People You Know by Selena Gomez
Uma sighed dramatically, crossing her arms. "Ooh. All right. Let's get this Audrey chick taken care of already."
Mal let out a laugh at the pirate's attitude, and for once, Estella couldn't help but smile, exhaustion catching up to her. Her body ached. They had been fighting and walking and thinking way too much. She just wanted this to be over so she could crawl into bed and cuddle with Harry.
Ben wrapped an arm around Mal, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Someday you're gonna have to tell me how you guys all got teamed up."
Estella perked up at that, glancing at Ben for the first time in a while. She smirked, unable to resist. "Mal promised to let us and all the kids off the Isle once this is over." A wide, grim smile stretched across her face.
Ben frowned. Something flickered in his eyes.
"Estella," he called out softly, his tone hesitant.
The blonde girl sighed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, great. What now?"
Mal stiffened beside him, her expression guilty. She hesitated, looking around at the group before finally sighing and facing them head-on.
"I have to tell you all something."
The weight in her voice made everyone go quiet.
Mal took a breath, then spoke.
"I lied to you. The kids won't be coming off the Isle. The program has been shut down. The barrier will be closed for good. For Auradon's safety."
Silence.
A heavy, suffocating silence.
Carlos and Jay exchanged stunned glances.
Gil scratched the back of his head, clearly not comprehending the gravity of the situation just yet.
Harry?
Harry grunted, his grip on his hook tightening, jaw clenching.
And Estella?
Estella laughed.
A sharp, sarcastic sound that cut through the air like a blade.
Slowly, she started clapping, each clap echoing through the quiet woods.
"Well done, Mal," she drawled, voice dripping with venom. "Really. Thought you were doin' the right thing, huh? Thought ye were saving people? Oh, babe." Her expression hardened. "You've just declared war."
Evie flinched, reaching out, trying to grab her arm, but Estella glared at her, and the blue-haired princess hesitated.
Estella took a slow step toward Mal, then another, her boots crunching against the dirt.
Mal opened her mouth, maybe to defend herself, maybe to explainâ
CRACK.
Mal's head snapped to the side, her body recoiling as Estella's fist slammed into her nose.
Ben gasped audibly.
Evie covered her mouth, wide-eyed.
Carlos and Jay flinched.
Uma?
Uma smirked.
Harry?
Harry howled with laughter, doubling over with manic glee. "That's me girl!" he cackled, grabbing Estella by the waist and spinning her around, pressing an excited kiss to her temple. "Ah, love, ye always know how t' put on a show!"
Mal staggered back, hands flying to her face, blood trickling between her fingers. She looked up, eyes blown wide with shock.
Uma strode forward, slow and calculated. She stopped in front of Mal, tilting her head.
"So let me get this straight," she said, voice low and dangerous. "We're riskin' our livesâfor you. For Auradon. For your kingdom." She stepped even closer. "An' you were just lyin' the whole time?"
Mal tried to speak, but Uma wasn't done.
"Knew it was a mistake t' trust you." Her lip curled. "Ye ain't no leader, Mal. You're just another Auradon princess, scared o' losin' her precious kingdom."
And then, without hesitation, Uma spat at Mal's feet.
The air was thick with tension, everyone waiting to see what would happen next.
Mal pressed her lips together, looking between them allâat Uma's cold glare, at Estella's murderous expression, at Harry's wild grin, at the sheer disappointment in Evie's eyes.
For the first time, Mal truly realized.
She had lost them.
Celia sniffled, her small frame trembling as silent tears streaked down her face. Slowly, she walked forward, her eyes locking onto Mal with nothing but betrayal.
"You're a chicken," she said, voice barely above a whisper, but laced with raw emotion. "Nothing but a scared little chicken."
Mal blinked, stunned. "Celiaâ"
"You lied to me!" Celia's voice cracked as she took another step, anger bubbling over. "You were too scared to tell me I was never gonna see my dad again!" She let out a sharp, broken breath, her hands curling into fists. Then, without warning, she snatched the ember right from Mal's hands.
"Celiaâno!"
Before Mal could react, Celia turned and dropped the ember into the stone birdbath.
The ember sizzled. Steam rose into the air as the magic was snuffed out.
Mal screeched, scrambling toward it, shoving her hands into the water to fish it out. "No, no, no!"
Celia glared down at her, chest heaving, then spun on her heel and stormed into the woods, her small figure disappearing into the night.
Mal sat there, her hands dripping as she held the ember, panic written all over her face. Desperately, she chanted the spell under her breath.
"Regain your might and ignite!"
Nothing.
She swallowed thickly, voice shaking. "Regain your might and ignite!"
The ember stayed the same.
Mal looked up, tears filling her eyesâonly to find Uma staring down at her, unimpressed.
Without a word, Uma slowly lifted her mother's shell necklace, the same one that had glowed when Mal used her powers to make them stronger together.
It remained dull.
Uma raised an eyebrow, then shrugged dramatically. "Bummer."
Estella scoffed, crossing her arms, looking entirely unbothered. Harry, still holding her in his arms, cackled under his breath, thoroughly amused.
Uma turned to her crew, flicking her head toward the woods. "Let's go find Gil and leave them all to rot."
Harry smirked, setting Estella down, but keeping an arm draped lazily over her shoulder. "Aye, let's get outta here, lass. I've had enough o' Auradon's princesses t' last a lifetime."
The pirate crew turned their backs without hesitation, walking into the darkness of the woods, their hearts heavy.
As the three strode across the school grounds, a heavy but comforting silence settled between them. They didn't need to say anythingâthere was an unspoken understanding. They had been betrayed, left behind, cast aside like they were nothing. The bitterness clung to their skin, weighing them down like chains. But at least they were feeling it together.
Suddenly, frantic footsteps pounded against the pavement behind them.
"Uma!"
Mal's voice rang through the night, desperate.
The trio didn't slow down. If anything, they picked up the pace, their boots hitting the ground harder.
"Please, stop! I need your help!"
Harry let out a long sigh, rolling his eyes. Estella didn't even glance back. Uma, at the front, kept her shoulders squared, walking with purpose.
"We have a chance if we do this together!"
Estella finally huffed, pressing her tongue against the side of her mouth, her irritation bubbling over. "What's wrong, Mal?" she drawled, glancing over her shoulder. "Your precious little friends kick you to the curb?"
Mal faltered, her hands trembling as she clasped them together. "No," she insisted, shaking her head. "IâI saw something in you three. I always have. In Uma. In Harry. In you, Estella."
That made the blonde stop walking, her expression blank.
"You're good," Mal continued, her voice almost pleading. "You never changed."
Harry's jaw ticked. His grip on his hook tightened as his gaze darkened, and he took a step between Mal and Estella, his body tense.
"Lass, ye talk pretty," he said, his Scottish accent thick with mockery. "But Uma's already made up 'er mind. We're done wit' ye."
Estella's lip curled, any emotion she might've felt smothered in an instant. "You made the decisions, Mal. Now deal with the consequences."
Uma smirked, nodding in agreement as she slapped a hand against Harry's chest. "Let's go."
Without another word, the trio turned their backs and walked away.