McKenna strolled through the sunlit halls of Auradon Prep, flanked by her friends Jay, Carlos, Evie, and Mal. The vibrant energy of the school pulsed around them, a cacophony of chatter, laughter, and the occasional burst of magic. It was the heart of the day, and the corridors were buzzing with students preparing for the upcoming Royal Cotillion.

As they walked, McKenna couldn't help but notice the way Jay commanded attention. It seemed like every girl they passed was vying for his attention.

"Hi, Jay," a girl called out, her voice bright with hope.

"Hey," Jay replied smoothly, his grin charming and effortless.

"Jay," another girl greeted him, her eyes lingering on him a little too long.

"What's up?" Jay responded, giving her a casual nod.

McKenna exchanged a knowing glance with Carlos, who rolled his eyes in exaggerated exasperation. "Why do you torture them, Jay? Just pick someone to take to Cotillion already."

Jay shrugged, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "I'm going solo. That way, I can dance with all of them."

Carlos let out a dramatic sigh, throwing his hands up in the air. "Ah! You're the expert. Um, Jay... if you were gonna ask someone, what's the best way to go?"

Jay stopped mid-stride and turned to Carlos, his expression serious. "Listen, all you got to do... is look like me."

Carlos huffed, clearly unimpressed by the advice. "Oh, ha-ha."

As they continued down the hall, McKenna's attention was drawn to a familiar face in the crowd. "Hey, Farrah," Carlos said, his tone a bit more eager than usual.

Farrah, a pretty girl with a kind smile, turned to them, her eyes lighting up when she saw McKenna. "McKenna!" she called out, waving.

Carlos tried to act casual, but McKenna could see the nervous energy radiating off him. "Hey, Farrah," Carlos greeted her, a bit awkwardly.

Farrah smiled warmly at Carlos as he spoke I was wondering...uh... if you liked the carrot cake last night."

Farrah tilted her head slightly, a puzzled expression crossing her face. "I had the pumpkin pie, obviously." It was pretty pretty obvious since she was the daughter of fairy godmother

"Oh, cool. Um, uh—" Carlos stammered, clearly flustered.

Jay snickered under his breath, giving Carlos a playful nudge. "Smooth."

McKenna suppressed a laugh, feeling a mix of amusement and sympathy for Carlos. Evie, always the practical one, stepped in to ease the tension. "I have an opening for a fitting at 3:00. Who wants it?"

Before anyone else could respond, Lonnie popped up beside them, her hand shooting up in the air. "Me! Sorry," she said, a little breathless.

Evie smiled brightly, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "Perfect. I'll take you later."

Farrah, not one to be easily deterred, sidled up to McKenna once more. "McKenna?"

McKenna paused, turning to face her with a polite smile. "Yes?"

Farrah bit her lip, looking slightly apologetic. "I hate to keep bugging you, but the decorating committee needs more answers. So, as much as I hate to, um... you know, um..."

"Bug me?" McKenna finished for her, raising an eyebrow.

Farrah let out a small laugh, clearly relieved. "Right."

McKenna sighed internally, knowing there was no way out of this. "Yeah, Farrah, I would love to help. I just have to get to class."

Farrah seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking again, this time with a bit more urgency. "You know, just nod if you like it."

McKenna nodded, already bracing herself for the barrage of questions that was sure to follow.

Farrah launched into a rapid-fire list, her hands gesturing animatedly. "Chair swags. Entry banner. Twinkle lights. Napkin design. Table bunting. And you still haven't picked the party favors yet."

McKenna's patience was wearing thin, and she could feel a small spark of frustration bubbling beneath the surface. Her eyes flashed green momentarily, a telltale sign that her emotions were getting the better of her. "Honestly, Farrah, whatever you think—"

But Farrah was on a roll, her excitement evident. "I mean, we can do chains, key charms, pen toppers. I kind of love the pen toppers, but, I mean, we can do all three."

McKenna took a deep breath, trying to keep her frustration in check. She could feel her magic simmering just beneath the surface, threatening to spill over. "I say pen toppers."

"Yeah?" Farrah's eyes lit up, clearly pleased with the decision.

"Yeah," McKenna replied, her voice tight but controlled.

Farrah beamed. "You won't regret it."

McKenna nodded curtly, trying to hide the annoyance creeping into her expression. She was about to turn away when Lonnie's voice cut through the tension.

"I can hardly wait to see what your wedding will look like!" Lonnie exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

McKenna froze, her eyes widening in shock. "Wait! What?!"

Farrah and Lonnie exchanged amused glances, as if they were in on some inside joke that McKenna was completely oblivious to.

"The Royal Cotillion is like getting engaged to be engaged to be engaged," Farrah explained, her tone teasing.

Evie grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. "I knew it!"

Lonnie laughed, nodding in agreement. "Well, everyone knows it."

McKenna felt a wave of panic wash over her. "I didn't know it! How come nobody told me that?"

Before anyone could respond, Ben appeared, his presence instantly drawing attention. "Hi, McKenna," he greeted her with a warm smile.

"Hi, Ben," McKenna replied, still feeling flustered from the earlier conversation.

"Hi, Ben," Lonnie, Farrah, and Evie echoed in unison, their voices full of playful affection.

Farrah, always quick to seize an opportunity, pulled Ben to the side, her expression suddenly serious. "Oh, oh. Quick moment."

Ben looked slightly confused but allowed himself to be led away from the group. "Uh..."

Farrah leaned in, her voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper. "All right, they're almost finished with the surprise for McKenna's big night. Snow White, Belle. But the one you designed for McKenna is my favorite."

Ben's expression softened, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Make sure her eyes are hazel with specks of gold in them," he said, a hint of mischief in his voice. Then, turning back to McKenna, he added, "Uh... see you later."

"Okay," McKenna replied, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts as she watched Ben walk away.

As the group continued down the hall, McKenna couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. The Royal Cotillion was approaching fast, and with it, the weight of expectations she wasn't sure she was ready to bear.