chapter five
did i mention

Scarlett opened her locker whilst the rest of the VK's stood behind. She took a peek to see Ben down the hallway at his own locker with Audrey, who was disdainfully looking at all the girl's in a huddle gushing over their new gorgeous hair Mal spelled for them. Jay leaned against the locker beside her as she threw her bag in.

"Aren't you feeling kind of weird about this?" The boy asked the dark haired girl with an unsure look, glancing around at the students around them. "I mean, it's not so bad here, you know."

"Are you insane?" Scarlett cut him off, eyebrows flying to her hairline. "Long live evil! You're mean! You're awful! You're bad news! Snap out of it." She snapped her fingers in front of the boy's face.

Jay's shoulder's sagged as he released a breath through parted lips. "Thanks, Scarlett. I needed that." He chuckled. Scarlett patted him onto the shoulder as the boy pushed himself off the lockers and left to join the others.

"Do you think they actually paid for those?" Audrey asked her boyfriend, gesturing to the group of girl's giggling at their new hair. Ben shut his locker, following her gaze. Jay leaned against the railing, smirking down at the ladies who quickly rushed towards him with girly giggles. Audrey turned back to Ben. "She did it to Jane's hair, too, and Fairy Godmother's not happy about it."

Ben shrugged, looking clueless. "What's the harm?"

"It's gateway magic!" Audrey protested in disbelief. "Sure, it starts with the hair. Next thing you know it's the lips and the legs and the clothes and then everybody looks good and then where will I be?" Scarlett peeked out from behind her locker, rolling her eyes at the princess. And here she thought Mother Gothel was the vainest person she met.

"Listen, Audrey..."

Audrey breathed in deeply to calm herself. "I will see you at the game after my dress-fitting for the coronation, okay?" Scarlett quickly hid behind her opened locker door.

"Okay."

"Bye, Bennyboo." Audrey air-kissed him in the cheek before walking away from him. "Bye..." Ben muttered as she walked away.

Scarlett slammed her locker closed, whipping her body around to face him, saying in an all too fake perky voice, "Hey, Bennyboo!"

"Hey." Ben smiled as he approached her.

"Uh, I just made a batch of cookies." Scarlett held up a plastic baggie of the spelled chocolate chip cookies. "Double chocolate chip, do you want one?"

Ben glanced down at them but shook his head. "I've got a big game. I don't eat before a big game. But thank you so, so much. Thank you. Next time. Next time."

"No, yeah." Scarlett spoke up as he tried to leave. She faked a saddened look to gain his sympathy. "I completely understand. Be careful of treats offered by kids of villains."

"No, no, no."

"No, I'm sure every kid in Auradon knows that." Scarlett played her part just right by, shrugging sadly as Ben's eyes grew wide, shaking his head repeatedly to deny her ligations.

"No, no. That's not it." Ben denied profusely. "No, no, no. I really do... I have..."

Scarlett waved him off, smiling. "No, I get it. You're cautious. That's smart. Oh, well, more for me, I guess." She opened the bag and picked one cookie from it. Just as she was bringing the cookie to her lips, Ben snatched it from her and took a big bite. She smirked satisfyingly.

"No, no. Hey... See that? Totally trust you." Ben stated through a mouth full of cookie crumbs. "Totally."

Scarlett turned back to give her friends a look, who all smirked as they slowly drifted closer to the pair. Scarlett snapped her body back around to the prince, asking curiously whilst keeping a watchful gaze on him, "How are they?"

"They're good." Ben nodded, smiling politely. "They're great! They're amazing!" He chuckled, looking down at the cookie in his hand as the love spell slowly began to take affect. "They're... I mean, they're chewy and, you know, they... Is that walnuts?" Ben smiled when she nodded eagerly. "I love walnuts." He giggled. "I mean, you know, the chocolate... the chocolate..." Ben cleared his throat. "The chocolate chips are... I'm sorry, um... They're warm and soft. And they're sweet..."

When Ben looked up into her eyes, he found himself incapable of looking away. He smiled into her irises. "Scarlett, have you always had those little golden flecks in your eyes?" As Ben was about to take another bite, Scarlett quickly snatched it from him, in fear the potion would work too well and make him too in love with her. She dropped the cookie back into the baggie, growing a little uncomfortable from the way Ben wouldn't stop staring at her.

Jay came up from behind the prince, placing his hands on his shoulders and whispering into his ear, "How you feeling, bro?" The other VK's and Doug stood behind Scarlett, smirking at the scene.

"I feel... I feel... I feel like singing your name." Ben exclaimed with a child-like grin, his lips parting wider to do just that. "Scarlett! Scarlett!"

Scarlett chuckled in disbelief, placing her gloved hand over his mouth to stop him from singing her name, handing Jay the baggie of the cookies. Even with her hand over his mouth, he still tried singing her name.

Scarlett actually found the tourney enjoyable. The three villain girls stood on the bleached watching the game that had the whole kingdom in attendance. She cheered when the coach put Jay and Carlos on the field. She found the idea of tackling people and blocking opponents thrilling. Maybe they could bend the rules a little bit and let her join the team. She could use something to let out all her pent up aggression.

Carlos went down by the other team and Jay ended up picking him up by his jersey and dragged him along with him. The game was tied 2-2. Apparently, opponents weren't enough and they used a ball shooter that shot balls at the players which they had to use their shields to deflect.

Scarlett rose her eyebrows, impressed, when the ball skyrocketed off of Carlos's shield and Jay got to it, sending it over to Ben who scored the winning goal.

Scarlett covered her ears when the students around her, including Lonnie and Evie began to cheer loudly, almost bursting her eardrums.

"Prince Ben has won it! What an unselfish play by Jay! What a team! Incredible! And it's the new guys, Jay and Carlos, who set up the Prince for the winnner. What a victory! An absolutely wonderful end to one of the best games ever! Here they come, folks. The inners of the ..."

"Excuse me." Ben grabbed the announcer's golden microphone off its stand, addressing the crowd. "Excuse me. Can I have your attention, please?" The applauded quieted down as Ben jumped up onto the small platform the ball shooter was on. "There's something I'd like to say." He looked around him, deciding his best course of action.

"Give me an S!" He shouted, making the letter with his body.

"S!" The crowd copied, all except Scarlett and Mal.

"Give me an C!"

"C!"

"Give me an A!"

"A!"

"Give me an R!"

"R!"

"Give me an L!"

"L!"

"Give me an E!"

"E!"

"Give me two T's!"

"T's!"

Scarlett's eyebrows flew her her hairline as she registered that what he just spelled was her name. Mal realized that same thing, looking over at her friend with disbelief.

"What does that spell?"

"Scarlett!" The crowd turned to said girl whose ears heated up at the attention.

"Come on, I can't hear you!"

"Scarlett!

Evie grabbed Scarlett's arm excitedly, even though she knew it wasn't real.

"I love you, Scarlett!" Ben loudly spoke into the microphone. "Did I mention that?" Scarlett hated the way she was being looked at by everyone, mostly because gushed over as people exclaimed. Even Lonnie giggled girly for her. Audrey whimpered before running off. "Give me a beat!"

"Oh, my God." Scarlett muttered as the band began to play a lovely tune, perking up everyone on the field and  on the bleachers.

"What was in that Cookie?" The three villain girls exclaimed in unison in disbelief. Evie laughed as she bounced her body with the music.

"Did I mention that I'm in love with you? And did I mention there's nothing I can do?" Ben sang, moving his body as he jumped off the platform. "And did I happen to say I dream of you everyday. Well, let me shout it out loud if that's okay, hey, hey. If that's okay."

"Hey!"

Scarlett crossed her arm over her chest as everyone danced enthusiastically around her but Ben's eyes were only on her. She saw even Carlos and Jay enjoying this stunt with the rest of the tourney team in the field, dancing along with them as the two flanked Ben's sides.

"Hey!"

"I met this girl that rocked my world like it's never been rocked. To now I'm living just for her and I won't ever stop. I never thought that it could happen to a guy like me. But now look at what you've done you got me down on my knees."

Scarlett's actually felt her lips pull upwards uncontrollably when Ben actually fell to his knees, along with his team and the VK boys who copied his moves. Her hand flew to hover over her mouth to hide her canines from showcasing to everyone due to her amused grin.

"Because my love for you is ridiculous. I never knew. Who knew? That it could be like this. My love for you is ridiculous. My love is r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s."

"R-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s." The tourney team repeated after him.

"It's..."

"Ridiculous."

"Just..."

"Ridiculous."

"And I would give my kingdom for just one kiss. Well, did I mention I'm in love with you? And did i mention there's nothing I can do? And did I happen to say, I dream of you everyday. Well, let me shout it out loud, if that's okay, hey, hey. Yeah, if that's okay."

"Hey!"

"I gotta know which way to go. Come on, give me a sign. You gotta show me that you're only ever gonna be mine. Don't wanna go another minute livin' without you. 'Cause if your heart just isn't in it I don't know what I'd do." Ben fell back into the arms of his teammates who pushed him up into the air before he landed back on his feet. Scarlett's hands covered her mouth as a gasp left her lips.

"Because my love for you is ridiculous."

"Ridiculous."

"I never knew."

"Who knew?"

"That it could be like this. My love for you is ridiculous."

"Ridiculous."

"My love is r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s."

"R-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s."

"It's..."

"Ridiculous!"

"Just..."

"Ridiculous!"

"And I would give my kingdom for just one kiss! Come on, now! Oh, yeah." Ben slid off his tourney jersey, revealing his body pads, and threw it to the crowd, to Scarlett. Her jaw fell to the floor when she caught it in her hands, both Evie and Lonnie gushing over how romantic that was. Scarlet unfolded folded it, holding it up in front of her.

Ben jumped onto of the horse mascot. "Because my love for you is ridiculous. I never knew. That it could be like this. My love for you is ridiculous. My love is r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s."

Scarlett gasped loudly when Ben jumped into his teammates arms and said teammates threw him into the crowd on the bleachers where other students caught him and paraded him towards Scarlett who almost fell in shock.

"It's... Just..."

Scarlett tried to run away but Evie and Mal caught her pushing her back around.

"And I would give my kingdom for just one kiss! Come on, now!"

When Scarlett turned, Ben now stood right in front of her, towering over her small figure as the music ceased and the song ended. Ben moved close, going in for a kiss but Scarlett chuckled, putting his jersey in between them to prevent that. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her into his side.

"I love you, Scarlett!" He exclaimed into the microphone still in his other hand. "Did I mention that?"

Audrey suddenly appeared behind Ben, snatching the microphone from his hand to speak into it. "Chad's my boyfriend now!" She glared at Ben and Scarlett but mostly the VK. "And I'm going to coronation with him. So, I don't need your pity date."

Scarlett felt Evie tense from beside her when Audrey pecked a kiss on Chad's lips.

Ben didn't seem to care, grabbing the mic back from Audrey and turning back to Scarlett. "Scarlett! Will you go to the coronation with me?"

Scarlet rolled her eyes, moving the mic in front of her mouth. "Yes!"

"She said yes!" Ben announced excitedly to the crowd as if they didn't hear her. Scarlett chuckled as the crowd cheered loudly and Audrey groaned, walking off with Chad following after her like a lost puppy.

Jay ran up the steps to forcefully drag an infatuated Ben away from Scarlett. "Let's go, Ben! The whole team's waiting for you." Ben nodded, sending Scarlett one last lovestruck look before following after the boy.

"Bye." Scarlett called out, chuckling as she held his jersey in her grasp. The crowd went back to celebrating the tourney win after that public display of affection. Scarlett turned to face her female villain friends, only to noticed the saddened look on Evie's features, whose eyes followed Chad's figure disappointingly. Scarlett and Mal shared a look with each other from each side of the blue haired girl. Scarlett pursed her lips. "I feel really sorry for Audrey."

"You do?" Evie questioned with eyebrows drawn together.

Scarlett nodded, "Yeah."

"I feel like if she were talented like you, and she knew how to see and knew beauty tips, that she wouldn't need a prince to make her feel better about herself." Mal continued Scarlett's train of thought.

Evie giggled lightly, eyes flickering between her two friends. "I guess I am kind of talented."

Scarlett cracked a smile seeing Evie laugh, humming in agreement. "You are definitely gifted."

"Thanks, S, M." Evie smiled gratefully at the toe who matched her smiles

Scarlett rose her fist in the air, cheering, as the tourney team celebrated on the field, lifting Jay up into the air with the winning trophy in his hand. Jay pointed out to the three girls when he saw them cheering for him in the crowd.

Scarlett's smile became genuine seeing the way most of the villain kids already became accustomed to the life of a goodness.