"I'm so late! Stupid alarm!" Erin was racing to the front of Auradon Prep, hoping to make it in time to greet the newcomers. It was her hard-work that brought the welcoming committee together, and there was no way she was going to miss how everything panned out- despite disagreeing with the whole thing. She rushed through her morning routine, opting to wear the same outfit she wore yesterday. Then, she threw her red hair up in a stylish ponytail, letting her bangs hang freely over her face. Her makeup was light, enhancing her already beautiful features.

Erin's lungs were beginning to hurt, and her legs burned. Running in flats was no easy feat as they kept sliding off of her well, feet, which made Erin trip continuously. But Erin knew very well that heels would have been way worse. She probably would've fallen flat on her face by now, but the day was still young.

The front courtyard was finally in her sights, and Erin let out a heavy, relieved breath. "Finally!" She cheered to herself.

She rushed to the meeting spot and tried her best to stop in time. But despite her best efforts, Erin crashed into the one and only Princess Audrey, the prima donna of royals. Great!- note the sarcasm. Both girls shrieked, but thankfully, Fairy Godmother and Ben were able to steady them before they fell into a heap on the ground. Erin was never going to live that down; Add it to Audrey's list.

Once they were stable on their own feet, Audrey huffed. "Well, if it isn't the royal klutz."

Erin rolled her eyes and readjusted her clothes. "Sticks and stones, Audrey."

She ignored Audrey's pointed glare as she looked up at the new arrivals. "Hi, there!"

The redhead intrigued the villain kids, and they were surprised at her sudden and rather abrupt arrival. But no one was more intrigued by her than Jay, and when she looked up, he saw her crystal blue eyes that complimented her bright hair and fair skin beautifully. He sauntered forward and said smoothly, "Hello, foxy. The name's Jay."

"Erin. Nice to meet you, Jay," Erin replied, offering her hand for him to shake. But instead of a handshake, Jay gently grasped her small hand and brought it up to his lips, placing a tender kiss on her knuckles. Erin couldn't help but blush at the gesture. She couldn't deny that he was very attractive with his long dark hair, tanned skin, and dark eyes. His muscular physique was hard not to stare at, but Erin fought the urge, sensing that flirting was nothing new for Jafar's son. He could probably get any girl, and Erin didn't want to get hung up on some silly notion of romance.

Breaking the moment, Fairy Godmother popped her head in between them, forcing Jay to release Erin's hand and step back to his group, and she greeted, "Welcome to Auradon Prep. I'm Fairy Godmother, Headmistress."

At the name, the purple-haired teen, Mal, perked up. "The Fairy Godmother? As in, 'Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo'?"

"Bibbidi-bobbidi. You know it," Fairy Godmother said sweetly.

"Yeah, I always wondered what it felt like for Cinderella when you just appeared out of nowhere with that sparkly wand and warm smile... And that sparkly wand."

Fairy Godmother smiled her friendly smile. "Oh, that was a long time ago. And as I always say, 'Don't focus on the past or you'll miss the future'," she said, waving her hands in front of her face, making Erin chuckle a little. For some reason, Jay couldn't help but release a small smile at the angelic sound of Erin's laughter. But as soon as he realized what he was doing, he forced his smile to fall back into his signature smirk.

Moving the party along, Ben entered king mode and announced, "It's so good to finally meet you all. I'm Ben."

"Prince Benjamin," Audrey snootily interjected. "Soon to be king." Erin rolled her eyes at Audrey's comment. She never let a time go by where she didn't brag about being royalty.

The blue-haired teen, Evie, came forward with an excited, bright smile on her face. "You had me at Prince. My mom's a queen, which makes me a princess," she said as she curtsied in front of Ben. Erin tried her best to smother her amusement, glad there was another person that wasn't afraid to stand up to her 'royal rudeness'. But Erin also knew that Audrey would no doubt feel threatened, and when Audrey was threatened, the claws came out.

"The Evil Queen has no royal status here and neither do you," Audrey retorted with faux sweetness.

Erin huffed. She hated how Audrey found it so easy to put others down. "Audrey, just because you feel threatened doesn't mean you can be mean to people," the redhead countered.

"Watch it, klutz," Audrey warned. Knowing how quickly this could escalate, Fairy Godmother cleared her throat, ceasing the girls from continuing. Nervously, Ben gestured to Audrey and said, "This is Audrey."

Audrey must have still felt threatened because she corrected Ben again. "Princess Audrey. His girlfriend," she said as reached across Fairy Godmother and grabbed Ben's hand. "Right, Bennyboo?"

Erin had to hold back a groan for fear of Fairy Godmother's wrath, so she just opted for a subtle roll of her eyes. Fairy Godmother may look sweet, but she didn't mess around when it came to rules and discipline, especially when it came to proper royal behavior. As a distraction, Erin sent a warm, ever-so-slightly-strained smile towards the four new kids. To anyone else, there wouldn't be anything to read from Erin's smile, but the VKs easily picked up on it, having had to plaster fake smiles on their faces since they were in diapers. It was obvious that Erin held an intense dislike for the prissy princess, and they were amused by her reactions.

Fairy Godmother placed her hands over Audrey and Ben's joined hands as she informed, "Ben, Audrey, and Erin are going to show you all around, and I'll see you tomorrow. The doors of wisdom are never shut." She threw Audrey and Ben's hands apart before continuing, "But the library hours are from 8:00 to 11:00. And as you may have heard I have a little thing about curfews."

After her little speech, Fairy Godmother left, the band and other onlookers following after her, leaving Erin, Ben, and Audrey with the VKs. Entering king mode again, Ben stepped forward and announced, "It is so, so, so good to finally me-meet you all."

Ben had gone to shake hands with Jay, but Jay punched Ben's chest. Erin assumed it was a custom on the Isle. Ben was only phased for a moment before shaking hands with Mal. He stopped and stared into Mal's bright green eyes as she stared back into his. Erin smiled, seeing this little moment. After a noticeable beat, Ben pulled himself out of his trance and continued down the line.

Mal pulled her hand back as Ben stated, "This is a momentous occasion, and one that I hope will go down in history... Is that chocolate?" Ben licked his hand after releasing the white-haired boy's hand- Carlos. He had melted chocolate all over his face. When Ben stepped out of the way, Erin waved her finger around her mouth, gesturing to Carlos that he had chocolate everywhere. She gave a small smile as she took a tissue out of her red clutch and handed it to him. He gave her a subtle nod of appreciation before timidly wiping his face. Erin nodded back before returning to her original spot by Audrey- unfortunately.

The prince shook Evie's hand while she stared at him flirtatiously and he finished his speech, saying, "As the day our two peoples began to heal."

"Or the day that you showed four peoples where the bathrooms are," Mal interjected, having lost interest in Ben's speech a while ago.

Ben found himself in front of the purple-haired teen once more as he asked, "A little bit over the top?"

"A little more than a little bit," Mal snickered.

Erin smirked and stepped forward once more. "Was it the marching band or the speech? 'Cause I warned him against both."

"You should've listened to Red over here," Mal teased. Erin couldn't help but smile as Mal sent her a mischievous wink. Ben chuckled, seeing the small exchange, and hope began to bubble in his chest.

"Well, so much for my first impression," Ben joked, making Mal and Erin chuckle. When the chuckles died down, Mal and Ben were caught in another intense staring contest, and Erin couldn't help but think that something was sparking between them.

Audrey saw it too and was not happy. Placing the fakest smile on her face, she jumped in with, "Hey! You're Maleficent's daughter, aren't you? Yeah, you know what? I totally do not blame you for your mother trying to kill my parents and stuff." Erin rolled her eyes and huffed. Here we go. "Oh, my mom's Aurora. Sleeping-"

"Beauty!" Mal interrupted, already fed up. "Yeah, I've heard the name. You know, and I totally do not blame your grandparents for inviting everyone in the whole world but my mother to their stupid christening."

"Water under the bridge."

"Totes!" The two girls began laughing before it faded into high-pitched sighs. Anybody could tell how fake both of them were being towards one another.

Ben was caught in the middle and had no idea how to respond. But Erin knew she had to do something to move this along before the claws came out even more. Because if that happened, the fangs wouldn't be far behind. Erin clapped and said, "Okay! So, how about a tour? Right, Ben?"

"Yeah. Yes, a tour," Ben agreed, coming out of his trance. He led the group towards the entrance of the school. "Auradon Prep, originally built over 300 years ago and converted into a high school by my father when he became king."

Ben clapped, signaling for the statue of his father to morph into a beast. Carlos shrieked and jumped into Jay's arms, causing everyone to send them weird and shocked looks. "Carlos, it's okay," Ben reassured, "My father wanted his statue to morph from beast to man to remind us that anything is possible."

"Does he shed much?" Mal asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah, mom won't let him on the couch," Ben said, turning the moment into a joke. This made Mal smirk at him in amusement, and Erin loved their growing chemistry. Audrey, on the other hand, was not happy. She slid her hand in the crook of his arm and gently pulled him away, continuing the tour.

Erin followed after the 'it couple', and Mal and Evie weren't far behind. Still, in front of the statue, Jay practically threw Carlos out of his arms and followed the girls while Carlos stayed behind to clap, seeing if the statue would change back- it didn't. Not wanting to be left behind, he scurried to catch up with Jay and the others.

Ben led the group into the foyer, and as Erin turned to face the new arrivals, she caught a glimpse of Jay swiping something off the center table. She quickly averted her eyes, opting to let it slide for now.

While Evie and Carlos looked around at the new sights respectively excited and analytical, Mal was the first to catch up with the tour guides. She did her best to sound genuinely curious as she asked, "So you guys have a lot of magic here in Auradon? Like wands and things like that?"

"Yeah, it exists of course, but it's pretty much retired," Ben replied.

Erin nodded. "Most of us are just ordinary mortals."

"Ha!" Audrey snickered. "Says the girl that's half mermaid."

Erin looked Audrey right in the eye and said, "And I'm not ashamed."

Audrey glared at Erin, upset that she couldn't get to the redhead as she used to. After a moment, Audrey just huffed and rolled her eyes. Mal smirked at Erin's fierce and confident attitude before turning to her posse, and they all shared an equally impressed look.

"Anyway," Ben interjected, breaking the growing tension. "Erin's right. For the most part, we're just mortals."

"Who happened to be kings and queens," Mal interjected.

"That's true," Audrey stated and forced Ben to drape his arm over her shoulders. "Our royal blood goes back hundreds of years."

Ben cleared his throat awkwardly while Audrey and Mal sent daggers at each other. Then, he looked around for a scapegoat, seeing Doug coming down the steps, Ben took his chance. "Doug! Doug, come down."

As Ben went to greet Doug, Audrey sent the VKs an awkward smile, which Mal returned with an indifferent glance. Then, Mal turned her curious eyes to Erin and said, "Mermaid, huh? I thought the red hair looked familiar."

"That's me. I'm really excited that you're all here. You'll bring some much-needed change to our world."

Audrey scoffed. "Oh, please."

Mal and Erin rolled their eyes but ignored her. "So, what's the deal with your grandfather's trident? Does it work on land or..."

"No, it only has power over the sea and it's creatures. Why do you ask?"

Carlos, who had been silent the entire time, stuttered, "Oh, um, just curious is all. So, are you an only child?"

"No..." Erin trailed off, taken off guard by the question and how quick Carlos dodged. "I'm the middle child. Younger than Melody, but older than Aiden."

The VKs nodded along, but Erin could tell they couldn't really care less. Evie was gazing around in a daze. Mal was definitely their leader. She acted as if she didn't care about anything going on unless she was controlling the conversation. Carlos looked as if he was analyzing everything, and he seemed relieved that Erin dropped her suspicions about Mal's question. And Jay... Well, Jay seemed to be interested, but for the most part, he was looking for the next trinket to steal in between sneaking glances at Erin. She pretended not to notice, but he wasn't being very subtle.

"Guys, this is Doug," Ben said, coming back with Doug in tow. He had been talking Doug into helping with the VKs. "He's going to help you with your class schedule and show you the rest of the dorms. I'll see you later, okay?" He asked, directing it towards Mal. After realizing what he was doing, Ben redirected his attention to everyone and said, "And if there is anything you need, feel free to-"

"Ask Doug or Erin," Audrey interrupted. This caused Mal and her to fall into another fit of fake laughter before it once again faded away into high-pitched sighs.

After sending Mal a seemingly innocent smile, Audrey grasped Ben's arm and led him away from the group. Doug took that as his cue to introduce himself. "Hi, guys. I'm Dopey's son. As in Dopey, Doc, Bashful, Happy, Grumpy, Sneezy, and... Heigh-ho."

Evie had caught Doug's eye and all his senses left him. And she knew what she was doing as she sauntered up to him, staring at him flirtatiously. Doug was toast as Evie twirled her hair and said in a sultry voice, "Evie. Evil Queen's daughter."

Doug would have continued to stare at Evie all day if Erin hadn't hit his arm, tearing him out of his stupor. "Focus, Doug."

"Right, okay," he said while shaking his head before looking at the tablet in his hand. "So, about your classes. I, uh, put in the requirements already..." Doug trailed off as Mal squeezed in between him and Erin to peer over Doug's shoulder.

He cleared his throat and continued, "History of Woodsmen and Pirates, Safety Rules for the Internet, and, uh, Remedial Goodness 101."

"Let me guess," Mal started before popping a piece of chocolate into her mouth. "New class?"

Erin nodded. "It was one of the conditions Ben had to adhere to in order to get this proclamation passed by his parents and the council."

"Boring," Mal said, stretching the word. "Come on, guys, let's go find our dorms."

Mal let her candy wrapper fall to the ground as she led her posse up the stairs- the wrong flight of stairs. "Uh, guys!" Erin called to them, grabbing their attention.

Doug, who had been too infatuated by Evie, snapped out of his trance and said, "Oh, uh, yeah, your dorms are that way, guys."

Erin smiled. "Evie, Mal, I'll show you to your dorm, which is right across the hall from mine, might I add! And Doug, mind showing the guys to their room?"

"Sure."

As the VKs ventured down the steps, Doug went back to counting off his uncles. "Dopey, Doc, Bashful, Happy, Grumpy, Sleepy, and..."

"Sneezy," Carlos finished as he walked past. Erin chuckled before turning on her heel and leading the two new girls to their room.

The trip to the dorms was quiet. Mal didn't feel like talking, the only thing on her mind was getting the wand and getting out of dodge. Evie was enamored by all the bright colors and warm atmosphere. And Erin didn't want to seem overeager nor did she want to annoy or overwhelm them. Surprisingly though, the silence wasn't the least bit awkward, sometimes there was nothing to say.

But sometimes there was a lot to say. The boys were anything but quiet on their journey. Right from the start, Carlos was asking questions about technological advances and where to find the best internet connection. Doug was all too pleased to inform Carlos on the ins and outs of Auradon's systems. He felt useful, especially since technology was his niche next to music and anything academic.

Unfortunately, his expertise ended when Carlos asked, "Is that Erin girl really a mermaid? How does that work?"

Jay hadn't been listening to his companions' conversation, finding it to be droll. But his ears perked up when Carlos mentioned the beautiful redhead. Like Carlos, Jay was curious. Doug shrugged. "Erin doesn't talk about it much. But all I know is I've seen her as a mermaid and a human. It's definitely possible. And she's definitely more graceful with a tail than with legs."

Jay chuckled, remembering Erin's unforgettable entrance. "I take it that she and Audrey don't get along," Jay commented.

Doug scoffed. "Erin and Audrey? They hate each other more than cats and dogs. Well, Audrey does. Erin doesn't hate anyone. Audrey just can't stand the fact that she can't manipulate Erin as she can with everyone else. I don't think I've ever seen Erin back down from Audrey or anyone that tried to hurt her or the people she loved."

The rest of the walk was silent. Jay and Carlos were processing the new information about Erin. Carlos was impressed by the girl- and envious. He wished he could be that confident and stand up for himself, especially to his mother. Jay was impressed too. He gathered that she had a fiery spirit, but he never would've guessed how fierce she could really be. According to Doug, Erin was not the kind of girl you wanted to mess with, which was that much more impressive because of how sweet and kind she was.

Speaking of Erin, she and the girls finally arrived at Mal and Evie's dorm. "Here we are! Now, before I open this door, I should warn you that the entire room is decorated in pastel pink. Everything from the curtains to the carpet to the bedspread. But you're more than welcome to redecorate, and I'd be more than happy to help."

Evie gave Erin a reassuring smile while Mal just stared blankly. Erin took that as a sign to continue, and she opened the door, revealing the pretty-in-pink room. Mal and Evie walked in side by side while Erin stayed close to the door, giving them space. "Wow," Evie marveled, "This place is so amaz-"

"Gross," Mal interrupted.

Evie's excited expression fell into one of fake disgust. "I know, right? Amazingly gross."

"Ew. Ugh! I'm going to need some serious sunscreen," Mal commented. Erin smiled, trying to suppress her bubbling laughter. Mal wasn't so different from a lot of the girls here. Many of them, including Erin, redecorated their rooms to fit their personalities and likings.

Mal pointed at the windows, letting in the bright sun, and she commanded, "E."

Evie knew what Mal meant and closed the curtains, blocking most of the pesky rays of sun. After doing the same to the other window, Mal cheered, "Whew! That is much better."

Erin nodded, glad they were settling in. "As I said, you can redecorate. Trust me, you wouldn't be the only ones, not by a long shot."

"How'd you do yours?" Evie asked, genuinely curious.

A bright smile lit up Erin's face. "I'll show you. C'mon," she replied, gesturing for them to follow her across the hall. Evie bounced after the redhead, and Mal followed, not wanting to be left out. But when Erin opened her door, Mal was just as amazed as Evie, though she hid it better. They were transported into a fantasy world. Three walls were aqua, the wall opposite of the door was light purple, and there were shelves upon shelves of under-the-sea knickknacks as well as statues of mermaids and fairies. The curtains were a darker shade of pink, almost coral, and they did a much better job at keeping the sunlight at bay.

"Your room's amazing!" Evie complimented as she twirled around, catching a glimpse of everything.

Mal let everything sink in as she slowly looked around. "Yeah. Nice work, Red. Who's your roommate?"

"Taylor, Tinkerbell's daughter. Hence, the fairies," Erin replied, gesturing towards the fairy statues. "But, I don't mind. I absolutely love them. And Taylor's my best friend, so it works!"

Evie was still absorbing every inch as she said, "M, we totally have to let her help us."

Mal didn't say anything. While she loved Erin's room, this spelled trouble. Evie was already becoming attached, and they weren't here to stay. Once they get the wand back to their parents, all of Auradon will be overrun with villains. Erin's room and everything here will be no more. Yet, Evie was talking as if she forgot the plan and was set on staying here, living amongst the enemy. Mal knew she had to keep the group on track and finish the mission. Her mom was counting on her.

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Thank you for reading, my Guppies!

Love,

KK