Balance

Chapter 10- To the Isle

Mal burst into my dorm room, startling me. She was in tears, and in her leather outfit. I jumped up from my desk, looking at her in shock.

"Mal! Mal, what's wrong? What's with the tears?" I questioned.

"I don't fit in here," Mal sobbed. "Everyone wants me to be what I'm not."

I sighed. "I know."

"Then you're coming with me."

I looked at her in disbelief. "Please? I know it's not going to be easy, but you'll be there with me."

"When are we leaving?"

~~~

I rode on the back of the motorcycle, with Mal driving. She cast a spell, and I strengthened it with Genie's magic. I held onto her waist, feeling us bounce on water. We went through the barrier and I felt some of my magic stop. I groaned in pain because of the headache I got.

I was wearing red leather pants and a leather jacket, and a shimmering gold top. Evie added some studs to the sleeves. I found Jay's old beanie on my desk and wore it for good luck.

"This is the hideout." Mal threw a rock at a sign, causing a gate to lift.

I set my bag in a chair as I looked at Jay's side. A lot of it looked like it was from Agrabah. A broken frame showed a picture of the four not too long ago.

"Did you ever tell Jay about coming here?" Mal asked, walking into the room.

I shook my head. "No. I was worried he would be protective. I want him to be, but not be at the same time. You know, Jasmine's daughter learning from the man who tried to arrange a marriage with her mother?"

"I get it." Mal nodded. "Then why is Jay not scary to you?"

"He's Jay. Not Jafar. Honestly, I'm happy that I fell in love with him because he makes me happy. That's the whole point of love. Being happy," I explained.

"How are your powers doing?" Mal asked curiously.

"Well, sorcery overpowers magic. Genie's magic is there, but barely. Genie didn't have as much of an effect on my father as Jafar did on both of them. Jordan and Genie have been teaching me. Jafar's been helping me control it." I took a deep breath. "My worst fear when I met you guys was if I met you and things didn't go well, then I would be stuck with nothing. I don't really fit in with the AKs, and I don't fit in with you guys. I'm-"

"Stuck between two worlds?" Mal guessed.

I nodded. "Welcome to the club."

Mal led me to a hair salon later. I marveled at the messy but creatively decorated shop. A young girl was sweeping the shop, dancing to some music. She beamed when she saw Mal.

"Mal! Is Evie back, too?" the girl asked.

Mal chuckled. "As if. I, um, forgot that you guys don't open until midnight. Place looks good. So, what is your deal? Has your grandmother given you any customers yet?"

"Oh, just a witch here and there. Mostly, it's a lot of scrubbing and scouring and sweeping. Lots and lots of sweeping."

"Sounds like the old Cinderella treatment, hey?" Mal joked.

"Yeah, she's gone from wicked stepmother to wicked grandmother," the girl explained.

"That's not really much of a switch," I commented.

"Hey, Dizzy," Mal started. "You did Evie, right?"

"Yeah. I thought of the little braids," Dizzy said happily.

"Do you have any ideas for us?" Mal asked.

Dizzy walked over to Mal. "The washed-out blonde with purple tips? The best of no worlds. You can't see where your face ends and your hair begins." She put Mal and me in chairs. "Oh, what is this? Bored to death pink?" She walked over, inspecting me. "You definitely need some color in your hair, and a redo on your nails." She looked at us. "How far can I go?"

"The works," Mal decided. "I mean, whatever makes me feel like me, but you know... way worse."

"Yay!"

For me, Dizzy added blondish-gold tips to my hair. She painted my nails black. She gave Mal a more pinkish-purple tone to her hair, and Dizzy gave her black nails as well. She turned us around in a chair, making us look into a shattered mirror.

"Hey, there I am!" Mal said, grinning.

"And there I am," I said, marveling at the way my hair fluffed.

"Voila!"

"Voila," Mal and I agreed. We handed her some money.

"For me?" Dizzy questioned in disbelief.

"You earned it," I insisted.

"Fork it over, young runt," Harry said, surprising me. He tapped the counter. "And the rest of it."

Dizzy, annoyed, handed him the money. He kept the money in his mouth as he held the change in his hand.

"Still running errands for Uma?" Mal asked.

"Or do you actually get to keep what you steal?" I taunted.

"Well, well, well. What a nice surprise," Harry said.

"Hi, Harry," we said in unison.

Harry stared at Mal. "Just wait until Uma knows you're back. She's never going to give you back your old turf."

"Oh, well, that's okay. Because I will be taking it," Mal replied.

Harry smiled. "I could hurt you."

I grabbed his hook, staring at him with red eyes. I grinned when I saw that he actually looked slightly scared. "Not without permission, I bet."

Harry swept his hand across the counter, making cans fall to the floor. Harry left, grinning at the mess he made.

"Great, more sweeping."

I left the shop before Mal did. I felt someone grab me and pull me into a tight alley. Harry's metal hook sent chills over my arm. He was tying my hands together.

"Let's see what happens when you're taken, (Y/n). Jay's not going to like that, is he?"

"Jay is going to rip you to shreds when I tell him you even breathed on me," I hissed.

"Where's your little snake, (Y/n)?" Harry taunted. He turned me around. Mochi was hissing at a bunch of people who put her in a cage.
"Let's see what happens when Prince Ali finds out Jasmine was captured by Jafar."

"He is nothing like that," I snapped.

"I beg to differ." Harry turned me around, his body a centimeter away from mine. I kept a stone face so he wouldn't be able to see the terror wracking through my body. "We're taking you to Uma. She'll deal with you soon."