“We’ll be back tons,” said Evie. “You’ll be sick of us.”
“Really, really sick, okay?” cried Jane. “So sick we have the flu.”
“Promise,” said Evie.
• • •
At the end of the week, Doug showed Evie his spreadsheet. “Look how much you earned! You are a queen!”
“Oh my fairest!” said Evie. “I can finally afford what I’ve wanted all this time!”
wo weeks before the very last day of school was the annual Senior Dinner, hosted by the royal family in honor of the graduating class. Ben came to knock on Mal’s door to escort her to the event. He looked particularly dashing in a new blue-and-gold tuxedo that matched his crown. “Are you ready?” he asked.
Mal tucked her hair behind her ears and took one last look in the mirror. She was wearing a new purple dress trimmed with black lace that Evie had made her and had combed her hair just the way Dizzy had taught her. She hoped she had gotten it right. Doug and Evie had already left for the event just a few minutes earlier. When she turned to Ben, his smile widened.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
“You don’t look too bad yourself,” she teased.
She took his arm and they made their way out of the dorms toward the main lawn, which had been set up with a majestic white tent for the night. Their fellow seniors milled around in their finest formal wear. Lonnie and Jay were standing by the buffet table, sampling the canapés. Jay was wearing his rust-colored Agrabah-style leather jacket with the epaulets. Carlos and Jane were talking to Fairy Godmother. Doug and Evie were once again saying hi to Doug’s many cousins. (His dad did have six brothers.)
“Did I ever tell you how glad I am that nothing bad happened on the Isle this time?” said Ben, as he walked her to their table.
“About that,” said Mal.
“Something bad happened?”
“Yes,” she said. “Except I don’t remember exactly what it was. We did get away. But we need to be vigilant. Something wicked this way comes.…”
Ben raised his eyebrows. “I’ll double security right now.”
“And we really did our best to try to convince kids to apply here,” said Mal.
“I know you did.”
“I just hope it was enough.”
“What’s the event you’re planning with Evie? VK Day? That sounds pretty cool,” said Ben.
“I hope it works,” said Mal.
“We’ll be inundated with applications. You’ll see,” said Ben.
• • •
King Beast and Queen Belle arrived, and everyone took their seats. Mrs. Potts had outdone herself: there was hearty beef ragout, a bubbling and airy cheese soufflé, luscious and crispy roast chickens, mashed potatoes that had little pools of melted butter. It was the most decadent and de
licious meal they ever had.
She was glad that Carlos and Jane had joined them, even though, technically, they were juniors. But as Carlos said, technically, Jane had planned the entire thing, down to the six-course dessert menu, so it was only fair that they got to attend.
Ben—who, in addition to being Auradon’s king, was also the Class King—stood up to make a toast. “To the best Auradon Prep class ever!” he said. “My family wishes you all a wonderful future.”
“To the future!” said Jay, smiling at Lonnie.
“The future!” said Evie, clinking glasses with Doug.
“The future!” said Mal, who feverishly hoped it brought only peace and no threats from her homeland.