Hooked

5. Spindling Lies

Harry did not enjoy large crowds of people. Well actually it was large crowds of overly optimistic people that he did not enjoy. As a pirate you had to get used to quite a few individuals in a smaller, more restricted space. On a ship. In Uma's restaurant. He could tolerate those settings. Walking through the condensed alleyways of the Isle was as familiar as anything else. As a matter of fact, the more crowded an area was, the more opportunities there were to pick-pocket unsuspecting folks- which is something Harry very much enjoyed.

No, crowds didn't bother him.

But an organized event full of people- who were supposed to be living their regular miserable lives- singing dishonest songs of hope for tomorrow while the privileged royals of Auradon paraded through their poverty definitely struck a nerve in Harry. It's not that Harry didn't believe in hope. He very much wished life for everyone on the Isle could get better. It's just that, when everyone in this large crowd found themselves able to be overly optimistic, that made Harry the only one miserable. And that, he did not enjoy.

"You could at least fake a welcoming smile, Harry."

"Oh Uma," Harry's eyes became exaggerated in their desperation, "I could give you a real smile if you set me free from this place!"

Uma rolled her eyes, but laughed. "Absolutely not. I worked hard to arrange this event. And while Mal said they have most of the volunteers covered, you and I have an obligation to support promising programs for our community's future. Like this one."

"Ugh, those are just too many long, boring words for me to get motivated."

"Well then maybe instead of the children, this educational program will benefit you. Then you could actually learn all those long boring words. Maybe that will motivate you?"

Harry's head fell all the way back, where his nose pointed directly toward the sky. He gave a long, defeated sigh of despair before Uma's elbow came jabbing into his ribs, knocking him off balance.

"Aye," He regained his balance with a laugh, "You just love watching me suffer, don't you?"

"Oh yes. Now go suffer over by the survey table. Ben and Mal are about to pull in and this crowd is only going to get bigger. While they are giving their speeches, I need you to keep an eye on the tables and make sure no one is knocking things over or- god forbid- the snack table gets trampled."

"There's going to be a snack table?

"Yes."

"Well that's all the motivation I need, Uma, why didn't you just say so in the first place?"

"Oh gee, I guess I thought the idea of better educational opportunities would be the selling point," She shook her head, then threw her finger toward the arrangement of tables in front of the square tower where Ben and Mal would make their speeches, "Now go.. And do not eat the food when they bring it, please."

"Anything else?" Harry sighed, swaying backwards in the direction she pointed.

"Yes, you're here to help make sure there isn't any trouble so don't be causing it. Ben's doing something great for the Isle so at least try to return the civility."

"I'll make sure to give His Majesty the most welcoming of smiles. Perhaps, even a curtsey," Harry demonstrated a ridiculous curtsey which made Uma unable to hold back a laugh. When she scoffed at him, Harry swirled around and made his way to the tables.

The tables were set up in a large half circle underneath the tower and several of Auradon's volunteers were already there working diligently to organize the stacks of papers and signs. The main table in the middle was the information booth where most likely Ben and Mal would be after their speeches to draw people in and explain the program. To both sides of the information booth (and most importantly) were the snack tables, which the other Auradon volunteers had only just begun stocking.