pecan pie [descendants]

step two

The restaurant was full today.

In addition to her regulars (Uma and her crew, the Gothels, the Delacours, the Tremaines, and the Faciliers), the Lupins were in too along with the goblins. Everyone was there because they had something to offer her. Uma and her crew promised Jo protection and fresh fish. Imogen Gothel gave Jo homemade smoke bombs in exchange for meals. Scarlet Delacour mended her clothes. The Tremaines gave her free haircuts and makeovers. The Faciliers let her take whatever she wanted from their shop, and Celia took a spare meal to Hades in exchange for a favor. The goblins offered her access to goods and ingredients. The Lupins repaired her furniture to the best of their abilities.

Deep down, Jo didn't care about what they had to offer her. Deep down, she just wanted to make sure everyone got fed. But that's not how the Isle worked. Doing things free of charge or out of the kindness of your heart is how you get screwed over. So Jo ran her business as ruthlessly as she could manage. If anyone knew how soft she really was, she'd be a target.

Brunch was almost over -- she had to combine breakfast and lunch due to a shortage of ingredients. It was getting harder and harder to procure food for her to cook with. There was always the fruits and vegetables grown locally, but there was only so much she could do with those considering she had very limited access to seasonings. It was times like these that made Jo resent the people of Auradon. They never had a shortage of ingredients. They never had a shortage of anything.

And it was times like these that Jo thought about Mal's promise. Mal had always been true to her word until now. Jo supposed she couldn't be too mad. Mal had made that promise almost two years ago. She probably didn't remember. She probably didn't even remember Jo existed. After all, Jo was no use to her anymore, so there was no point in caring about her wellbeing.

"What are you thinking about?"

Jo just about jumped out of her skin. Her hand flew to press against her chest where her heart sat as if the warmth of her palm would slow her heartbeat back down to normal. She shot Imogen a dirty look. "You scared me."

"You were completely zoned out," Imogen said. "You were thinking about Mal, weren't you?" As the only person currently in Jo's life that she could definitely count on as a friend, Imogen knew all about Mal's promise. Jo glanced at Uma. Uma hated it when people talked about Mal, but the daughter of Ursula was busy eating and messing around with her crew.

Jo sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I was. Do you think they ever think about us?"

"I wouldn't if I was them." Imogen shrugged nonchalantly. "If I was them, I would never think about the Isle. I'd be too busy eating all the fresh food I can get my hands on and taking hot baths and experimenting with all of their fancy chemicals." Jo hummed in agreement. Not so much the experiment part -- chemistry was Imogen's expertise, not Jo's -- but she couldn't remember the last time she'd had a hot shower, let alone a hot bath.

"They're never coming back for us, are they?" Jo asked, but she already knew the answer. It'd been months since Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay left for Auradon and King Ben's coronation and yet, no word. The people of Auradon probably decided four VKs were more than enough. They didn't need any more. They definitely didn't need Jo.

No one really needed Jo.

Imogen cleared her throat. "So, uh, wow, you're done eating already? What happened to 'savoring every bite?'" Jo rolled her eyes. Imogen always teased her for it, but Jo's method of 'savoring each bite' was how she made each meal better than the last. By letting the flavor linger, she could analyze where she went wrong, where she went right, and what she could do better next time. No one else on the Isle got it, because no one else on the Isle got food quite like she did.

"There wasn't enough for me, so I'll just wait for dinner," Jo answered. Imogen narrowed her eyes and Jo steeled herself in preparation for a speech.

"You're an idiot," Imogen reprimanded. "If you starve, so does everyone else."

"It's one meal, Gen," Jo argued, trying to keep her voice down. She knew if Uma, Harry, Gil, Celia, or Dizzy overheard she didn't eat, they'd offer her some of their measly portion of food. They were the ones who really cared about her, though Uma and Celia liked to act like they didn't. It was easier that way on the Isle. People know how much you really care about someone, they know how much they can use that person against you.

That was the Isle in a nutshell. Never let anyone know the truth. Life on the Isle was nothing but 'never.' Never lend something you like to someone because you probably won't get it back. Never forget to lock your house up at night. Never go swimming unless you're accompanied by Uma. Never leave your valuables out in the open. Never waste food because you can't be sure when you'll eat next. Never overestimate your abilities. Never count on anything or anyone. Never, never, never.

Jo hated it. Everyone did to some extent, but there was no other way to live. There was no real law enforcement on the Isle -- no real laws. Just guidelines. And if someone pushed the guidelines, if someone threatened the status quo, they were quickly dealt with, because the Isle only survived this long by following these guidelines. Even the most rebellious VKs knew where to draw the line. If they didn't, the Isle would be absolute chaos. This way, at least there was some semblance of civilized society.

"You know I hate it when you call me Gen," Imogen groaned.

Jo smirked. "And you know I hate it when you call me Jojo, and yet, you still do." She and Imogen exchanged warm looks. It was easier for them to be open about their feelings. Imogen had the highest IQ on the Isle and a wide collection of experimental weapons, and Jo was under Uma's protection. You'd have to be a downright imbecile to go after them, and no one on the Isle was that dumb, not even Gil's brothers.

Jo knew they had it better than most. There were some kids that ate every other day if they were lucky. There were families with absolutely nothing to their name. Auradon had done that to them. To all of them. While the people of the Isle lived in squander and slowly wasted away, the people of Auradon were thriving. They wanted for nothing because they already had everything. All the VKs could do in protest was deface some posters. Otherwise, they had no voice, no say in matters. They were doomed to live miserable lives because of their parents' choices. And the only VKs who successfully made it off the Isle clearly couldn't care less about those they'd left behind.

Brunch was just about over when the door burst open. Uma's crew jumped up, swords at the ready, but relaxed as soon as they realized the intruder was Claudine Frollo. She looked absolutely manic, eyes wide and shining, a wicked grin curling her lips.

"They're back," Claudine announced, bouncing on her heels.

Celia furrowed her brow. "Who's back?"

Claudine's grin widened. "Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos. They're back, and they're choosing more kids to go over."

*

omg wow i wonder who they're gonna pick!!!!