Malvie

Malvie - Part 3, Chapter 6

Two months passed. One long, the other short. After Evie was given the okay from the doctors, she was sent back to school. Mal continued her internship with Fairy Godmother, coming back to Auradon to visit Evie every weekend to keep her anxiety low by doctor's orders. Soon enough, Valentine's Day began to roll around in the middle of the shortest month of the year and Evie was probably one of the most excited people for the overdramatized holiday.

"We have to go, M!" Evie begged. "It's this weekend, we can't skip it!"

"Go without me," Mal stated, trying to shorten their conversation as she put away some clothes that had been laying around for so long they had begun to crunch when she walked on them.

"It's a Valentine's Day dance. By definition, I can't go alone!" Evie argued.

"Go with Jay or Carlos."

"Jay's going with Lonnie and Carlos doesn't want to go. Plus, people will start to talk if I show up with anyone other than you and you know it." Mal sighed, knowing Evie was right.

"Come on," Evie continued. "It's once a year!"

"So is every other day. Plus isn't Ben going to be there? I don't want to see him."

"You plan on just ignoring the king for the rest of your life?"

"Look, Evie, dances, let alone any social event, aren't my thing! I'm sorry but I'm just not up for it."

"It'll take away major anxiety," Evie stated, trying to act innocent.

"Do not try and play that card. You have a genuine issue. Don't try and use it just to get what you want."

"But what I really want is you," Evie said, swiftly taking Mal's hands. "Please go to the dance with me."

"No," Mal replied blatantly, letting go of Evie's hands and returning to her work.

"Fine but I'll just do it in front of everyone at lunch one day, so you'll have to say yes. Because if you say no, then people will definitely start to talk." Mal glared at her, half-jokingly.

"Curse your wicked social skills! You're too good at this," Mal stated with a turn, frustrated. "Looks like I'll just fake a sickness."

"Are you going to have Sociophobia?"

"Firstly, that's a fear. And secondly, I'm not afraid of sociopaths."

"It's fear of people!"

"No, I'm not afraid of people!" Mal paused. "Okay some people, but that's beside the point! I'm not going to some lame dance!" Evie was quiet for a moment, remembering last year's Valentine's Day dance.

"I know why you don't want to go," Evie began to explain.

"Yes, you do because I already told you," Mal said without looking up from the laundry.

"Because of last year's dance." Mal instantly stopped what she was doing as if she was frozen in space.

"I don't remember last year's dance," Mal said quietly, slowly resuming her work and knowing very well what Evie was talking about.

"Shall I refresh your memory—"

"No, no! I don't care to remember anyways. It was probably really lame." More like life scarring, Mal thought.