𝑨 𝑫𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑴 𝑰𝑺 𝑨 𝑾𝑰𝑺𝑯 𝒀𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑻 𝑴𝑨𝑲𝑬𝑺

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝟏𝟒

For the first time, Delphina managed to eat in the cafeteria with Audrey, Chad, and Ben undisturbed. Sam and Sloane didn't come barreling in to annoy her and Mal didn't show up to drag her off and talk about Maleficent's plan.

Their little bubble had formed once more and Delphina couldn't help but be relieved when it seemed like nothing was coming to burst it.

Then she and Audrey got back to their dorm.

Delphina scowled, her good mood instantly dampened at the sight of Mal standing by the door, arms folded and stance lazy. "Please, God, kill me now," Delphina grumbled, pausing in her step and throwing her head back, exhausted. Audrey paused alongside her, sighing softly.

"Maybe she wants to make a truce?" Audrey offered quietly, trying to comfort her friend. Delphina snorted bitterly, shaking her head at Audrey's hopeful viewpoint.

"Mal doesn't make 'truces'." She scoffed, turning to Audrey with an eye roll. "She takes the power she leeches from her mother and dedicates her time to scare you into submission. She's nothing but a wimp."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Mal snapped from the dorm door. Delphina ran her tongue across her teeth in annoyance, turning her attention onto the purple-haired girl.

"Well, y'know, no one asked you to come up here." She shot back, aggravated. "Your dorm is downstairs. Go have fun in it." Delphina walked forward, ready to shoulder Mal out of the way to get into her dorm when a gloved hand slammed onto the door roughly.

"We need to talk."

"We already talked."

"We need to talk again."

"Except we really don't."

Audrey watched the exchange carefully, trying to figure out what she could do if a fight broke out again. She didn't stand much of a chance of breaking up a battle between an expert sword fighter and a dark fairy.

Neither Mal nor Delphina were concerned with Audrey at the moment, though. They were more concerned with the silent stare-down they were currently engaged in. "Unless you want your new royal bestie to find out why you're really here," Mal finally gritted out, jaw clenched so tight it might fracture. "It's best if we have this conversation in private."

Delphina's glare didn't falter, but she knew Mal was right. She hated the taste she got in her mouth when Mal was right. Audrey couldn't hear the truth. Not like this. Delphina had to tell her with Ben and Chad in a secluded setting when it was just them.

Rolling her shoulders and fighting to keep her hands at her sides, Delphina turned to Audrey, visibly annoyed and apologetic. "If I'm not back in five minutes, get Fairy Godmother then take the spiked belt in my bag and come in swinging." She ordered. Audrey laughed, nodding diligently as Mal rolled her eyes.

The two Isle girls began to make their way down the hall and toward the dorm stairs, the silence between them dangerously thick. When they finally reached the lower floor of the dorms, Mal pushed open the door to her shared room with Evie, revealing the latter, Jay, and Carlos all lounging around the room, clearly waiting for Delphina to arrive.

"Oh, the whole cavalry's here. How delightful." Delphina muttered sarcastically, examining Mal and Evie's room. It was fairly smaller than Audrey's with much less interior decoration. Spotting the girl looking around, Evie huffed in frustration, pouting on her bed.

"It's so much smaller than yours, I know. It's so unfair." The young designer scoffed, folding her arms across her chest childishly. Delphina smiled softly in amusement at Evie as Jay made a hum of agreement.