Four hearts as one

Chapter 14: The wand and the crown

"Evie," The professor said, his skeleton thin hands extending her the scored test. She held her chin up as she received it, not looking down to the grade but to the teacher's eyes.

Chemistry was only the first class she had become fond of. After a while of studying with Dough and learning how fun math could be, homework had shifted from an obligation to a hobby she enjoyed very much.

She finally dared to look at her test. A-. She gasped with a wide smile. Her last test had ended up being a B+, and she expected the same of this one, but she had done better this time, surprising herself.

She quickly turned to voice her results to Dough, but he wasn't where he usually sits. She caught a glimpse of him leaving the classroom, she stood and rapidly grabbed her bag to go after him, test still in hand.

Evie scanned the hallway, finding the boy toying with his lockers lock.

"Dough!" Evie yelled, jogging to him, wriggling the paper. When she reached him, she realized he was frowning, with his lips twitched slightly to the side "What's wrong?" She tilted her head at him. Was he mad for the parents day thing?

She understood the hateful looks and nasty comments the rest of the students made to them now; but Dough wouldn't, he just wouldn't.

"Hey" Chad's voice came from behind her. She turned her head slowly.

He was hugging Audrey with one arm, glaring at her with a smirk, a big bruise spreading on his cheek and a black eye darkening his gaze. Lonnie was standing behind them fidgeting, she appeared afflicted, like she wanted to walk over to her and talk, thing Evie wished she'll do.

"I'm sorry" Dough finally said, walking past her, giving her a disappointed but pained glance.

He felt awful leaving her standing like that, all alone in the middle of the hallway. But she could survive loneliness, it wasn't even loneliness, she had her friends.

And he had Auradon.

Chad had already talked to him, Chad had already told him to keep away from them; he started visiting his room, visiting at band practice.

He had come back into his life, even if he never considered him his friend, even if he knew he was just keeping an eye on him, he liked it.

The downside was he had to stay away from Evie. She probably would be sent back to the isle at some point. And he would never see her again, so he knew it was for the best if both stayed with their crowds.

He closed his eyes at the thought, opening them just to glance at Chad to reassure his actions to himself.

Carlos woke up in sweat, breathing hard, his heart rate rising. He glupped.

As the coronation approached it was more and more difficult to keep her mother out of his mind, and it was worst when he was asleep. All his defenses were weaker when he wasn't conscious.

"Jay?" He asked in the quiet of the darkness. He didn't want to bug Jay in the middle of the night, not that it was the first time he did. His best friend was very tired from Turney and the gym as it is, he didn't want to add sleep deprivation to that.

"Yeah?" Jay responded with a hoarse voice, and Carlos heard him shift on the carpet.

"You up?" Carlos said stupidly, dreading to a be burden to Jay, even knowing he already was.

"No, C" Jay snorted and yawned audibly "What pup?" He asked even if he had a pretty good idea of what was up with Carlos.

"Had a nightmare" He whispered, but the quietness was enough for Jay to hear him perfectly.