Carlos had been lounging on his bed, a book balanced on his chest, his eyes occasionally drifting to the TV across the room, where the screen flickered with images of Aladdin and Jasmine dining together in a news segment. He sighed, flipping a page, only half paying attention to the broadcast. His mind was preoccupied with something much more complicated than the lives of Auradon's royals: how to finally break out of the dreaded friend zone with Farrah.

He glanced down at Dude, his ever-present canine companion, sprawled lazily on the floor, head resting on his paws, when a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"How to get out of the friend zone," Carlos muttered under his breath, still focused on his book, as if the answer would magically appear in the text.

He felt eyes on him and turned to find Dude watching him intently, his tail thumping against the floor.

"I see you reading over my shoulder," Carlos said, rolling his eyes. "You know, you're not exactly helpful with this whole 'girl advice' thing, right?"

Dude just huffed and turned away, clearly unbothered. Carlos smirked, shaking his head, when suddenly, the TV caught his attention.

"Mckenna must be counting the days until the Royal Cotillion, when she will officially become a Lady of the Court," the TV reporter said, her voice dripping with excitement.

Carlos barely had time to react before the door flew open, and McKenna burst into the room, her usually composed demeanor frazzled and panicked. She made a beeline for the remote, switching off the TV with a sharp click.

"Whoa. Easy, girl," Carlos said, sitting up straighter, surprised by her sudden entrance.

McKenna’s eyes flashed as she turned to face him, her voice laced with frustration. "What? You think this is so easy?! You don't have people taking a photo of you every single time you open your mouth to say boo! I mean, it's not like I could even say 'boo,' but you know what I mean!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "And you don’t have people constantly comparing you to your perfect twin sister, who’s just waiting for you to fail!"

Carlos blinked, taking in her outburst, feeling the weight of her stress hit him like a wave. "I'm sorry," he said, unsure of how else to respond.

McKenna’s face softened, if only slightly. She slumped against the doorframe, sighing heavily. "Carlos, don’t you ever miss screaming at people and making them run away from you?"

He chuckled, a low sound of disbelief. "You're thinking of Cruella. And Celeste. I was usually on the other end of that. So, not really. No." He tilted his head, studying her for a moment. "Oh, hey! Did you bring it?"

McKenna raised a brow, momentarily confused before realization dawned on her. She dug into her bag, about to respond when the door creaked open again. Carlos groaned inwardly as Chad strode into the room without so much as knocking.

"Hi!" Chad chirped. "Just came to use your 3D printer. Won't be a sec."

Carlos narrowed his eyes. "How’d you get a key to my room?"

"Oh," Chad said casually, already halfway to the printer. "I printed it off last time I was here. Uh… you guys were sleeping. Look, I just—your printer’s so much better than mine, and you installed all these hacks, so it runs smoother—"

"Out!" Carlos cut him off, his patience wearing thin.

Chad paused, looking mildly offended. "Fine, fine." He headed for the door but stopped halfway, turning back.

"Chad!" Carlos barked.

"What?" Chad blinked innocently.

"Leave the key." Carlos shot him a stern look, and Chad finally dropped the key on the dresser before leaving with a shrug.

Carlos sighed, turning back to McKenna. She was watching the entire exchange with mild amusement, though her earlier stress hadn’t fully dissipated.

"McKenna?" Carlos prompted.

"Hmm?"

"My potion?" He raised an expectant brow.

"Oh, right." She pulled out a small gummy and held it up for him to see. "Yeah. Um... Here you go."

Carlos eyed the gummy, his curiosity piqued. "So, this thing will make me say what I really feel to Farrah?"

McKenna nodded, though she hesitated. "Yeah. I mean, this is a truth gummy, so take it or leave it."

"Perfect," Carlos grinned, already imagining how things would go.

"Hold on, though," McKenna interrupted, her tone suddenly serious. "Are you sure you want to be taking this? This thing is gonna make you say the truth, all the time, no matter what. And the only reason I’m asking is because if I took this right now, I’d probably get myself sent back to the Isle." She shrugged. "Not that that sounds super unappealing, but, you know…"

Carlos considered her words for a moment before shrugging. "Yeah. I'll take my chances, I guess."

"Okay," McKenna said, though she didn’t look entirely convinced. She turned to leave but stopped when she spotted Dude munching on something suspicious-looking. "Ohh! Bad dog!"

Dude let out a disgruntled groan. "Man, that thing was nasty! You gotta man up. And while you’re at it, scratch my butt."

Carlos froze, staring at Dude, his jaw dropping. "Did you just—?"

McKenna smirked. "You heard him. Scratch his butt." She shook her head, already halfway out the door. "I’ve got bigger problems to worry about."

Carlos blinked at her retreating figure. "McKenna, you’re just gonna leave me with him?"

"Yes, for two reasons," she called back over her shoulder. "One, he’s your dog. And two, I have to figure out how I’m gonna make all of Ben’s favorite dishes in 30 minutes."

Carlos sighed heavily, watching her go. He turned back to Dude, who gave him an expectant look.

"Come on," Dude huffed. "You scratch your own all the time."