Truth Or Fiction

Chapter Forty One

"Okay, let's do this," Celia said with a grin as she unfurled her scroll.

Mal sighed as she put her books away into her locker. Today was the day. It was the day she was going to give Ben the cookie.

"You mean the day where you're going to steal my boyfriend," Audrey shot back.

She didn't want to but there was no other choice—Ben seemed determined to stick his relationship with Audrey out even though any affection there was clearly one sided.

"Here's how one sided it is," Emir said. "When Audrey sprained her ankle in cheer practice once, Ben insisted on running up to the nurse's office to check on her after Tourney practice even though it'd mean he'd be running late for a council meeting. Meanwhile, Ben gets a freaking concussion and all Audrey does is call him to ask when he'd be picking her up for their date."

Audrey only cared about one thing-the crown that came with Ben.

"And water is wet," Melody shook her head.

"Grass is green," Neal added.

"Fire is hot," Ashaki sighed.

"I see we're pointing out the obvious?" Celia asked, looking at them.

Said girl was currently chattering Ben's ear off about makeovers Blueberry had given some of the girls who were sitting out on the quad.

"Why am I not surprised?" Kitty shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Blueberry was giving the makeovers?" Mal asked.

Evie shrugged. "Why not? I like fashion and the 'girly' stuffy you dismiss, Mal. Besides it seems like it's a way to make friends."

"Or a way for the Boreadon lot to use you until you do something they don't like," Mal shot back, never noticing the slight protective edge to her voice. Hey if Blueberry was going to be her roommate, only she got to mess with her!

Ben couldn't help but smile as he heard it—and he wasn't the only one.

"Seems you're becoming protective of Evie," Benji muttered to Malinda.

"If I know my younger self, it's probably more of a 'only I get to mess with her' sort of thing," Malinda muttered back.

Mal had to give the blue haired girl credit where it was due—she was good at the whole fashion thing.

"So you paid Blueberry a compliment and the world didn't end," Jay chuckled.

"She did it with Jane too and Fairy Godmother's not happy about it," Audrey said.

"What's the harm?" Ben asked and unless Mal was mistaken, he sounded amused by the whole thing. "Evie's not hurting anyone and it's clear the other girls like the makeovers."

"How...how are you paying for the stuff for the makeovers?" Jane asked.

"I supplied each VK with a stipend that they can use," Ben said quickly. "It wasn't mentioned in the scroll when Mal went over her welcome basket but it's in there."

"How big's the stipend?" Chip asked.

"I don't...I don't think I should discuss it out loud," Ben said. "But it's enough to make sure the VKs are comfortable every month."

"Oh Bennyboo, don't you see? It's a slippery spiral! First it's the outfits, then it's the hair. Next thing you know it's the lips and the legs and then everybody looks good and then...where will I be?"