curious

♜ IX ♜

Carlos continues to shoot smoke bombs at the ship while the rest of us run around, handing each other swords and getting ready to fight the pirates with them.

The pirates run across the docks and swing over on ropes to get to us.

I put my sword up as one goes to slash me with theirs. We start fighting, moving around quickly. "Jonas, is it?" I ask as we continue. He glares and nods. "Why, Jonas, I believe I should be very sorry for what I am about to do to you. Forgive me," I say, smiling. He furrows his brows.

I move my sword up near his hand. His sword flies out of his hands and into the water. We both glance from the water to each other.

"I failed fencing class," I say, shrugging before I kick his stomach. He falls backwards, hitting the railing with his back before falling into the water. "Sorry, Jonas!" I shout after him, turning around quickly when I hear a creak.

The pirate behind me goes to slice my hat in half. I bend down quickly, but pop back up just as fast. "You tried to cut off my hat," I say, offended. "Oh, it's on."

We continue fighting and moving until my back hits Evie's back. "Why hello, Evie," I say as we continue fighting our opponents.

"Hi, Aris," Evie replies. "Are you up for a switch off?"

"Of course," I say.

We both bend and switch places. I stab the person in the thigh, and Evie stabs the other in the arm before we both kick them backwards.

One person comes for us each, so we jump onto two ladders, and the two pirates run into each other. After the two realize that they are fighting their own people, they turn to us and go to try and cut our legs.

We climb the ladders until we get to the upper deck. Evie starts fighting someone. I move out of the way as someone tries to stab me. "Do you know what it's like to fly?" I ask them, earning a weird look. "Well, you're about to," I say, ducking. I kick their feet and they stumble, falling over the railing and into the water.

I smile and clap, turning to Evie as she takes a scarf from the person and says. "Ooo, cute scarf. It's mine now," she smile and kicks their back. I kick them in the stomach and they fall off the edge and into the water.

Ben climbs and goes behind Evie and I.

"Why did no one tell me how fun this is?" I ask, earning a crazy look from Ben. "What? Six impossible things, Mr. King."

People come at the three of us from all angles, and we start fighting them. We switch places every few seconds, and I say a few things that make the people we're fighting stop short of pause from misunderstanding.

Ben kicks the guy he is fighting. I hit the sword out of my opponents hand. When they bend down to pick it up, I stomp on their hand. They fall backwards and groan in pain.

Evie and I grab the ledge of the railing and hop over it, landing next to Carlos as Ben swings down onto the dock near us.

"Jay, go start the car!" Carlos shouts.

"We'll meet you guys there," Evie says. Jay nods and goes to start the car.

I swing around and my sword meets Harry's. "Did you go for a swim?" I ask, tilting my head at his wet hair.

"Hardly," he breaths.

"Aris!" Lonnie yells. "Let's go!"

I sigh, moving Harry's sword out of the way with mine. "I would rather not fight you," I mumble. He smirks and tilts his head. "I'm going to say sorry in advance."

He furrows his brows.

I lean forward and kiss him on the cheek, whispering, "In the dark." Then I back away and smile. "Sorry."

His brows go up when I step on his foot. He groans as I run after Lonnie. Carlos holds a girl off, but is quick to keep behind me. We both get cut off.

Someone swings at Carlos, so he goes to fight them.

I bend down and start fighting the girl in front of me. "Why-must-you-people-always-make-this-so-difficult," I grunt in between hits of our swords.

"Carlos!" Evie yells. "Smoke bombs."

"I will slice you!" I say loudly, pointing at my opponent after I bend backwards and stand back up straight. "Slice," I say, going to slice their arm open. They push me backwards so that my back is on the railing. "Well, devil's fire," I mumble, earning a weird look from the girl.

Evie drops a purple smoke bomb. The girl gets distracted, so I kick her knee, making her stumble backwards. "Bye-bye!" I say, waving down at them. They go to hit me with their sword. I step to the side and run after the others into the pipe.

"You okay?" Carlos asks, running to the limo.

"Yeah," Lonnie says.

"Nice work out there, Lonnie," he says, continuing towards the limo.

Evie runs out and goes to the limo. I follow at behind her, smiling and high-fiving Lonnie as I pass her.

Carlos tells us to get it while Evie says, "Let's go."

We toss our swords into the trunk before getting into the limo quickly. Lonnie closes the trunk as Mal and Ben hop in. When Lonnie gets in, we all slam our doors shut and Jay starts driving.

We all catch our breaths. "I'm really sorry," Ben says, looking at Mal. "That things didn't go the way you wanted them to."

"I mean," Mal says, still out of breath, "as long as your safe, that's..."

"Well, I mean, at least I got to see the Isle. They're my people too." He pauses. "Uma helped me see that."

"Ben, Uma captured you," Mal says.

Well, Harry captured me, doesn't mean he's not pretty.

"She's an angry girl with a bad plan," Ben says, shaking his head. "That's not so different from you wen you came to Auradon, Mal."

"Awkward," Dude says after a moment of silence.

"Dude," Evie says, clearing her throat.

"Dude," Carlos says, "I know you can talk, but that doesn't always mean you should."

There's a moment of silence.

I cross my legs and smile, clasping my hands together. "What an interesting trip that was."

They all give me a look.

♜

"I'll get these back to the gym," Lonnie says as we all walk across the lawn at Auradon Prep.

"Thanks," Jay says.

"See you later," Lonnie says, walking away from us.

"Ben!" I hear Jane shout. She rushes over to us. "There you are. Cotillion's tonight. Come here. Look."

I adjust my jacket and turn to Jay and Evie and Carlos. "I'll see you all later. I should probably start getting ready. Or eat. I think I'll eat."

"You've never been that hungry before," Carlos says, chuckling.

"I ate a few scones, and that was it," I laugh. "Harry offered me food at Ursula's shop thing. I'm not a huge seafood fan."

With that, I leave to the vending machine. I really want processed food right now. And tea.