Trying To Be Good

The Date

CHAPTER 20

"Would you like a hot hors d'oeuvre?" Zoe asks Ben with a smile.

"Yes, please," Ben answers with a returning smile before Zoe feeds him one.

"Mmm! This is the best thing I've ever had," Ben says as he finishes it.

"So, you like it?" Zoe asks him.

"I more than like it. I, uh...mmm..." Ben answers as he gets another one. "Double like it. Beef ragout?"

"Yeah," Zoe says with a smile.

"This is amazing," Ben says before taking a bite of the beef ragout.

"Did I surprise you?" Zoe asks.

"Oh, yeah, you surprised me. This is every single dish Mrs. Potts made for my parents," Ben answers her excitedly. "What did it take you? Three days?"

"You know, don't even ask me," Zoe says with a smile.

"Yeah," Ben says with a laugh before turning serious. "Well, it means a lot that you stopped and did all this for me. Especially with all the craziness you've been put through." Ben grabs Zoe's hand. "I've missed you." Zoe smiles big at him before Ben caresses her face. "We don't get much time to be just us anymore."

"I know," Zoe tells him before wiping some food from his mouth.

"You can't take me anywhere, right?" Ben says causing Zoe to laugh since that was what she had said on their first date. "Do you have a... Do you have a napkin or something?"

"I do! I packed some," Zoe tells him before she starts looking for the basket.

"Oh, there is..." Ben says as he sees the basket.

"I think I stowed them away," Zoe says as Ben reaches into the basket. "I can grab them."

"What's this?" Ben asks as he pulls out Mal's Spell Book.

"I actually threw that in there super last-minute in case it rained or..." Zoe tries to explain before Ben starts going through the marked pages.

" 'Power transfer' Spell. 'Speed reading' spell. 'Blonde hair' spell. 'Cooking' spell," Ben reads before closing the book and looking at Zoe in shock. "And I was giving you props for fitting in so well, for doing your best."

"Take back this moment that has passed. Return it... Reverse it..." Zoe tries to remember a spell to fix everything but fails.

"Are you trying to spell me right now?!" Ben exclaims as he stands up.

"Ben, it has been so hard for me!" Zoe tells him.

"Yes! Some things are hard! Do you think learning to be king has been easy for me?" Ben explains.

"No!" Zoe says.

"I thought we were doing this together!" Ben says as he raises his voice.

"Ben, we are in this together," Zoe tells him as she stands up.

"But we're not, Zoe. We're not. Y-You've been keeping secrets and lying to me," Ben argues and Zoe tries to talk. "I thought we were done with that. This isn't the Isle of the Lost, Zoe."

"Yeah. Believe me, I know that!" Zoe tells him.

"Then why are you doing this?" Ben asks her.

"Because... I'm not one of those pretty pink princesses, Ben. I'm not one of those ladies from the Court," Zoe explains to him. "I'm a big fake, okay? I'm fake." Zoe then motions to the meal. "This is fake." Zoe grabs her hair before dropping it. "This is fake." Zoe grabs Mal's spell book before finding a spell. "Take this feast, this sumptuous meal, return it back to what is real." Zoe moves her finger before the meal disappears to reveal a glass of milk and a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. "This is who I really am."

"Zoe," Ben tries as Zoe starts to walk off.

"No. No," Zoe says as she moves away from him and keeps walking.

"Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite!" Ben yells after her causing her to run to her dorm. Zoe is crying by the time she reaches her door where she bumps onto Mal who is also crying.

"I don't belong here," Zoe and Mal say at the same time before hugging. Mal and Jay also had a fight. They change into their Isle clothes before Mal fixes a box for Maleficent.

"Let's blow this popsicle stand," Zoe says before Mal nods. They take Zoe's bike, that Ben gave her, before stopping by the waters edge. Mal hands Zoe the spell book. "Noble steed, proud and fair, you shall take me anywhere."

"Okay. Whew. Please work," Mal says as Zoe hands her back the book before taking off. The bike drives across the water before taking them through the barrier. Zoe drives through a lot of people making them dive out of the way before she comes to a stop. As she removes her goggles she sees a poster of her and Ben. She tears it down before wadding it up and throwing it. She then continues on to their old hideout. Mal grabs a rock before tossing it to Zoe. Zoe smirks before throwing the rock at the 'danger flying rocks' sign. This opens the door to the hideout.