Chapter Ten:
Goodbyes Are Hard

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It had been a couple of months since Ben's coronation, and Laila was thriving. It felt as though everything was falling into place, like everything just made sense. Her and Lonnie were as close as ever. Audrey wasn't bothering her as much as she used to. Laila and Evie were super close, and she'd started to become friends with Mal (and, by extension, Jay and Carlos, as the four were basically a package deal). And if she was being honest, she could hardly remember what life at Auradon Prep was like without the VKs.

Oh! She'd almost forgotten the best part!

There was one day, about a month ago, now, when Laila had walked Isak into town and then back. It had been going well, until it started going downhill. She had run into Fairy Godmother. In a panic, Laila had froze—she couldn't turn back, not anymore, for the woman had already seen them and was heading their way.

But she needn't have feared: Fairy Godmother crouched down, started to pet Isak, and had said, "Aw, aren't you just the cutest?"

"Wait. Isn't it, like, a thing," Laila had said, frowning, "that Dude is to be the only dog on campus?"

Fairy Godmother had waved her hand in dismissal. Then she had declared that Dude didn't have to be the only dog on campus, and that Isak was more than welcome to roam the grounds (OK, well maybe not that much freedom, but like... he wouldn't have to stay cooped up in the dormitory all the time). Laila had thanked her, but not after sending her a disbelieving stare.

So, truly. Laila was thriving.

Though, she would admit, she felt a bit sensitive at present. It was almost time for her to go back home to Arendelle for a few months, and although she was very much looking forward to it, there was also this feeling of slight dismay growing in the pit of her stomach—she felt a little disheartened at the thought that she'd be missing out on everything that was happening at Auradon Prep... though she tried not to dwell on it that much, for she knew that whatever happened, it couldn't be that exciting, right? Plus, both Lonnie and Evie had promised to keep in touch and let her know if anything remotely exciting happened, anyway, so it wasn't like she wouldn't know, she just wouldn't be involved... which, after what had happened with Maleficent at Ben's coronation, she was more than fine with. That had been enough action to last her for a while, at least.

In her dormitory, Laila stared down at her two suitcases, mentally double checking that she had gotten absolutely everything (but even if she hadn't, she supposed it didn't matter that much—it wasn't like she wasn't coming back! She was only going to be gone for the months surrounding Christmas, so it wasn't the end of the world if she accidentally left something at Auradon Prep, but she knew she would be disappointed if she couldn't wear some of her favourite clothes because she'd left them behind).

Satisfied, Laila zipped up her suitcases and sat down on her bed. Pulling out her phone, she opened the group chat between herself, Ingrid and Saxa.

laila
guess what

ingrid
you've decided you're
staying in auradon!!?!?
omg my dreams have
come true!!! 🤩

laila
i hate u so much

saxa
ingrid don't be mean

laila please tell me you're
still coming home 🥺🥺
i'll be so sad if you're not

ingrid
speak for yourself

laila
saxa, i love you and
yes i'm coming home

just finished packing!!

saxa
FUCK YEAH

ingrid
ugh 🙄

laila
fuck off imogen

ingrid
words cannot describe
how much i want to
punch you right now

laila
omg sisterly love 🥰🥰

saxa
i think it's necessary for
me to say that last night
ingrid said she was "so
fucking excited" for you
to come home bc she
really misses you

and that's a direct quote

laila
awww she DOES love me

ingrid
saxa what the fuck

you're supposed to
be my best friend!!!
and i told you that
in CONFIDENCE

saxa
oops

laila
i can't wait to tell mom

ingrid
i'll deny everything

laila
i'll get saxa to back me up

ingrid
saxa do NOT back her up

saxa
... i'm slightly conflicted

ingrid
smh traitor

anyway where are
you sleeping laila

laila
what's that supposed to mean

ingrid
literally what i just said
dumbass

laila
umm in my bedroom then??

ingrid
awww that's cute

you think you still have
a bedroom

laila
ingrid i swear to god

what did you do ????

ingrid
nothing...

laila
INGRID

ingrid
I DIDNT DO ANYTHING

saxa
i mean...

laila
ingrid i swear to god
i'm going to murder you
and they'll never be able
to find the body

ingrid
...

so maybe i moved into
your room

no biggie

laila
please tell me you're joking

ingrid
🤪🤪🤪

laila
fuck off are you serious

ingrid
yeah duh

laila
um WTF WHY ??? u
literally already had a room

ingrid
and now it's yours!!!
crazy how the world
works am i right

laila
ingrid i swear to fuck

i better have my room
back by the time i come
home

ingrid
or WHAT huh

laila
or i'll tell mom

ingrid
um i'm pretty sure
she already knows

laila
ARGH

i didn't want to resort to
this but i see no other way

ingrid
bring it on

laila
i'll tell you-know-who
that you like them

ingrid
YOU WOULDNT DARE

laila
fucking watch me

ingrid
you're a bitch

laila
and you only have a few
hours left to vacate my room

ingrid
ugh

fine

laila
well that worked out
nicely didn't it

saxa

Laila huffed. Trust Ingrid to steal her bedroom whilst she was gone... though she supposed it didn't matter all that much, considering the countless rooms in Arendelle, but still. She wondered where all of her clothes and other belongings would've ended up, if they were in another room or if Ingrid had just chucked everything out into the hallway—she certainly hoped that wasn't the case, anyway.

     She also hoped that Ingrid would swap their rooms back to normal. Laila liked her room! It had a really nice view.

Sometimes she didn't realise how much she missed her home and her family until it was time to see them again. Even Ingrid. She truly missed her sister. It wasn't the same, talking over messages or on phone calls.

Having already said goodbye to both Lonnie and Jane, there was only one more stop she had to make before she left. The VKs.

Their room was on the way to the staircase, so Laila dragged her suitcases behind her as she walked to Mal and Evie's room. With luck, the boys would be in there, too, and she wouldn't have to make another trip.

She was glad that Isak had been taken down to the front yard about fifteen minutes ago, where he was surely enjoying peeing on the freshly mowed lawn (oops), because it meant that Laila didn't have to carry him down the stairs along with her suitcases... as that could've been a bit of a disaster.

It was Mal who opened the door when Laila knocked, but within seconds, Evie was standing there, too, and they both smiled at Laila. She smiled back at them. Glancing past them and into the room, she noticed that Jay and Carlos were in there, too.

Laila focused her attention back on Evie. Her gaze then flickered between Mal and Evie as she spoke. "Hey... I'm about to leave to go back home, just thought I'd say goodbye."

Jay and Carlos waved at her, whereas Mal gave her a small hug.

Evie smiled at her and gave her a hug, same as Mal, except different at the same time. It was a bit longer than the one that Mal gave her, and Laila found herself almost melting into it. She felt as though she could honestly stay there forever; like the world had just stopped and it was just the two of them.

"Bye, Laila," Evie said, pulling away, her hands resting on Laila's upper arms after their hug. She continued to smile. "Keep in touch, OK?"

Nodding, Laila said, "Will do."

Laila wasn't sure why she was feeling butterflies in her stomach. Evie and her were friends, that was it. However, the more she thought about it, the more it didn't sit well with her. She brushed the thought aside. Laila did not have a crush on Evie. Nope. Nuh-uh. Not at all.

... Right?

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Authors Note!!!

and that's officially the end of part one!!!! stay tuned for the part two divider (and then more chapters) which will hopefully be out soon :)

let me know what u thought!!!

word count: 1478
09.02.2021