Mal read the mysterious text again, apprehension making her heart beat faster. She collected her things, determined to find her friends so they could help her figure out what was going on.
Mal had a feeling that her sweet life in Auradon was about to turn rotten.
Jay was used to dodging angry shopkeepers and furious bazaar merchants as they watched their precious wares disappear into the hands of the fast-moving thief in the red beanie and purple-and-yellow vest, so playing tourney was much easier than that. At least he didn’t have to dodge rotten tomatoes and threats of dismemberment as he zigzagged his way to the goal, trying to ke
ep away from the red-and-white-striped painted “kill zone” in the middle of the field. It was a perfect afternoon for practice, the sky a cloudless blue, the trees bordering the field lush and green. The stands were empty save for a few students hanging out with friends or doing homework, and the cheerleaders in their yellow T-shirts and blue skirts were having their own practice by the sidelines.
When the ground beneath him began to shake, Jay ignored it and ran left, caught the puck in his stick, and ducked past the loaded cannons, tumbling as he whipped the puck right into the net. He raised his arms in victory, skidding to a stop on his knees just as the rumbling vibrations ceased. A slow, satisfied smile grew on his face. His long dark hair was plastered to his forehead and neck, and sweat drenched his uniform. Earthquakes didn’t scare him; nothing could stop him from running as fast as he could toward a goal.
All his life, he’d had to use his fleet feet and lightning-quick reflexes to nab items to fill the shelves of his father’s junk shop, at the expense of others. But here at Auradon Prep, his talents got him a coveted varsity spot on the tourney team, and Jay was getting so used to riding his teammates’ shoulders at the end of every victory that the novelty had almost worn off. Aladdin’s son, Aziz, even teased that Jay should lay off the pumpkin juice a little or else he’d get too heavy to carry.
The cheerleaders practicing on the sidelines screamed Jay’s name in appreciation. He jumped up and doffed his helmet to them, causing the girls to giggle and shake their pom-poms even faster.
Jay was walking over to the sidelines to grab his water from his gym bag when he noticed a crumpled piece of notebook paper among his things. What was this? He opened it up. In purple ink, someone had scrawled, Run back to where you came from! Return to the Isle of the Lost by moon’s end!
What was that all about? And what about the moon? Huh?
“Hey, man, good play,” said Chad Charming. The golden-haired, pampered son of Cinderella usually wasn’t very nice to Jay, but maybe there was more to this handsome prince than a headful of carefully coiffed hair. Chad held out his hand. Jay took it, albeit suspiciously.
“Thanks, man,” he said, stuffing the strange note in the back of his pocket.
“Then again, anyone can score off Herkie.” Chad laughed, squeezing Jay’s palm and nodding toward Hercules’s son at the goal. “All brawn but flat feet, know what I’m saying?”
Herkie was as strong as his father and had the muscles to prove it, but he wasn’t the fastest on the field. Even so, Chad was lucky he wasn’t within earshot.
“You’re saying you could have done it?” asked Jay, his hand still clasped in Chad’s grip.
“Blindfolded,” said Chad, still shaking Jay’s hand forcefully up and down and smiling through his teeth. “See, the thing is, Jay, it’s easy to dodge a cannon, but in tourney, you’ve got to watch out for what you never see coming.” And with his trademark sneer, Chad twisted his wrist and flipped Jay over, sending him sprawling on the ground face-first. Oof.
“See what I mean?” Chad smiled. “Consider it a little coaching between friends.”
“Oh, Chad, you’re too hilarious for words!” Audrey, who had come up from the sidelines to coo at her boyfriend, tittered.
“Hilarious isn’t the word I’d use,” grumbled Jay, spitting out dirt. Did he say he was tired of being lifted on his team’s shoulders? Well, he much preferred that to being thrown on the ground at the feet of an annoying prince.
“Are you okay, Jay?” Audrey asked, concerned.
“He’s fine, babe,” said Chad, slinging an arm over her shoulders, the smile on his face as cloying as the pastel sweaters he usually wore. “Come on, there’s nothing to see here but garbage. Isn’t that what you guys used to eat on that island? Our leftovers?”
Audrey gasped. “The poor things, did they really? That’s disgusting.”
“On Charming’s honor,” said Chad, leading her away. “Let’s go, Princess, nothing to see here.”
Chad used to be one of the best players on the team, but not since Jay arrived. The prince wasn’t taking his displacement from the starting lineup very well.
Jay sighed, looking up at the blue sky. He had traded a life of skulking and thievery to play good guy at hero prep. Back on the Isle, Chad wouldn’t be laughing quite so smugly if he knew how easily Jay could have swiped his watch, wallet, and keys during that handshake. But Jay was in Auradon now, and they frowned on those things, so he’d left them alone, even though the temptation had been great. It would only get him and his fellow villain kids in trouble, which is what Chad really wanted.
“Are you planning on lying there forever? The dinner bell’s rung,” said a voice. He looked up to see Jordan standing above him, holding out a hand.
“You came out of nowhere.”
“Genie trick.” She winked, looking down at him with a hint of a smile. She wore her dark hair up in a swoop, and her blue pantaloons were striking with her yellow leather jacket. She was soon joined by two other girls, the three of them looking concerned over his fall.
Jay took Jordan’s hand and used it to help himself up. “Thanks.”
“Don’t worry about Chad, he’s like that to everyone. Isn’t that right, Allie?” Jordan said to the blond girl standing next to her.
The girl nodded. She wore a blue pinafore over a white blouse and had delicate features and a genteel manner. “He’s almost worse than Tweedledum and Tweedledee.”