Trying To Be Good

Auradon Girls

CHAPTER 16

"Zoe, please, over here! Zoe!" Reporters call bringing Zoe out of her daydream.

"Only three days to the Royal Cotillion," A lady says before holding out her microphone to Zoe.

"Ever think a girl like you would be Lady of the Court?" A girl asks before holding out a recording device.

"How does it feel to be the most envied girl in Auradon?" A guy asks and Zoe tries to talk.

"Well, do you like being blonde?" Another lady asks.

"Mal, is your mother still a lizard?" The first lady asks causing both girls to glare at her.

"Okay. All right. Excuse me," Ben says as he makes his way through the reporters. Mal walks off leaving the couple alone. "Uh, we will let you know if and when that particular situation changes." Ben wraps an arm around Zoe's waist as she just smiles at the cameras.

"Did you ever think you'd be with a Villain Kid?" The first lady asks causing Ben to fake chuckle.

"We're done here," Ben tells her with a smile.

"Okay. Shush, shush. Shoosh, shoosh. Shoosh, shoosh. This is still a school, so if you're here, you're either skipping or trespassing," Fairy Godmother says as she comes to stand in front of the couple. Zoe lets out a sigh as she leans her head on Ben's shoulder. The reporters go to ask more questions but Fairy Godmother makes them leave. "Zoe. Ben."

"Fairy Godmother," They both say before she walks away.

"Whew," Zoe says as she looks at Ben.

"Don't pay any attention to them," Ben tells her with a smile.

"Well, that's a lot easier said than done, right?" Zoe says with a laugh.

"I know. I know. You know, maybe we should do something. We should go somewhere. Get away," Ben says causing Zoe to smile.

"Yeah," Zoe agrees.

"You know, what do..." Ben starts before looking at his watch. "I have a council meeting. I'm so late!"

"That's okay," Zoe tells him.

"We'll... We'll do it sometime. Uh..." Ben says before going to kiss Zoe but she is pulled away by Evie.

"If we don't do a fitting for your gown right this minute, you'll be dancing in your bathrobe, okay?" Evie tells her with Mal behind her. Evie looks at Ben. "Hi." Evie turns back to Zoe quickly. "Let's go. Let's go."

"Bye, Ben," Zoe says as Evie drags her away.

"Bye," Ben says with a smile as she leaves.

"King Ben! King Ben! King Ben!" The reporters say as they swarm him.

"Uh..." Zoe says as Evie pulls her shoulders back. "Oh!" Evie zips the dress up. "Okay, Evie, I cannot breathe."

"Well, you can breathe after Cotillion," Evie tells her as she looks at the dress. The dress is the royal blue and yellow, that are not the normal for Zoe but she is trying to play the part of Ben's girlfriend.

"Well, I sincerely doubt that. I have at least 20 more events directly behind it, and I can't even remember what a single one of them is," Zoe says as Mal and Evie fluff her dress bottom.

"Impeccable," Evie says before blowing a kiss. Zoe glances at the coat rack and sees her jacket from the Isle.

"Evie? Mal?" Zoe asks.

"Hmm?" Evie responds as she measures Zoe's waist.

"Do you ever think about what we'd be doing if we were back on the Isle right now?" Zoe asks them and she sees Mal nod.

"That's funny," Evie says sarcastically before the royal news comes on. "Ah! Look who's on TV." The news shows Zoe and Ben dining with Jasmine and Aladdin.

"As the royal couple continues their tour of the kingdom, they dined with Aladdin and Jasmine," The reporter says. They show Zoe spitting some food into her napkin and receiving a new one causing Zoe and Mal to laugh as Mal nudges her. "Six months ago no one thought King Ben and his girlfriend from the wrong side of the bridge would last."

"Yeah. No kidding," Zoe says with a sigh.

"Zoe must be counting the days until the Royal Cotillion," The reporter says before Zoe gasps remembering the book she has to read. "when she will officially become a Lady of the Court."

"Read it fast at lightning speed. Remember everything I need," Zoe reads out of Mal's spell book. Mal had given her powers to Zoe to help her with being Ben's girlfriend. Zoe moves her finger over the book about being a lady of the court before she starts reading it really fast.

"I know Zoe's secret to fitting in, and Ben wouldn't like it one bit. Haven't you guys had enough secrets between the two of you already?" Evie says as she walks over to the bed. "I mean you still have secrets."

"Evie, you remember what I was like before Mal gave me her powers and I started using the spell book. I mean, I was a complete disaster," Zoe explains to her before she goes back to reading.

"Well, personally, as one of your best friends, I strongly believe that this spell book..." Evie starts as she grabs the spell book from Zoe's lap.

"Ah!" Zoe says as she reaches for the spell book.

"it belongs in the museum, along with my mirror," Evie finishes causing Zoe to pout. "Don't give me the face. Put the pout away. Mm-hmm. You know I'm right."

"You don't ever miss running wild and just breaking all the rules?" Zoe asks Mal and Evie.

"Yes," Mal says as she nods in agreement.

"Like stealing and lying and fighting?" Evie asks to clarify.

"Yeah!" Zoe answers excitedly.

"No!" Evie says.

"What?" Zoe and Mal ask her.

"Why would we?" Evie asks as she walks over to Zoe and Mal. "Z, M, come here." She grabs their hands and pulls them in front of the tv. "Look at where we are. We're in Auradon! And we're Auradon girls now." On the tv it shows Ben feeding Zoe a strawberry.

"Since Zoe revealed her love of strawberries, she has received hundreds of cartons from her admirers. Here she is enjoying a cozy bite..." The reporter says as it shows Zoe feeding one to Ben.

"See, this is the land of opportunity. We can be whatever we want to be here," Evie says with a smile while still watching the tv. Zoe looks down with a frown as Mal rubs her shoulder in comfort. "So, please, let's just leave the past in the past, okay?" Zoe and Evie look at each other before Evie looks at the table. "Besides, I mean, look at the shoes. Look at them."

"Mm. Severe," Mal says as Zoe fakes a smile. Zoe changes before they head to class.