XJ → Harry Hook [1]✔

Bets

The next morning, when Mal and Evie walked into the cafeteria, everything was quieter than usual. Nobody was laughing, the chatter had turned into quiet whispers and everyone was sending the two of them funny looks, almost like they were...disgusted.

Mal and Evie shared a confused glance before walking over to Ben, Carlos and Jay who were sitting at the same table, as they usually did. They had all gotten their food and they seemed to be waiting for them.

"Good morning Mal," Ben greeted, his smile grim, very different from the usual bright smile he have his girlfriend.

"Um, good morning," Mal frowned as she put down her backpack. "Is something wrong?"

Ben sighed, "Mal, could you go get your food first? We'll talk about it when you come back with Evie."

"Uh, sure, I guess," Mal laughed nervously before sending Carlos and Jay a questioning look. The two boys shrugged, looking just as bewildered as Mal and Evie felt.

"What's going on?" Evie asked in a low voice as she looked at everyone around them. They were all sending them dirty looks.

"I don't know," Mal frowned as people at the buffet bar whispered and gave them a wide berth as they took their trays.

"This is weird, I don't like it." Evie said anxiously as she took her breakfast. "Why is everyone looking at us like we're from another planet?"

"XJ has something to do with this, I know it," Mal growled.

"XJ's sick today and Harry's probably pretending he's sick as well to keep her company," Evie pointed out. "There's no way she's involved."

"She doesn't have to be present for her plans to work, Evie," Mal scowled, "That's how she gets caught."

"Alright, that's actually a good point, but not everything has to be about XJ, Mal." Evie frowned. "You got everything?" She asked.

"Yeah," Mal nodded, "Let's get back and see what Ben has to say."

Mal and Evie walked back to their table and put down their trays, sitting down. "Okay, so what do you want to talk about?" Mal asked as she took a sip from her glass of chocolate milk.

"Harry knocked on my office door this morning when I was dealing with paperwork and all of that stuff," Ben sighed, "And he told me something you did."

Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos sent each other alarmed looks and Mal felt her heart start beating at a hundred miles an hour. "What did he say?" Mal asked cautiously.

"He said that you tried to get XJ booted off of Auradon by telling Fairy Godmother that she was planning on hurting Chad and Audrey as well as accusing her in public." Ben sighed. "XJ's miserable, and to add to her sadness she got sick as well. I excused her along with Harry so he could watch over XJ for as long as she's sick. Is this true? Did you try to kick her off of Auradon?"

Mal's heart slowed down a bit when Ben revealed that he wasn't referring to her break-in the night before, but it sped back up again when she acknowledged what her boyfriend was saying.

"I wasn't trying to get her kicked off," Mal argued, "I was only looking out for Chad!"

"Mal, Fairy Godmother told me that you accused XJ of planning on hurting Chad and Audrey with no more evidence than just seeing the two alone under the bleachers." Ben frowned, "It seems like you're trying to get her kicked out to me."

"I had reason to be suspicious," Mal protested, "Chad wasn't flirting and XJ wasn't with Harry."

"Chad doesn't always have to be flirting and couples don't always have to be together - we're living proof," Ben sighed. "Mal, I think you just don't like XJ and you're letting your hate getting in the way of XJ's transition to becoming good."