Descendants Junior Novel (3 page)

T
HE FUTURE OF THE FREE WORLD? DON’T BLOW IT?

JEEZ. TALK ABOUT NO PRESSURE. AWAY WE GO!

A black stretch limo was parked outside Maleficent’s tenement.

It looked wildly out of place in the squalid city. Villagers crowded around it curiously. Jay, Carlos, and Evie walked outside, whooping with glee to see their ride.

“Ugh,” said Evil Queen, eying the villagers. “Smells like common folk.”

The driver emerged from the limo in a crisp gray suit and dark sunglasses. He took the teens’ luggage—Jay’s carpetbag, Evie’s suitcase and sewing machine, and
Carlos’s big black trash bag—and loaded it into the trunk. Jay swiped the crown-shaped hood ornament and climbed into the limo along with Evie and Carlos. Mal handed the driver her bag,
and he tossed it in and slammed the trunk shut. She took one last look up at the balcony, where her mom gave her an “I have my eye on you” sign. Mal nodded.

She hopped into the limo.

The driver slid into his seat and shut the door. “The jackals have landed,” he said into a mike inside his lapel.

The villains waved good-bye to their children from outside the limo as it began to roll. On the street, the villagers looked on as the limo cruised away.

Mal and her friends took in the inside of the limo. They ogled all the buttons, gadgets, colored lights, refreshments, and vast arrays of chocolates, gumballs, jawbreakers, jelly beans, rock
candies, and other sweets. Jay wrenched open the fridge. His friends played with the sound system, unwrapped candies and opened cans of soda, and pressed every button, quickly trashing the
limo.

Evie went at Mal with a makeup brush. “You’re looking a little washed out.”

“Ew, stop,” said Mal, batting her away. “I’m plotting.”

“Well, it’s not very attractive,” said Evie, gnawing on blue rock candy.

Carlos wolfed down a chocolate peanut butter cup and shook his head with wonder. “Oh! These! It’s salty like nuts but it’s sweet like I don’t know what.”

“Let me see,” said Jay.

Carlos opened his mouth for Jay to look at the chewed-up peanut butter cup on his tongue. Some fell out. Jay took a cup from Carlos and popped it into his mouth.

Mal clicked a remote. The screen that separated the teens from the driver opened.

“Look!” said Evie, now that she had a clear view out the front of the limo.

The four teens stared ahead at the ruined remains of a bridge and the impenetrable barrier. There was just sea ahead. It looked like they were going to be driven straight into the water. They
cowered.

“It’s a trap!” said Carlos, terrified.

They all screamed. Carlos jumped onto Jay, and Evie clung to Mal for dear life. The driver pushed a remote attached to the visor. The limo hit the ruins of the bridge and barreled through the
barricade. They did not hurtle into the sea. Instead, a magnificent bridge appeared under the steady wheels of the limo. Quickly, Mal and her friends composed themselves, embarrassed about losing
their cool. Jay peeled Carlos off him.

“What just happened?” asked Carlos.

“It must be magic!” said Evie.

Mal tapped the wall behind the driver. “Hey!” She held up the remote she had in her hand. “Did this little button just open up the magic barrier?” she asked him.

“Nope.” The driver indicated the remote on his visor. “
This
one opens the magic barrier.” He motioned at the remote Mal held. “That one opens my garage.
And this one...” He pushed a button and the screen slid up, shutting off Mal and her friends.

“Nasty. I like that guy,” said Mal, smiling.

The limo traveled across the bridge, which continued to extend over the wide expanse of water toward Auradon. The bridge behind the limo disappeared, leaving no way for them to travel back or
for anyone to follow. The driver pulled the limo into the sunny kingdom of Auradon and slowed in front of a sign that made Mal and her friends gag:

WELCOME TO AURADON PREP
.

GOODNESS DOESN
’
T GET ANY BETTER
.

W
ELCOME TO AURADON PREP. HOME OF THE AURADON FIGHTING KNIGHTS.…

HOW
CUTE
—YEAH, SO I THINK I’M OFFICIALLY GOING TO BE SICK.

The limo cruised through the sprawling green campus and came to a stop. An impressive building with a flower garden loomed before them. A group of curious students in
blue-and-gold uniforms waited outside the limo, waving welcome flags. A marching band started to play with great gusto. The driver opened the limo door, and Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos tumbled out.
They were about as undignified as it got.

Jay was yanking at a scarf that Carlos was clutching.

“You got everything else, why do you want this?” Carlos asked.

“’Cause
you
want it!” said Jay, wrestling Carlos to the ground and pinning him there with his foot. In their squabble, they didn’t notice the group of students
watching them. The students backed away at the sight of them fighting, and the band dribbled to a wheezing stop.

A smiling woman stepped through a clump of students with her arms outstretched as if she were about to hug someone. She had brown hair pulled back in a loose bun, pearl earrings, and a lavender
dress with a pink bow at the neck.

Mal noticed the woman and alerted her friends. “Guys, guys, guys,” Mal said from the side of her mouth.
“We have an audience.”
Then she put on a fake smile and
struck a fetching pose. Evie quickly followed suit, resting her hands on her hips.

Jay smiled and told his audience, “Just
cleaning up
.” He helped Carlos to his feet.

The woman addressed Jay. “Leave it like you found it!” She grinned. “And by that, I mean just leave it.” She gave Jay a pointed look.

Jay tossed all his loot back into the limo.

The woman smiled and nodded.

Then Jay noticed a pretty student with caramel-colored skin and chocolate-brown hair. She wore a blue sweater, a pink dress, and a gleaming gold necklace. He sauntered up to her with a smile and
said, “Hello, foxy. The name’s Jay.”

The girl laughed, then stopped.

The woman leaned in between Jay and the student. “Welcome to Auradon Prep,” she said.

Jay’s smile faded.

“I’m Fairy Godmother. Headmistress.” She bowed elegantly.

“
The
Fairy Godmother?” asked Mal.

Fairy Godmother nodded.

“As in ‘Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo’?” asked Mal, pretending to wave a wand.

“Bibbidi-Bobbidi-you-know-it!” said Fairy Godmother.

Mal gave her a forced good-girl smile. “Yeah, I always wondered what it felt like for Cinderella when you just…appeared out of nowhere! With that sparkling
wand
and warm
smile…and that sparkling
wand
.” She flashed a big cheesy smile.

Carlos licked chocolate off his fingers as Mal spoke.

“That was a long time ago,” said Fairy Godmother. “And as I always say, don’t focus on the past or you’ll miss the future!” She smiled.
“
Wherever
you wind up!”

“It’s so good to finally meet you all,” said a handsome young man as he stepped forward and clasped his hands. He wore a navy suit jacket that sported the Auradon Prep crest, a
hankie in the breast pocket, and a pastel plaid tie. “I’m Ben.”

“
Prince
Benjamin,” said the girl beside him. “Soon to be king!” she squealed.

“You had me at ‘prince,’” Evie said as she stepped forward and stared into Ben’s eyes. “My mom’s a queen, which makes me a princess.” She started
to bow.

“The Evil Queen has no royal status here,” said the girl, “and neither do you.”

Ben gave the girl a look that said “cool it.” “This is Audrey...” he said.

“
Princess
Audrey,” said Audrey, taking Ben’s hand. “His
girlfriend
. Right, Bennyboo?” She flashed a smile at Ben and tucked her chin.

Ben let out a short laugh.

“Ben and Audrey are going to show you all around,” Fairy Godmother told Mal and her friends, “and I’ll see you all tomorrow. ‘The doors of wisdom
are never
shut
!’ But the library hours are from eight to eleven, and as you may have heard, I have a little thing about curfews.” She smiled, turned away from Mal and her friends, and walked
toward a building, with the marching band following in her footsteps.

Ben smiled and approached Mal and her friends. “It is so, so,
so
good to finally meet you all.” Jay punched him playfully. Ben shook hands with Mal, Carlos, and Evie,
looking into Mal’s eyes with a great searing intensity. “This is a momentous occasion,” he said, “and one I hope will go down in history as the day our two peoples began to
heal.” Evie held his hand for too long. Audrey pulled Ben away.

Mal, imitating Ben’s tone, said, “Or the day that you showed four peoples where the bathrooms are.”

Mal’s friends laughed.

Ben grinned. “A little bit over the top?”

“A little more than a little bit,” said Mal.

“Well, so much for my first impression,” said Ben. He laughed.

Mal laughed, too. She stared at him for a moment, before looking away.

Audrey glared at her through a smile. “Hey! You’re Maleficent’s daughter, aren’t you?” Then she said in a disingenuous voice, “I totally don’t blame you
for your mother trying to kill my parents and stuff. Oh, my mom’s Aurora. Sleeping—”

“Beauty. Yeah, I’ve heard the name,” said Mal, cutting her off. “You know, and I totally don’t blame your grandparents for inviting
everyone in the world
except for my mother to their stupid christening.”

Audrey blasted a fake smile. “Water under the bridge!”

“Totes!” said Mal, putting on an even bigger fake smile.

Both girls fake laughed and let the laughter fizzle out in unison.

Ben clapped his hands together. “Okay! So how about a tour?” he said happily. He headed toward the garden, sharing facts about the school and its history.

The teens looked up into the face of a fearsome statue that resembled Ben’s father in Beast form. Ben clapped and it came to life and growled. Carlos squealed and jumped into Jay’s
arms. Ben, noticing Carlos’s fear, gave a quick double clap. The statue magically transformed into the Beast as a young prince. Carlos relaxed a little.

“Carlos, it’s okay. My father wanted his statue to morph from beast to man to remind us that anything is possible,” said Ben.

“Does he shed much?” asked Mal.

“Yeah, Mom won’t let him on the couch,” said Ben with a serious expression.

Mal and he exchanged looks. Mal gave a wry smile and he smiled back.

Ben continued his tour. Jay put Carlos down. Carlos clapped to get the statue to come alive again. Nothing happened. He raced ahead to catch up with the group.

Inside the building, there was a fireplace, dark wood staircases, chandeliers, and stained glass windows that made the place feel warm and sunny.

“So, you guys have a lot of magic here in Auradon?” Mal asked. “Like wands and things like that?”

“Yeah, it exists, of course, but it’s pretty much retired,” said Ben. “Most of us here are just ordinary mortals.”

“Who happen to be kings and queens,” added Mal.

“That’s true!” said Audrey snootily, draping Ben’s arm over her shoulder. “Our royal blood goes back hundreds of years.” She looked at Ben possessively.

Ben took his arm off her. “Doug!” he said when he noticed a nerdy boy with thick glasses heading down the stairs. The boy was wearing a blue-and-gold marching band uniform and
carried a clipboard. “Doug! Doug, come down!” Ben clapped a hand on Doug’s shoulder. “This is Doug,” he announced. “He’s going to help you with your class
schedules and show you the rest of the dorms.” He looked right at Mal. “I’ll see you later, okay? And if you need anything at all, feel free to—”

“Ask Doug,”
blurted out Audrey. She fake laughed and dragged Ben away.

“Hi, guys,” said Doug. “I’m Dopey’s son? As in”—he started counting on his fingers—“Dopey, Doc, Bashful, Happy, Grumpy, Sleepy,
and...” Evie caught Doug’s eye.
“Heigh-ho,”
he said to her, completely charmed.

Evie went nose to nose with him. “Evie. Evil Queen’s daughter.” She started to twirl her hair flirtatiously.

“So, about your classes,” said Doug. “I put in the requirements already. History of Woodsmen and Pirates, Safety Rules for the Internet, and”—he cleared his
throat—“Remedial Goodness 101.”

“Let me guess...” said Mal. She popped a piece of candy into her mouth. “New class?”

Doug nodded sheepishly.

“Come on, guys,” Mal said, dropping the wrapper on the floor. “Let’s go find our dorms.” She started up a flight of stairs. Carlos, Jay, and Evie followed her.

“Oh! Uh, yeah, your dorms are that way, guys,” said Doug, pointing in the opposite direction.

As Mal and her friends came back down the stairs and headed in the direction he indicated, Doug hung back, counting through the dwarves again. “Dopey, Doc, Bashful, Happy, Grumpy, Sleepy,
and...”

“Sneezy,” said Carlos, passing him and ascending the opposite staircase.

Doug sighed and looked at the ceiling.