𝕭𝖑𝖔𝖓𝖉𝖊 𝕭𝖊𝖆𝖚𝖙𝖞 (𝕲𝖔𝖑𝖉𝖊𝖓 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝕺𝖓𝖊)

Date

Jay and Ella took a bike that Aaron had lent to Jay in an act of goodwill and to show that he didn't want to destroy him the way Ryder did. They passed the Auradon line and over into Corona which wasn't very far from the school itself. The further they went the more hysterical Ella found the whole situation. He led the princess into a small clearing she knew all too well. She laughed her usual melodic laugh, "um Jay I think Ryder was setting you up to fail," Jay looked at her confused, "this is very close to home. About half a mile that way," She pointed past a grove of flowers Lucky for you mom and dad are staying in for the day and the guards don't patrol around here anymore," she said touching one of the leftover black rock spikes, they were pretty but powerless now, so Ella wasn't worried about her hair growing 70 feet.

Jay gave a nervous smile and a small glare aimed at the ground, "Sorry."

"No need to apologize, like I said Ryder is just protective," The two set up a picnic Jay brought and sat down and started to eat. "Oh Cupcakes, have you ever had one."

He shook his head, "I had to ask around for ideas of what to bring, Lonnie said they're your favorite snack or something like that."

She nodded practically bouncing in her seat and peeling back the wrapper, "Here," she held it out to him, "Try it."

He took the sweet from the blond and looked at her bite into it. He followed her example, his eyes lit up in awe and he practically inhaled the snack cake. Ella giggles at him and follows suit.

Jay finished the cupcake and started up the conversation again, "Tell me something you've never told anyone," He asked her, leaning back on his hands.

Ella needed to think for a moment pretty much everything about her was known she was an open book. "Okay um only my family knows this but that's it," He nodded. She took his hand in hers, turning it over seeing a bunch of tiny cuts and bruises on his knuckles, "Flower gleam and glow let your power shine." her hair and eyes started to glow brightly, her pupils and sclera pretty much gone. Jay's eyes widened, he looked down at his hand and saw the cuts and bruises starting to heal. "Make the clock reverse bring back what once was mine," her hair started growing ever so slightly, "What once was mine," The light dissipated, and her hair went back to its original length, and she blinked away the golden glow.

"Whoa," was all Jay could get out at first. He turned his hand over, seeing it was good as new. All evidence of Isle life on his hand gone. Ella chuckled nervously; she wasn't sure how he would react. She had heard how her dad did so it could be much better than that or much worse. "That's really cool, Mother Gothel always rants about it, but I never thought I'd see it," He smiled widely. Ella smiled, glad that, that was his reaction.

She looked at the boy in front of her. He was smart, kind, and compassionate. She could see all of that, no matter how well he hid it, he was no villain, "I'm so glad I chose you."

Jay blinked in surprise, "Huh?" Jay asked.

Ella blushed; she was not supposed to say that out loud. "I said I'm glad I chose you; I picked you and Evie. Ben picked Mal and Carlos," Now Jay had even more reason to like her and even more reason to hate this plan for the wand.

"Why me, of every kid on the isle all the younger ones or the older ones that didn't deserve to get put there in the first place? Why a teenage thief with, according to my dad, no future."

Jay was looking down now, head bowed shame coming over him in waves like it did everyday growing up. Ella placed her hand under his chin making him look at her, "I saw something, I can't explain what, but felt so at peace looking at your picture even if it looked like you wanted to punch the camera guy." Jay laughed at that. "I saw everything you could be, everything you wanted, everything you were."

"Then you saw that I'm a bad person, nothing but a thief."

"Mama always told me that I'd wanna be someone who treats me as good as dad treats her, someone like dad in general. looking at you I know she was right." She told him placing a small hand on his much bigger one. "Come on," She said, getting up and reaching out to him, "I wanna show you something."

He took her hand in his and pulled himself up. She led him closer to the castle until they were in an overgrown playground It looked like it had been turned into a rose garden and no one had the time to remove the playsets. The only thing that looked in pristine condition was a swing set with two swings. One was pink with a lantern painted on it and a sign above with Ella written in cursive, The other was purple with a sun painted on and Ryder written in cursive above.

"This is where we spent most of our time as kids." She sat on her swing and motioned for Jay to sit on Ryders he did so albeit hesitantly because the 15-year-old prince still scared him. They spent the rest of the day trading stories and just talking. "Jay, would you be my escort to the coronation?" She winced, "sorry I meant date."

Jay smiled, not worried about the wand for once, just thinking about the amazing girl in front of him, "yea. I'd like that."

After the ride back to Auradon prep, He walked Ella back to her dorm where she kissed his cheek and walked in looking like she was on Cloud nine. Lucky Jazzy was dead asleep so there was no one to tease her for the time being. Jay got back to his room and saw Carlos on the laptop they shared. "Goofy smile" He muttered to himself with a frown. "Man, it's all a spell you know that right we're gonna have to break it at some point right. Don't get attached."

Jay shook his head, "I didn't spell her I didn't have too. She really does want to be with me."

Carlos's jaw dropped, "That's even worse man when our parents get the wand god knows what your dad will do to her. Ella, Jazzy, Aaron, and Ryder their safety has to be a priority right now. Jay, they've done so much for us." the older boy's smile fell, he understood he really did like Ella, but he couldn't let her get hurt because of him. He couldn't let Jazzy, Aaron and Ryder fall Victim to his father, Maleficent, Cruella or The Evil Queen. Carlos was right he was gonna have to make a really tough decision, one he wasn't quite sure he could live with. 

Published: Nov 2, 2019
Updated/ Edited: Jan 21, 2023