Return to the Isle of the Lost - Melissa de la Cruz Page 0,1

eyebrow. “I was just thinking what a scream it would be to glue a fake nose on Pin,” she said, meaning Pinocchio’s son, who was a nervous first-year.

Ben chuckled, his eyes shining. He was a good sport.

Okay, so if Mal had to pick what she liked most about Auradon, she would probably have to admit it was the boy sitting across from her. Ben, son of Belle and Beast, was not only the kindest person she had ever met, but was easy on the eyes (um, make that very easy) and smart too. More importantly, while Mal was the polar opposite of Auradon’s many perfect princesses, he liked her anyway. This made her feel as warm and cozy as her favorite beat-up patchwork leather jacket, which was much more her speed than ruffles and sequins. While she’d rocked a ball gown for his Coronation, she was glad she didn’t have to wear one all the time. Talk about itchy.

Ben smiled and went back to doing his homework, and Mal tried to do the same, except she kept getting interrupted by friends who came by to say hello when they saw her in the library.

“Hey, Mal! Love your outfit today!” said Lonnie with a big smile. Ever since she’d learned the truth of the villain kids’ deprived childhoods on the Isle of the Lost, Mulan’s daughter was especially sweet.

“Mal!” cried Jane. “Will you stop by later and help me with my Fair Is Fair homework? I can’t get the equation right.” Jane was often nervous about doing things correctly, especially after the disaster she’d caused at Ben’s Coronation. It was a lot to live up to having Fairy Godmother as your mother, especially when she was also the headmistress of your school.

“Thanks, and sure!” said Mal. “Anytime!”

“Look who’s so popular,” teased Ben, when the girls were out of earshot.

Mal gave a dismissive wave. “Everyone’s just glad my mom didn’t turn them all into dragon toast.” She nodded toward the guarded, double-locked doors at the end of the room that led to Maleficent’s new prison. “Not that I blame them.” Joking helped assuage some lingering guilt about her mother’s behavior; not all transfer students had to deal with things like having their parents try to destroy everyone at their new school.

Where was the new student manual for that?

“All thanks to you,” Ben said with a serious look on his face. “We didn’t stand a chance otherwise.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll figure out how you can all pay me back later,” Mal said airily. She couldn’t help but smile. “Although another rousing vocal performance in front of the entire school where you happen to mention your ridiculous love for me might just do the trick.”

Ben smiled broadly. “Done! There’s a tourney game this weekend for Castlecoming. I’ll practice my dance moves.”

“I can’t wait.” Mal laughed, tucking a strand of her bright purple locks behind her ear.

“Sure you won’t be too embarrassed to be my date at the dance after?” he asked, beginning to hum the catchy melody.

“Yeah, I’ll probably have to hide my face behind one of Mulan’s masks,” she said, then the floor underneath their feet suddenly began to vibrate and the whole room began to shake. Mal grabbed her books before they fell to the floor, and Ben gripped the edge of the table, trying to keep it steady.

“Another earthquake,” Mal said. “That’s the third one this week!” Out of habit, she looked over her shoulder again at the door to Maleficent’s prison. Until recently, Mal had only felt the ground rumble like that when a great big dragon stomped around during the Coronation attack, so Mal couldn’t help but associate earthquakes with her mother.

“Heard it’s happening all over, not just Auradon City,” said Ben with a frown. “But it’s a natural phenomenon, don’t worry. Tectonic plates rumbling underneath the ocean and all that.”

“Well, I wish they’d stay still,” said Mal. “They make me queasy.”

“At least they go away quickly,” said Ben.

Unlike some people, Mal thought, forcing herself not to look back at the prison door.

There were no aftershocks to this one thankfully, and an hour later Mal had already forgotten about it. Ben began to put his books away in his satchel and she glanced at the clock. It wasn’t time for the dinner bell yet. “Leaving already?” she asked. “King duties?”

“Yeah, I have to cut the ribbon at the opening of the new Sidekick Recreation Center. Don’t want them to feel overlooked.” Ben shrugged into his blue blazer with the embroidered