( 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 )

𝙳𝙴𝚂𝙲𝙴𝙽𝙳𝙰𝙽𝚃𝚂 𝚃𝚆𝙾
ＭＹ  ＣＯＴＩＬＬＩＯＮ  ＤＡＴＥ

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

I WAS WALKING UP THE STAIRS while on my phone with Jane. "Mm-hmm. Uh-huh. Okay, I get it, Jane!" I exclaim at all her talk about the cotillion.

"Beatrice. Beatrice. Beatrice!" someone's voice called out as I was bombarded by Carlos' jumpy figure.

 "Hey, hey, uh..." Carlos starts, I laugh at his entrance just to get my attention. "Would you go to Cotillion with me?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. We're all going to together, right?" I slur my words trying to talk to Jane while also giving Carlos attention.

"No, no, no. I don't want pen toppers! Okay but—" I say to Jane as she kept interrupting me.

"No I- I mean... with me," Carlos says.

"Yeah, I could swing by your room," I suggest.

"If the boat is facing left should—" I start as Jane once again interrupted me.

Carlos mutters something which I didn't really focus on as I was dealing with Jane, "Beatrice?" Carlos grabs onto my hand that held my phone and slowly put it down.

I look at him confused, "Would you be my date to Cotillion?" Carlos slowly asks staring into my eyes.

"And if you don't absolutely hate me by the end of it, um, would you consider maybe being more than friends? Maybe?" Carlos adds nervously.

"Like boyfriend and girlfriend? Where we can hold hands instead of slugging each other all the time? And we can text, and I can tell you how much I like you? Because, Carlos, I really like you and I'm- I'm the luckiest girl in the world!" I exclaim.

"Me too," he exclaims.

"I'm the luckiest girl— I mean, guy. Luckiest guy," he laughs. We both stare at each other until Carlos started leaning me to give me a hug and when he pulled away so that our faces were very near he gave a peck on my nose.

I chuckle a bit at his cute actions as we held onto each other, "Bea? Can you still hear me?" Jane yells through the phone,

"Oh, sorry. I'll see you later okay?" I say before walking away with the biggest smile ever.

⌲ ⌲ ⌲ ⌲

Cotillion got closer and closer by the second. I was currently getting ready with Evie and Mal in my room, "You look gorgeous," Evie gasps as she finishes with my hair. I pull my bag towards me and pull out Dizzy's barrette designs. Evie slowly places the rose barrette in my braided hair. The dress Evie designed was amazing, it was for a beautiful night.

"Thank you," I mouth towards her.

"Mal?" I turn to her as she was staring at the ground.

I stood up and went to sit with her, "If he doesn't love you, he's losing one of the best people that could ever be in his life," I sigh holding onto both her hands.

"Come on! It's not the day to be sad. Let's party!" I exclaim pulling both of the girls out of my room and walk down the stairs approaching our dates.

We approach the boat and it was already a killer party. Before entering the party we did some red carpet things. They ask me questions about my dress and just other things. When I got to the end a hand reach out and I quickly grab it knowing who it was. I look up and smiled at the person that has made me this happy so far. As we walk down the stairs, I was approached by Jane and her date. Audrey's brother, Aiden.

I remember how much Jane use to talk about him and he would do the same thinking that they both didn't know. So I decided to set them up. And they couldn't have been happier. "Beatrice! There you are, my dear," Fairy Godmother calls out.

"Have you seen Jane anywhere?" she asks.

"Yes, I have," I smile.

"Well, where is she?" she asks laughing.

"She's in good hands," I praise as I reach out my hand and pull Jane and her amazing date from behind me.

"Everything looks beautiful, my love. But we just need to ladle out the punch before the sherbet melts," Fairy Godmother says ignoring the boy next to her daughter.

"Mom, I have a date," Jane says getting her mother's attention before she walks away.

"A date? Really?" Fairy Godmother gasps looking around.

"Do you have a date, too?" Fairy Godmother asks Aiden as they stood opposite of each other.

"Yeah," Aiden says smiling at Jane.

"Really?" Fairy Godmother gasps.

"Yeah," Aiden laughs at Fairy Godmother's oblivion.

"Mom," Jane starts holding her hands out towards Aiden.

"Bippity-boppity. Oh!" Fairy Godmother gasps but then smiles as she saw her daughter and her date very happy.

Carlos and I walk away, "Mission complete," I smile as I face Carlos. Carlos pulls me in towards his chest and kisses my head.

I go back up towards the stairs so I could be introduced alongside Ben and Mal. However, when I went up, Ben was nowhere to be found, ever since we came back Ben has been acting weird. The trumpets go off as the introduction begins, "The future Lady Mal!" our announcer, Lumiere introduces. Mal looks terrified so I push her out and give her a thumbs up. More cheers for Mal continue. Ben approaches me with his... date?

"Um, Ben?" I say getting his attention.

"Hello, Beatrice," a familiar villain's voice calls out. I open my mouth but was interrupted by the trumpets going off.

I stare at him in shock, "King Benjamin and Queen Beatrice," Lumiere introduces.

I walk out alone. Gasps and mutters echo around the boat. I quickly walk down the stairs before anyone could bow 'cause I was so ashamed of Ben. We were waiting for Ben. Evie and Mal hold out their hands for me as I reach the bottom of the stairs ignoring my father and mother, "I'm sorry," I cry hugging them both. They both look at me concerned. Ben soon approaches the audience.

"Go get him," I heard Evie teases. Mal walks up to the stairs a little as Ben walks down the stairs meeting each other halfway. They both bow down to each other.

Ben said something to Mal as he finishes Uma walks in shyly. Everyone in the crowd either gasped or was muttering something about Ben's actions. Ben approaches her. "Mal?" I whisper trying to get her attention. The crew all look at one another shocked at Ben. I was beyond angry and I could see Carlos slowly approaching from behind me. He tightly held onto my waist.

Ben slowly places a kiss on Uma's hand as they reach the bottom. I look closely and saw Ben's ring on Uma's hand. Both Ben and Uma stood in front of Mal. I couldn't hear what they were talking about from here but I could imagine from the disappointing face on Mal. I was so disappointed in Ben. He loved her so much one day and then the next he acts as if nothing ever even happened! I pull away from Carlos' grip and walk towards Mal to comfort her.

I put my hand on her shoulder and whisper in her ear, "We're all here for you," I take a step back. Uma takes a step forward and grabs onto Mal's hand.

"Listen, Mal. I just really want to thank you, I do, for everything," Uma giggles innocently as she pulled Mal into a hug.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," Uma mumbles.

"Don't you see, Mal? You were right. You knew that we weren't meant to be together. That's why you never told me that you loved me. Thank you," Ben smiles.

Music starts playing and Ben and Uma start dancing. Evie and I walk up to Mal and grab her from her frozen state, "Come on," Evie sighs.

"Not too thrilled I risked my life for him," Carlos bluntly says. Everyone stood around them processing everything that happened.

"We're with you, Mal," I turn back and saw Lonnie. I look at Mal, and so many emotions were going through her head, I could tell just by the look of her eyes.

"Let's get out of here," Jay says.

"Okay," Mal mutters as we all walk away.

Mom and dad stop Mal, "Mal," dad calls out stopping us from running away.

"Honey, we're so sorry. We had no idea," mom reassures her.

"I'm gonna talk to him," dad says. Mal turns away, I nod at my parents for their comfort towards Mal.

Jane had stopped by Lumiere and said something. The music stops. "And now for the unveiling of King Ben's masterpiece, designed especially for his lady," Lumiere announces as the curtains from the opposite side of us magically drop and there laid the most beautiful stain glass window of Mal and Ben.

"Ben did that?" Mal gasps.

"Yeah, he did," Evie sighs happily.

"Oh! Evie, Bea. Ben's known who I was all along. Oh!" Mal cries.

"He loves the real you, M," I tear up as we get closer to the bottom of the stairs.

"A true love," Mal states.

"Yeah," Evie sighs.

"Told you," Carlos laughs, Mal joins in.