Ben helps Rain down and everyone files into the car. Jay and Lonnie stay at the front. Mal, Carlos and Evie at the other end of the limo.

When they speed off, Rain turns around. Her spell book lies on the ground. She realises that's what the noise was when she put her bag back. Well, it's gone now. I have a decent memory. But what if Uma finds it?

Rain tries to calm her breathing. The barrier should stop any evil magic. But there's good magic in there, could that help her?

"I'm really sorry, that things didn't go the way you wanted them to," Rain looks over to Ben. She hadn't really thought back to the Auradon thing since he'd been captured.

"As long as you're safe, that's all that matters to me," Rain can't look into his eyes for too long without feeling guilty. She felt it was all her fault. If only she wasn't so selfish, she made a rash decision and knew it.

"At least I got to see the Isle, they're my people to," He pauses for a moment "Uma helped me see that."

"Sure Ben, it's great to see that" she says genuinely "But, Uma kidnapped you and held you for ransom. She literally blackmailed me!"

"She's an angry girl with a bad plan. That's not so different from when you came to Auradon Rain,"

Silence.

"What a bloody dare you,"

Mal opens her mouth to stop the upcoming rant, but shut's it quickly.

"Uma is manipulative and horrible. She made me turn on my only friends," Rain points to the others "the only family I ever knew, just because she couldn't let go of something that happened when her and Mal were 12! You wanna know why I'm self-conscious, why I was so scared for a relationship? Why sometimes Mal or Evie wake up to my crying in the middle of the night?" he looks shocked "Because of her. So, don't ever. Ever! Compare me to her again," Rain crosses her legs and looks out the window.

"Rai..." Ben tries to put his hand on Rain knee.

"Get off me," she pushes him off.

"Awkward," Dude mutters and Rain forgot he could talk for moment as Evie gasps.

"Dude, I know you can talk, but it doesn't always mean you should," Carlos says, looking at the couple uneasily.

----------&----------

Jay parks the limo, and everyone files out. Many students give them a look. Rain hadn't dressed like that in a while, and Ben. Well, he'd never been seen like it.

"Ben!" Jane rushes over "There you are, cotillion is tonight, come here," she pulls him over to the same tablet that gives Rain nightmares. Rain just stands still, unsure what to do with herself.

She wanted to come back, right? Then why did she leave? Her head snaps up when Ben's hand slides to her back.

"Do you wanna cancel?" he sounds so concerned and caring. But after what he said in the limo, Rain can't give an actual response.

"Um, you know, I can come back," honestly, Rain related to Jane, she also didn't want to present during this convocation "but like, really soon,"

"Now's fine," Ben goes to look at the tablet again, what's on there? Ben looks back at Rain "Do whatever you need to do," That's the problem. She didn't know what she needed. So instead of answering, she stays silent and still until Evie and Mal pull her away.

"We need to talk,"

"Yeah," Mal agrees with Evie.

"What about..." Rain looks back at the boys. Shouldn't they be involved.

"No!" Carlos speaks up and Rain's twirled around by Evie,

"No?" she sounds offended.

"You guys are always going off in a huddle, whispering your girl talk stuff, or whatever. Well, Jay and I are tired of it!"

"I'm not," Jay puts his hands up in a surrender motion, as if Evie might slit his throat with craft scissors.

"We're your family, too. We've been through a lot together. We're not stopping that now, okay?" Rain nods "Everyone sit,"

Rain follows Carlos' lead and sits opposite him, everyone else stays still "Come on," everyone joins them on the perfectly maintained grass "I don't know how to start girl talk..."

"What up?" Jay tries.

"Um, well... I'm a mess. I'm such a mess, I swear I've cried more the last few days than my whole life," Evie and Mal wrap their arms around Rain " I mean, over a year ago, I was, you know, stealing things left, right and centre," Jay laughs " and now everybody wants me to be this Princess and Lady of the Court. I have no idea how to keep up the act,"

"Then don't," Carlos' advice may seem stupid, but Rain sort of saw his point.

"See? This was dumb," Jay goes to stand.

"Maybe it wasn't," Mal takes Rain's hand.

"We're always gonna be the kids from the Isle," Evie now addresses them all "I tried to forget it. I tried to get Rain to forget it. I really tried, but those are our roots. And we all did what we had to do to survive. But it made us who we are. And we're never gonna be like anybody else here. And that's okay. That's okay,"

Rain completely saw her point and thought it was brilliant. Ben didn't fall in love with a pretty pink princess. He fell in love with Rain. An angsty teenage girl who can't hold back sarcastic remarks when stressed. God, she was such an idiot.

"And we can't fake it," Carlos is still clutching dude.

"No,"

"Yeah. I mean, especially without my spell book," Rain felt like this was her way of telling them she lost it and they might be invaded. Eh, it'll be fine. Maybe.

"Rain, if Ben doesn't love the real you, then he's not the one,"

"I like that," Mal agreed.

"Give him a chance," Carlos was right. Rain knew that Ben didn't put up a protest to her completely changing herself. But he did like her before she started wearing pastel colours and 16-inch heels.

"I'm gonna make some changes to your dress. And if you're up for it. Only if you're up for it. It will be waiting for you, okay?" Evie says and Rain nods.

Mal wraps her arms around Rain's back, and Evie drapes her arm around her shoulder, they give Rain a tight squeeze before standing.

Rain stays sat down as the others leave. She wanted to stay in Auradon. But no matter what Ben had said, she wondered if he preferred Rain Fitzherbert to Rain Gothel.

When Rain looks back up, when someone sits back down. It's Jay.

"Come to Cotillion tonight, all right? If Ben isn't smart enough to love you and you can't stand another day, I'll drive you back tomorrow myself," It seemed all rain could do lately is nod, "Okay?" Jay pats her shoulder before heaving himself up. Rain'd always been closer to Evie and Carlos. But they were a family, and occasionally, they showed it. Rain imagined if 2 years ago, she could see herself now, crying over a boy in public.

Rain -

♫ If only I knew what my heart was telling me ♫

♫ Don't know what I'm feeling ♫

♫ Is this just a dream? ♫

♫ Ah oh, yeah ♫

♫ If only I could read the signs in front of me ♫

♫ I could find the way to who I'm meant to be ♫

♫ Ah oh, If only ♫

♫Yeah ♫

Edited: April 2021