Choosing Home

Chapter Forty Four

"You and Mal are so full of crap, it's a wonder neither one of your eyes are brown!"

"Brenden?" Ben asked, looking up from his paperwork in shock as his former team mate marched into his office. "Everything okay? You normally hate that saying, what with you having brown eyes and all."

"No everything's not okay Ben!" Brenden exclaimed, pushing his brown hair out of his eyes as he stormed forward and stood in front of Ben's desk. "Quinn's been here for three months and you and Mal have been treating her like she's something to be wary of!"

"I'm not treating her like—."

"Don't feed me the scripted response Ben! I was on the same Tourney team, the same R.O.A.R. team as you, you owe me that much! You and Mal have treated Quinn differently than all the other new VKs that came in!"

Ben sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It'd been true that he was...apprehensive about bringing kids from the Isle again. Not because he thought they didn't deserve a second chance but...because of Freddy, he'd been sorely tempted to keep it to the kids selected by Mal and her friends.

But Audrey's words rang through his brain like the bells ringing in Notre Dame, some of the last words that Audrey had ever said to him now that he thought about it: only second chances for those Mal likes, huh?

It just so happened that Evie had selected Quinn, Queen of Heart's daughter, to come to Auradon. She hadn't had much interaction with Quinn but she had said that she couldn't leave another Queen's daughter on the Isle. Ben thought it wouldn't be a problem—yes Mal and Uma weren't thrilled about it but Ben had remembered that Mal also said that Quinn was the one Caster that they liked.

If only it hadn't gone pear shaped that first day.

Ben, Mal, Uma, and Evie stood in front of the statue of former King Beast as the limo pulled up in front of the school. Ben could feel Mal tense despite the fact that most of the VKs were allies or friends of sorts.

But he also understood at the same time. He knew what it was like to have to be 'on' in terms of being royal and this was definitely one of those times.

"He-heya Ma-Mali," a purple haired boy with a dark black and purple sweatshirt stammered as he emerged from the limo. "G-Gods it-it's bright."

"Hey Virg," Mal grinned. "Or should I say hey cuz?"

"W-what?"

"Okay, let's not drop knowledge bombs on Virgil just yet, not if Uncle Hades and Aunt Steph haven't already told him," Uma said, shaking her head in amusement. "As much fun as it is, I see Freddie in that limo!"

"Impatient much?" Freddie Facilier said with a small chuckle as she too climbed out of the limo. "And where's our sister?"

"With Dizzy, more than likely spying on CJ's date with Ryan," Uma said. "Estelle's on guard duty, plus Harriet and Henry providing human guards. Though whether that's for Celia and Dizzy or to make sure CJ doesn't kill them for spying on her, I'm not sure."

"Ah."

Another VK shook her head in amusement. "Gods the half-imp wasn't kidding. How do you all live with it so bright all the time?"

"Practice Hermie. Practice," Mal told her, giving the younger girl a welcoming smile.

Hermie brushed a bit of her raven black hair out of her eyes. "If you say so Mal."

"So if Captain Uma's here because of Freddie, and Captain Mal's here because of Virgil, then where's Jay?"

"In college, Jade," Uma said. "He'll be sorry he missed you."