I'm Not Wicked

Part Twenty Six

"My flower clip!" Gabriela exclaimed, feeling the space where it should've been resting, "It must have fallen into the water."

Eleanor looked up at her, taking a moment to assess the situation before waiving her hands in circles around each other.

"What are you..." Gabriela started but trailed off as she saw magic swirling between Eleanor's fingers.

The green girl then held out the pink flower clip to her friend. When Gabriela didn't take it, she clipped it into her blonde hair.

"How did you do that?" Gabriela asked, in awe of the identical hairpiece she had made out of thin air.

"I can control my magic on occasion." Eleanor stated, a bit of a cocky ring to her voice.

Gabriela laughed, a smile now planted on her face, "How long will it hold up?"

"As long as I'm alive and this curse haunts me, it's not going anywhere." Eleanor said proudly, pushing her glasses back up her nose.

The two were about to continue their conversation before the guards sounded their horns. Eleanor quickly made her way to Carlos and Evie's sides, slightly startling Jane. Gabriela stood next to Lonnie, who was holding Jay's arm.

"Our future lady, Mal!" Lumiere spoke before moving off to the side.

Moments later, Mal appeared from the hallway and turned to face the crowd with a slightly nervous expression.

Evie cheered loudly causing an eruption of clapping and cheering to fallow suit.

Mal descended the stairs gracefully after stopping for a short moment at the top. Ones she reached the landing, Adam and Bell were standing there, telling her that Ben was on his way.

Evie gestured for Eleanor to follow her as she moved towards Mal, the two hearing the tail end of their conversation.

"And lucky for me, she doesn't go by first impressions." Adam stated, the three laughing.

As they approached Bell gave her and Evie a warm smile, though Adam gave Eleanor a look that was a mixture of disgust and sympathy, which Eleanor wasn't sure what to make of.

Mal turned to her two friends than back to the couple, "Of course," Adam said, breaking eye contact with Eleanor.

Mal quickly went over to the two girls.

"Hi," Eleanor and Evie said in unison.

"Hi," Mal said back, her voice a bit breathless and stressed.

"How are you?" Evie asked.

"Uh, I sort of feel like I'm gonna throw up." Mal answered quickly.

"Okay, look," Eleanor said as her and Evie pulled Mal aside, "we're right here with you, okay?"

Evie nodded in agreement.

Horns then sounded again, making everyone turn back to Lumiere.

"King Benjamin!" Lumiere said, his words filled with joy as they carried across the crowd.

Ben stepped out, a crown upon his head, holding his posture straight. Music playing as Mal and Evie giggled, Eleanor snort-laughing.

As he walked down the staircase everybody bowed and curtsied.

"Go get him." Evie whispered to Mal.

Mal quickly walked towards Ben, who had reached the bottom of the stairs.

Ben took one of Mal's hands in his, then spoke in a low voice,
"Mal, I wish I had time to explain."