."

"She almost takes over the world and Ben goes crawling to her, but you! You give birth to a beautiful daughter and he leaves you alone to do this. He shouldn't be king."

"Mother!" Serena shouts. Ariel sat silent. Serena took a deep breath and let's it out before speaking again. "Mom, please."

"What?"

"Please don't make this worse. Mal doesn't deserve this, she's trying to change." Serena tries to reason with Ariel.

"She tried to take over Auradon, my dearest. No one charges that quickly." Ariel scoffs.

"You did. Literally. You left your life behind to be with dad. Switching a tail for legs. Mal wants to be good and Ben brings the good out in her." Serena says. Ariel places a hand of Serena's cheek and shakes her head.

"You are such a sweet girl, but naive. Don't be fooled by her little smile and the nice spells her casts. She will always be the girl from the isle, the daughter of Maleficent." Ariel says and removes her hand.

"Mom—" Ariel holds out her hand to stop Serena from talking.

"Enough of this, Serena. Let's change the topic now." Ariel says with a smile before throwing the paper on the floor.

"Yes, mom..." Serena says quietly and pokes at her breakfast. She sat there quiet as Ariel talks about something new she got. Serena didn't speak.

BAD CHAPTER. VERY BAD.