[✔︎] 𝐌𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 ✫ DESCENDANTS ONE ¹

14: Puppy Boy and Hattie

Maddie exited Ally's dorm with a quick goodbye before going to the Tourney field to meet with Ben and Carlos.

"Hi Mads." Ben said, a smile etched on his face.

"Hi Maddie." Carlos said, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Okay. Carlos, we're gonna do some sprints. You ready?" Ben said, starting his stop watch as Maddie and him counted the time. But they didn't see why Carlos was running, he was being chased by a dog.

"Oh! Ah! No, wait!" Carlos said, screaming as he ran from the campus mutt.

"Sweet!" Ben said as he checked how fast Carlos had ran in such little time.

"No! Ah!" Carlos said, trying to except the dog who was catching up to him,

Carlos?" Ben asked as he ran after him, as Carlos bad disappeared into the woods. "Carlos!"

"No, stop!" Carlos yelled at the fog, who did t seem to be getting the hint.

"Carlos!" Ben called as he and Maddie trekked into the forest.

"Carlos!" Maddie called as they entered deeper into the woods.

"Ben? Ben?" Carlos called, as he scrambled into a tree. "Maddie?"

"Whoa-Whoa-Whoa!" Ben said, as he and Maddie came to a stop. Maddie grabbed at her legs, her feet aching.

"Ben, Maddie, help me!" Carlos said, pointing a finger accusingly at the dog. "This thing is a killer! He's gonna chase me down and rip out my throat. This is a vicious, rabid pack animal!"

"Hey, who told you that?" Ben asked, though it seemed pretty obvious who had.

"My mother." Carlos said, looking at the dog, who still was barking at him.

"Cruella?" Ben said, though it sounded more like a question.

"She's a dog expert." Carlos said, nodding. "A dog yellerer. Why are you holding him?" Carlos asked Ben as he held the dog in his arms. "He's gonna attack you!"

"Carlos, you've never actually met a dog, have you?" Ben asked, looking st the boy who still clung in the tree.

"Of course not." Carlos said, shuddering at the thought.

"Dude, meet Carlos. Carlos, this is dude." Ben said, introducing the two. "He's the campus mutt."

"He doesn't look like a vicious, rabid pack animal." Carlos said, getting out of the tree and holding Dude in his arms. "Jeez. You're a good boy, aren't you? You're a good boy."

"I guess you guys have it pretty rough on the island." Ben said. That was the understatement of the year.

"Yeah." Carlos said. "Let's just say we don't get a lot of belly rubs."

"Good boy." Ben said, putting a hand on Carlos' shoulder. "I mean, you're a good runner. You're... you're fast, you know."

"Oh. Yeah. Thank you." Carlos said, nodding.

"Yeah. Listen, I'm gonna give you guys some space, yeah?" Ben said, motioning to Carlos. "You guys get to know each other and just, you know, come find me when you're done, okay?"

"Okay." Carlos said.

"I'll see you later." Ben said, jogging out of the forest.

"See you out there." Carlos said, as Dude licked his face. "Hi. Hi. Oh! Thank you."

Maddie still stood crouching, her feet aching from not having run in so long.

"Uh, Maddie." Carlos said. "Are you okay."

"I'm doing great." Maddie said. "Why'd you ask?"

"Because you're still panting and you stopped running like five minutes ago." Carlos pointed out, placing Dude on the floor.

"Let's just say these shoes aren't meant for running." Maddie said, holding up her foot with its eight inch heels.

"Why do you wear such high heels?" Carlos asked, looking up at her.

"Oh, I don't know. It's just everyone from Wonderland wears wonky shoes." Maddie said. "Some are extremely short that you can feel the ground, and some are extremely tall that you can be a couple feet higher."

"Well I guess your shoes aren't that big compared to them." Carlos said, sitting down next to Maddie and pressing his back to the tree, Dude scrambling into his lap. Maddie laughed.

"I guess I did." Maddie said. "But you can't say anything. You literally look like your covered in spots."

"I do don't I?" Carlos said, laughing. "But you look like you are wearing mismatched everything."

"It's not mismatched." Maddie said. "It's Wonderland chic."

"So I'm wearing Puppy Boy chic?" Carlos asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"That's right puppy boy." Maddie said, ruffling his hair, and earning a laugh from Carlos. The two of them sat in silence for a while, enjoying the other's company. Maddie placed her head on his shoulder, as Carlos hesitantly wrapped an arm around her.

"You know I gave you a nickname." Maddie said, looking at Carlos. "Why don't you give me one?"

"Okay." Carlos said, pausing to think for a minute. He tapped his temple slightly and Maddie could see the gears turning in his head. Carlos snapped his fingers. "Hattie."

"Why?" Maddie teased. "Because I wear a hat?"

"No." Carlos said. "Well partly. But it suits you."

"Thanks." Maddie said. The two looked at each other for a moment, pausing for a minute, and she didn't want to change that.  They remained like that for a few minutes, not really knowing what else to say. That is until her phone buzzed with a message from Ben.

She looked away from Carlos, looking at the phone in her hand.

Ben👑: Hey Mads. Is Carlos ready yet?

Maddie🎩: Yeah. Be there in a minute.

Ben👑: Okay.

Maddie looked at Carlos, who only smiled at her.

"Come on. Ben's waiting." Maddie said.

"Do we have to?"

"Yes." Maddie said. "Because He is our friend and he is trying to help you."

"Fine." Carlos said, getting up and offering his hand to Maddie who took it as he helped her up, motioning for Dude to follow. "Come on Dude!"

Dude walked in between them, his tail wagging slightly, as they made their way to meet with Ben, who waited for them as they trudged out of the forest, having a lot on their minds.